| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 52 9002 |
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| 2 | 2 | | House Resolution 685 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Representatives Sainz of the 180 |
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| 4 | 4 | | th |
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| 5 | 5 | | , Taylor of the 173 |
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| 6 | 6 | | rd |
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| 7 | 7 | | , Jones of the 47 |
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| 8 | 8 | | th |
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| 9 | 9 | | , Oliver of the |
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| 10 | 10 | | 84 |
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| 11 | 11 | | th |
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| 12 | 12 | | , and Ballard of the 147 |
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| 13 | 13 | | th |
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| 14 | 14 | | |
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| 15 | 15 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 16 | 16 | | Creating the House Study Committee on Mental Health Workforce Development; and for |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1 |
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| 18 | 18 | | other purposes.2 |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration, the United3 |
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| 20 | 20 | | States is experiencing a mental health crisis, and more than half of the U.S. population lives4 |
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| 21 | 21 | | in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area; and5 |
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| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of substance use,6 |
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| 23 | 23 | | behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 19 percent from 20237 |
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| 24 | 24 | | to 2033, which is much faster than the average for all occupations; and8 |
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| 25 | 25 | | WHEREAS, the need for qualified clinical mental health professionals is at a critical level,9 |
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| 26 | 26 | | particularly in rural Georgia; and10 |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, although undergraduate degrees in behavioral science, social work, sociology,11 |
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| 28 | 28 | | or psychology can prepare students for graduate school, many students would prefer degrees12 |
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| 29 | 29 | | that prepare them for immediate careers upon graduation; and13 |
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| 30 | 30 | | H. R. 685 |
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| 31 | 31 | | - 1 - 25 LC 52 9002 |
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| 32 | 32 | | WHEREAS, providing qualified baccalaureate mental health professionals a path to licensure |
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| 33 | 33 | | 14 |
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| 34 | 34 | | or certification would help alleviate the shortage of mental health professionals in the15 |
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| 35 | 35 | | workforce in Georgia; and16 |
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| 36 | 36 | | WHEREAS, an increase in the number of qualified mental health professionals in Georgia17 |
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| 37 | 37 | | will ensure greater accessibility to mental health services; and18 |
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| 38 | 38 | | WHEREAS, it would be beneficial to conduct a study to survey current undergraduate19 |
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| 39 | 39 | | degrees and projected mental health careers available to college graduates, evaluate20 |
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| 40 | 40 | | employment needs and opportunities, and recommend mental health workforce development21 |
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| 41 | 41 | | initiatives.22 |
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| 42 | 42 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:23 |
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| 43 | 43 | | (1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee24 |
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| 44 | 44 | | on Mental Health Workforce Development.25 |
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| 45 | 45 | | (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the26 |
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| 46 | 46 | | House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of27 |
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| 47 | 47 | | Representatives. The Speaker shall designate a member of the committee as chairperson28 |
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| 48 | 48 | | of the committee.29 |
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| 49 | 49 | | (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,30 |
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| 50 | 50 | | issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or31 |
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| 51 | 51 | | legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.32 |
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| 52 | 52 | | (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee33 |
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| 53 | 53 | | may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or34 |
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| 54 | 54 | | convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and35 |
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| 55 | 55 | | accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.36 |
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| 56 | 56 | | H. R. 685 |
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| 57 | 57 | | - 2 - 25 LC 52 9002 |
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| 58 | 58 | | (5) Allowances and funding. The legislative members of the committee shall receive |
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| 59 | 59 | | 37 |
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| 60 | 60 | | the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia38 |
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| 61 | 61 | | Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any39 |
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| 62 | 62 | | member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized.40 |
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| 63 | 63 | | Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds41 |
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| 64 | 64 | | appropriated to the House of Representatives.42 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (6) Report.43 |
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| 66 | 66 | | (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that44 |
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| 67 | 67 | | include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the45 |
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| 68 | 68 | | same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to46 |
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| 69 | 69 | | subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.47 |
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| 70 | 70 | | (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for48 |
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| 71 | 71 | | proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)49 |
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| 72 | 72 | | of this paragraph.50 |
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| 73 | 73 | | (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of51 |
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| 74 | 74 | | abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.52 |
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| 75 | 75 | | A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with53 |
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| 76 | 76 | | the Clerk of the House of Representatives.54 |
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| 77 | 77 | | (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the55 |
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| 78 | 78 | | House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu56 |
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| 79 | 79 | | thereof.57 |
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| 80 | 80 | | (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.58 |
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| 81 | 81 | | H. R. 685 |
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| 82 | 82 | | - 3 - |
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