| 19 | 6 | | Department of Community Health, so as to provide for a grant program for the purpose of2 |
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| 20 | 7 | | providing funding to certain rural hospitals for acquiring or installing backup generators to3 |
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| 21 | 8 | | ensure continuity of operation during a state of emergency; to provide that the department4 |
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| 22 | 9 | | shall consult with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency in5 |
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| 23 | 10 | | establishing grant criteria; to provide for the department to establish grant amounts; to6 |
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| 24 | 11 | | provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to7 |
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| 25 | 12 | | repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.8 |
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| 26 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9 |
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| 27 | 14 | | SECTION 1.10 |
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| 28 | 15 | | Chapter 2 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Department11 |
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| 29 | 16 | | of Community Health, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:12 |
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| 32 | 18 | | (a) As used in this Code section, the term:14 |
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| 33 | 19 | | H. B. 262 (SUB) |
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| 34 | 20 | | - 1 - 25 LC 57 0232S |
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| 35 | 21 | | (1) 'Affected rural hospital' means an acute care hospital located in a rural county that15 |
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| 36 | 22 | | contains fewer than 100 beds and is located in any region of the state in which the16 |
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| 37 | 23 | | Governor declared a state of emergency after July 1, 2024.17 |
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| 38 | 24 | | (2) 'Rural county' means a county in this state that has a population of less than 50,00018 |
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| 39 | 25 | | according to the United States decennial census of 2020 or any future such census;19 |
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| 40 | 26 | | provided, however, that for counties which contain a military base or installation, the20 |
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| 41 | 27 | | military personnel and their dependents living in such county shall be excluded from the21 |
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| 42 | 28 | | total population of such county for purposes of this definition.22 |
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| 43 | 29 | | (b) Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly or other available funding, the23 |
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| 44 | 30 | | department shall establish a grant program to provide funding to affected rural hospitals24 |
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| 45 | 31 | | for the purpose of acquiring, installing, or both acquiring and installing backup generators25 |
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| 46 | 32 | | to ensure continuity of operation during a state of emergency. The department, in26 |
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| 47 | 33 | | consultation with the director of emergency management and homeland security shall27 |
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| 48 | 34 | | establish grant criteria and make award decisions; provided, however, that the department28 |
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| 49 | 35 | | and the director of emergency management and homeland security shall, to the greatest29 |
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| 50 | 36 | | extent possible, prioritize the approval of applications of those affected rural hospitals30 |
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| 51 | 37 | | lacking backup generators and the means by which to install them. The department shall31 |
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| 52 | 38 | | be authorized to establish the grant amount awarded to each recipient on a case-by-case32 |
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| 53 | 39 | | basis."33 |
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| 54 | 40 | | SECTION 2.34 |
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| 55 | 41 | | This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law35 |
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| 56 | 42 | | without such approval.36 |
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| 57 | 43 | | SECTION 3.37 |
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| 58 | 44 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.38 |
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| 59 | 45 | | H. B. 262 (SUB) |
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| 60 | 46 | | - 2 - |
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