At Plural, our mission is to enhance access to and understanding of the public policy developments that impact our daily lives. We strive to improve transparency by simplifying access to public information. To achieve this, we’ve harnessed technology to simplify processing and engaging with this information.

Harnessing the power of AI to innovate has been a key part of our strategy since our founding. While our approach to applying AI to public policy data has always been multifaceted, we’ve recently focused on generating comprehensive insights by utilizing our diverse datasets. Our latest innovation exemplifies this evolution in our AI strategy: Plural’s end-of-session report generator.

Originally piloted in Minnesota and now expanding across jurisdictions, this tool allows users to produce analyses of legislative actions on a range of topics throughout a single legislative session. All of our AI-driven insights are firmly grounded in primary public policy data — such as bill texts and voting records — rather than external sources like media reports. This commitment to core data ensures accuracy and minimizes bias. We continue to encourage users to view AI-generated tools as partners in research and writing and to carefully review and refine analyses to suit their specific needs.

Below, you can explore one of these reports, which evaluates legislative developments in healthcare and social services during Georgia’s 2023-2024 session.

Georgia 2023-24 Legislative Session: End of Session Report – Health and Social Services

This report summarizes key changes proposed by bills related to Health and Social Services during the latest Georgia legislative session. 

Access to Care & Service Delivery:

Expanding Telehealth: HB 441 authorizes and regulates teledentistry, requiring health insurers to cover these services comparably to in-person care. 

Rural Healthcare Workforce: HB 872 expands the service cancelable loan program to include dental students, aiming to attract dentists to underserved rural areas. 

Supporting Nursing Workforce: SB 246 establishes a student loan repayment program for nursing faculty to address workforce shortages. SB 449 streamlines the certified nurse aide process and creates a provisional program for military medical personnel.

Strengthening Long-Term Care: HB 309 enhances financial stability requirements for personal care homes and assisted living communities to ensure continuity of care for residents. HB 1335 revises staffing requirements for these facilities, aiming to improve resident safety and well-being.

Improving Ambulance Services: HB 453 eliminates the annual license fee for ambulance services, potentially impacting funding and oversight mechanisms.

Public Health & Disease Management:

Addressing the Opioid Crisis: HB 395 authorizes schools to stock and administer opioid antagonists, expanding access to these life-saving drugs. HB 1028 authorizes standing orders for opioid antagonists and post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention.

Combating Sexually Transmitted Infections: SB 46 mandates HIV and syphilis testing for pregnant women at various stages of pregnancy, aiming to improve early detection and treatment.

Supporting Individuals with Diabetes: HB 1183 requires schools to provide information on Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes to parents and guardians of students in grades 6-12.

Enhancing Cancer Care: SB 223 authorizes reimbursement for patient-incurred expenses related to cancer clinical trials, aiming to improve access to these trials. SB 315 regulates cost-sharing for diagnostic and supplemental breast screening examinations, ensuring they are comparable to mammograms.

Mental Health & Substance Use:

Expanding Access to Mental Health Services: HB 414 creates a grant program within the Department of Veterans Service to support behavioral health services for service members, veterans, and their families. SB 480 establishes a student loan repayment program for mental health and substance use professionals serving in underserved areas.

Protecting Healthcare Professionals: HB 455 establishes professional programs to address career fatigue and wellness among healthcare professionals, providing confidentiality and liability protections.

Addressing Alzheimer’s and Dementia: SB 571 adjusts the update cycle for the Georgia Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias State Plan to every four years and revises the advisory council’s membership and responsibilities.

Children & Families:

Supporting Foster Care: SB 216 authorizes longer respite care periods for foster parents, providing them with greater flexibility and support. SB 401 aims to improve data collection and reporting on foster care cases in juvenile courts.

Protecting Children with Epilepsy: SB 45 establishes “A.J.’s Law,” requiring schools to implement seizure action plans and train personnel to support students with epilepsy.

Addressing Child Support: SB 454 updates child support guidelines, focusing on low-income adjustments and parenting time considerations.

Other Notable Changes:

Prohibiting COVID-19 Vaccination Proof Requirements: SB 1 permanently prohibits state and local governments from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for government services, with limited exceptions.

Limiting Liability for Mental Health Providers: HB 1409 limits liability for mental health care providers in certain circumstances, aiming to address workforce challenges.

Enhancing Hospital Safety: HB 383 enacts the “Safer Hospitals Act,” allowing hospitals to employ peace officers and enhancing penalties for assaults on healthcare workers.

