Two years ago, state lawmakers rallied behind a landmark proposal that was touted as the first step in a multiyear effort to lift Georgia from the bottom of national rankings for access to mental health services.
That push hit a snag last year when a follow-up bill stalled in the Senate where it was met with opposition from far-right activists and then became ensnared in the end-of-session bartering between the two chambers.
Some provisions, like an in-depth look at service gaps in the state’s safety net, ended up being implemented administratively without legislative backing. But other pieces, like proposals to bolster the state’s porous behavioral health workforce, would have to wait a year.
This time around, lawmakers from both chambers were able to shepherd through several smaller bills with provisions designed to build on the 2022 law, sending them to the governor’s desk.
Instead of thick, sprawling bills like the last two measures — which clocked in at 77 and 51 pages — proponents of mental health reforms this year floated a flurry of bite-size proposals. That’s in addition to new funding for mental health put in the budget, including a boost for the state’s behavioral health crisis system.