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HR 816

Commending the Washington Commanders.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by David Bulova and 26 co-sponsors

H.R. 816 would establish a temporary House study committee to evaluate the feasibility, design, and safeguards of a Georgia substantiated‑abuse registry for at‑risk populations.

Bill text as passed House (HR816ER)
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Bill Summary · HR 816

Summary — H.R. 816: House Study Committee on an At‑Risk Populations Abuse Registry

Status: Resolution; introduced Jan 28, 2025.
Latest procedural note: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (4/4/2025). Committee substitute adopted (4/2/2025). Committee reports and House actions continued through May 23, 2025. Companion: S. 42.

Purpose

H.R. 816 creates a temporary House study committee to examine the feasibility, structure, and implementation issues of establishing a Georgia substantiated-abuse registry for at‑risk populations (older adults and people with disabilities). The goal is to evaluate whether a registry—similar to models in Tennessee and other states—should be established and, if so, how to design it with appropriate procedural safeguards.

Key provisions

  • Creates the House Study Committee on an At‑Risk Populations Abuse Registry.
  • Membership (substitute version): 8 members total
    • 3 House members appointed by the Speaker (one designated chair);
    • 5 nonlegislative appointees by the Speaker, including: the Commissioner of Public Health (or designee); representatives from statewide disability protection/advocacy and elder-rights organizations; a Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council representative; and a citizen representative who is a person with intellectual/developmental disabilities or resides in a care facility.
    • (Note: earlier version proposed 11 members; the substitute reduced membership and modified reimbursement rules.)
  • Committee duties include:
    • Review Tennessee’s substantiated‑abuse registry and other state models;
    • Assess feasibility for Georgia: costs, administrative processes, due‑process protections, enforcement, interagency coordination;
    • Examine impacts on employment and hiring in health and caregiving sectors;
    • Consider appeals and removal procedures from any registry;
    • Identify needed legislative and regulatory changes;
    • Solicit stakeholder input (advocacy groups, providers, law enforcement, public) and review systems of care for people with disabilities.
  • Meetings called by the chair; may meet as needed.
  • Compensation/funding:
    • Legislative members receive statutory allowances (OCGA §28‑1‑8);
    • State official members receive no extra compensation but may be reimbursed via their agencies;
    • Funds to operate the committee come from House appropriations (with agency funds for state employee reimbursements).
  • Reporting and sunset:
    • The chair must file any approved committee report (including proposed legislation) before the committee is abolished.
    • Committee automatically abolished December 1, 2025.

Who would be affected / potential impact

  • Directly: policymakers and state agencies tasked with implementing or overseeing a registry if recommended.
  • Indirectly: individuals found to have committed substantiated abuse, neglect, or exploitation; employers and hiring entities in health/caregiver professions; protection & advocacy groups; long‑term care and disability service providers; law enforcement and prosecutors.
  • Potential effects examined: public safety benefits, due‑process and employment consequences for listed individuals, administrative costs, and changes to regulatory frameworks.

Procedural notes & next steps

  • This resolution establishes only a study committee—no registry or regulatory changes would be created by H.R. 816 itself. The committee may recommend legislation or other actions based on its findings; any statutory changes would require separate legislation.
  • Committee must complete work and submit any reports by the abolishment date of Dec 1, 2025.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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