ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia’s House of Representatives on Tuesday pushed forward a broad set of changes to the state’s lagging mental health system, with one sponsor pledging that “we are actually going to make a difference.”
House Bill 1013 passed 169-3, moving on to the state Senate for more debate.
“We have the ability to at least make a material change and possibly a true solution,” said Rep. Todd Jones, a Cumming Republican.
The measure seeks to require that insurers pay for mental health care the same way they pay for physical illness, with requirements for insurance regulators to monitor compliance. The bill would make it easier to take someone into care without their consent and provide forgivable loans for people who become mental health workers.
Georgia ranks 48th when it comes to access to mental health care, according to Mental Health America.