Covering the start of a new year, and more on the nearly three hundred new laws taking effect in Georgia.
They are now stricter guidelines about who gets put on the Georgia Child Abuse registry. previously any offender from the age of 13 and up was listed. Under the new law, abusers need to be at least 18 years of age. The process for having a review hearing before being added to the list or having anime expunged is also being updated.
House Bill 63 deals with what’s called step therapy….that’s when an insurance company requires you to try certain preferred medications first and have those drugs fail before you can receive the drug prescribed by your doctor. The bill gives doctors a way around the practice…creating a path for doctors to apply for exceptions to avoid step therapy and quickly start you on the medication they believe you need for your condition.
HB 166….This bill will require genetic counselors to be licensed with the state. According to the Georgia Association of Genetic Counselors, Georgia is the 28th state to have this requirement. Genetic counselors will crate treatment plans for individuals or families affected by or at risk of genetic disorders. There will also be new requirements for these counselors to receive continuing education.
Under house bill 266, if you use a 529 Plan to save for college, your state tax deduction will double from $2,000 to $4,000 per child if you're a single taxpayer, and jump from $4,000 to $8,000 per year if you file jointly with a spouse. This begins with the 2020 tax year. And a business court is established under house bill 239…that court handles business issues like contract disputes, copyright disagreements and arguments over who came up with business ideas.
