As is the case the first of every year, a number of new laws are taking effect Monday, Jan.1. Here’s a rundown of this year’s, courtesy msn.com:
The Consumer Access to Contracted Healthcare (CATCH) Act is the only significant new law that will go into effect in Georgia on January 1, 2024. This act ensures consumer access to quality healthcare by setting adequacy standards for network plans offered by insurers and guarantees that everyone with insurance has access to primary and specialty care; mental healthcare; pharmacies and laboratories; and substance abuse treatment programs 12.
Other laws taking effect in 2024 are tweaks to various laws or regulations that were already on the books. These include:
- Driving permits for offenders: House Bill 120 provides standards related to limited driving permits for certain offenders; to provide for fees, duration, renewal, and replacement of such permits; to provide standards for revocation; and other purposes 2.
- Representation and state contracts: House Bill 128 provides for representation of minority business enterprises, women and veteran-owned businesses in the procurement of state contracts 2.
- Prestige license plates and special license plates: House Bill 175 allows prestige license plates and special plates to be issued for state constitutional officers and members of the Public Service Commission; retired members of the active reserve components and Georgia National Guard; and members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. It also amended the code related to constitutional exemption from motor vehicle tax for disabled veterans 2.
- Ambulance service fees: House Bill 453 repeals a requirement that every ambulance service pay an annual license fee; to repeal a requirement that ambulance service annual license fees be deposited into the Indigent Care Trust Fund 2.
- Georgia Online Automatic Renewal Transparency Act/Third-Party Delivery Transparency Act: House Bill 528 makes it easier to end unwanted auto-renewal subscriptions online and to protect restaurants from third-party delivery services by requiring a written agreement between the restaurants and the third party 2.
- Commercial financing: Senate Bill 90 requires certain persons who provide commercial financing transactions to make certain disclosures; to provide for penalties; to provide for applicability; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes 2.
- Mental Health Parity Act: Georgia’s Mental Health Parity Act (HB1013) requires that health care insurance plans that provide coverage for mental health treatment of substance use disorders do so in accordance with the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 2.
Lastly, a new Georgia law will lower personal income tax rates starting in 2024. Gov. Brian Kemp signed HB 1437 into law on April 26, 2022. The new law replaces the current graduated personal income tax with a flat rate of 5.49% effective Jan. 1, 2024, with gradual rate reductions until the flat rate reaches 4.99% 2.