Panel passes bill after public testimony urging easier hospital and outpatient access

Senate committee members voted to advance Senate Bill 367 after hearing public testimony from a cancer survivor and a health-care executive who urged changes to Georgia's Certificate of Need rules to expand access to care.

Ronnie, a resident who identified himself during public comment, described surviving pancreatic cancer for nine and a half years and credited fast access to medical services with his continued survival. "The speed of the service and the access to the service that I receive are the reason I'm still here," he told the committee, and said he was "100% for" the bill if it helps patients reach care more quickly.

Amy McGuire, who said she spent 25 years in health-care administration and currently directs a policy think tank, told members that CON regulations "restrict supply in a growing state" and that deregulation can increase outpatient capacity, private investment and jobs. "Florida, in 2019, started with our deregulation of CON," McGuire said, arguing the state's experience produced more ambulatory-care construction and expanded access in some rural areas.

Chairman Kautzer asked whether any facilities in Florida closed after CON was abolished. McGuire said she could provide more detailed data later but recalled "a lot more collaboration" and that "several of the rural hospitals were able to expand access," without citing specific hospital names or counts in the hearing.

After brief discussion about stakeholder positions and whether hospital associations supported or opposed the measure, a member moved that the committee "do pass" SB 367; the motion was seconded by Senator Albers and the committee voted to pass the bill. The transcript records that two members opposed the motion; the precise tallies and roll-call names are not specified in the record provided.

The committee chair closed by reminding members of a committee dinner on March 9 and a Monday noon meeting that the chair said will likely be the panel's last meeting of the year. A governor's bill is expected to be heard at that meeting.

The committee advanced SB 367 to the next stage; the record does not show further amendments or a completed roll-call vote in the provided transcript.