House Committee of Reference Report
Committee on Health & Human Services
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All text that will be removed from the bill will be indicated by strikethrough as follows:
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This is text that is removed from law. -
Text that is added to a bill will be indicated by either all capitals or bold & italic as follows:
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March 11, 2026
After consideration on the merits, the Committee recommends the following:
HB26-1235 be amended as follows, and as so amended, be referred to the Committee of the Whole with favorable recommendation:
Page 1, Line 1Amend printed bill, page 3, strike lines 23 through 27.
Page 1, Line 2Page 4, strike line 1.
Page 1, Line 3Page 4, line 2, strike "(b)" and substitute "(a)".
Page 1, Line 4Page 4, line 4, strike "procedures" and substitute "different
Page 1, Line 5services".
Page 1, Line 6Page 4, line 6, strike "procedures" and substitute "different
Page 1, Line 7services".
Page 1, Line 8Page 4, after line 6 insert:
Page 1, Line 9"(b) "Outpatient therapy services" means professional
Page 1, Line 10services provided by an occupational therapist, physical
Page 1, Line 11therapist, or speech language pathologist in a setting other
Page 1, Line 12than a hospital.".
Page 1, Line 13Page 4, strike lines 7 through 11 and substitute:
Page 1, Line 14"(2) If the state department plans to implement, apply, or
Page 1, Line 15enforce a new multiple procedure payment reduction for
Page 1, Line 16outpatient therapy services provided under the medical
Page 1, Line 17assistance program, the state department must provide notice to
Page 1, Line 18the impacted providers of the forthcoming change at least six
Page 1, Line 19months prior to implementing the change to ensure adequate
Page 1, Line 20time for providers to prepare.".
Page 2, Line 1Page 4, line 15, strike "rules." and substitute "rules - repeal.".
Page 2, Line 2Page 4, line 16, strike "On" and substitute "(1) On".
Page 2, Line 3Page 4, line 19, strike "42 U.S.C. sec. 1396a(xx)." and substitute "42
Page 2, Line 4U.S.C. sec. 1396a(xx), as amended or relocated, in a manner that
Page 2, Line 5ensures all applicants and members can obtain or maintain
Page 2, Line 6coverage with the least amount of administrative burdens.".
Page 2, Line 7Page 4, after line 19 insert:
Page 2, Line 8"(2) The state board's authority to adopt rules pursuant
Page 2, Line 9to subsection (1) of this section is repealed if the community
Page 2, Line 10engagement requirements of Title XIX of the federal "Social
Page 2, Line 11Security Act of 1965", 42 U.S.C. sec. 1396a(xx), as amended or
Page 2, Line 12relocated, are repealed.
Page 2, Line 13(3) The state board shall notify the revisor of statutes
Page 2, Line 14in writing of the date when the condition specified in subsection
Page 2, Line 15(2) of this section has occurred by emailing the notice to
Page 2, Line 16revisorofstatutes.ga@coleg.gov. This section is repealed,
Page 2, Line 17effective upon the date identified in the notice, or if the notice
Page 2, Line 18does not specify that date, upon the date of the notice to the
Page 2, Line 19revisor of statutes.".
Page 2, Line 20Page 6, strike lines 2 through 15 and substitute:
Page 2, Line 21"25.5-5-428. Home- and community-based service provider
Page 2, Line 22agencies - disclosure of direct care service cost ratio to administrative
Page 2, Line 23cost ratio - definition.
Page 2, Line 24(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise
Page 2, Line 25requires, "direct care service cost to administrative cost ratio"
Page 2, Line 26means the percentage of medicaid services revenue that a home-
Page 2, Line 27and community-based service provider agency that renders base
Page 2, Line 28wage qualifying services spends on direct care workforce
Page 2, Line 29compensation and direct care service related training and
Page 2, Line 30supports as compared to administrative and general expenses.
Page 2, Line 31(2) (a) The state department shall collect the following
Page 2, Line 32information from each home- and community-based service
Page 2, Line 33provider agency that serves more than one hundred members:
Page 2, Line 34(I) The total medical assistance program revenue for the
Page 2, Line 35reporting period and data regarding workforce classification
Page 2, Line 36and service volume;
Page 2, Line 37(II) Direct care worker and workforce compensation;
Page 2, Line 38(III) Total compensation paid to individuals performing
Page 2, Line 39direct care services, reported separately for employees and
Page 3, Line 1independent contractors, including:
Page 3, Line 2(A) Base wages or service payments;
Page 3, Line 3(B) Overtime or premium payments;
Page 3, Line 4(C) Employer-paid payroll taxes and legally required
Page 3, Line 5contributions; and
Page 3, Line 6(D) Health, retirement, leave, and other benefits; bonuses;
Page 3, Line 7incentive payments; and differential pay; and
Page 3, Line 8(IV) All compensation paid directly or indirectly,
Page 3, Line 9including through affiliated or related entities.
Page 3, Line 10(b) A home- and community-based service provider agency
Page 3, Line 11shall submit to the state department its direct care service cost
Page 3, Line 12to administrative cost ratio and the information required
Page 3, Line 13pursuant to this subsection (2) no later than September 30, 2027.
Page 3, Line 14(3) The state department shall submit a report detailing
Page 3, Line 15the information collected pursuant to subsection (2) of this
Page 3, Line 16section to the house of representatives and senate health and
Page 3, Line 17human services committees and the joint budget committee, or any
Page 3, Line 18successor committees, no later than December 31, 2027.
Page 3, Line 19(4) The data collected and published pursuant to this
Page 3, Line 20section must be used solely for legislative informational
Page 3, Line 21purposes.".