Increasing Transparency in Healthcare: SB 197 enacts the “Health Care Practitioners Truth and Transparency Act,” requiring clear identification of healthcare practitioners’ qualifications and prohibiting misleading advertising. SB 505 enhances financial transparency requirements for hospitals.

Looking Ahead:

This legislative session saw significant activity in the Health and Social Services arena.  The long-term impact of these proposed changes will depend on implementation and future legislative action.  Key areas to watch include:

Workforce Development:  Will loan repayment programs and other initiatives effectively address shortages in healthcare professions?

Access to Mental Health & Substance Use Treatment: Will new funding and programs translate into improved access to care?

Impact of New Regulations: How will changes to licensing, reporting, and other requirements affect healthcare providers and patients?

This report provides a high-level overview of key changes proposed during the legislative session.  Further analysis and monitoring will be necessary to fully understand the implications for Georgia’s health and social services landscape.

Get Started With Plural

Top public policy teams in Georgia and across the United States trust Plural with their legislative tracking needs. With Plural, you’ll:

• Access superior public policy data 
• Be the first to know about new bills and changes in bill status
• Streamline your day with seamless organization features
• Harness the power of time-saving AI tools to gain insights into individual bills and the entire legislative landscape
• Keep everyone on the same page with internal collaboration and external reporting all in one place

More Resources for Georgia

Georgia’s Health and Social Services Laws in 2023-2024: An AI-Generated Report 

Georgia’s 2023-2024 Legislative Session: End-of-Session Report

Public Policy Brief Template

The post Georgia’s Health and Social Services Laws in 2023-2024: An AI-Generated Report  appeared first on Plural Policy.

What Georgia’s General Assembly Accomplished This Year

A number of bills passed at the very end of session will now head to Governor Kemp’s desk. Governor Kemp will have 40 days to decide what to sign, what to veto, and what to allow to pass into law without his signature. Meanwhile, many legislators won’t rest for long before heading out on the campaign trail. Every seat in the General Assembly is up for election this November.

Digesting and distilling so much legislative activity can be challenging. Fortunately, Plural’s industry-leading open data and innovative AI tools make this process much easier. In this report, we leverage that data and functionality to analyze what Georgia’s General Assembly accomplished this year.

Key Facts and Figures: Georgia’s 2024 Legislative Session

Across both years of Georgia’s 2023-2024 legislative session, 2,107 bills were introduced. This number does not include resolutions. Of these introductions, Georgia legislators acted on 1,167 in 2024. Amongst all of this activity, Plural AI was able to determine the following topics that came up the most:

• Criminal Justice, Public Safety, Law Enforcement, and Incarceration – 16% of legislation
• Appropriations, Budget, and Taxation – 16% of legislation
• Civil Law, Family Law, and Judicial Proceedings – 14% of legislation

Raw numbers don’t always tell the full story. However, in this case, our topic analysis aligned with the narratives dominating coverage of the General Assembly’s work. As is common across all state legislatures, budget discussions took up significant time and attention. The budget was passed on the last day of the session. National focus on public safety, immigration, and law enforcement was reflected in the number of bills on those topics and the tenor of the debate on those bills.

We will need to await action from the Governor’s office before reporting on exactly how many proposals make it into law from this session. In the interim, you can see all of the bills that Governor Kemp has signed into law so far here. This list is up-to-date as of March 29, 2024.

Looking Ahead: Beyond Georgia’s 2023-2024 Legislative Session

Georgia’s legislators accomplished a lot this year. A budget securing expanded funding for education, state workers, and infrastructure project received overwhelming bipartisan support. The Republican majority secured wins on voting and immigration laws. We can expect these to be touted in the coming months, as Governor Kemp signs bills and legislators ramp up their campaigns.

At the same time, every legislative session leaves some legislative priorities unresolved. We expect Georgia’s 2025 legislative session to include reconsideration of key issues like sports gambling. There will also be continued debates over voting rights and election law.

Book a Demo

With Plural, it’s easier than ever to connect with and monitor the work at the Georgia state capitol, in Georgia’s 2023-2024 legislative session and beyond. See how Plural can transform the way you do public policy work and book a demo today!

More Resources for Georgia

Georgia’s Health and Social Services Laws in 2023-2024: An AI-Generated Report 

Georgia’s 2023-2024 Legislative Session: End-of-Session Report

Public Policy Brief Template

The post Georgia’s 2023-2024 Legislative Session: End-of-Session Report appeared first on Plural Policy.

