Community Health Worker Certification Bill (HB 291) Updated with Key Revisions
The bill to establish a certification process for Community Health Workers (CHWs) has been amended with some key updates. HB 291 is now scheduled to be heard today at 1:00 pm in the House Public and Community Health Committee. If passed, the bill will create a standardized certification process to support and expand Georgia’s CHW workforce. These trusted public health professionals help people navigate the health care system and access essential services, particularly in underserved communities.
What’s New in the Amended Bill?
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) would be the lead agency responsible for overseeing CHW certification.
The CHW Certification Committee must create a process for handling complaints against certified CHWs. If a complaint is found valid, the committee will revoke certification.
The committee will sunset on June 30, 2028, unless extended by lawmakers.
CHW training programs must include at least 45 hours of core competency training, with 16 hours covering specific health topics.
Certified CHWs must be 18 or older, have a high school diploma (or GED), and meet additional eligibility criteria set by the committee.
CHWs must submit professional references and pass a fingerprint-based background check.
GHF supports HB 291 because it advances one of our 2025-2026 policy priorities by establishing a state certification process for CHWs. This bill would strengthen this essential workforce and improve access to care across Georgia. Our team will continue to monitor how these changes impact CHWs, especially in rural and low-income communities.
Georgians Call for Mental Health Parity Enforcement
ast week, GHF joined the Carter Center and the Georgia Parity Collaborative for Mental Health Parity Day at the Capitol. Advocates, lawmakers, and health experts gathered to push for better enforcement of Georgia’s Mental Health Parity Act of 2022, which requires insurance companies to cover mental health and substance use treatment the same way they cover physical health care.
What We Learned:
Many Georgians still face barriers to care. More than 1.4 million Georgians have a mental health condition, and over half went without treatment last year, often due to cost.
The law is not being fully enforced. While Georgia’s parity law was a major step forward, people continue to struggle with denied claims, limited provider networks, and high out-of-pocket costs.
New legislation may be coming. Lawmakers, including Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, say stronger enforcement measures are needed to hold insurance companies accountable.
Mental health advocates urged Georgians to contact their representatives and report insurance violations. If you or someone you know has struggled to get coverage for mental health care, you can file a complaint with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
Crossover Day is Near—Stay Tuned!
As we approach Crossover Day, the pace under the Gold Dome is picking up, and important health-related bills are moving quickly. This week, we’ve compiled an update on the bills we’ve been tracking throughout the session. From expanding access to care to protecting patient rights, these proposals could shape the future of health care in Georgia.
Stay in the know with ourBill Tracker! This tool offers a look at every bill we’re following this session, with new legislation added as it’s introduced.
Keep reading for the latest updates on key health bills and where they stand today.
Legislation on Our Radar
SENATE BILLS
SB 1 – Transgender Sports Ban Lead Sponsor: Sen. Dolezal (27th) Status: Passed out of the Senate and referred to the House Education Committee GHF Position: Oppose Summary: SB 1 mandates that students participate in school sports and use facilities based on their biological sex at birth, as documented on their birth certificate. The bill explicitly excludes transgender students from joining teams or using shared spaces aligning with their gender identity and outlines financial penalties for schools that violate the transgender athlete ban.
SB 5 – Prior Authorization Gold Card Program Lead Sponsor: Sen. Kirkpatrick (32nd) Status: Passed out of the Senate and referred to the House Insurance Committee GHF Position: Support Summary: Senate Bill 5 would require health insurers that use prior authorization requirements to create a Gold Card program that reduces or removes prior authorization requirements for healthcare providers who demonstrate a strong track record of following evidence-based medicine. The goal is to reduce administrative burdens for providers and insurers while ensuring high-quality care for patients.
SB 30 – Ban on Gender-Affirming Medical Care for Minors Lead Sponsor: Sen. Watson (1st) Status: Passed out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, awaiting a vote by the full Senate GHF Position: Oppose Summary: SB 30 would expand Georgia’s restrictions on gender-affirming medical care for minors by banning puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and gender-affirming surgeries. It goes further than the existing SB 140 law from 2023 by removing exceptions, increasing penalties for doctors, and allowing parents to sue medical providers.
SB 39 – Ban on Coverage of Gender-Affirming Care in State-Funded Health Insurance Plans Lead Sponsor: Sen. Tillery (19th) Status: Passed out of the Senate and referred to House Health GHF’s position: Oppose Summary: SB 39 would prohibit the use of state funds to cover gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery, for individuals enrolled in state-funded health plans or receiving public assistance. The bill also bans state-owned health care facilities and state-employed providers from offering gender-affirming care. SB 68 – Tort Reform Act Lead Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy (18th) Status: Passed out of the Senate, has not yet received a first reading and committee assignment in the House. GHF’s Position: Monitoring Summary: SB68 proposes major changes to Georgia’s civil justice system by limiting certain types of damages, changing rules for lawsuits, and adjusting legal procedures related to personal injury cases, insurance claims, and liability disputes. The bill includes major changes to Georgia’s medical malpractice laws and how lawsuits against health care providers and insurers are handled. The changes to medical malpractice aim to limit the costs of medical malpractice lawsuits, reduce liability for health care providers, and adjust how damages are awarded in personal injury and medical negligence cases.
