House Study Committee on Mental Health Workforce Development; create

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Bethany Ballard and 4 co-sponsors

Creates a temporary Georgia House study committee to assess mental health workforce shortages and explore licensure pathways for baccalaureate graduates.

House Second Readers

Purpose

Create a short-term House Study Committee on Mental Health Workforce Development to assess Georgia’s mental health workforce needs—particularly the shortage of clinical mental health professionals in rural areas—and to recommend workforce development initiatives, including whether pathways for qualified baccalaureate graduates to obtain licensure or certification should be established.

Key provisions

Establishes the House Study Committee on Mental Health Workforce Development.

Membership: five members of the Georgia House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker; one member designated as chair.

Charge: study conditions, needs, and issues related to mental health workforce shortages; survey current undergraduate degrees and projected mental health careers; evaluate employment needs and opportunities; and recommend actions or legislation as appropriate.

Meetings: convened by the chair at times/places the committee deems necessary.

Compensation & funding: legislative members receive allowances per O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 (not to exceed five days unless additional days are authorized). Committee expenses paid from funds appropriated to the House.

Reporting: if the committee adopts findings or legislative recommendations, the chair must file a report before the committee’s abolishment. Reports must be approved by a majority of a quorum and filed with the Clerk of the House. If no report is adopted, minutes may be filed.

Sunset: the committee is abolished on December 1, 2025.

Who would be affected

State legislators (committee members and House staff)

Georgia colleges and universities (undergraduate programs in behavioral science, social work, psychology, etc.)

Licensing boards and employers in mental health and substance-use services

Current and prospective baccalaureate graduates seeking mental-health careers

Rural communities and residents with limited access to mental health services

Potential impact

Short-term: produce findings and recommendations on education-to-licensure pathways and workforce development strategies.

Medium/long-term (if recommendations adopted): could expand pathways for baccalaureate-trained professionals to enter licensed or certified mental health roles, alleviating workforce shortages and improving access—especially in rural areas.

Limitations: the resolution only authorizes a study and recommendations; any policy or licensure changes would require separate legislative or regulatory action. The committee’s small size and limited timeframe (abolish by Dec 1, 2025) may constrain scope.

Notes and clarifications

The resolution text references Georgia law (Official Code of Georgia Annotated) and appears to be a Georgia House resolution. The heading lists primary sponsors (Representatives Steven Sainz [180th], Darlene Taylor [173rd], Jan Jones [47th], Mary Oliver [84th], Bethany Ballard [147th]). Some metadata in the provided materials (alternative short title referencing maternal/infant support, and an extensive sponsor list including U.S. House members) appears inconsistent with the body of the resolution; the substantive text focuses on the mental health workforce study.

Bill