Rules 2.5.26

Sorry.

Morning, representative Martin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Join with me. Father, thank you for the opportunity to, to serve you today as we as we try to do every day. Give us wisdom as we do that, as we also serve the people of Georgia and our and our fellow representatives and legislators.

Thank you for this time. Give us wisdom from you in Jesus name. Thanks, sir.

Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to ask the rules committee if they'd join me in welcoming a constituent down from Alfredo High School, miss Holly McGuire in the back for, coming down to see, the business of Georgia done today.

Stand up so we can Glad to have you visiting today. Thank you. Okay. Let's go ahead and begin over here. Chairman Hagen.

Thank you, mister chairman and committee. I have House Bill six five seven. It is about halfway down the blue sheet. This bill provides consistency of care and quality of support for a person or family in substance useabuse recovery by defining certified peer specialists and laying out requirements for recovery community organizations.

-Okay. Don't see any questions. -Okay. -Thank you. Senator Huffstetler.

Thank you, mister chairman. I've got Senate Bill one sixty two, which is the next to last one on the sheet. This is a holdover from last year due to it had turned into multiple subjects, and it's restored now to its original bill, and it's shorter because appropriations were made to the composite medical board that put in these systems that's up and running and already showing major improvements. They're doing a great job over there now. And in the past, it's taken way too long to credential and license our physicians and physician assistants.

And of course, these come under the composite medical board. Our nurses come under the Secretary of State. So this only can deal with with them on this system. But So I semi retired a couple of years ago with a spotless record and to work across town, it took me three and a half months to get through the credentialing process. And I know people.

I mean, I I did a lot faster than some people did, but they had a severe shortage of anesthesia staff and, it, it's it's certainly been a problem. But because they've done so much work, the bill is shorter now, so we're only looking at two things in this bill, and the composite medical board agrees. One's to allow for administrative approval. The way it is right now, if the board were to meet today, and your paperwork's in tomorrow, then you can't work until the board meets again on March 5. And this would allow them to administratively approve it, get them working, and then the the full board can come, ratify it later on.

The second item, which has the full support of the Georgia Hospital Association, will allow for hospitals to input credentialing information and would allow for, individuals to be credentialed statewide. And this may need some additional software, and it's gonna be subject to appropriation. So we've actually already done this for our medical students. They were spending hundreds of dollars getting credentialed at every hospital they went to. Doctor Paul Brock, who who's a general surgeon and he's the Dean of the Northwest Georgia campus, did this, set this up.

It's it's working and that's why I refer to this as the Paul Brock Act because he went ahead and did it. And, this

will be able to get people out almost immediately to

help out when somebody's out on disability, pregnancy leave, when somebody's out on disability, pregnancy leave, whatever. You know, quite often the baby's a couple of months old before you can get somebody credentialed, to work in that facility. So that's the that's the the bill and certainly entertain any questions.

We do have a question. Chairman Powell? Sure.

Thank you to my friend. Yeah. You bring this up about, the composite board. I've been talking about this for quite a while. We passed some bills a year or two, a session or two back.

Passed by the generals, and signed by the governor. They gave, short term prescription rights to APA's and PAs under a doctor's protocol. But yet here we are session or two after they have passed and there's still a hold up because the composite board hasn't passed the rules and regs and it sounds to me like there's other issues that's going on over there.

There there are emergency procedures in place and I think those

happen in some cases, place to do this. And the second thing is, the delay from when the the second thing is, the delay from when the board can meet can sometimes happen to that. But the the bigger issue here that wasn't dealt with in that, and that was some some good measures, is that the hospitals, when we get the the software ready, can input their credentialing information in there. And so it'll be a one stop shopping now. Instead of the hospital doing their work and the composite medical board doing their work, it'll all be together.

And if you're credentialed in this hospital and and everything's in place, you can immediately go on and work at another hospital that needs you then without going through an emergency process.

It sound like the issue that you've got and the one that I mentioned that we have some issues with the composite board. It may may or may not be all technology based, but I'd like to talk to you offline Sure.

To get

your advice.

And and I have advice. I I will, but I I will say that the new director has made major strides now. I I think we're down to about thirty days now when it used to be many, many months, but this would get it down to, you know, potentially instantaneously. We've done this with the medical students of Augusta, and, Paul Brock did, and it's working great for the students. Once we saw that, we said, well, let's go ahead with the PA's and the

and the physicians.

Okay. Thank you. I have another question, secretary Kelly.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Chairman Hosteller, thank you for being with us. When you speak to the credentialing piece here, you mean only allowing the provider to have access to the hospital facility to practice. This doesn't have any relationship to the credentialing through the insurance companies or the payers for that aspect.

Correct?

Correct. This, you know, the the medical board Composite Medical Board license you. The hospital credentials you. The software upgrade, when we put it in place, will allow the hospitals to put input in, and then they will be credentialed in that facility. And, I know both the the CEOs of the hospitals in Rome want this as soon as we can do it to help out with the shortage they've got.

