HB665: HB665 Health; transfer all authorities and responsibilities relating to environmental health from county boards of health to Department of Public Health

Currently, Georgia's county boards of health handle environmental health work such as approving on-site septic systems, inspecting establishments, and enforcing environmental health rules, under the general oversight of the Department of Public Health. This bill would move that authority entirely to the state department. It creates a new chapter of law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 4 of Title 31) spelling out the department's new environmental health powers, while stripping county boards of health of those same powers. The bill provides that existing contracts, rules, and county employees working in environmental health would transfer automatically to the state department on January 1, 2028. It also repeals two code sections dealing with building permit conformity and gray water reuse, replacing them with new state-level versions. The whole Act only takes effect if the General Assembly specifically appropriates funding for it before January 1, 2027.

• Transfers all environmental health authority (such as septic system approval, inspections, and enforcement) from county boards of health to the Department of Public Health, effective January 1, 2028.
• Automatically shifts existing environmental-health-related contracts, leases, agreements, and rules from county boards to the state department without disrupting the rights of parties involved.
• Transfers county employees who work in environmental health to state employment, carrying over their accrued leave and benefits.
• Creates a new state law chapter (Chapter 4 of Title 31) giving the Department of Public Health direct power to regulate septic systems, charge fees, and contract for environmental health services statewide.
• Repeals the old county-level code sections on building permit conformity and gray water reuse, replacing them with department-level versions.
• Makes the entire Act contingent on the legislature specifically appropriating money for it before January 1, 2027.

County boards of health and their environmental health staff, the Department of Public Health, homeowners and builders who need septic system permits, soil classifiers and engineers who evaluate septic sites, county and municipal governments that issue building permits, and residents who use gray water for irrigation.

If funded and enacted, Georgians seeking septic system permits, inspections, or gray water approvals would deal directly with the state Department of Public Health instead of their local county health board, centralizing decisions that are currently made at the county level.

• Section 1 adds O.C.G.A. § 31-2A-2.1, making the Department of Public Health the legal successor to county boards for all environmental health contracts, rules, and employees as of January 1, 2028.
• Section 3 adds a definition of 'environmental health' to county board of health law (O.C.G.A. § 31-3-1.1).
• Section 4 revises county board powers (O.C.G.A. § 31-3-4) to limit their fee-setting and contracting authority for environmental health services.
• Sections 6 through 8 repeal county code sections on building permit conformity (§ 31-3-5.1), gray water definitions (§ 31-3-5.2), and staff supervision (§ 31-3-11).
• Section 10 creates a new Chapter 4 of Title 31 giving the Department of Public Health direct authority over septic system standards, gray water rules, and enforcement statewide.
• Section 11 adds § 31-5-1.1 clarifying county boards of health have no remaining environmental health authority.
• Section 12 updates a cross-reference in the state's outdoor watering law (O.C.G.A. § 12-5-7) to point to the new gray water code section.
• Section 13 makes the entire Act contingent on a specific funding appropriation before January 1, 2027.

1. 2025-03-03House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-28House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-27House Hopper (House)

• Derrick McCollum (R, HD-030)Primary sponsor
• Sharon Cooper (R, HD-045)
• Darlene Taylor (R, HD-173)
• Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
• Spencer Frye (D, HD-122)

• environmental health
• septic systems
• county boards of health
• Department of Public Health
• public health administration