HB 206 is pro-family, pro-jobs, pro-public safety, and pro-Georgia values.

HB 206 removes unnecessary barriers that keep people with past drug convictions from getting an education, finding work, and providing for their families. This bill is not soft on crime—it’s smart on accountability.

Education works. People with criminal records who gain access to education are significantly less likely to reoffend and more likely to get a job and pay taxes. Education turns former offenders into workers, parents, and contributors—rather than repeat costs to taxpayers.

When people work, communities are safer. Fewer repeat offenses mean fewer victims, less strain on law enforcement, and lower incarceration costs. Every person who becomes a taxpayer instead of a repeat offender strengthens Georgia’s workforce and local economy.

We often say under the Gold Dome, “It all starts with a good education.” HB 206 puts those words into action by helping people move from mistakes to responsibility—and from dependence to dignity.

HB 206 is pro-family, pro-jobs, pro-public safety, and pro-Georgia values.

The Georgia Council for Recovery urges support for HB 206 and affirms that Georgia Recovers in Communities.

For Recovery,

Laurisa Barthen

GC4R Executive Director

Jeff Breedlove

GC4R Strategic Policy Advisor

404-615-5735

#GARecovers

The post The Georgia Council for Recovery supports HB 206 by State Representative Eric Bell, II appeared first on Georgia Council for Recovery.

After years of partnership and collaboration, Team GC4R and CWC Alliance are proud to announce the launch of a new initiative!

With support from the Opioid Abatement Trust, CARES and Life Care Specialists are partnering to provide prevention and recovery support services for individuals at Coffee County Medical Center who are experiencing — or at risk of — substance use challenges.

This effort shows the power of collaboration to expand access to care, strengthen recovery supports, and serve our community with compassion and purpose.

We’re grateful to all those who helped make it possible for the previous rounds of statewide opioid settlement funds to empower community-based projects to serve people in communities across Georgia. 

We’re hopeful all future rounds of opioid settlement dollars will be utilized to expand community based initiatives. 

#GARecovers

#TheSouthRecovers 

The post Historic Partnership With GC4R and CWC to Address the Opioid Epidemic in Rural Hospitals appeared first on Georgia Council for Recovery.

Transparent, Inclusive, and Community Oriented

• that these funds go, directly, to programs addressing opioid use disorder

• that these funds be dedicated, in a manner legally appropriate, to the allowable use of funds in the settlement

• that these funds be administered by appropriate state agencies

• that these funds be appropriated to expand existing community (non governmental agency) based programs or for new opioid specific programs.

• that the decisions surrounding the appropriations of the funds be discussed in public forums – including General Assembly Committee hearings

• that peers with lived experience who have survived the disease of addiction be included to offer perspective and recommendations on the most appropriate use of these funds

The post GC4R: Use Opioid Settlement Funds Must Go To Victims  appeared first on Georgia Council for Recovery.

The post GC4R: Protect Parity Fines for Those Who Deserve The Money  appeared first on Georgia Council for Recovery.

Week of: January 12 Legislative Session: Week 1 of Session

Prepared by: Georgia Council for Recovery (GC4R)

Recovery Residences Licensing

Legislative Focus:

The Georgia Council for Recovery, in partnership with the Georgia Association of Recovery Residencies, supports legislation to establish statewide licensure for recovery residences and designate the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) as the licensing body. GC4R thanks Senator Randy Robertson and the Georgia State Senate for their work on this issue with the Senate Study Committee of Recovery Residencies. GC4R also thanks Commissioner Kevin Tanner for the work of the Addictive Diseases Subcommittee of the Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission on this critical policy issue.

Status: Active policy development | Anticipating legislation

Key Takeaway: Licensure protects residents while supporting ethical, recovery-oriented housing providers.

Key impacts on the recovery community include:

· Quality & Safety Standards

· Peer Protections

· Alignment with DBHDD and state systems

· Sustainability of recovery housing

Criminal Justice & Peer Support Funding

Advocacy Priority: GC4R is advocating for state funding to support peer recovery support services for people involved in the criminal justice system.

Status: Budget and policy advocacy underway | Ongoing conversations with legislators and agencies

Key Takeaways: Peer support is a proven, cost-effective strategy for reentry, reducing recidivism, and strengthening recovery outcomes.

