ATLANTA (AP) — Insurance companies licensed in Georgia will soonbe able to sell health policies offered in other states thatprovide less coverage than Georgia currently requires.

The new law is one of dozens set to take effect in Georgia onJuly 1, the start of the state's fiscal year.

Among the others set to kick in on Thursday is a law that pavesthe way for communities to permit the Sunday sales of alcohol andanother that allows billboard owners to clear cut many treesblocking their signs. A law cracking down on illegal immigrationalso had been set to take effect, but a federal judge on Mondayblocked major portions of it.

Delta Air Lines, Gulfstream and developers spending $1 millionor more to bring tourist attractions to the state will also beeligible for hefty tax breaks, under bills Gov. Nathan Deal signedinto law.

The insurance law authorizes the sale of insurance policiesacross state lines for Georgia residents. Experts say it's amongthe first law of its kind in the nation.

Critics complain that it opens the door for watered downpolicies that don't cover services like diabetes care, mammogramsor regular checkups for young children that are required underGeorgia policies. But supporters say it could drive down prices byintroducing more competition and allow the roughly 20 percent ofGeorgians who are uninsured to find a policy they can afford.

Although the law takes effect Thursday it could still be sometime before any out-of-state policies are available to Georgiaresidents.

The state insurance commissioner's office must write and adoptregulations governing the policies and that process could takeseveral months.

Even then, it's unclear how broad the impact will be.

The law covers only individual policies, not the larger grouppolicies purchased by companies providing health coverage to theiremployees. Such individual policies comprise only about 4 percentof the health insurance market in Georgia, according to data fromthe Kaiser Family Foundation. How many insurers operating inGeorgia will offer up plans from other states is also an openquestion.

Graham Thompson, executive director of the Georgia Associationof Health Insurance Plans, said the group is intrigued by the newlaw. But he said his members — the seven largest insurers in thestate — will need to see how the regulations take shape before theydecide whether to jump in.

"We remained neutral on the bill because it's so new," Thompsonsaid. "But we are all for ways to offer affordable products to ourcustomers ... the goal is great."

The bill's sponsor, state Rep. Matt Ramsey, said he worked tobuild in consumer protections.

The out-of-state plans must carry a benefits chart outliningexactly what Georgians are getting for their money and they muststill be approved by Georgia's insurance commissioner. Those whopurchase the plans would still have access to the state's disputeresolution process and the Georgia courts, Ramsey said.

Ramsey said he hopes the bill will chip away at a criticalmarket, the uninsured who don't have coverage through work and whoare looking for an individual policy that fits their budget.

"We want to have a wide range of product options out there," thePeachtree City Republican said. "So, if your family can only afforda Ford than we want to be able to get a Ford."

"Let the free market work," Ramsey said.

But Cynthia Zeldin, executive director of Georgians for aHealthy Future, a consumer health group, said the law will create"a race to the bottom" with Georgians buying stripped-down policieswithout really understanding how little they actually cover.

Andy Lord, a lobbyist at the state Capitol for the AmericanDiabetes Association, said there is no evidence to support the ideathat the law would drive down costs. He said the real intent seemsto be to chip away at Georgia health insurance mandates

"This says that whatever the lowest level of coverage is in anyother state is good enough for Georgia," Lord said.

Lawmakers in Georgia tried for several years to adopt the healthinsurance bill. They succeeded this year as both the House andSenate picked up Republican seats. Passage of the bill followed abitter debate, with Democrats arguing the bill would undermine thestate's relatively tough insurance mandates, adopted over the yearsby the state Legislature.

Richard Cauchi, health program director for the NationalConference of State Legislatures, said two other states — Wyomingand Rhode Island — have passed similar laws. But Rhode Island'slaw, enacted in 2008, is regional in scope, looking to partner withother New England states to expand its own health insuranceofferings, he said. Wyoming's law was enacted in 2010.

Cauchi said the Georgia law is the first to be signed sincePresident Barack Obama signed the federal health care reform billinto law.

Eighteen states have considered such laws, Cauchi said.

"It seems to be a popular topic lately," he added.

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House Bill 47: www.legis.ga.gov