Policy briefs are concise, written documents that provide policymakers with a clear understanding of an issue and suggest policy options based on research, analysis, and evidence.

When effective, policy briefs can be used to advance your organization’s goals, influence decision-making, position yourself or your organization as a thought leader, and more!

Need help getting started? Download our fully-customizable policy brief template and start writing your effective policy brief today!

The post Public Policy Brief Template appeared first on Plural Policy.

Here are four options to access Plural’s 2024 Legislative Sessions Calendar. Choose the one that’s best for you:

1. Google Calendar: Add the calendar directly to your Google Calendar using this link.
2. Outlook or Other Calendars: Add the calendar as a public calendar through Outlook or other calendar applications. (Outlook instructions)
3. View Online: View and bookmark the calendar online here. 
4. Download a PDF: View and download a PDF of session start dates and expected adjournment.

A few things to note:

• The majority of legislative sessions begin within the first two weeks of January and end between late March and mid-May.
• 15 states are scheduled to have significantly shorter sessions than in 2023. Only 4 states are scheduled to have significantly longer sessions.
• Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia will enter 2024 with the most new legislators after those states held regular legislative elections this fall.
• 4 states (Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas) only host regular sessions during even-numbered years, and do not have a regular session scheduled for 2024.
• 4 states, Puerto Rico, and the US Congress meet throughout the entirety of the year and do not generally have a typical end-of-session adjournment scheduled.

More Resources for Public Policy Professionals

2024 118th Congress Report

Guide to Preparing for Congressional Testimony

Upcoming Changes to Party Leadership in Congress

The post 2024 Legislative Sessions Calendar appeared first on Plural Policy.

Analyzing Voting Rights Legislation in 2023

Debates around voting rights have always been central to American political discourse. The 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries saw the expansion of the right to vote to religious minorities, people of color and women. However, the statutory right to vote was never the end goal for voting rights advocates. The civil rights movement, particularly the Voting Rights Act of 1965, drove our nation nearer to fair and equal democratic participation.

Policy impacting voting rights is a priority issue for state legislators, intensified by contentious national elections and imperfect systems.

The 2024 elections are quickly approaching. As of July 2023, state legislators have introduced 1,188 bills impacting voting rights. Eighty bills have made it through the legislative process to become law. Understanding this activity, including how and where it is playing out, is key to understanding democracy. We leveraged Plural’s data analyze legislation affecting voting rights and access so far in 2023.

In our analysis, we focused on legislation that expanded or limited access to vote. For example, legislation increasing early vote time is categorized as expanding, while legislation restricting mail-in voting is categorized as restricting. While important to monitor, legislation unrelated to the ability to vote, like bills that regulate ballot-counting devices, were not considered.

Looking Ahead to 2024

Following the 2020 elections, voting rights became a central issue in 2022 campaigns as well as the 2023 legislative sessions. As we approach another contentious national election in 2024, attention on voting policy will continue to grow. Plural is committed to analyzing the trends in this space to help the public understand our democratic processes. 

Get Started with Plural

Plural helps you get and stay ahead in the complex public policy landscape. With Plural, you can:

• Access superior public policy data
• Be the first to know about new bills and changes in bill status
• Streamline your day with seamless organization features
• Harness the power of AI to gain insights into individual bills and the entire legislative landscape
• Keep everyone on the same page with internal collaboration and external reporting all in one place

How Vote Mama Lobby Empowers Moms By Using Plural for Tracking Policy

Vote Mama Lobby is dedicated to transforming the political landscape for moms. Its team advocates to break the institutional barriers moms face in running for and serving in office, and gives voice to the solutions that allow everyday families to thrive.  Vote Mama Foundation is a leading non-partisan 501(c)(3) entity that provides research and analysis […]

READ MORE →

Here’s Why Leadership Wants Your GR, Legal & Compliance Teams to Use AI

In an era of accelerating regulation, geopolitical uncertainty, and rising stakeholder expectations, the margin for error in corporate governance has never been thinner. For senior leaders — CEOs, GCs, COOs, and Chief Risk Officers — ensuring that their legal, compliance, and government relations (GR) teams are equipped to respond quickly and strategically is essential. Enter […]

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What I Learned from Working at a Startup Company as a College Student

By Jay Oliveira My time at Plural has been transformative.  As a third-year policy student at Suffolk University in Boston, I had already spent hours pouring over legislative websites for my coursework. I struggled to use legislative sources that would open up dozens of unreadable files, or would make it unclear what chamber the bill […]

READ MORE →

The post Legislation Affecting Voting Rights and Access in 2023 appeared first on Plural Policy.

