ATLANTA — Local advocates are calling on state lawmakers to set aside millions of dollars collected from violators of Georgia’s mental health parity law to help impacted families.

Last month, Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King announced the state would levy $25 million in fines against insurance companies that were not complying with the state law requiring them to cover mental care like physical care.

Georgia’s mental health parity law requires insurance companies to cover mental care like physical care.

Jeff Breedlove with the Georgia Council on Recovery says the money should be placed into a special account to benefit families instead of being placed into the general fund or used for other projects.

“Not to transportation, not to the environment, not education; those are all important things, but this money only exists because families have suffered abuse,” Breedlove states.

He says it is important the money goes toward a specific purpose.

“Not just on any other project that somebody might want, these dollars exist because people have been abused,” he states.

Breedlove says the money should be used to directly help families or support programs that provide help.

“The families that have suffered abuse need programs or either directly need to be funded themselves to get the help they needed in the first place,” he states.

State officials say companies could face additional fines if they do not change course.

WSB Radio’s Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story.