Rep. Edward Lindsey Adds Anti-Obamacare Amendment to House Bill 943

ATLANTA — The Georgia House of Representatives Tuesday passed House Bill 943 which included a floor amendment offered by State Representatives Edward Lindsey (R-Atlanta). Rep. Lindsey’s amendment includes language from House Bill 707, the anti-Obamacare Act.

“After House Bill 707 stalled in the Senate Rules Committee on Monday, I worked with fellow bill co-sponsors and other parties to salvage as much of the language of the bill as possible,” said Rep. Lindsey. “My amendment bans the state from using state funds or personnel from implementing or promoting the “un-Affordable” Care Act. Along with House Bill 990, which I also co-sponsored, that requires state legislative approval before expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare, the Georgia General Assembly has marked out a clear and unambiguous state public policy in opposition to this disastrous federal policy.”

House Bill 707 originally passed the House by a vote of 115-59 on Monday, March 3, 2014. Co-sponsored by Rep. Lindsey, HB 707 has five prohibitions that aim to protect Georgia’s resources. Specifically, HB 707 and the Lindsey amendment to SB 292 would prohibit any state agency, department or political subdivision from using resources or spending funds to advocate for the expansion of Medicaid. The bill and amendment would also prohibit the state of Georgia from running an insurance exchange, prohibit accepting federal grant money for a state insurance exchange, and prohibit the University of Georgia from continuing the Health Navigator Program. Lastly, HB 707 and Rep. Lindsey’s amendment would prohibit the Commissioner of Insurance from investigating or enforcing any alleged violation of federal health insurance requirements mandated by Obamacare.

The underlying bill to Rep. Lindsey’s amendment is House Bill 943. This legislation prevents cancer patients from paying higher out-of-pocket costs for oral medications than they would for medications administered intravenously.

For more information on House Bill 707, click here.

For more information on House Bill 943, click here.

Representative Edward Lindsey represents the citizens of District 54, which includes portions of Fulton County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2004, and currently serves on the Appropriations, Education, Ethics, Industry and Labor, Judiciary, and Rules committees.

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