ATLANTA — Portions of a bill revising mental health insurance coverage, new ways for parents to challenge materials used in schools and a tax credit for donations to the police are among new laws that go into effect Sunday in Georgia.
Most statutes in Georgia go into effect on July 1, but the General Assembly has postponed some statutes or portions of statutes to January 1. This applies in particular to some tax regulations for taxes levied annually.
Measures, which went into effect in early 2022, included lifting the license requirement for carrying a concealed handgun in public, a ban on teaching certain racial concepts that Republicans say are divisive, and an interim refund of the $1.1 billion state income tax $250 and $500 for many households.
Here’s a look at some of the new laws and regulations starting on January 1st:
MENTAL HEALTH
Health insurance companies must begin reporting to the state Department of Insurance how they provide child, adolescent and adult mental health services under House Bill 1013, a state effort to ensure insurers comply with federal law requiring them to provide mental health care cover the same way you pay for physical health care. Insurance Commissioner John King is due by May 15 to collect compliance audit data and to report on the findings by August 15. The department is also required to establish a system to track complaints of unfair denials of cover from January 1st. Grants to assist with court-ordered community mental health treatment also begin January 1. Other requirements come into effect later in 2023 and in 2024.
SCHOOL MATERIAL CHALLENGES
School districts must begin accepting complaints about books, websites, and other materials that parents believe are obscene or harmful to minors, under Senate Bill 226. The bill was part of a series of culturally conservative school laws passed in the 2022 session were passed. The new law requires school leaders or their designees to investigate within seven business days, decide whether to ban the materials or restrict access, and consult with the complaining parent within 10 business days. Dissatisfied parents can contact the local school board, which is expected to make a decision within 30 days of receiving a complaint, while a parent is given the statutory right to address the school board during a public meeting. The district must post the title of any material affected by a complaint on its website for one year, and all parents must have access to such material.
POLICE TAX CREDITS
People can receive tax credits on their state income taxes by donating to law enforcement foundations that support local law enforcement agencies. Senate Bill 361 provides tax credits of $75 million per year, with up to $3 million per police department or sheriff’s department. The money can be used to increase officers’ salaries, provide more training, buy or maintain equipment, or pay for programs that send social and health workers to help with mental health emergencies.
HOSPITAL TAX CREDITS
Tax credits for donations to rural hospitals will increase from the current $60 million to $75 million under House Bill 1041. Both individuals and businesses can donate money to 56 hospitals, up to certain limits, designated by the Community Department of Health. Each hospital can raise up to $4 million per year. Hospitals have raised a total of $59.4 million in 2021, which is close to the previous limit. The State Comptroller found that the average hospital raised less than $1 million in 2021, although 17 raised more than $1 million.
FOOD TRUCK APPROVAL
Food trucks can now operate statewide with a health permit from their home county health department, rather than having to obtain multiple county permits under House Bill 1443. The law aims to reduce the paperwork and costs for food trucks. Operators must still submit their health permit to other counties they wish to operate in and wait for that county to verify that the permit is valid. Other counties may inspect and cite mobile food trucks, or close them if they fail inspection. Fees for inspections should be limited to the actual costs of a county.
ONLINE SELLER
More online sellers will be required to post contact information under Senate Bill 332. Proponents say the law will make it harder to sell stolen or counterfeit goods online. Online marketplaces like eBay, Etsy, and Amazon are required to provide consumers with the full names of third-party companies or individuals with annual sales of more than $20,000 on the platform. The platform must also provide the seller’s address, telephone number and email address or other electronic message link, with some exceptions. Platforms should suspend companies that don’t comply and provide a phone number and email address for customers to report suspicious activity to the platform.
