Gov. Kemp signs several healthcare bills in Savannah
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Governor Brian Kemp campaigned on quality healthcare for Georgians, and he says that was delivered Thursday with six bills signed into law.
'Protecting the health and wellbeing of Georgians isn't something that we take lightly,' Kemp said.
Issues addressed in those bills: Maternal, mental, and physical health.
One of the bills signed, SB 55, aims to make sure everyone, regardless of if they have a disability or not, earns at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25. Senator Billy Hickman from Statesboro sponsored the legislation.
Hickman said there are about 10 community rehabilitation centers across the state now paying people with disabilities below minimum wage, in some cases only 22 cents an hour.
Hickman told WSAV, he became passionate about this issue when it became personal.
'I lost 60 percent of my hearing in one of my ears and 40 percent of my hearing in the other. So it really has caused me to understand more about people who have disabilities; how it affects them,' Hickman said.
Another bill with personal ties to many is HB 428. The bill is sponsored by Representative Lehman Franklin. The bill provides more access to IVF procedures.
'A modern miracle for many families who yearn for the blessing of a child,' Kemp said.
Senator Ben Watson sponsored the bill in the senate. He told News 3 about the IVF journey Representative Franklin and his wife, Laurie, have endured.
'They had tried unsuccessfully for years, and she is due here in about three weeks as a result of in vitro fertilization. So, basically what we wanted to ensure was that all Georgians had that access and had the right to have that,' Watson said.
Other bills addressed maternal mortality and drug abuse treatment. Kemp also signed 17 local legislative bills for communities from Tybee island to Long and Bryan County.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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