They'll be credentialed immediately in both facilities or any other hospitals. Thank you.

Senator, do we have another question? Rick Park?

Yes, sir. Thank you, mister chairman. Senator Hovsella, thank you for the bill. As I'm just reviewing, the committee substitute on line 27, it's permissive with respect to certain parameters for the recommended system. It's a may, not a shall.

Is there a intentionality around there?

We didn't wanna force any hospital to say you have to do this, but they can put in eventually, when this is implemented, they could put any information they want into this system, and it will allow them to do it. So you're right. It's not it doesn't force anybody to do it, but I can tell you they all want it thank you

sir thank you sir I know many of us have had some calls and concerns about the licensing in the protocol and in the credentialing and everything and thank you I don't see other questions. Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Representative Clifton.

Thank you, mister chairman. I will be, brief. We're looking at, H b nine five seven three from the bottom. This is the miniature truck bill. We passed this out of the house last year, almost with unanimous consent.

It got to the senate and had some additions added onto it, and therefore, because of that, the governor decided that, he did not like some of those additions. Through the process of all of this, the governor's offices told us they do support the bill the way that we had written it and would support, getting it all the way through. Rick

Clark has a question for you.

Thank you, mister chairman. Representative, thank you for the bill. The one question I had was

So yes. If the the this bill would allow, these vehicles to be driven on county and city roads unless marked. So if the county and city decide they do not want them, they would be, need to I'm not I'm not gonna be specific on how they would do it, but they would need to communicate that so that they would not be allowed to be driven.

I I

would leave that up to the locals on how they want to decide to inform people that they don't want these on there. I would assume a a road sign would

definitely be one

way that they could go that route.

Restoration has a question. Thank you, mister chairman. Representative Clifton, it feels like we've taken this mini truck issue up year after year after year after year. With respect to the question that that was just asked, is this any different in any way than the legislation that's been feels like regularly passed by this body over the last few years and, we're just trying to trying to get done this year? Yes, sir.

There was one number changed on this bill, and it went from 2025 to 2026 if the bill passes. Everything else goes back to the original language.

So this is the same measure which has been repeatedly passed overwhelmingly by the Georgia house?

Yes, sir. Thank you. Chairman

McDowell.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have two bills, if if I can present them both. First bill, it's HV nine four four. It's on the front page, about three quarters of the way down.

This is just, federal guidelines that are given to us each year that our commercial vehicle enforcement division has to enforce over our motor carriers that are going up and down our interstates. All we do every year is change the date to this year. We change from 2025 to 2026.

-Okay. Don't see any questions. You got another one?

-Yes, sir. It's Sharon. This this is a public safety bill that's not only will help protect our law enforcement, it'll help protect our families that are going up and down the road.

What's the number?

Oh, sorry. HB02 HB1022. HB1022. It's on the back page.

Okay. Go ahead.

Again, this is a, you know, public safety bill that's not only gonna help protect our law enforcement, but help our families that are going up and down the road. There's technology in everything. So today, we got technology and wind attending. People are have the ability now to put a film that's electronic on their on their front windshields, side windshields, and their back windshields that that they can control and control the amount of tint that they want their windows to be. In current, law right now, window tint, is at around 32% plus or minus three, with with this technology.

They're they can take it up to a 100% or take it down to zero. And, the same thing with, license plates. This bill will also repeal a measure back in 2017, where we we authorized electronic license plates, where you can sit with an app and and change what you want on your license plate. Just as a couple weeks ago, there was three cars in Atlanta with the same license plate riding around in the flock system, picked all of them up. Also with this technology, they can tint their license plate.

So this is also outlawing that. For the first offense, it'll be $500 and any offense after that will be a thousand. So basically, if your law enforcement sees somebody with a tinted window and they cannot see in the car, they pull them over, they could hit a button and make their windows go clear. It's proven that also with dark tinted windows, which which you can't see in, they can't see out. And so this also protects us going up and down the road, our families, for the people that have this dark tinted window that they can, you know, in the intersections and, can see us going up and down

the road. -Okay. Quip Park has a question for you.

It we it's got to be we have a law that it says 32%. So that's as high as you can go. You can go lower than 32% plus or minus three, but, you know, law enforcement they have a a measure that they gauge electronic machine that they put on the window to to see. So, you know, by now we're you know, the law only allows 32. So,

Automatically auto manufacturers that need vehicles that they would just I

haven't had any discussion with them.

Okay. I have a question. Chairman Martin, is that you?

-They're not all custom. They're not all custom. They're not all custom. They're not all custom. They're not all custom.

They're not all custom.

They're not all custom. They're not

all custom. They're not all custom. They're not all custom. They're not all custom. They're not all custom

-We

usually can hear you when you talk

about that. -I have one

on the other side. Let's try that one.

-I can hear you.

-Well, talk loud. Okay. Go ahead.

It it it it that would

be a vague part in the bill. I do not have any any specifics.

Okay.

