Wrapping Up the 2023 Legislative Session! |
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During the first year of the 2023-2024 biennial legislative session, we shined a light on critical consumer protection issues to keep Georgians safe from financial harm. This session, we:
- Successfully staved off two bills that could have harmed Georgia consumers: SB 254, which would authorize third-party earned wage access (EWA) providers to operate in the state and avoid interest rate caps on their loans, and HB 187, which would allow for-profit credit repair organizations (CROs) to charge consumers exorbitant fees for deceptive services. Through our advocacy, we were able to make legislators aware of the potential harms of EWAs and CROs, and fortunately, neither of these bills advanced.
- Advocated for HB 321, The Motor Vehicle Title Loan Act, to require statewide regulation of car title lenders by the Department of Banking and Finance, making them subject to the state's regulation and interest rate caps on small-dollar loans. This bill received a hearing but, unfortunately, did not get a vote in committee this session. We will continue working off-session, so the bill gets not only a hearing but also a vote in the second year of the biennial, and hopefully becomes law in 2024.
- Garnered support for SB 84 to provide guidelines for protecting disabled or elderly adults from financial exploitation when potential fraud is suspected. This bill passed unanimously out of both the House and the Senate, and now moves to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.
- Supported HB 221 to give the Georgia Commissioner of Insurance the ability to review all car insurance rate filings before they go into effect, halting the loophole in state law that allows insurers to raise rates without state regulatory approval. The bill passed in the House and the Senate.
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Raised awareness for the importance of tenant protections in Georgia by supporting HB 404, the Safe at Home Act, to provide landlords with standards for habitability, give tenants a three-day grace period before landlords may file for eviction, and cap security deposits at the equivalent of two months’ rent. The bill passed unanimously in the House but was tabled in the Senate
We look forward to building support around these issues and more in anticipation of the next session. To stay up-to-date about issues we are focusing on, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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Community Health Worker Awareness Day Recap |
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Georgia Watch, along with our partners, successfully hosted Community Health Worker (CHW) Awareness Day at the Capitol. CHWs play an essential role in helping interpret information, address socioeconomic needs, provide connections to resources, and develop trusting relationships with populations that have greater needs and face barriers to entry into the healthcare and social services system. On March 7, over 150 CHWs, allies, employers, government officials, and supporters gathered to raise awareness of the key role that Community Health Workers have in engaging and uplifting Georgia communities. See recap video above.
If you missed CHW Awareness Day and would like to continue to support this workforce visit our website using the link below.
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Empowering Immigrants: A Guide to Health Rights & Resources |
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Nearly 1 in 10 Georgians are foreign-born, and 1 in 13 are native-born children with at least one immigrant parent. This substantial immigrant population is essential to the social and economic infrastructure in Georgia. Immigrants play a pivotal role in fueling the economy from starting businesses and promoting entrepreneurship to bringing in diverse skill sets that shape the flexibility and growth of the labor force. Immigrants are vitally important in Georgia, but they often face challenges to accessing basic needs.
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Georgia Watch
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Atlanta, Georgia 30303
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