Advocacy is a GFPHE Priority

The 2007 session of the Georgia General Assembly ended on April 20, 2007. Here are some of the highlights from the session:

(HB 94) - The mid-year supplemental budget was signed into law by Governor Perdue on May 8 th , and he vetoed the $142 million property tax cut line item.

Supplemental Budget - provides essential funding for Georgia 's PeachCare for Kids program and our public defender system operating, and gives additional education funding to cover increased enrollment in and out of public schools.

HB 95 - House and Senate approved a record $20.2 billion annual state budget for fiscal year 2008, which began July 1. This has 1.6 billion in new spending, including a 3% raise for education and state employees and about $1 billion in new construction.

PeachCare - Georgia had faces a $131 million shortfall in its PeachCare budget and froze enrollment in the program in March. State lawmakers agreed to provide $81 million in reserve Medicaid funds to keep the program afloat. Georgia will receive $121.3 million from a federal supplemental appropriations bill. The freeze was lifted and an enrollment cap was set at $295,000.

PeachCare is Georgia 's version of the federally funded SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program). This program is intended to provide health coverage for children of the working poor and is funded with a combination of federal and state dollars. Federal funding shortfalls in the program have left Georgia and more than a dozen other states in a bind as demand has outstripped budgets.

Physical Education - SB 474 was introduced in 2006 by Senator Joseph Carter. The bill passed the Senate with flying colors and never made it out of the House. The bill was a very good comprehensive bill. This was to establish an office at the State Department of Education to promote student health and physical fitness education programs to be staffed by certified physical education personnel, subject to available state, federal, or private funding. Senator Carter had a plan to use mostly private funds. Some other states have done this completely with private funding.