Summary for Third Week of 2022 Session

My colleagues and I convened for the third week of the 2022 legislative session on Monday, January 24. Session is in full-swing, and the pace certainly picked up this week. We convened in the House Chamber for four days to tackle our legislative business, and our committees and subcommittees also held 30 meetings throughout this busy week to discuss issues that impact Georgians across our state.

Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) filed House Bill 1013. This bipartisan bill would bring monumental and comprehensive reforms to our state’s mental health care delivery system by:

• Expanding the list of practitioners who can see patients

• Expanding telemedicine options

• Requiring insurers to cover certain mental health services

• Ensuring that mental health coverage is equal to physical health coverage

• Providing service cancelable loans for mental health/medical professionals who work in pediatrics, psychiatry, mental health, and substance abuse care

• Enhancing resources and tools for frontline responders and local communities.

Mental health reform will likely be one of the most important issues we address this legislative session.

The House also gave final passage this week to a piece of legislation that was carried over from the 2021 legislative session. House Bill 383 was sent to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. This bill reaffirms the state’s commitment to protecting our economic relationship with Israel.

I look forward to sharing new developments with you after we return to the Gold Dome on Tuesday February 1, for another full week. As your state representative, my number one goal is to advance legislation that protects, serves and supports the people of House District 149. To help me in my efforts this session, I encourage you to reach out to me about legislation or policies that interest you. You can contact my Capitol office staff at 404-656-0195, and you can email me at robert.pruitt(a>house. ga.gov.

As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative.

As the State Representative for District 149, Robert Pruitt serves Dodge County, Telfair County, Wheeler County, Cadwell, and Hazlehurst. During the second week of the 2021 Legislative Session, Rep Pruitt was appointed to serve on the Industry and Trade, Economic Development, and Small Business committees for the next two years. Robert and his wife Kelly have been long time residents of Eastman.

By Rep. Robert Pruitt (District 149)