HMHBGA 2020 Legislative & Policy Agenda
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia (HMHBGA) is excited to announce the release of our 2020 Legislative & Policy Agenda. HMHMBGA is dedicated to working with key stakeholders and policymakers to promote sound maternal and infant health policies. During the 2019 legislative session we collaborated with partners and stakeholders to successfully advocate for the following:
- HR 589: creates the House Study Committee on Maternal Mortality
- HB 345: ensures that no restraints of any kind are used on a woman who is in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, in labor, in delivery, or in the immediate postpartum period while incarcerated
- HR 707: recognizes May 1 as Maternal Mental Health Day at the state capitol
- $200,000 for additional nurse abstractors for the Maternal Mortality Review Committee
- $600,000 for HMHB to establish three perinatal support satellites in Wilcox, Randolph, and Meriwether Counties
- $1.05 million to screen, refer, and treat maternal depression and related behavioral disorders in rural and underserved areas
- $13,000 to convert space in either the Capitol Building or Coverdell Legislative Building to a lactation room
To continue the work of improving the health of mothers and babies across Georgia, during the 2020 legislative session we are actively advocating for:
- The extension of pregnancy Medicaid to one year postpartum
- Legislation to protect pregnant and postpartum women in the workplace and provide appropriate workplace accommodations
- Strengthen rural access to perinatal support and services
- One or more changes in our tobacco laws to deter smoking
- An increase to the State tobacco product excise tax
- An equity tax on e-cigarette and tobacco alternative products which would bring them on par with tobacco products
- An increase of the minimum age of tobacco purchase to 21.
- The provision of adequate funding to the Department of Public Health’s Maternal & Child Health Section
To review our full 2020 legislative & policy agenda click here. For weekly advocacy updates during the legislative session, follow our e-newsletter Keeping Current @ the Capitol.