Key impacts on the recovery community include:

· Continuity of Care from incarceration to community

· Reduced recidivism and overdose risk

· Cost savings to the justice system

· Lived-experience leadership in reentry services

HB 219 Sponsored by Representative Ron Stephens

Summary: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to professions and businesses, so as to authorize the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists to establish a professional health program to provide for monitoring and rehabilitation of impaired healthcare professionals; to authorize the Georgia Board of Nursing to establish a professional health program to provide for monitoring and rehabilitation of impaired healthcare professionals; to provide for funding or gifts in kind; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Status: Filed in 2025 | In Committee

Key Takeaways: The legislation authorizes the creation of professional health programs to support healthcare professionals in Georgia experiencing substance use disorders or other impairing conditions. These programs provide confidential monitoring, rehabilitation, and a structured pathway for clinicians to return safely to practice. Similar “alternatives to discipline” models already operate in many states, offering nurses and other practitioners supportive, non-punitive options for addressing substance use and related health issues.

· Access to treatment: Establishes official programs that provide a pathway to recovery and continued employment.

· Confidentiality Protections: Records and participation information are protected from public disclosure, encouraging early help-seeking.

· Cost Responsibility: Participants must pay for their own monitoring and rehabilitation, which may affect access for some individuals.

· Legal Protections for Providers: Organizations operating these programs receive liability protections.

· Funding Flexibility: Boards may pursue public and private funding to expand program capacity.

HB 657 Sponsored by Representative Lisa Hagan

Summary: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 37 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to mental health, so as to provide for a legal definition of a recovery

community organization; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Status: Filed in 2025| In Committee

Key Takeaways: This bill establishes a statutory definition of a Recovery Community Organization (RCO) to protect the integrity and purpose of peer-led recovery services in Georgia.

HB 657 is foundational legislation for the recovery community. By clearly defining what constitutes an RCO, the bill helps ensure that peer-led, community-based recovery services remain authentic, accountable, and aligned with lived experience.

Key impacts on the recovery community include:

· Protection of Peer Integrity: Prevents misuse of the RCO designation.

· Clarity for Policymakers and Funders: Establishes a shared definition for contracts, grants, and policy.

· Foundation for Sustainability: Supports inclusion of RCOs in state systems and funding pathways.

· Community Trust: Reinforces lived-experience leadership.

HB 612 Sponsored by Representative Katie Dempsey

Summary: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to insurance, so as to create a Parity Compliance Review Panel; to provide for oversight and enforcement of the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Status: Filed in 2025| In Committee

Key Takeaways: HB 612 establishes a Parity Compliance Review Panel to strengthen enforcement of Georgia’s mental health and substance use parity laws.

This bill addresses the gap between parity on paper and parity in practice, ensuring that behavioral health coverage is treated the same as physical health coverage.

Key impacts on the recovery community include:

· Improved Access to Care: Reduces inappropriate denials and delays.

· Accountability: Creates oversight mechanisms for insurer compliance.

· Systemic Reform: Moves parity enforcement from complaint-driven to proactive.

· Recovery Stability: Improved access supports long-term recovery outcomes.

SB 277 Sponsored by Senator Blake Tillery

Summary: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend various titles of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated so as to revise statutory definitions of drugs to include alcohol and its derivatives for specified purposes; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Status: Filed in 2025 | In Committee

Key Takeaways: HB 277 adds alcohol to Georgia’s legal definition of “drugs” for certain purposes. Right now, many state licensed treatment centers can only treat people who use drugs—not those with alcohol-only issues. By updating the definition, the bill would allow these centers to serve people with alcohol use disorders, even if they don’t use other substances.

Key impacts on the recovery community include:

· Public Health Alignment: Acknowledges alcohol use disorder as a major driver of morbidity and mortality.

· Reduced Stigma: Reinforces alcohol addiction as a health condition.

· Policy Consistency: Aligns statutory language with clinical reality.

· Comprehensive Recovery Focus: Ensures alcohol is not excluded from addiction policy.

HB 419 Sponsored by Representative Lee Hawkins

Summary: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to authorize the placement and use of opioid overdose reversal medication on the campuses and facilities of the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia; to provide for training and implementation; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Status: Filed in 2025| In Committee

Key Takeaways: HB 419 authorizes the placement of opioid overdose reversal medication, such as naloxone, on public college and technical school campuses, expanding access to lifesaving interventions in high-risk environments.

This bill positions Georgia’s higher education system as an active partner in overdose prevention. By allowing naloxone to be readily available on campuses, HB 419 helps ensure rapid response to overdose emergencies involving students, staff, or visitors.

Key impacts on the recovery community include:

· Lives Saved: Immediate access to naloxone significantly reduces fatal overdose risk.

