@gmoney

THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST HORRIFIC BILL EVER SEEN IN GEORGIA Dear Georgia Citizen, House Bill 520 eliminates protections of citizens in crisis and the mentally ill. It ALSO poses a threat to the rights of every Georgia citizen. HB 520 seeks to impose mental health treatment on individuals “who do not pose a public safety risk” under the pretext that it will keep them out of jail. (line 109) (In jail a person has the right of due process, and with involuntary commitment, they don’t.) Current Georgia law specifically demands that: For inpatient involuntary treatment, a person must be in need of involuntary treatment and be an imminent danger to self or others. There must be some acts or threats of violence to show this danger. OR Be unable to care for their physical health and safety to a point where their life is in danger. HB 520 will multiply the number of people taking dangerous psychiatric drugs. Step therapy is a managed care approach intended to control the costs and risks posed by prescription drugs. This bill discourages step therapy. HB 520 states: “ A health benefit plan shall not impose a step therapy protocol for a prescription drug prescribed for the treatment of serious mental illness, as defined by the department.” (line76) According to a recent study, using data from the CDC, 1 in 4 people in this country are already on some type of psychiatric drug. The dangerous side effects and be addictive qualities of psychiatric medications are well documented.

ValuePenguin

State of Prescriptions in 2024: Shortages and Rising Prices

26% of Americans with a prescription say they’ve had difficulty filling one in the past year, leading 24% to skip doses in the same period.

HB 520 gives the right for law enforcement to confine someone based on the affidavits of two people, whose identity is to be concealed. “… information personally identifying the affiants shall be redacted and concealed.” (lines 473-478). THE AFFIDAVITS DO NOT NEED TO SHOW PROOF and the accusers identities will be sealed. The accused loses their rights and has no due process. Under HB 520, Health Care providers are immune from ALL liability, either civil , negligence or criminal. (lines 582-585) . Health Care workers are not held accountable. Those under involuntary “treatment” will be monitored electronically and private health data will be shared with different agencies. “Identify ways to use and share existing data for business intelligence and predictive analytic opportunities.” (lines 762-763) Under HB 520 there will be housing accommodations for criminal offenders with a federal and private donor landlord incentive program. (lines 1081 – 1104). HB 520 does not provide for an auditing process for the millions of Georgia tax payer dollars that will be spent on mental health administration, mental health programs, prescriptions, government data bases of patients and providers, student loan forgiveness. HB 520 intends to redefine the definition of “serious mental illness.” (lines 83-101) Studies show that mental health definitions can create a “disingenuous categorical system.” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190708131152.htm. HB 520 has passed the House. If passed in the Senate, HB 520 becomes law based on a definition of “ mental illness” that doesn’t yet exist and will be decided upon by December 2023. This poses a threat to civil liberties and protections. So, they say pass the bill and we will define "mental illness" later. This bill could be heard in the Health and Human Services Committee as early as Monday March 13. Please call each member with your concerns and ask them to kill this bill.

Georgia General Assembly

Georgia General Assembly, is one of the largest state legislatures in the nation. The General Assembly consists of two chambers, the House of Repre...

SENATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE: Senators Ben Watson (404) 656-7880 Kay Kirkpatrick (404) 656-3932 Ed Setzler (404) 656-0256 Matt Brass (404) 656-0057 Gloria Butler (404) 656-0075 Shelly Echols (404) 463-3931 Sonya Halpern (404) 463-1351 Bo Hatchett (404) 651-7745 Mike Hodges (404) 463-1309 Chuck Hufstetler (404) 656-0034 Kim Jackson (404) 656-6882 John Kennedy (404) 656-6578 David Lucas (404) 656-0150 Nan Orruck (404) 463-8054 Brian Strickland (404) 463-6598 Larry Walker III (404) 656-0095 PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOU KNOW AND CALL THE SENATORS ASAP