--- title: HB 238. Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council; create and maintain an at-risk adult training course focusing on officer response to individuals with Alzheimer's disease or dementia collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb238 cite_as: HB 238, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb238 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb238.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb238/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69843 date: 2025-05-14 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb237.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb239.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 1057 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb238.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 238 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-14 last_action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 sponsors: - Eddie Lumsden - Clint Crowe - Bill Hitchens - Stan Gunter - Lauren McDonald - Randy Robertson text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB238/2025 upstream_id: 1955697 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - police training - Alzheimer's and dementia - elder abuse - public safety - emergency response --- # HB 238. Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council; create and maintain an at-risk adult training course focusing on officer response to individuals with Alzheimer's disease or dementia ## Text 25 LC 56 0301S/AP House Bill 238 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Lumsden of the 12th, Crowe of the 118th, Hitchens of the 161st, Gunter of the 8th, and McDonald III of the 26th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 5 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 Georgia Public Safety Training Center, so as to require the Georgia Public Safety Training2 Center to create and maintain an at-risk adult training course focusing on officer response to3 individuals with Alzheimer's disease or dementia; to provide fo r requirements for such4 course; to provide for collaborative course development with the Division of Aging Services;5 to provide for approval of the training program by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and6 Training Council; to provide for related matters; to repeal con flicting laws; and for other7 purposes.8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9 SECTION 1.10 Chapter 5 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to Georgia Public11 Safety Training Center, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:12 "35-5-8.13 (a) The Georgia Public Safety Training Center shall create and maintain an at-risk adult14 training course available to all peace officers, emergency medi cal personnel, and15 H. B. 238 - 1 - 25 LC 56 0301S/AP behavioral health co-responders relating to responding to at-ri sk adults, including those16 individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.17 (b) Such training course shall, at a minimum, provide training in:18 (1) Investigating criminal violations involving benefits trafficking and related offenses;19 (2) Investigating criminal violations involving the abuse, neg lect, or exploitation of a20 disabled adult or elder person;21 (3) Responding to reports of missing persons;22 (4) Interacting with victims of abuse, neglect, and exploitation in a victim centered and23 trauma informed way; and24 (5) Certain aspects of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia and cognitive25 impairment, including;26 (A) Instruction in interacting with persons with Alzheimer's disease and other forms27 of dementia;28 (B) Techniques for recognizing the behavioral symptoms and cha racteristics of29 Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia;30 (C) Techniques for effective communication with persons with Alzheimer's disease and31 other forms of dementia;32 (D) Techniques for employing alternatives to physical restraints; and33 (E) Protocols for contacting caregivers when an individual wit h Alzheimer's disease34 or other form of dementia is found wandering or during an emergency situation.35 (c) The training course provided for in this Code section shall be developed by the Georgia36 Public Safety Training Center in collaboration with the Forensi c Special Initiatives Unit37 of the Division of Aging Services of the Department of Human Services.38 (d) The number of hours and specific curriculum required for the training course provided39 for in this Code section shall be approved by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and40 Training Council."41 H. B. 238 - 2 - 25 LC 56 0301S/AP SECTION 2.42 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.43 H. B. 238 - 3 - ## 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. Georgia's House Bill 238 requires the Georgia Public Safety Training Center to build a training course teaching police, EMS, and behavioral health responders how to interact with people who have Alzheimer's disease or dementia. ### Plain-language summary Currently there is no state-mandated training course specifically preparing Georgia peace officers and other first responders to interact with adults who have Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or are otherwise at risk of abuse or exploitation. This bill adds a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. ยง 35-5-8) requiring the Georgia Public Safety Training Center to create and maintain such a course. The course must cover investigating benefits trafficking, abuse and neglect of disabled or elderly adults, responding to missing persons reports, victim-centered communication, and specific techniques for recognizing and responding to Alzheimer's and dementia symptoms, including alternatives to physical restraints and protocols for contacting caregivers. The training center must develop the course together with the Division of Aging Services' Forensic Special Initiatives Unit, and the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council must approve the required hours and curriculum. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not state a separate delayed effective date. ### What it does - Requires the Georgia Public Safety Training Center to create and maintain an at-risk adult training course for peace officers, EMS personnel, and behavioral health co-responders. - Mandates the course cover investigating benefits trafficking, elder and disabled adult abuse or exploitation, and missing persons cases. - Requires specific instruction on recognizing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, communicating effectively with affected individuals, and using alternatives to physical restraints. - Requires the course to include protocols for contacting caregivers when someone with dementia is found wandering or in an emergency. - Requires the training center to develop the course jointly with the Division of Aging Services' Forensic Special Initiatives Unit within the Department of Human Services. - Gives the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council authority to approve the number of training hours and the specific curriculum. ### Who it affects Peace officers, emergency medical personnel, and behavioral health co-responders across Georgia who would take the new training; the Georgia Public Safety Training Center and the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, which must build and approve it; and the Division of Aging Services, which helps design it. Older adults and people with dementia who interact with first responders are also directly affected. ### Why it matters Families of people with Alzheimer's or dementia often depend on first responders to know how to de-escalate confusion or agitation, recognize wandering behavior, and avoid unnecessary use of restraints. This bill would give Georgia officers and EMS workers standardized training aimed at handling these encounters more safely and effectively. ### Key provisions - New Code section 35-5-8(a) requires the training center to make the course available to peace officers, EMS personnel, and behavioral health co-responders statewide. - Subsection (b) lists five required training areas, including benefits trafficking investigations, elder/disabled abuse investigations, missing persons response, and trauma-informed victim interaction. - Subsection (b)(5) requires detailed dementia-specific training: recognizing symptoms, communication techniques, restraint alternatives, and caregiver contact protocols. - Subsection (c) requires the course to be developed jointly with the Division of Aging Services' Forensic Special Initiatives Unit. - Subsection (d) requires the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council to approve the curriculum's hours and content. - Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-14) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 (2025-05-14) - Sponsors: Eddie Lumsden, Clint Crowe, Bill Hitchens, Stan Gunter, Lauren McDonald, Randy Robertson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69843 > The history, votes, and amendments (1,057 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb238.md?full=1