| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 60 0156 |
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| 2 | 2 | | House Bill 929 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Representatives Lupton of the 83 |
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| 4 | 4 | | rd |
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| 5 | 5 | | and Lim of the 98 |
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| 6 | 6 | | th |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 9 | 9 | | AN ACT |
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| 10 | 10 | | To amend Article 1 of Chapter 2A of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1 |
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| 12 | 12 | | relating to the Department of Public Health generally, so as to provide for a three-year pilot2 |
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| 13 | 13 | | program for dietetics services for public elementary and secondary school students and3 |
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| 14 | 14 | | patients at federally qualified health centers; to provide for reimbursement; to provide for4 |
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| 15 | 15 | | reporting; to provide for definitions; to provide for termination of the pilot program and5 |
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| 16 | 16 | | automatic repeal of the statute; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and6 |
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| 17 | 17 | | for other purposes.7 |
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| 18 | 18 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 |
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| 19 | 19 | | SECTION 1.9 |
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| 20 | 20 | | Article 1 of Chapter 2A of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the10 |
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| 21 | 21 | | Department of Public Health generally, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as11 |
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| 22 | 22 | | follows:12 |
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| 23 | 23 | | "31-2A-21. |
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| 24 | 24 | | 13 |
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| 25 | 25 | | (a) As used in this Code section, the term:14 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) 'Dietetics' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 43-11A-3.15 |
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| 27 | 27 | | H. B. 929 |
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| 28 | 28 | | - 1 - 25 LC 60 0156 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) 'Dietitian' means an individual duly licensed under Chapter 11A of Title 43 to16 |
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| 30 | 30 | | practice dietetics and who has at least one year of experience practicing dietetics.17 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (3) 'Eligible recipient' means a student of a public elementary or secondary school or a18 |
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| 32 | 32 | | patient at a federally qualified health center.19 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (4) 'Federally qualified health center' means a facility as defined in 42 U.S.C.20 |
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| 34 | 34 | | Section 1395x(aa)(4), as of July 1, 2025.21 |
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| 35 | 35 | | (b) Subject to available funding, the department, in collaboration with the Department of22 |
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| 36 | 36 | | Education, shall develop, implement, and conduct a three-year pilot program to provide23 |
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| 37 | 37 | | dietetics services to eligible recipients at public elementary and secondary schools and24 |
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| 38 | 38 | | federally qualified health centers beginning on June 30, 2026. Such pilot program shall25 |
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| 39 | 39 | | provide reimbursement for up to five dietitian visits for each eligible recipient, at a26 |
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| 40 | 40 | | reimbursement rate of up to $200.00 per visit.27 |
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| 41 | 41 | | (c) No later than June 30, 2027, and annually thereafter, the department shall submit a28 |
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| 42 | 42 | | detailed written report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the effectiveness of29 |
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| 43 | 43 | | the pilot program. The final report shall additionally include recommendations as to the30 |
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| 44 | 44 | | expansion or permanency of the pilot program and any proposed changes to the pilot31 |
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| 45 | 45 | | program relative to such recommendations.32 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (d) The department is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations as may be necessary33 |
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| 47 | 47 | | to carry out and implement the provisions of this Code section.34 |
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| 48 | 48 | | (e) The pilot program created by this Code section shall terminate on June 30, 2029, and35 |
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| 49 | 49 | | this Code section shall be repealed by operation of law on such date."36 |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 2.37 |
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| 51 | 51 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.38 |
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| 52 | 52 | | H. B. 929 |
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| 53 | 53 | | - 2 - |
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