---
title: HB 332. Social services; convene an advisory working group to review tools and protocols for screening of children for trauma; provisions
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb332
cite_as: HB 332, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb332
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb332.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb332/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70061
date: 2025-02-11
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/hb332.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 332
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-06
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Tangie Herring
- Spencer Frye
- Eric Bell
- Carl Gilliard
- Robert Flournoy
- Karen Bennett
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB332/2025
upstream_id: 1961029
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- child trauma screening
- Medicaid EPSDT program
- child welfare policy
- behavioral health
- healthcare provider standards
---
# HB 332. Social services; convene an advisory working group to review tools and protocols for screening of children for trauma; provisions
## Text
House Bill 332
By: Representatives Herring of the 145th, Frye of the 122nd, Bell of the 75th, Gilliard of the
162nd, Flournoy of the 74th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 7C of Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to therapy services for children with disabilities, so as to convene an advisory
working group to review tools and protocols for the screening of children for trauma within
the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program; to provide for findings
and recommendations; to provide for abolishment of the advisory working group; to provide
for subsequent periodic review of screening protocols and tools; to provide for
implementation only if certain conditions are met; to provide for related matters; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 7C of Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
therapy services for children with disabilities, is amended by adding a new Code section to
read as follows:
"49-4-169.4.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'trauma' means the result of an event, series of
events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or
emotionally harmful or threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual's
functioning and physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.
(b)(1) The department, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and
Developmental Disabilities, community service boards, managed care plan experts,
behavioral health experts, child welfare experts, and stakeholders, shall convene an
advisory working group to update, amend, or develop, if appropriate, tools and protocols
for the screening of children for trauma, within the EPSDT Program. The advisory
working group shall review and make recommendations regarding:
(A) Existing screening tools used in the EPSDT Program, including, but not limited to,
the United States Preventive Services Task Force grade 'A' or 'B' recommendations, and
the periodicity schedule and anticipatory guidance issued by the Bright Futures
initiative led by the American Academy of Pediatrics; and
(B) The efficacy and appropriateness of the types of providers authorized to administer
screenings.
(2) The department shall convene the advisory working group by October 1, 2025. The
advisory working group shall report its findings and recommendations, as well as the
amount of funding that would be necessary to implement such recommendations, to the
department and to the General Assembly's appropriation committees and committees on
Health and Human Services no later than October 1, 2026. The advisory working group
shall be abolished on December 31, 2026.
(3) Findings or recommendations of the advisory working group that cannot be
implemented without a subsequent appropriation by the General Assembly, as determined
by the department, shall not be implemented until such appropriation is made.
(4) On and after October 1, 2026, the department shall periodically review and consider
the protocols for the screening of trauma in children consistent with subparagraphs
(b)(1)(A) and (b)(1)(B) of this Code section. The advisory working group created
pursuant to this subsection may, prior to its abolishment, recommend to the department
an existing group appropriate to conduct such periodic review. The department shall
ensure that the protocols for the screening of trauma in children are reviewed and
considered at least once every five years.
(c) This Code section shall be implemented only if and to the extent that federal financial
participation under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section 1396,
et seq.) is not jeopardized and all necessary federal approvals have been obtained."
SECTION 2.
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 require the Department of Community Health to convene a working group to study how children are screened for trauma under the state's Medicaid EPSDT program for kids.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) Program is the part of Medicaid that covers checkups and care for children. This bill adds a new section to Georgia law directing the Department of Community Health, working with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, community service boards, and other experts, to form an advisory working group focused on trauma screening tools used in that program.
The group must be convened by October 1, 2025, and must review current screening tools, including national pediatric guidelines, and look at which types of providers are allowed to run the screenings. It has to report findings, recommendations, and cost estimates to the department and legislative committees by October 1, 2026, then it disbands on December 31, 2026. Any recommendations that need new state funding cannot be put in place until the General Assembly appropriates money, and the whole effort only proceeds if it does not jeopardize federal Medicaid funding under Title XIX of the Social Security Act.
### What it does
- Creates a new Code section requiring the Department of Community Health to convene an advisory working group on childhood trauma screening within the EPSDT Medicaid program for children.
- Directs the working group to review existing screening tools, including national pediatric task force recommendations, and evaluate which provider types should be allowed to administer them.
- Sets a deadline of October 1, 2025 to convene the group and October 1, 2026 to report findings, recommendations, and funding needs to the department and legislative committees.
- Abolishes the advisory working group on December 31, 2026 but requires the department to periodically review trauma screening protocols at least once every five years afterward.
- Blocks implementation of any recommendation requiring new state funding until the General Assembly appropriates the money.
- Limits the whole provision so it only applies if it does not jeopardize federal Medicaid funding under Title XIX of the Social Security Act.
### Who it affects
Children enrolled in Georgia's Medicaid EPSDT program, the Department of Community Health, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, community service boards, managed care plans, behavioral health and child welfare experts, and healthcare providers who screen children.
### Why it matters
If enacted, Georgia would formally examine whether its current tools for spotting childhood trauma during Medicaid checkups are adequate, potentially leading to updated screening methods or expanded provider eligibility, though any costly changes would wait on future state funding decisions.
### Key provisions
- Adds new O.C.G.A. ยง 49-4-169.4 defining 'trauma' as an event or circumstance causing lasting harm to a child's physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.
- Subsection (b)(1) requires the department to convene the working group with named agencies and stakeholders to review EPSDT trauma screening tools and provider qualifications.
- Subsection (b)(2) sets the October 1, 2025 convening deadline, the October 1, 2026 reporting deadline, and a December 31, 2026 abolishment date for the group.
- Subsection (b)(3) prevents implementation of recommendations needing new appropriations until the General Assembly funds them.
- Subsection (b)(4) requires ongoing review of screening protocols at least every five years after October 1, 2026, possibly by a group the working group recommends.
- Subsection (c) conditions the entire section on not jeopardizing federal Medicaid funding under Title XIX of the Social Security Act and obtaining necessary federal approvals.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-06)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-11)
- Sponsors: Tangie Herring, Spencer Frye, Eric Bell, Carl Gilliard, Robert Flournoy, Karen Bennett
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70061
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb332.md?full=1