ATLANTA – State Representative Matt Reeves (R-Duluth) and State Representative Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, applaud the Georgia State Senate’s final passage of House Bill 579, which would modernize Georgia’s professional licensing laws.
“Hardworking Georgians deserve excellent customer service from our state government, and HB 579 cuts red tape and will make licensing more economical and efficient for the sake of our workforce and small businesses,” said Rep. Reeves, the bill’s sponsor.
“This professional licensing bill will give Georgians a better return on their investment of hard-earned tax dollars in the area of professional licensing,” said Chairman Hatchett.
Each year, nurses, barbers, nail salons, plumbers and hundreds of thousands of Georgians obtain or renew licenses from the State of Georgia. HB 579 would allow compliant license applications to be processed more quickly and would free up time for professional licensing boards to respond to misconduct by bad licensees and evaluate statewide workforce needs.
HB 579 is the product of the Joint Blue-Ribbon Committee to Investigate Licensing Issues which met across the state four times in 2024, co-chaired by Chairman Hatchett and State Senator Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
State Senator Larry Walker, III (R-Perry) carried HB 579 in the Senate, and the bill now awaits Governor Brian Kemp’s signature after the Georgia General Assembly adjourns on April 4, 2025.
The full text of HB 579 may be found here.
*Editor’s note: a photo of Rep. Reeves 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 Appropriations and Insurance Committees.
Representative Matt Hatchett represents the citizens of District 155, which includes Johnson and Laurens counties. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. He also serves on the Economic Development & Tourism, Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Health, Rules, Rural Development committees and as an Ex-Officio member of the Ways & Means Committee. He also serves on the Special Committee on Resource Management.
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