· Expanded Harm Reduction: Normalizes overdose prevention as a public health responsibility.

· Youth & Young Adult Protection: Addresses overdose risk among college-age populations.

· Training & Awareness: Encourages education on overdose recognition and response.

· Recovery-Friendly Campuses: Signals institutional support for students in recovery.

The post Georgia Council for Recovery – Weekly Legislative Update appeared first on Georgia Council for Recovery.

The Georgia Council for Recovery is grateful for the continuation of funding for programs serving people with substance use and mental health challenges. Thank you to everyone that took the time to reach out to your legislators and elected officials. 

Our communities cannot afford cuts to addiction and mental health services. The White House and Congress must work together in a bipartisan manner to increase and expand funding for peer led addiction recovery programs.

We are thankful for the bipartisan support from Georgia’s Congressional Delegation for those impacted by Addiction.

We will continue our advocacy both in Washington and communities across Georgia to build positive coalitions to secure policies, legislation, and funding to serve those impacted by the Addiction Epidemic.

The post GC4R Supports Expanding Funding for Addiction Recovery appeared first on Georgia Council for Recovery.

Legislative Agenda 2026

Georgia Recovers in Communities

As we begin 2026, the Georgia Council for Recovery has prepared an aggressive set of legislative priorities to advance peer-positive addiction recovery policy. While significant strides have been made, there is still much work to be done in every community across Georgia.

“The reality of substance use disorder (addiction) medical issues demands a serious and dedicated response from government at all levels. Our communities are stepping up; we need our government to follow suit. In the United States, every year, more than 107,000 people die from drug overdoses and 178,000 from alcohol use. Fentanyl has been a leading contributor to many of these deaths. Georgia’s annual share of those tragic deaths is 2,570 and 5,214, respectively. In addition to the loss of our loved ones, the economic impact of untreated alcohol misuse far exceeds $6 billion for the state of Georgia every year. Georgia is facing an epidemic regarding addiction. It doesn’t have to be this way. Our public servants must provide new funding to support peer-led recovery programs,” said Laurisa Guerrero, Executive Director, The Georgia Council for Recovery.

“The Number One domestic Policy issue is the Addiction Epidemic. The Number one cause of death in America, including Georgia, for people 18 – 45 is overdose/fentanyl poisoning. There are 46 MILLION Americans in active addiction / 1.3 MILLION across Georgia. There are over 900,000 people across Georgia in recovery from addiction / 29 MILLION nationwide. Together, with our family and friends, we will be working to educate our public officials on the importance of expanding funding for existing peer-led recovery programs in communities across Georgia,” said Jeff Breedlove, Strategic Policy Advisor, The Georgia Council for Recovery.

The Georgia Council for Recovery, in partnership with the Georgia Association of Recovery Residencies, is supportive of legislation to establish a statewide licensure for recovery residences and establish the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) as the licensing body. GC4R thanks Senator Randy Robertson and the Georgia State Senate for their work on this issue with the Senate Study Committee of Recovery Residencies. GC4R also thanks Commissioner Kevin Tanner for the work of the Addictive Diseases Subcommittee of the Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission on this critical policy issue.
The Georgia Council for Recovery works closely with RCOs and peer-led organizations across the state. Beyond housing and transportation, the number one barrier we continue to hear about is access to peer support services for individuals under state supervision. GC4R is working with leaders at the State Capitol to determine the best vehicle for legislative support that would allow communities across Georgia to provide much needed services to their peers.

HB 219 by Representative Ron Stephens establishes a professional health program to provide for the monitoring and rehabilitation of healthcare professionals experiencing substance use disorders.
HB 657 by Representative Leesa Hagan to legally define an RCO to protect the integrity of community-based peer programs
SB 131 by Senator Mike Hodges which includes language from Representative Katie Dempsey to create a Parity Compliance Review Panel to ensure compliance with the Georgia Parity Act  
SB 277 by Senator Blake Tillery to revise the definition of drugs to include alcohol and its derivatives
SB 33 by Senator Kay Kirkpatrick includes Delta 8 and other dangerous variants of THC in the total percentage of THC in hemp products and requires testing and labeling like Delta 9
HB 419 by Representative Lee Hawkins to facilitate Opioid Reversal Boxes on University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia properties

#GARecovers

The post Legislative Agenda 2026 Georgia Recovers in Communities appeared first on Georgia Council for Recovery.

