House Bill 680
By: Representatives Sanchez of the 42nd, Tran of the 80th, Au of the 50th, Clark of the 108th,
Schofield of the 63rd, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to labor and industrial
relations, so as to prohibit certain employers that do not provide affordable health insurance
benefits from requiring certain employees to provide a doctor's note when absent from work;
to provide for definitions; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for related matters;
to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to labor and industrial relations,
is amended in Chapter 1, relating to general provisions, by adding a new Code section to read
as follows:
<ins>"34-1-11.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Affordable health insurance benefits' means the least expensive health insurance
benefits where the cost of self-only coverage does not exceed 9.02 percent of the area's
median annual household income where the employee resides.
</ins>
<ins>(2) 'Employee' means an individual who works for salary, wages, or other remuneration
for an employer for at least 20 hours per week and has worked for such employer for at
least 31 days.
(3) 'Employer' means any individual or entity that employs six or more employees.
(4) 'Health insurance benefits' means a health insurance plan or similar product that an
employer offers to an employee and is designed to provide coverage for healthcare
services. Such term includes, but is not limited to, a group health plan, health
reimbursement arrangement, or wellness stipend.
(b) An employer that does not provide affordable health insurance benefits shall not
require an employee to provide a doctor's note or other documentation of a healthcare
service when such employee is absent from work.
(c) The department shall adopt rules and regulations for the purpose of implementing the
provisions of this Code section."
</ins> SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.