Georgia Coalition for Vaccine Choice

Your Advocacy Made a Difference!

Thank you for your advocacy this legislative session! Your emails, calls, testimony and trips to the capitol helped move the needle on our issues.

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Now it's time to shift our focus to federal legislation and planning for next year. But first, we want to hear from you! Please take our survey and let us know what health freedom bills you would like to see in the future.

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Legislation Update following 2023 General Assembly 

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Support

• House Bill 266, the Medical Freedom Act, is a bill that, if passed, would restore the freedom of Georgians to make their own health decisions. This bill is in the Public Health Committee and has been denied a hearing by Committee Chair Sharon Cooper. It carries over to the 2024 session.

• Senate Bill 1, passed both chambers. Now on the Governor’s desk to sign into law. SB1 prohibits state and local government agencies from requiring proof of Covid vaccination. The current law that prohibits vaccine passports has an expiration date of June 30, 2023. SB1 removes the expiration date and makes the law permanent. Big win!

• House Bill 576, stops discrimination for organ transplants based solely on immunization status. Assigned to House Health Committee. Did not get a hearing this session. Bill will carry over to 2024 session

 

Oppose

• House Bill 416, would authorize pharmacy techs to administer certain vaccines, including the Covid vaccine. Data shows a pharmacy is the most dangerous place to receive a Covid vaccine. This bill also undermines the doctor/patient relationship. Senate tabled. Rules suspended on Senate Floor. Passed Senate with only 3 nays.

• House Bill 174, heard in the House Education Curriculum Subcommittee. The bill would require the Georgia DOE to provide information on immunizations to parents of 6th graders. Currently, the bill would allow the DOE to only partially disclose Georgia law on immunizations. An amendment is needed to require the DOE to disclose the full state law, which includes information about medical and religious exemptions to vaccination. The bill will carry over to the 2024 session.

• House Bill 213, changes age from 6th grade to kindergarten for parents of school children to receive influenza vaccine information. Passed in House Public Health Committee. In the Rules Committee bill was withdrawn and recommitted to House Public Health Committee. Currently, the bill would allow the DOE to only partially disclose Georgia law on immunizations. Either an amendment is needed to require the DOE to disclose the full state law, which includes information about medical and religious exemptions to vaccination OR legislators should VOTE NO on this bill because it is not necessary and would only confuse parents as to which vaccines are actually required for school attendance in Georgia. Information on vaccines that are recommended, but not required for school, is readily available through health care providers and the Department of Health. It is not the job of the DOE to educate parents on vaccines. Taxpayer dollars should not be used to market vaccines in schools. It carries over to the 2024 session.

• HB520 (Mental Health Parity) passed on the House Floor with only 3 "no" votes. Passed to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The Committee listened to the many concerns. As such, the bill has been revised and shorten from 44 pages to 31 (previously 1111 lines now at 775). The bill will carry over to the 2024 session