GOP-backed maternal health bill advances at Georgia Gold Dome

A doctor uses a hand-held Doppler probe on a pregnant woman to measure the heartbeat of the fetus on Dec. 17, 2021, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Georgia House lawmakers are advancing a bill to create a new state commission on maternal and infant health. The Republican-sponsored legislation sailed to passage this week with bipartisan support.

Under House Bill (H.B.) 1037, the new commission would include 14 people, including an OB-GYN, pediatrician, a midwife and other healthcare practitioners.

Gov. Brian Kemp would appoint the majority of the body’s members. The lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the House would appoint other members and the body would include a representative from the state Department of Public Health (DPH).