These new laws go into effect in Georgia on Jan. 1, 2024
ATLANTA - A new year often means new laws. However, the majority of new laws that were signed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp after the last legislative session went into effect on July 1. The most significant law to go into effect on Jan. 1 is related to healthcare. The other laws taking effect in 2024 are tweaks to various laws or regulations that were already on the books.
CONSUMER ACCESS TO CONTRACTED HEALTHCARE (CATCH) ACT
The CATCH 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.
The purpose of House Bill 120 is to provide 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.
REPRESENTATION AND STATE CONTRACTS
The purpose of House Bill 128 is to provide for representation of minority business enterprises, women and veteran-owned businesses in the procurement of state contracts.
PRESTIGE LICENSE PLATES AND SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES
House Bill 175 is related to the federal regulations regarding safe operation of commercial motor vehicles and carriers. Specifically, it 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.
House Bill 453 is intended to "repeal 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."
GEORGIA ONLINE AUTOMATIC RENEWAL TRANSPARENCY ACT/THIRD-PARTY DELIVERY TRANSPARENCY ACT
The purpose of House Bill 528 is to make 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.
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.
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. Health insurers must also provide an annual comparative analysis report to the insurance commissioner.
INCOME TAX RATES
Last but not least, a new(ish) 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%. The rate reductions can be delayed by year for each year if necessary.
If the delays are not needed, this is the schedule for personal income tax rate until January 2029.
Jan. 1, 2024: 5.49%
Jan. 1, 2025: 5.39%
Jan. 1, 2026: 5.29%
Jan. 1, 2027: 5.19%
Jan. 1, 2028: 5.09%
Jan. 1, 2029: 4.99%
Gov. Kemp recently proposed accelerating the decrease in the state's individual income tax rate. If the proposal is approved, the tax rate for 2024 would be 5.39%. This would mean a cut of 36 basis points from the Tax Year 2023 rate of 5.75%.
The Office of Planning and Budget estimates the legislation would save Georgia taxpayers around $1.1 billion in 2024.