SB 130 – Medical School Loan Forgiveness and Graduate Medical Education Expansion Lead Sponsor:Sen. Hodges (District 3) Status: Passed out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and awaiting a floor vote GHF Position: Monitoring Summary: Senate Bill 130 expands medical education funding and Georgia’s service cancelable loan program to help increase the number of doctors, dentists, physician assistants, and advanced practice nurses in underserved rural areas. The bill broadens eligibility for state-funded medical education payments and adds medical residents and fellows to Georgia’s service cancelable loan program.
HOUSE BILLS
HB 81: Interstate Compact for School Psychologists
Lead Sponsor: Rep. Bethany Ballard (147th)
Status: Passed out of the House and referred to the Senate Education and Youth Committee
GHF Position: Support
Summary: HB 81 would allow Georgia to join the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists. This compact makes it easier for school psychologists to work in different states by simplifying the licensing process. It also helps address the shortage of these professionals in schools. The bill creates a commission to manage the compact. It also sets rules for sharing information, handling discipline issues (for school psychologists, not students), solving disputes, and how states can join or leave the compact. The goal is to give students better access to school psychologists while still allowing each state to set its own licensure requirements.
HB 89: Requires health care providers, health care facilities, and pharmacies to provide the Maternal Mortality Review Committee with psychiatric or other clinical records
Lead Sponsor: Rep. Cooper (45th)
Status: Passed out of the House Public and Community Health Committee, but the Rules Committee sent it back to the Public and Community Health Committee
GHF Position: Monitoring
Summary: HB 89 aims to improve how the state of Georgia collects information on maternal deaths and provides care for mothers and babies. It gives the Maternal Mortality Review Committee more access to patient records, including mental health and pharmacy records, to better understand why mothers pass away during pregnancy or childbirth. The bill also creates a Regional Perinatal Center Advisory Committee, which will help make sure hospitals and doctors have the right resources to care for high-risk pregnancies and births. Lastly, the bill simplifies the process for investigating the deaths of pregnant women, so medical examiners don’t always have to go through a regional perinatal center unless special circumstances require it.
HB 94:Requires health insurers to cover fertility preservation services for individuals undergoing treatment for cancer, sickle cell disease, or lupus that may impact fertility
Lead Sponsor: Rep. Lumsden (12th)
Status: Passed out of House Insurance and awaiting a floor vote
Position: Support
Summary: HB 94 would require state-regulated health plans to cover fertility preservation services for people undergoing medical treatments for cancer, sickle cell disease, or lupus that could lead to infertility. These services include procedures like freezing eggs, sperm, or embryos to help individuals have children in the future. The bill also sets guidelines and limits for what insurance must cover, such as evaluation costs, medications, and one year of storage for reproductive cells. Limits include restrictions based on age and the number of procedures covered.
Status: The House Public and Community Health Committee asked the bill’s author to make some changes to the bill and the bill will be heard again by the committee.
GHF’s Position: Support
Summary: HB 291 would establish a certification process for community health workers (CHWs) in Georgia. CHWs are frontline public health workers who help connect individuals to health care and essential services, particularly in underserved communities. They go by many titles, such as Patient Navigator, Community Health Advocate, and Promotora de Salud. By setting uniform standards and training for CHWs, creating a statewide certification system would support a skilled, stable CHW workforce.
HB 341 – Tax Credit for Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA)
Lead Sponsor: Rep. Newton (District 127)
Status: Heard inf the House Ways and Means Income Tax Subcommittee
GHF Position: Monitoring
Summary: HB 341 would create a state tax credit for small businesses (100 or fewer employees) that offer Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs) to their employees. The goal is to encourage more small employers to help workers afford private health insurance.
HB 420 – Insurance Coverage for Genetic Testing and Cancer Imaging
Lead Sponsor:Rep. Taylor (District 173)
Status: Passed out of the House Insurance Committee and awaiting a floor vote
GHF Position: Support
Summary: HB 420 would require health insurance plans to cover genetic testing for inherited mutations and cancer imaging for patients who are at an increased risk of cancer. The bill ensures that eligible patients receive these services without cost-sharing.
Advocate With Us At The Capitol!
Join These Advocacy Events During the Legislative Session
Each week during the legislative session, we’ll highlight legislative advocacy days hosted by our partner organizations. These events offer excellent opportunities for you to engage in the lawmaking process by meeting your legislators and advocating for critical health issues.
Here are the upcoming events:
February 25 – Heart Health Advocacy Day, hosted by the American Heart Association
Please contact Anthony Hill at ahill@healthyfuturega.org if you have an advocacy event you’d like included in GHF’s legislative update
We hope to see you at one or more of these impactful events!
GHF Has You Covered!
Stay up-to-date with the legislative session
GHF monitors legislative activity on a number of critical consumer health care topics. Along with our weekly legislative updates and timely analysis of bills, here are tools to help you stay in touch with health policy under the Gold Dome.
Best intentions of Georgia 2022 behavioral health insurance law fall short with slow implementation
Jill Nolin
State leaders celebrated three years ago when they passed a bipartisan measure designed to step up enforcement of a federal law that requires health insurers treat mental health and substance…
