Hemophilia of Georgia Day at the Capitol

By Michelle Putnam, Associate Director of Research & Advocacy

“Now, therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives that the members of this body recognize March 9, 2015 as Hemophilia of Georgia Day at the state capitol.”

Each year, the Georgia General Assembly takes time out of its incredibly busy schedule to recognize the impact that bleeding disorders have on people in our state. This year, we want to extend our gratitude to Representatives Matt Dollar, Harry Geisinger, and Rusty Kidd for introducing House Resolution 594 and for recognizing Georgians who are impacted by a bleeding disorder.

Several volunteers joined us at the Capitol on March 9, where Representative Dollar recognized us from the floor of the Georgia House of Representatives. This recognition ensures that if an issue comes up in our community, legislators will remember Hemophilia of Georgia and its clients. For example, having this recognition year after year makes it easier to ensure that money is included in the state budget for people with bleeding disorders.

Our volunteers were able to “work the ropes” and meet with their legislators. One volunteer, Luis, not only thanked his Senator for supporting people with bleeding disorders, but also inquired as to how he could potentially run for Mayor in his hometown. He definitely made an impression! Another volunteer, Stormy, was unable to meet with her Senator, but no less than an hour later she received a phone call from him apologizing that he missed her. That is impeccable constituent service!

The Georgia General Assembly had one more special resolution in store for Hemophilia of Georgia. House Resolution 782, introduced by Representative Rusty Kidd, recognized our former CEO, Trish Dominic, on her dedication and service to the bleeding disorder community. This was an incredible honor and a wonderful way for our legislators to recognize the impact that Trish has had in improving access to care and treatment within our bleeding disorder community.

Members of the General Assembly have been very busy since the legislative session began in January. Hundreds of bills cross their desks over the course of the 40-day session, which ended on April 2. This year, there have been several health-related bills that have been proposed and wound their way through both the House and the Senate. Here is a quick summary of those that were passed by the General Assembly and are now on the way to the Governor’s desk.

• The House and the Senate passed a budget that continues to allocate funding for people with bleeding disorders
• Senate Bill 1 requires that insurance companies provide certain autism coverage for children up to the age of six
• Senate Bill 51 ensures that consumers are notified if a medication they are taking is substituted for a biological interchangeable product
• House Bill 1 allows the use of cannabidiol for certain listed conditions, such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.