HB659: HB659 Health; rural assistance; expand medical education funding and the service cancelable loan program to include optometrists

Georgia runs a service-cancelable loan and grant program meant to bring more doctors, dentists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners to underserved rural areas. This bill adds optometrists to that program, so optometrists can now receive loans that are forgiven in exchange for practicing in rural Georgia, and hospitals or local organizations can get matching grants to help recruit optometrists the same way they currently do for other providers. The bill also changes what medications certified aides in personal care homes and assisted living communities are allowed to give residents. Current law lets these aides administer insulin and epinephrine under a doctor's direction; the bill adds GLP-1 medications (used for diabetes and weight management) and vitamin B12 to that approved list, as long as a physician has directed and authorized it.

• Adds optometrists to the list of providers eligible for Georgia's rural service-cancelable loan program, alongside physicians, dentists, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses.
• Allows the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce to make loans to optometrists who agree to practice in underserved rural areas of Georgia.
• Lets hospitals, health care entities, local governments, and civic organizations use matching grants to help recruit optometrists to rural areas, including for salary supplements and office staff support.
• Expands the medications certified aides in personal care homes may give residents under physician direction to include GLP-1 drugs and vitamin B12, in addition to insulin and epinephrine.
• Makes the same medication administration change for medication aides in assisted living communities.
• Directs the board to include optometrists when identifying underserved rural areas and setting criteria such as provider-to-population ratios and community health indicators.

Optometrists seeking rural practice loans, the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce, hospitals and local organizations that offer recruitment grants, and residents of personal care homes and assisted living communities who receive medication from certified aides under physician direction.

Rural Georgia counties that struggle to attract eye care providers could see more optometrists move in through loan forgiveness and recruitment grants. Meanwhile, personal care home and assisted living residents who need GLP-1 drugs or B12 shots could receive them from trained aides instead of waiting for a nurse or outside visit.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 31-7-12 to let personal care home medication aides administer insulin, epinephrine, GLP-1, and B12 under physician direction and protocol.
• Section 2 makes the identical change for assisted living community medication aides under O.C.G.A. § 31-7-12.2.
• Section 3 rewrites the purpose section of the rural assistance loan program (O.C.G.A. § 31-34-2) to add optometrists to the list of eligible professions.
• Section 4 updates loan applicant qualification rules (O.C.G.A. § 31-34-4) so optometrists must be licensed, U.S. citizens or nationals, and graduates of accredited programs to qualify.
• Section 5 adds optometrists to the list of professionals that grant funds under O.C.G.A. § 31-34-4.1 can help recruit to rural hospitals and organizations.
• Section 6 revises the service-cancelable loan structure (O.C.G.A. § 31-34-5) so optometrists can receive up to four years of loans forgiven through rural practice and be counted in determining underserved rural areas.
• Section 7 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-05Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-05Act 385
3. 2026-05-05House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-04-02House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
6. 2026-03-31Senate Passed/Adopted As Amended (Senate)
7. 2026-03-31Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2026-03-25Senate Read Second Time (Senate)

• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)Primary sponsor
• Darlene Taylor (R, HD-173)
• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-027)
• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-011)
• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 2, 2026

   166 yea, 2 nay (2 not voting, 5 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #469

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   46 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 7 absent)

   Passage As Amended: Senate Vote #900

3. PassedHouse voteApril 2, 2026

   164 yea, 8 nay (1 not voting, 3 absent)

   Agree To Senate Amendment: House Vote #840

• rural health care
• optometry
• personal care homes
• assisted living facilities
• medical education funding