Doctors, nurses, veterinarians and emergency medical personnel from outside Georgia would be allowed to provide aid here in event of a major disaster like a hurricane or terror attack, under a measure unanimously approved Thursday by the state Senate.
Senate Bill 230 would reverse what in effect is a ban in state law on outside medical practitioners coming into Georgia to help in an emergency. The bill would allow the state to temporarily credential doctors, nurses and veterinarians from neighboring states to provide aid during an emergency.
Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, said Georgia would be following other states that have approved similar measures, starting with Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.
“This would allow the state to bring in volunteers in the event of situations like tornadoes in northwest Georgia,” said Hufstetler, who is a nurse. He has dubbed the bill as the “Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act.”
The measure now goes to the state House for consideration.
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