Legislation introduced in the House on Tuesday would allow Georgia residents to buy health insurance from out of state.

Gov. Sonny Perdue said House Bill 1184, sponsored by his floor leader state Rep. Matt Ramsey, R-Peachtree City, is aimed at expanding access.

“This legislation will open up the individual insurance market and allows consumers to find the plan that best fits their needs,” Perdue said in a prepared statement. “It will also help the uninsured find a plan that works for them.”

The bill would allow individuals and families to buy health plans that have been approved for sale in other states. Insurers licensed in Georgia, but who have alternative products sold in other states, also would be able to sell those policies in Georgia.

State Sen. Preston Smith, R-Rome, said a similar measure is pending in the Senate. Smith introduced Senate Bill 309 but later signed on to a substitute, Senate Bill 407, which spells out the mechanism.

“We’ve been having conversations behind the scenes about how it would work,” he said. “We believe it will drive down the cost of insurance and open up options, but we need to make sure there are consumer protections.”

Under SB 407, the state insurance commissioner would have some authority over the out-of-state policies offered in Georgia, although they would primarily be governed by the laws of the originating state.

Smith said a number of health insurance reform measures are moving in the Georgia General Assembly.

SB 50, which would improve transparency in the way insurance is paid out, is scheduled for debate in the Senate today.

Also, committee hearings are expected next week on SB 331, which would let small businesses band together for group coverage, and SB 330, which would remove health benefit caps and make it harder for insurers to cancel a policy.