• The Office of the Governor
• Both chambers of the State House
• The Secretary of State
• The State Attorney General

Entering the 2023 session, Republicans held 98 of 180 seats in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, they held 32 of the 56 seats.

Ahead of the session, the Senate Republican Majority Caucus outlined their 2023 legislative priorities. Likewise, Georgia’s Senate Democratic Caucus announced their legislative agenda for 2023-2024.

2023 Session Data: Georgia Legislature

This year’s legislative session lasted from January 9 until March 29. The general assembly passed 367 bills into law, out of 2,371 introduced. Major initiatives passed into law focused on:

• Taxation
• Economic investments
• Elections
• Education
• Abortion
• Crime policy

This represents a decrease in activity from 2022, when the general assembly passed 891 bills into law out of 4,521 introduced.

Legislative Trends in Georgia

In 2023, key legislative trends in Georgia include:

• Environment
• Education
• Voting rights
• LGBTQIA+ issues
• Gun legislation
• The public safety training center known as “Cop City”

Key Takeaways: Georgia’s 2023 Legislative Session

Throughout the 2023 legislative session, the Georgia legislature passed 15.47% of the bills introduced. The legislature met many of its goals. With a Republican majority, their efforts were not thwarted by the Democratic caucus. However, facing court challenges, Republicans will likely wait many months to continue with their agenda.

The post 2023 End-of-Session Report | Georgia Legislature appeared first on Plural Policy.

What is ESG Investing?

Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) is an investment strategy involving the consideration of a company’s environmental impact, social impact and governance history. These considerations are used to determine whether and where they will invest funds. ESG is also referred to as socially responsible investing or sustainable investing.

Interest in ESG investing has grown in the private sector. As a result, many large investing firms have begun to offer information about the impact of investments. This offers flexibility for investors to put their money towards “better” investments. The European Union (EU) has been the epicenter of ESG investing. The EU has taken steps to improve corporate transparency and aid ESG. For example, the EU increased reporting requirements for financial firms and companies.

ESG Legislation and Regulation

Regulatory action on ESG investing in the United States had been sparse. However, there has been an increase in legislation on ESG investing. This growth has occurred at both the state and federal levels. The trend is driven by recent actions by the Biden administration as well as Republicans’ focus on the so-called “culture wars.”

Over two-thirds of U.S. state legislatures have considered anti-ESG legislation in 2023, and 14 states have enacted legislation restricting the use of ESG factors in public investments and procurements. On the other side of the debate, just one pro-ESG bill has become law and only 11 states have even considered such legislation. While consumer demand for ESG investing has grown, the data in this report shows a wave of anti-ESG legislation rising to challenge that trend. 

The Plural team sought to better understand legislation regarding ESG investing. To do so, we analyzed the 2023 legislative sessions of all 50 states, US Congress and Washington, DC. This data is up-to-date as of July 19, 2023.

Key Findings

ESG investing has become a prevalent topic of discussion in state legislatures across the country. Understanding the state-of-play in these debates will allow you to be better prepared for their next iterations.

Overall, it’s unclear how states will progress in this space as well as how new laws will impact our economy at-large. At Plural, we’re committed to increasing government transparency. This involves shedding light on laws under consideration and analyzing their impact on our communities.

The post ESG Legislation in the First Six Months of 2023 appeared first on Plural Policy.

If you don’t report it, it didn’t happen, right? And if you can’t find the data you need to document all of your work throughout the session, you can’t report on it. 

Creating a legislative report is key to proving the impact of your role, your team and your organization. It showcases the tangible results of your work to your board, stakeholders and community members.

Need help getting started? Download our end-of-session report template today!

The post End-of-Session Report Template appeared first on Plural Policy.

So far in 2023, the partisan divide over gender identity, especially within education and healthcare settings, has generated a significant increase in legislation impacting transgender and nonbinary communities.

The research team at Plural is committed to monitoring legislative trends throughout the country. As we analyzed the 2023 legislative sessions, we were particularly surprised by the volume of bills targeting transgender and nonbinary rights. We leveraged Plural’s legislative data to better understand this trend. The data presented in this report is up-to-date as of Monday, June 26, 2023.

The post Legislation Impacting Transgender and Nonbinary Rights and Visibility in 2023 appeared first on Plural Policy.

Need help getting started? Download our free, fully-customizable stakeholder mapping visualization tool and supercharge your stakeholder engagement strategy!

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