Jim Powell has a question for you. Try the one next to you, Dan. We had a little difficult this morning. No. Well, just talk loud.

It's a little technical issue here. I see him right there.

I might have to get used to wireless mic.

Okay. Okay.

-That is a big part of it. You know, with with changing our our tag system, we used to have stamped tags. And that's best become a problem because now they're they're vinyl tags and they're easy to to change, with putting another vinyl label on them, which, you know, your stamped tags, you could not do that. Then, of course, when we, did the electronic tag, you can it's all on app. So you put whatever you want to on that.

But the main thing is the safety is is I said before, what what you When you can't see in the car, what caused the tents too dark, they can't see out. So that's another safety issue we have to take into consideration is is our is going up down the road and the people that are driving these cars, they can't see us either.

-Okay. I don't see any other questions. Thank you very much.

-Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, committee.

-Well, excuse me. We do have a question. I'm sorry. Chairman Libby, you had a question. You passed.

Okay. Anybody I don't see no other questions.

Thank you.

Okay. Okay. We're having a little difficulty here with the mics. Got a couple of members who want to ask for something. We're gonna try your mic, and if it doesn't work, we'll let you come to the podium.

How about that? Okay. Chairman Hawkins? Nope. If you would, just go to the podium.

Apologize. We'll try to get them to check this out for us.

Thank you, mister chairman. I'm asking for h b nine I mean, excuse me, six two nines on the front page. This is a bill that we had last year, and this bill is now a substitute and includes a very important issue with stop the bleed kits. The it adds these kits the training for these kits to the CPR and AED trainings that are taught in our school to the response teams. This issue actually came about after the Apalachee school shooting and, unfortunately, got got sidetracked when a member of the commission was moved to Washington.

This is supported by the commission, trauma commission, and the regional trauma commission. The kits are provided, to the schools free of charge from a national source. I have placed in the bill that is it will be upon appropriations. So in case something happens in Washington and that money gets lost, we'll find a way to pay for it in Georgia. Protect our children.

That's the bill.

Okay.

I don't see any questions. Thank you. Alright. Chair lady Cooper, you have one? You can use use this mic to see if that one works for you.

Okay.

Thank you, mister chairman. On the first page, about six or seven up from the bottom is 17 717, household seven 17. Some of us that have been here a long time will remember when we had pain clinics popping up everywhere and a real problem with opioids being given and other drugs, mainly by orally. And we had to, have the medical board enact regulations and rules about who could own them. And this bill follows the same thing, except we're even in a worse situation, ketamine, which is an extremely, extremely dangerous job.

Only FDA approved for anesthesia. And even when an anesthesiologist, they make sure that that patient does the Fact that the patient has had it. So these you know, checking And they have It's like we will have later. Oh. 99% what they wanted to do, and also it sets up, you know, about administration even for they were requiring it through advanced airway, management training.

That's how danger it is that a general physician would need advanced training to pull if they get so answer questions about it.

Okay. I have a question for you. Reverend Kelly.

Thank you, ma'am. Mister chairman, mad chair, thank you for the legislation. I I understand this is a dangerous drug that's being administered. Are there current individuals owning this are there current facilities owned today that don't meet the ownership structure prescribed in this bill? Yes.

And are we divesting anyone's interest that owns them today?

No. I'm not correct.

So if you're if you own one of these today Tell the we're not gonna force you to sell or divest your interest.

No. No?

No. I would like for it to be that way because they're dangerous and what they're they will have to register with the board. Just register so we know where they are. I would hope that once their standard's put in place, that they would want to upgrade their facility to meet standards, not about the ownership maybe, but that they would have a defibrillator, the equipment they would need to intubate a patient if they were having airway problems, because I would think that once you have standard in place, if they're smart, they wouldn't wanna take the chance of having a really bad reaction. And the lawyers, you know, going at them because there were standards and they weren't meeting them, They are starting up we're all over the state.

There's probably somewhere about 20 plus of them now that we know of. Almost one. He has talked to people and he even that most of them are not having be an anesthesiologist. And he has he said everything that he would have in the OR to help with patients, but he says he's talked to these people over the stay. And if you go out on his website, has and look through it, he has a ketamine academy, which is what you do to set him up, and that's why he was talking.

But he was very honest with me.

I agree with you. I hope they bring him up to standards as well. I was just curious about the ownership aspect. Thank you, madam chair.

The grandfathered in.

Okay. I don't see any other questions on that. Any other member of the committee have anything they want to present this morning? Okay. Let's do this.

Let's set a calendar for Friday, the legislative day number fourteen. House Bill six twenty nine. Do I hear a move? -Moved. -Second.

-Have a motion and a second. Is there any opposition? It's on. Have a move in second. Any opposition?

It's own. Okay. Don't forget today we got the budget on the floor. We will not have a rules meeting tomorrow. We will not meet tomorrow.

Our next rules meeting will be Monday at 9AM. Monday at 9AM. Thank you. We're adjourned.