HB 906: Health; require long-term care facilities to post a link on their websites to the official website of the office of the long-term care ombudsman

Currently, staff at personal care homes and assisted living communities in Georgia can administer insulin, epinephrine, and B12 to residents under physician direction, but not GLP-1 medications (a class of drugs used for diabetes and weight management). This bill adds GLP-1 to that list in two sections of Georgia law covering personal care homes and assisted living communities. The bill also changes how long-term care facilities must inform residents about the long-term care ombudsman, an independent program that helps residents resolve complaints. Facilities already must give written notice about the ombudsman to residents and post it in the building. This bill adds a new requirement: any long-term care facility with a website must post a prominent link to the state ombudsman's website, preceded by a specific statement about the program. Facilities that violate this face escalating penalties, though a broken or misdirected link alone will not trigger a fine, and failing to maintain the link cannot lead to license revocation. The changes take effect January 1, 2027.

• Adds GLP-1 medication to the list of drugs that personal care home staff may administer to residents under physician direction (O.C.G.A. § 31-7-12).
• Adds GLP-1 medication to the same allowed list for assisted living community medication aides (O.C.G.A. § 31-7-12.2).
• Requires every long-term care facility that maintains a website to post a prominent link to the state long-term care ombudsman's website, along with a required explanatory statement.
• Creates a graduated penalty system: a warning for a first violation, a $100 fine for a second violation, and a $200 fine for third and later violations within 12 months.
• Exempts facilities from penalty if the only problem is a broken, inoperable, or misdirected link, and bars license or permit revocation for failing to maintain the link.
• Sets the effective date of the entire Act as January 1, 2027.

Residents and staff of Georgia personal care homes and assisted living communities, facility administrators who must update websites and notices, the state long-term care ombudsman program, and the Department of Community Health, which enforces the new penalties.

Residents on GLP-1 medications could receive them without extra arrangements, and residents or families looking for help with complaints would find the ombudsman's contact information more easily online. Facilities face new compliance duties and possible fines, though minor technical link failures would not be punished.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 31-7-12 to add GLP-1 to the medications personal care home staff may administer under physician protocol.
• Section 2 makes the identical addition of GLP-1 for assisted living communities under O.C.G.A. § 31-7-12.2.
• Section 3 restructures O.C.G.A. § 31-8-59 into subsections and adds subsection (b), requiring a website link to the ombudsman program with a specific mandated statement.
• Section 3 also adds subsection (c), setting penalties of a warning, then $100, then $200 for repeated violations within a 12-month period, with exceptions for broken links and no license revocation.
• Section 4 sets the effective date as January 1, 2027.
• Section 5 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-20House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-01-12House Second Readers (House)
3. 2025-04-04House First Readers (House)
4. 2025-04-02House Hopper (House)

• Michael Smith (D, HD-041)Primary sponsor

• long-term care
• nursing home oversight
• assisted living
• medication administration
• ombudsman program