Interview with Brian Pritchard Concerning HB520

Hank Discusses the Conflicts of Interest in this Years' Georgia Mental Health Bill

Yesterday I sat for an interview with Brian Pritchard on FYNTV. The subject was the conflicts of interest written into HB520, this year’s mental health bill at the Georgia General Assembly. In this interview, I trace the history of the increasing perceived need for mental health services in the state, how that need came about and why. And then I go through the bill line by line to explain the conflicts of interest the bill’s lead sponsor, Todd Jones (R-25) has laced throughout the bill. If passed as written, this legislation could mean untold millions of dollars for Jones and his company.

Click to watch the video

In the bill, Jones, who owns a patent for biometeric and GPS monitoring technology, and is a partner in a company that provides those services, has done the following:

1. Created several classes of individuals who the state will require biometeric and GPS monitoring in order for them to live among the community, and/or practice careers in the healthcare industry;

2. Authorized a means to fund biometeric and GPS monitoring statewide;

3. Authorized a grant program for local jurisdictions to purchase biometeric and GPS monitoring;

4. Immunized monitoring entities against liability, both civil and criminal, for contracting with state-authorized programs to provide biometeric and GPS monitoring.

So here we have a law that defines a market requiring the very product and services Jones’ company provides, funds purchases of those products and services all across the State of Georgia, and would immunize any such company from liability. All of that is written into HB520.

Importantly, HB520 does not specify that Jones’ company would automatically be selected to provide the monitoring described in the bill. But we all know whose product and services would be first in line for consideration, given the relationships of all involved. In other words, we must be real.