Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB19 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 61 0039
2	2	House Bill 19
3	3	By: Representatives Scott of the 76
4	4	th
5	5	, Schofield of the 63
6	6	rd
7	7	, and Davis of the 87
8	8	th
9	9
10	10	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
11	11	AN ACT
12	12	To amend Article 1 of Chapter 3 of Title 37 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
13	13	1
14	14	relating to general provisions related to examination and treatment for mental illness, so as2
15	15	to require the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to create,3
16	16	operate, and maintain an electronic registry for inpatient psychiatric beds; to provide for4
17	17	definitions; to provide for contracting with a third party; to require psychiatric facilities and5
18	18	other providers to submit certain information to the department; to provide for accessibility6
19	19	to the registry to end users; to provide for an advisory committee; to provide for quarterly7
20	20	reporting to certain legislative committees; to authorize the department to establish a policy8
21	21	for secondary use of registry data; to require the department to provide for registry data to9
22	22	the contractor or entity that operates the Georgia Crisis and Access Line; to provide a short10
23	23	title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.11
24	24	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:12
25	25	SECTION 1.13
26	26	This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Mental Health Availability and Access14
27	27	Act."15
28	28	H. B. 19
29	29	- 1 - 25 LC 61 0039
30	30	SECTION 2.
31	31	16
32	32	Article 1 of Chapter 3 of Title 37 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to17
33	33	general provisions related to examination and treatment for mental illness, is amended by18
34	34	adding a new Code section to read as follows:19
35	35	"37-3-9.
36	36	20
37	37	(a) As used in this Code section, the term:21
38	38	(1) 'Advisory committee' means the committee established pursuant to subsection (e) of22
39	39	this Code section.23
40	40	(2) 'Psychiatric facility' shall have the same meaning as 'facility' as defined in24
41	41	paragraph (7) of Code Section 37-3-1.25
42	42	(3) 'Registry' means the electronic inpatient psychiatric bed registry created pursuant to26
43	43	subsection (b) of this Code section.27
44	44	(b)(1) The department shall establish and administer an electronic inpatient psychiatric28
45	45	bed registry. The registry shall be a web based resource to identify available psychiatric29
46	46	beds in this state categorized by patient gender, acuteness, age, and diagnosis. The30
47	47	registry shall be accessible through the department's website.31
48	48	(2) The department may, by contract, delegate the creation, operation, and maintenance32
49	49	of the registry to a private entity.33
50	50	(c) Psychiatric facilities and other providers identified by the department, who provide34
51	51	diagnosis, care, treatment, or hospitalization of persons who are mentally ill, shall be35
52	52	required to provide the department with the number of inpatient psychiatric beds available36
53	53	in such facilities or by such other providers at the time the information is provided. The37
54	54	information shall be provided by psychiatric facilities and such other providers on a basis38
55	55	as close to real time as practicable. Psychiatric facilities and other providers shall provide39
56	56	the department with such information as specified under subsection (f) of this Code section.40
57	57	(d) The registry shall be made accessible to end users of the registry, including, but not41
58	58	limited to, prepaid inpatient health plans, licensed health plans, community mental health42
59	59	H. B. 19
60	60	- 2 - 25 LC 61 0039
61	61	services programs, acute care hospitals, psychiatric facilities, and employees and caregivers43
62	62	with other appropriate providers.44
63	63	(e) The department shall establish an advisory committee to provide guidance on the45
64	64	creation, operation, and maintenance of the registry. The advisory committee shall include46
65	65	representatives from the following groups:47
66	66	(1) The department;48
67	67	(2) The Department of Community Health;49
68	68	(3) Psychiatric facilities;50
69	69	(4) End users of the registry as described in subsection (d) of this Code section;51
70	70	(5) Consumers, families, and advocates; and52
71	71	(6) Law enforcement.53
72	72	(f) The department, in consultation with the advisory committee, shall establish54
73	73	requirements for reporting information to the department for psychiatric facilities and other55
74	74	providers identified by the department.56
75	75	(g) The department shall provide quarterly reports on the progress of implementing the57
76	76	registry beginning on October 1, 2025, to the chairpersons of the House Committee on58
77	77	Health, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, the House Appropriations59
78	78	Health Subcommittee, and the Senate Appropriations Health and Human Development60
79	79	Subcommittee.61
80	80	(h) The department, in consultation with the advisory committee, may establish a policy62
81	81	for the secondary use of registry data.63
82	82	(i) The department shall provide all of the information listed on the registry created64
83	83	pursuant to this Code section to the contractor or entity that operates or maintains the65
84	84	Georgia Crisis and Access Line."66
85	85	SECTION 3.67
86	86	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.68
87	87	H. B. 19
88	88	- 3 -