Sen. Ben Watson

Columnist

The closing of the 2024 General Assembly session is soon upon us as we are down to our final five legislative days. As I reported last week, the House of Representatives passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget and now the Senate is having our look at the budget and making revisions. Most of this past week was spent in the Senate Appropriations subcommittees as we invested much time working on the budget.

We used much of the non-legislative session time in what we call the “green door” committee. This is a term where subcommittee chairmen discuss their sections of the budget. As chairman of the Health Subcommittee, my budget section comprises about 27% of this $36 billion budget. I fully anticipate the Senate version of the budget will pass this coming week and that the House and Senate will then sit down to iron out the differences. One bill that has a great impact for us on the coast is House Bill 244, State Representative Jesse Petrea’s bill regarding oyster aquabusiness.

I presented to the Senate House Bill 244, which has already passed the House and then was ultimately passed by the Senate.

One hundred years ago, our state was the largest producer of oysters, primarily for creating oyster stew. For many reasons that industry and the oyster population markedly diminished.

The Board of Regents has championed the idea of revitalizing oyster aquaculture and, in conjunction with the University of Georgia and Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, oyster seeds are now being produced for oyster farmers. This legislation cleans up Department of Natural Resources statutes, helping to revitalize this industry. The Senate also finally passed legislation making significant reforms to Georgia’s Certificate of Need (CON) law governing hospital construction and medical services.

Passing H.B. 1339, the measure will exempt proposals to build hospitals in rural counties from having to obtain a CON from the state Department of Community Health if they plan to have a full-time emergency room, accept psychiatric and substance-abuse patients, participate in Medicaid, provide indigent care, and agree to feature a training component. The legislation also includes provisions aimed at helping specific hospital projects and also includes a provision allowing rural hospitals that have closed to reopen without a CON. On a side note, the House of Representatives passed a bill that the Senate passed last year, S.B. 233, The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act.

This innovative legislation creates a highly targeted Education Savings Account pilot program limited to students attending the lowest performing (bottom 25%) public schools in the state. It gives first priority to students from families below 400% of Federal Poverty Level (about $120,000 for a family of four). Any student above that income threshold would only be allowed to participate if more funds are available than students wishing to participate that meet the income requirements. In addition, to alleviate the cost to public schools, school districts will be held harmless financially for any students leaving to participate in the program for a period of two years, giving them time to plan and adjust.

I will keep you updated on legislation affecting our community as we progress through the session. Thank you for your continued interest in the work of our General Assembly.

As your public servant, feel free to visit me at the Capitol or to reach out to me by phone or email.

I am in 325A, Coverdell Legislative Office Building. My office phone number is (404) 656-7880, and my email is ben.watson@ senate.ga.gov. I look forward to continuing to serve you.