For Immediate Release 

28 August 2025 

 Tucker, GA  

 Throughout National Recovery Month in September of 2025, the Georgia Recovers Bus will make 75 stops in communities across Georgia.   

The Georgia Recovers Bus Tour is an official State of Georgia National Recovery Month Event funded by Commissioner Kevin Tanner at the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and supported by the Georgia General Assembly Working Group on Addiction and Recovery.  

The Georgia Council for Recovery is the exclusive statewide partner with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities for this historic tour. 

Every stop is FREE and Open to the Public. We will highlight local peers in recovery, families impacted by addiction, and allies who support recovery. 

Click here for a schedule of all 75 stops: http://gc4recovery.org/garecovers-bus-tour-2025/  

There are three types of stops: 

A: Proclamation Stop – where local leaders present a National Recovery Month proclamation in support of people living in recovery and families impacted by addiction 

B: Policy Stop – where local stakeholders have a diverse community conversation on how addiction and recovery impacts communities 

C: Celebration Stop – a celebration with FREE food, entertainment, and fellowship celebrating the hope and joy of recovery where hundreds of community members join together to show that Recovery Happens in Communities. Celebration stops highlight local peers in recovery, families impacted by addiction, and allies who support recovery. 

“I am excited for the Georgia Recovers Bus Tour. My team remains committed to providing support for vulnerable Georgians impacted by the addiction epidemic. The statewide tour will combine serious policy conversations with fun activities that bring local communities together. It is important to reach everyone as we show Georgia that ‘Recovery is Real.’” - Commissioner Kevin Tanner, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities 

“The Georgia Council for Recovery is honored to serve as the exclusive statewide partner for The Georgia Recovers Bus Tour with DBHDD. This stand-alone project is Georgia grown and Georgia run encompassing the spirit and voice of the Georgia Recovery Community. GC4R is proud to partner with our local recovery community hosts to bring a uniquely Georgia message of the hope and joy of recovery,” said Laurisa Barthen, Executive Director, The Georgia Council for Recovery.  

“The number one cause of death in America, including Georgia, for people 18 – 45 is overdose. The good news is that ‘Recovery is Real’. There are over 900,000 people in communities across Georgia in recovery from addiction. The Georgia Recovers Bus Tour will bring the hope and joy of recovery to families across Georgia as it saves lives, restores families, and strengthens communities,” said Jeff Breedlove, Strategic Policy Advisor, The Georgia Council for Recovery. 

“ Georgia, get ready! The Georgia Recovers Bus Tour is rolling in this Recovery Month, uniting communities across our state with a powerful message of hope, healing, and connection! From big cities to small towns, we’re breaking stigma, celebrating resilience, and proving that no matter what, Georgia recovers together, stronger than ever.” said Jasmine Turner, Tour Manager for The Georgia Recovers Bus Tour.   

### 

 For Information: 

Jeff Breedlove 

404-615-5735 

#GARecovers  

The post The Georgia Recovers Bus Tour Celebrating National Recovery Month Georgia Recovers in Communities appeared first on Georgia Council for Recovery.

America Must Increase the Federal Reimbursement Rate

Traditionally, states receive federal reimbursement rates between 50 and 75 percent. Under the Medicaid Bump Act, Medicaid would reimburse states for 90 percent of the cost of providing new mental and behavioral health services. Further, the bill would:

• Direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to define which services qualify as eligible behavioral health services for the enhanced FMAP.
• Require HHS to provide annual reports on the impact of increased federal Medicaid reimbursement on the utilization of behavioral health services in each state.

“America needs the Medicaid Bump Act, which will allow more people to access healthcare by expanding coverage and ensuring providers are appropriately compensated. Families across Georgia who are impacted by addiction need increased access to services. The Medicaid Bump Act is an important aspect of providing services to compensate medical providers appropriately,” said Laurisa Guerrero, Executive Director of the Georgia Council for Recovery.

“It is essential that Congress remove structural barriers limiting access to care. The Medicaid Bump Act is an important effort to deliver targeted federal support to expand state investment, raise provider reimbursement, and build capacity in local communities,” said Jeff Breedlove, Strategic Policy Advisor for the Georgia Council for Recovery.

The post The Georgia Council for Recovery Supports the Bipartisan Medicaid Bump Act America Must Increase the Federal Reimbursement Rate appeared first on Georgia Council for Recovery.

The post Addressing The Addiction Epidemic in America: It Is Time to Expand Life Saving Funding From The Administration and Congress   appeared first on Georgia Council for Recovery.