HB11: HB11 Health; sufficient staff for carrying out food and nutrition services at a long-term care facility; provide

Georgia currently has no specific state law setting staffing requirements for food and nutrition services at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. House Bill 11 would add a new section to Georgia's health facility regulations (O.C.G.A. Title 31, Chapter 7) addressing this. The bill would require these facilities to employ enough staff with the right skills to run food and nutrition services, based on residents' needs and care plans. Facilities would need a licensed dietitian, full-time, part-time, or as a consultant. If no full-time dietitian is employed, the facility must designate a director of food and nutrition services who meets specific certification, education, or experience requirements and who receives regular consultation from a licensed dietitian. Facilities must also provide enough support staff to carry out these duties safely. The Department of Community Health would write rules to implement these requirements.

• Requires long-term care facilities to employ enough staff with proper skills to handle food and nutrition services based on resident needs.
• Requires facilities to employ a licensed dietitian (full-time, part-time, or consultant) or designate a qualified director of food and nutrition services instead.
• Sets specific qualification options for a director of food and nutrition services, such as certification, a relevant degree, or two years of experience plus food safety training.
• Requires that a director of food and nutrition services who is not a licensed dietitian receive frequent consultations from one.
• Requires facilities to provide sufficient support personnel to carry out food and nutrition service functions safely.
• Directs the Department of Community Health to create rules and regulations to implement these new requirements.

Nursing homes, intermediate care homes, personal care homes, assisted living communities, community living arrangements, and inpatient hospice facilities in Georgia, along with their residents, dietitians, food service managers, and the Department of Community Health, which would write implementing rules.

Residents of long-term care facilities would be guaranteed a baseline level of trained staff overseeing their meals and nutrition, which can affect health outcomes for elderly and medically vulnerable residents. Facilities would face new staffing and qualification requirements they must meet to comply with state law.

• Adds new Code Section 31-7-12.9 to Chapter 7 of Title 31 defining terms like 'certified dietary manager,' 'licensed dietitian,' and 'long-term care facility.'
• Subsection (b) requires facilities to employ sufficient staff with appropriate skills, considering resident assessments, care plans, and population needs.
• Subsection (c) requires employment of a licensed dietitian or, if not full-time, designation of a qualified director of food and nutrition services meeting listed credential options.
• Subsection (c)(2) requires a non-dietitian director to receive frequently scheduled consultations from a licensed dietitian.
• Subsection (d) requires sufficient support personnel to safely and effectively carry out food and nutrition service duties.
• Subsection (e) directs the department to adopt rules and regulations to implement the new requirements.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-01-15House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-01-14House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-01-13House Hopper (House)

• Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)Primary sponsor
• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)
• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)
• Derrick Jackson (D, HD-068)

• long-term care facilities
• nursing home staffing
• dietitians
• health regulations
• elder care