ATLANTA – State Representative Matt Reeves (R-Duluth) was recently named Legislator of the Year by the Georgia Nurses Association during the association’s meeting at the University of Georgia. Rep. Reeves was selected to receive the award following his work sponsoring House Bill 383, the “Safer Hospitals Act,” which was signed into law in April of this year by Governor Brian Kemp.
“Georgia nurses got us through the pandemic and save lives every day,” said Rep. Reeves after receiving the award at his alma mater’s campus. “Nurses should feel safe while they care for us at the hospital. I am honored to fight for Georgia’s nurses.”
The “Safer Hospitals Act” allows hospital guards to have arrest powers while on a hospital campus, and hospital security who are certified by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) can be authorized by a hospital to carry a firearm or weapon. In addition, HB 383 increases penalties for an individual who commits aggravated assault against a health care worker or an emergency health worker located on a hospital campus.
Rep. Reeves will hold a town hall meeting on Thursday, November 2, 2023, at 7 p.m. at Atlanta Onnuri Korean Church (4273 David Road in Sugar Hill, Georgia) to discuss the “Safer Hospitals Act,” three upcoming Sugar Hill property tax relief referenda that he sponsored and provide a legislative update and gather information for constituent services.
Editor’s note: A photo of Rep. Reeves receiving the award is attached.
Representative Matt Reeves represents the citizens of District 99, which includes portions of Gwinnett County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and Secretary of the Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee. He also serves on the Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.
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