---
title: HB 1192. Public assistance; certain accounting practices by Department of Human Services and Department of Community Health; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1192
cite_as: HB 1192, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1192
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1192.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1192/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72841
date: 2026-05-12
status: vetoed
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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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1191.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1193.md
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 909
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1192.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1192
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-12
last_action: Veto V6
sponsors:
  - Darlene Taylor
  - Chuck Efstration
  - Carolyn Hugley
  - James Hatchett
  - Ron Stephens
  - Lee Hawkins
  - Randy Robertson
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1192/2025
upstream_id: 2108062
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - public assistance funding
  - state agency accounting
  - Department of Human Services
  - Department of Community Health
  - government transparency
---

# HB 1192. Public assistance; certain accounting practices by Department of Human Services and Department of Community Health; provide

## Text

House Bill 1192 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Taylor of the 173rd, Efstration of the 104th, Hugley of the 141st, Hatchett
of the 155th, Stephens of the 164th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to public assistance,
so as to provide for certain accounting practices by the Department of Human Services and
the Department of Community Health; to provide for funds for specific purposes; to provide
for annual review; to provide for annual reports; to provide for related matters; to provide for
an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to public assistance, is amended
in Chapter 2, relating to Department of Human Services, by revising Code Section 49-2-10,
relating to state appropriations and state, county, and federal welfare funds are for public
purpose, as follows:
"49-2-10.
<ins>(a)</ins> For the purpose of carrying out the duties and obligations of the department for
performance of welfare services of the state, for administrative costs, for matching such
federal funds as may be available for all of the aforesaid services, for the purpose of
establishing an equalization fund to be used in assisting those counties which may be
unable otherwise to bear their proportionate share of the expenses of administration and of
dispensing the benefits provided for under this title, and for dispensing all of the benefits
provided for under this title, the General Assembly shall make appropriations out of the
general fund of the state or otherwise for the various and separate activities of the
department. All funds appropriated or allocated to the department or to the county
departments by the General Assembly, the fiscal authorities of the respective counties, and
by the federal government through its appropriate agencies and instrumentalities are
declared to be funds provided for a public purpose; and all appropriations provided for in
this Code section and hereafter may be expended and distributed by the department for the
purposes provided for under this title.
<ins>(b)(1) Any funds appropriated or allocated to the department by the General Assembly
that are designated for a specific purpose shall not be commingled with other funds, shall
be maintained in a separate account, and shall not be expended for any other purpose
except the designated specific purpose.
(2) Any federal funds that are designated for a specific purpose shall not be commingled
with other funds, shall be maintained in a separate account, and shall not be expended for
any other purpose except the designated specific purpose.
(c) The commissioner shall annually review department practices and procedures,
contracts and agreements, and accounting practices to identify cost savings achieved and
operational efficiency opportunities. No later than December 31, 2026, and annually
thereafter, the commissioner shall report the findings of such reviews to the chairpersons
of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Appropriations Committee and
the chairpersons of the House Committee on Public and Community Health and the Senate
Health and Human Services Committee."
</ins> SECTION 2.
Said title is further amended in Chapter 4, relating to medical assistance generally, by
revising Code Section 49-4-144, relating to chief administrative officer and powers and
duties, as follows:
"49-4-144.
<ins>(a)</ins> The commissioner <del>of community health established under Chapter 2 of Title 31</del> shall
be the chief administrative officer of the department and, subject to the general policy
established by the board, shall supervise, direct, account for, organize, plan, administer, and
execute the functions vested in the department.
<ins>(b) The commissioner shall ensure that:
(1) Any funds appropriated or allocated to the department by the General Assembly that
are designated for a specific purpose shall not be commingled with other funds, shall be
maintained in a separate account, and shall not be expended for any other purpose except
the designated specific purpose; and
(2) Any federal funds that are designated for a specific purpose shall not be commingled
with other funds, shall be maintained in a separate account, and shall not be expended for
any other purpose except the designated specific purpose.
(c) The commissioner shall annually review department practices and procedures, provider
agreements, rebate programs and agreements, and accounting practices to identify cost
savings achieved and operational efficiency opportunities. No later than December 31,
2026, and annually thereafter, the commissioner shall report the findings of such reviews
to the chairpersons of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate
Appropriations Committee and the chairpersons of the House Committee on Public and
Community Health and the Senate Health and Human Services Committee."
</ins> SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 4.
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.

House Bill 1192 would require the Department of Human Services and the Department of Community Health to keep specially designated funds separate and report annually on cost savings, but it was vetoed by the Governor.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 49-2-10) currently lets the Department of Human Services spend appropriated and federal welfare funds broadly for the purposes laid out in the state's public assistance title. House Bill 1192 would add new rules saying that when the General Assembly or the federal government designates money for a specific purpose, the department cannot mix it with other funds, must keep it in a separate account, and cannot spend it on anything else.
The bill applies the same separate-accounting rule to the Department of Community Health (amending O.C.G.A. § 49-4-144) and requires the commissioners of both agencies to review their practices, contracts, and accounting each year to find cost savings and efficiencies. Both commissioners would have to report their findings to House and Senate budget and health committees by December 31, 2026 and every year after that. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it, but the Governor vetoed the bill.

### What it does

- Requires the Department of Human Services to keep specifically designated state and federal funds in separate accounts and bars spending them on anything other than their designated purpose.
- Applies the same separate-accounting requirement to the Department of Community Health for designated state and federal funds.
- Requires both department commissioners to review contracts, agreements, and accounting practices annually to identify cost savings and efficiency opportunities.
- Requires both commissioners to report their annual review findings to specific House and Senate committees by December 31, 2026 and every year after.
- Sets the effective date as the day the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law without signature.

### Who it affects

The Department of Human Services and the Department of Community Health, their commissioners, and the state legislative committees that receive the new annual reports (House Appropriations, Senate Appropriations, House Public and Community Health, and Senate Health and Human Services).

### Why it matters

If enacted, the bill would create clearer bookkeeping rules so money set aside for specific welfare or health programs cannot be redirected elsewhere, and it would give lawmakers yearly visibility into cost savings at two major state agencies. Because the Governor vetoed it, these changes have not taken effect.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 49-2-10 to add subsection (b), requiring designated state and federal funds at the Department of Human Services to be kept in separate, non-commingled accounts.
- Section 1 adds subsection (c), requiring the commissioner to annually review practices, contracts, and accounting and report findings to four named legislative committees by December 31, 2026 and annually thereafter.
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 49-4-144 to apply the same separate-account rule for designated funds to the Department of Community Health.
- Section 2 also requires the Department of Community Health commissioner to review provider agreements, rebate programs, and accounting practices annually and report to the same committees.
- Section 3 sets the effective date as approval by the Governor or the date the bill becomes law without approval.
- Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Vetoed (2026-05-12)
- Last action: Veto V6 (2026-05-12)
- Sponsors: Darlene Taylor, Chuck Efstration, Carolyn Hugley, James Hatchett, Ron Stephens, Lee Hawkins, Randy Robertson
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72841

> The history, votes, and amendments (909 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1192.md?full=1