Only a small portion of Georgia’s bipartisan mental health bill survived the 2023 legislative politicking.
Advocates and proponents of improved access to behavioral health services in Georgia had rallied behind what was seen as the next step in reforming the state’s system, following up on the work championed last year by the late House Speaker David Ralston.
The bipartisan measure cleared the House earlier this month with overwhelming support but slowed in the Senate and failed to clear the deadline for bills to advance out of committee. HB 520 remains alive for next year.
“I would be remiss if I did not voice my disappointment that the Senate chose not act on a priority for this House,” House Speaker Jon Burns, a Newington Republican, told reporters early Thursday morning.
Burns said the House is focused on those who feel they have nowhere to turn for help.
“I’m sorry that they will be kept waiting another year. But make no mistake, our work will continue,” he said. “This will continue to be our priority, as it has been for the last two years. That won’t change.”
On Wednesday, the final day of the 2023 legislative session, state senators salvaged one piece of the bill meant to streamline aggregated data sharing among state agencies to help guide future policy making. That provision was added to another bill dealing with inactive state boards.
“I’m going to vote for this for the tiny, little bit of reform they offer but must express real disappointment that we are not moving forward in mental health reform in the way House wished in 2023,” said Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a Decatur Democrat and one of the bill’s co-sponsors.
The Republican sponsor, Rep. Todd Jones, struck a more upbeat tone afterwards, saying he wasn’t disappointed and that he would continue to work on the bill in the legislative off season.
“In my mind, good policy is good policy, and it’s going to be good policy in 2023 and good policy in 2024,” the South Forsyth lawmaker said early Thursday morning.
A Senate panel unveiled a trimmed down version of the proposal last week but never received a vote in committee.