Harbin Applauds Governor’s Executive Order On Department of Human Resources Reform

ATLANTA--Today in Atlanta, Representative Ben Harbin (R-Evans) joined other legislators in the office of Governor Sonny Perdue as he signed an executive order creating a commission to oversee the restructuring of the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR).  The commission may recommend combining, consolidating, or separating divisions within DHR as well as the Department of Community Health (DCH) and the State Personnel Administration (SPA).

“There is little disagreement that an essential role of the State is to protect the lives, health, and safety of citizens.  This is true for police, it is true for firemen, and it is true for those who would safeguard the public’s health.  It is especially true for those hazards against which people can have no defense,” said Representative Harbin.

Comprising approximately half of our budget, spanning the entire state, and provided by two Departments staffed with more than 19,000 employees, the effort to safeguard the health of Georgia is incredibly complex.

Representative Harbin, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, recently served as chair of the State Health Systems Study Committee, which was created by House Resolution 350 during the previous legislative session.  The Study Committee was charged with examining the functions of all state agencies that provide health care services.  The Committee, like a similar study committee chaired by Representative Donna Sheldon in 2006, recommended the restructuring of DHR as the best means to ensure Georgians are protected from health hazards.

Representative Harbin continued, “I applaud the Governor for taking this essential first step to ensure that our state is served by a 21st century health system that we can all be proud of, so that Georgia remains a leader in health.  I encourage the commission to pay special attention to the needs of our most vulnerable citizens, including Georgians suffering from mental illness and the elderly.” 

The commission will make its recommendations in a report to the Governor and the General Assembly by July 2, 2008.

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