[March 03, 2025] | We are in our seventh week of the legislative session. We met every day this week. There were lots of committee meetings and lots of time spent on the House floor voting on the work of the House members. We voted on the most of any week so far. I will touch on a few. A always, if you want the complete list of what we voted on, just send me an email or call me, and we will get it to you.
House Bill 428 passed without a single no vote! This legislation would codify the right to in vitro fertilization (IVF) in our state's law, reinforcing our commitment to making Georgia the best place to live, work, and raise a family. Many couples face the challenge of infertility. IVF has provided a safe and effective path to parenthood for many, and in 2021 alone, more than 2,300 children were born in Georgia through this medical intervention, and members of the House shared stories of their personal connections to this life-changing medical procedure.
We continue to work on reading. House Bill 307 passed with bipartisan support, amending the Georgia Early Literacy Act to include dyslexia and to further support students at risk of not achieving grade-level reading proficiency or who exhibit characteristics of dyslexia. The bill aims to align reading instruction with the science of reading principles.
HB 307 would also remove outdated language related to programs that do not align with these science-based standards and would prevent the three-cueing method from being used in Georgia. HB 307 would not ban the use of picture books, pictures, or the practice of calling attention to pictures or using flash cards in instruction.
We have to push this hard to improve the ability of our kids to read.
Our community has a lot of veterans, and I hear all the time about the issues they have with getting the treatment thy need to have a good life. To support our veterans, the House passed House Bill 108, the Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act (SAVE Act), which would provide various protections for veterans applying for veterans' benefits, while also encouraging free-market business practices.
Currently, there is a backlog of appeals of more than 300,000 benefits claims at the Veterans Affairs (VA), and most appeals take five to 10 years to resolve. Because of this, many veterans have decided to pay third-party claims consultant companies, who in turn, have been able to provide quicker and more effective services than the VA. HB 108 seeks to ensure that these businesses operate within a regulated framework to prevent exploitation of our veterans. This exploitation has manifested in the form of charging veterans to assemble claims packets, charging upfront fees, making false promises, or failing to deliver services. To combat these predatory practices, the bill would prohibit businesses from compensating individuals for referrals to their services, require a written agreement that discloses fees and informs veterans of free alternatives, and cap fees at no more than five times the monthly increase in awarded benefits and no upfront charges would be allowed.
I encourage you to visit me at my Georgia Capitol office or call me if you have any questions or concerns regarding the bills, the legislative process, or any other measures considered under the Gold Dome.
My Capitol office number is 404-656-7153. My email is rick.jasperse@house.ga.gov. As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your State Representative.