Rep. Johnny Chastain issued a statement following the progress of the eighth week of the legislative season

PRESS RELEASE – Johnny Chastain, the representative for Georgia House District 7, issued the following press release:

The House kicked-off the eighth week of the 2024 legislative season on Monday, February 26. I joined fellow lawmakers in the House chamber for three long days of legislative work. Thursday was especially important as it marked Legislative Day 28 or “Crossover Day,” which is the deadline for bills to pass from their originating chamber to remain eligible for final consideration by Legislative Day 40 or “Sine Die.”  On Crossover Day alone, the House passed 72 bills working late into the night as we tackled a range of pressing issues for the citizens of our great state.

HB 1339 would stand as a cornerstone in this effort, proposing a comprehensive overhaul of the State’s Certificate of Need (CON) laws.  HB 1339 would present a series of impactful healthcare reforms to enhance accessibility and affordability for all Georgians.  Of special importance to rural areas like ours, HB 1139 will aid the expansion of healthcare via rural hospital tax credits administered by the Department of Community Health on healthcare access and efficiency issues across the state.  This will enable rural free standing emergency hospitals to apply for tax credits through the Georgia Heart Program.

On crossover day we gave unanimous passage to legislation that would allow for a designated essential caregiver to be present with a patient or resident of a hospital or long-term care facility while they are receiving care. HB 663 or the

“No Patient Left Alone Act” would permit a minor or an adult who is admitted to a hospital or long-term care facility, to have a parent, guardian, person, or caregiver to be physically present with them at all times while the patient remains in the hospital or facility. As we saw during COVID-19 pandemic, many Georgians who were in these facilities could not see their loved ones.  This legislation will change that to ensure that patients are never left alone without their family or a caregiver by their side.

HB 1363 is a big win for our rural smaller pharmacies.  This will aid in getting their drug reimbursements based on the national average drug acquisition cost. We also passed HB 1053, which I co-sponsored to stand against the federal push for government –run digital currency. The vote was 136 yes and 32 no.  The creation of a Central Bank Digital Currency would not be good  for our great community banking system in Georgia.  This bill prohibits governmental agencies from accepting a payment using a digital currency issued by the federal reserve or foreign central bank and prohibits governmental agencies from participating in any test of a central bank currency.

With Crossover Day now behind us, the House of Representatives will shift its focus to reviewing legislation that has been passed by our counterparts in the Senate as we move through the final weeks of the session.  

As always , thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative. You can reach me at my Capitol office at 404-656-0325 or my email at Johnny.chastain@house.ga.gov.