SB170: SB170 Georgia Interagency Council for the Homeless; create

26 SB 170/AP Senate Bill 170 By: Senators Jackson of the 41st, Robertson of the 29th, Summers of the 13th and Halpern of the 39th AS PASSED A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 2 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the1 Department of Community Health, so as to provide for a grant program for the purpose of2 providing funding to certain rural hospitals for acquiring or installing backup generators to3 ensure continuity of operation during a state of emergency; to provide that the department4 shall consult with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency in5 establishing grant criteria; to provide for the department to e stablish grant amounts; to6 provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to pro vide for an effective date; to7 repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9 SECTION 1.10 Chapter 2 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Department11 of Community Health, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:12 "31-2-20.13 (a) As used in this Code section, the term:14 S. B. 170 - 1 - 26 SB 170/AP (1) 'Affected rural hospital' means a non-profit or not for pr ofit acute care hospital15 located in a rural county that contains fewer than 100 beds and is located in any region16 of the state in which the Governor declared a state of emergency after July 1, 2024.17 (2) 'Rural county' means a county in this state that has a population of less than 50,00018 according to the United States decennial census of 2020 or any future such census;19 provided, however, that for counties which contain a military b ase or installation, the20 military personnel and their dependents living in such county shall be excluded from the21 total population of such county for purposes of this definition.22 (b) Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly or other available funding,23 including, but not limited to, federal funding, the department shall establish a grant24 program to provide funding to affected rural hospitals for the purpose of acquiring,25 installing, or both acqui ring and installing backup generators to ensure continuity of26 operation during a state of emergency. The department, in consu ltation with the director27 of emergency management and homeland security shall establish grant criteria and make28 award decisions; provided, however, that the department and the director of emergency29 management and homeland security shall only provide funding to those affected rural30 hospitals that do not have a backup generator as of the effective date of this Act and have31 not received any federal assistance for the purpose of acquirin g or installing a backup32 generator. The department shall be authorized to establish the grant amount awarded to33 each recipient on a case-by-case basis."34 SECTION 2.35 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law36 without such approval.37 SECTION 3.38 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. 39 S. B. 170 - 2 -