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GeorgiaHB 2192025-2026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Professions and businesses; establish a professional health program to provide for monitoring and rehabilitation of impaired healthcare professionals; authorize

Sponsored By: David Clark (Republican), Viola Davis (Democrat), Ron Stephens (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Regulated IndustriesRegulated Industries and UtilitiesGeneral Bill

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

Healthcare professionals pay all program costs

Impaired healthcare professionals who participate in either board's health program must pay all costs associated with participation. This applies to nurses, counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists covered by these boards. The law sets no dollar amount, payment formula, cost cap, or participant subsidy.

Rehabilitation programs for nurses and counselors

Georgia's nursing board and its board for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists can run rehabilitation programs. Programs cover professionals licensed, certified, or permitted by these boards whose illness, substance use, or mental or physical condition prevents safe practice. Boards can operate programs themselves or hire organizations to provide assessments, monitoring, treatment coordination, and rehabilitation plans. Both boards can seek and accept private funding, public grants, donated goods or services, and other donations for program purposes. The programs are subject to funding approval by the Georgia General Assembly; the law sets no funding amount.

Program contractors gain protection from liability

Contractors running either board's professional health program receive protection from civil and criminal liability for their contracted work. Protection applies only when they follow both the contract and the law's program requirements. This protects qualifying contractors but limits legal recourse against them for covered work.

Private program records limit public access

Both boards can choose to share relevant professional information with program contractors, despite the cited state confidentiality restrictions. Contractors can use that information to conduct the program. Information and records supplied to or produced by contractors are confidential and legally protected. Their use is limited to contractors, their employees, and agents carrying out the contract. The public and parties in court cases cannot obtain these records through open-records requests, subpoenas, or discovery.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

  • David Clark

    Republican • House

  • Viola Davis

    Democrat • House

  • Ron Stephens

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

  • Chuck Hufstetler

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 214 • No: 1

Senate vote • 3/12/2026

PASSAGE

Yes: 46 • No: 1 • Other: 5

House vote • 3/4/2025

PASSAGE

Yes: 168 • No: 0 • Other: 4

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective Date

    7/1/2026

  2. House Date Signed by Governor

    5/5/2026House

  3. Act 381

    5/5/2026

  4. House Sent to Governor

    4/6/2026House

  5. Senate Third Read

    3/12/2026Senate

  6. Senate Passed/Adopted

    3/12/2026Senate

  7. Senate Committee Favorably Reported

    2/2/2026Senate

  8. Senate Taken from Table

    1/12/2026Senate

  9. Senate Recommitted

    1/12/2026Senate

  10. Senate Tabled

    4/2/2025Senate

  11. Senate Read Second Time

    3/18/2025Senate

  12. Senate Committee Favorably Reported

    3/13/2025Senate

  13. Senate Read and Referred

    3/6/2025Senate

  14. House Third Readers

    3/4/2025House

  15. House Passed/Adopted

    3/4/2025House

  16. House Committee Favorably Reported

    2/26/2025House

  17. House Second Readers

    2/5/2025House

  18. House First Readers

    2/4/2025House

  19. House Hopper

    2/3/2025House

Bill Text

  • HB 219/AP* (v3)

    PDF

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