Georgia CommonsHB645: HB645 Health; COVID-19 testing of staff members in long term-care facilities; repeal certain provisions
Last action May 14, 2025 · Effective Date 2025-07-01
House Bill 645 removes Georgia's requirement that long-term care facilities test residents and staff for COVID-19 and lowers the minimum age for offering flu vaccinations under state law from 50 to 18.
In plain language
Georgia law previously required long-term care facilities to test residents and staff for SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, under O.C.G.A. § 31-7-12.6. This bill repeals that requirement entirely, meaning long-term care facilities in Georgia would no longer be legally obligated to conduct that testing. The bill also changes a separate law, O.C.G.A. § 31-7-18, which deals with influenza vaccinations at these facilities. It replaces the age threshold of 50 with 18, which appears to expand who can be offered flu vaccinations under that section by lowering the qualifying age. The bill repeals any conflicting laws and does not list a delayed effective date beyond the standard process for a signed act.
What the bill does
- Repeals Georgia's requirement that long-term care facilities test residents and staff for SARS CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), found in O.C.G.A. § 31-7-12.6.
- Changes the influenza vaccination law (O.C.G.A. § 31-7-18) by replacing the number 50 with 18, lowering the age threshold that governs who the vaccination provision applies to.
- Repeals all other Georgia laws that conflict with these two changes.
Who it affects
Long-term care facilities in Georgia, including nursing homes and similar residential care settings, along with their staff and residents, since they are no longer required to conduct COVID-19 testing and face a changed age threshold for flu vaccination provisions.
Why it matters
Long-term care facilities would no longer have to run COVID-19 testing programs for staff and residents, changing infection-control practices at facilities that house medically vulnerable people. The flu vaccination age change could affect which residents or staff are covered by the facility's vaccination provisions.
Key provisions
- Section 1 repeals and reserves O.C.G.A. § 31-7-12.6, which required SARS CoV-2 testing for residents and staff in long-term care facilities.
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 31-7-18 by replacing the number 50 with 18 in subsection (a), changing the age threshold tied to influenza vaccination provisions.
- Section 3 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with the Act.
From the bill
“by replacing "50" with "18" in subsection (a).”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2025-07-01
- Act 275
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted As Amended (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
Show full history (16 actions)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- John LaHood (R, HD-175)
- Sharon Cooper (R, HD-045)
- Kasey Carpenter (R, HD-004)
- John Corbett (R, HD-174)
- Noel Williams (R, HD-148)
- Ben Watson (R, SD-001)
Votes
- House voteMarch 6, 2025
123 yea, 49 nay (2 not voting, 6 absent)
- Senate voteApril 2, 2025
50 yea, 3 nay (3 not voting, 0 absent)
- Senate voteApril 2, 2025
52 yea, 2 nay (2 not voting, 0 absent)
- House voteApril 4, 2025
166 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 10 absent)
Topics
- COVID-19 testing
- long-term care facilities
- nursing home regulations
- flu vaccinations
- public health law