---
title: HB 1151. Social services; expansion of Medicaid; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1151
cite_as: HB 1151, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1151
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1151.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1151/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72712
date: 2026-02-04
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1151.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1151
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-02
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Samuel Park
  - Carolyn Hugley
  - Tanya Miller
  - Eric Gisler
  - Tangie Herring
  - Michelle Au
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1151/2025
upstream_id: 2104357
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Medicaid expansion
  - health coverage
  - low-income adults
  - Department of Community Health
  - Georgia Medicaid
---

# HB 1151. Social services; expansion of Medicaid; provide

## Text

House Bill 1151
By: Representatives Park of the 107th, Hugley of the 141st, Miller of the 62nd, Gisler of the
121st, Herring of the 145th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 7 of Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to medical assistance generally, so as to provide for the expansion of Medicaid; to
provide for definitions; to provide for appropriations; to authorize the Department of
Community Health to submit a waiver request for a state plan amendment for the expansion
of Medicaid; to provide for reporting; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for
related matters; to provide for legislative notification and approval; to repeal conflicting
laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 7 of Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
medical assistance generally, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
<ins>"49-4-159.5.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Eligible individual' means an individual who:
</ins>
<ins>(A) Is an adult between 19 and 64 years of age with an annual income that is equal to
or less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level and is not eligible for other classes
of medical assistance;
(B) Has been authenticated to be a United States citizen or a qualified alien as defined
in Section 431 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
of 1996 (P.L. 104-193), as amended; and
(C) Is in compliance with the community engagement requirements as described in
Section 71119 of the Working Family Tax Cuts Act of 2025 (P.L. 119-21).
(2) 'Medicaid expansion program' means an expansion of the Medicaid program in
accordance with this Code section.
(b) Subject to appropriations and any necessary approvals, the Medicaid program shall
include the Medicaid expansion program in accordance with this Code section.
(c) On or before December 31, 2026, the department shall submit to the United States
Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services
pursuant to Section 1115 of the federal Social Security Act a waiver request along with
other necessary amendments for the Medicaid expansion program under the federal Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148), as amended, and any regulations or
guidelines issued under such acts in accordance with this Code section. The waiver request
shall provide for the enrollment of certain eligible individuals into Medicaid managed care
plans.
(d) If the Medicaid expansion program provided for in this Code section is approved, the
department shall immediately report to the General Assembly that such expansion is
operational and annually on or before December 31 of each year shall report to the General
Assembly:
(1) The number of individuals enrolled in the Medicaid program and the number of
eligible individuals enrolled in the Medicaid expansion program;
(2) Costs incurred by the state for the Medicaid expansion program;
</ins>
<ins>(3) Estimated costs for the implementation of the Medicaid expansion program for the
current and following state fiscal year; and
(4) Recommendations to control costs of the Medicaid expansion program.
(e) The department shall be authorized to promulgate rules and regulations consistent with
and necessary to carry out the provisions of this Code section."
</ins> SECTION 2.
This Act shall be considered legislative notification for purposes of Code Section 49-4-142.1
and legislative approval for purposes of Code Section 49-4-142.2.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia House bill would direct the Department of Community Health to seek federal approval to expand Medicaid to more low-income adults, covering people aged 19 to 64 earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia currently has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to cover most low-income adults without children or disabilities. This bill would add a new section to Georgia's Medicaid law creating a 'Medicaid expansion program' for adults ages 19 to 64 with income at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level, who are U.S. citizens or qualified immigrants, and who meet work or community engagement requirements set out in a 2025 federal tax law.

The Department of Community Health would have to submit a waiver request to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by December 31, 2026, seeking approval to expand coverage through Medicaid managed care plans. If approved, the department would have to report annually to the General Assembly on enrollment numbers, costs, and recommendations for controlling those costs. The expansion is subject to state funding being appropriated, and the bill treats itself as the legislature's required notification and approval for related Medicaid provisions.

### What it does

- Creates a new Medicaid expansion program in Georgia law for adults 19 to 64 with income at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level.
- Requires eligible individuals to be U.S. citizens or qualified immigrants and to meet community engagement (work-related) requirements under a 2025 federal law.
- Directs the Department of Community Health to submit a federal waiver request by December 31, 2026 to implement the expansion through Medicaid managed care plans.
- Requires the department to report to the General Assembly once the expansion is operational and annually afterward on enrollment, costs, and cost-control recommendations.
- Makes the expansion subject to available state funding (appropriations) and any needed federal approvals.
- States that the Act itself counts as the legislature's required notification and approval under existing Medicaid oversight statutes.

### Who it affects

Low-income adults ages 19 to 64 in Georgia who currently earn too much for existing Medicaid categories but too little for other coverage, the Department of Community Health, Medicaid managed care plan providers, and the General Assembly, which would receive annual reports on the program.

### Why it matters

If implemented, this would extend Medicaid coverage to a large group of low-income Georgia adults who are not currently eligible, potentially changing access to health coverage for many residents, while adding new state reporting duties and depending on both state funding and federal approval to actually take effect.

### Key provisions

- New Code Section 49-4-159.5(a) defines 'eligible individual' as an adult 19-64 earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level who is a citizen or qualified alien and meets federal community engagement (work) requirements.
- Subsection (b) makes the Medicaid expansion program part of the state Medicaid program, subject to appropriations and necessary approvals.
- Subsection (c) requires the Department of Community Health to submit a federal Section 1115 waiver request by December 31, 2026 for enrollment through Medicaid managed care plans.
- Subsection (d) requires immediate notification to the General Assembly once expansion becomes operational, plus annual reports by December 31 on enrollment, costs, projected costs, and cost-control recommendations.
- Subsection (e) authorizes the department to write rules and regulations to carry out the program.
- Section 2 states the Act serves as legislative notification and approval under existing Code Sections 49-4-142.1 and 49-4-142.2.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-02-02)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-04)
- Sponsors: Samuel Park, Carolyn Hugley, Tanya Miller, Eric Gisler, Tangie Herring, Michelle Au
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72712

> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1151.md?full=1