HB 929: Public Health, Department of; three-year pilot program for dietetics services for public elementary and secondary school students and patients at federally qualified health centers; provide

This bill adds a new section to Georgia's public health code (O.C.G.A. § 31-2A-21) directing the Department of Public Health, working with the Department of Education, to run a three-year pilot program offering dietetics services. The program would serve students at public elementary and secondary schools and patients at federally qualified health centers, which are clinics that serve underserved communities. The state would reimburse up to five visits with a licensed dietitian per eligible person, paying up to $200 per visit, though the whole program depends on available funding. The department must report on the program's effectiveness to the Governor and General Assembly by June 30, 2027 and every year after, with a final report recommending whether to expand or make the program permanent. The program is set to begin June 30, 2026 and automatically end, with the law repealed, on June 30, 2029.

• Creates a new three-year pilot program at the Department of Public Health offering dietetics services to public school students and federally qualified health center patients starting June 30, 2026.
• Sets reimbursement at up to $200 per visit for up to five dietitian visits per eligible person, subject to available state funding.
• Requires the Department of Public Health to collaborate with the Department of Education to develop and run the program.
• Requires annual written reports to the Governor and General Assembly starting no later than June 30, 2027, including a final report recommending expansion or permanence.
• Authorizes the department to write rules and regulations needed to carry out the program.
• Automatically ends the pilot program and repeals the statute on June 30, 2029.

Public elementary and secondary school students, patients at federally qualified health centers, licensed dietitians who provide the reimbursed visits, and the Department of Public Health and Department of Education, which must jointly design and run the program.

Families and patients could get access to state-subsidized dietitian visits they might not otherwise afford, but only if the legislature actually funds the program, and only for three years before it automatically expires unless lawmakers act to renew it.

• Section 1 adds new Code Section 31-2A-21 defining 'dietetics,' 'dietitian,' 'eligible recipient,' and 'federally qualified health center' for purposes of the pilot program.
• Subsection (b) directs the Department of Public Health and Department of Education to jointly create the pilot program starting June 30, 2026, subject to available funding.
• Subsection (b) caps reimbursement at five dietitian visits per eligible recipient, at up to $200.00 per visit.
• Subsection (c) requires annual reports to the Governor and General Assembly beginning no later than June 30, 2027, with a final report recommending whether to expand or make the program permanent.
• Subsection (d) authorizes the department to adopt rules and regulations to implement the program.
• Subsection (e) terminates the pilot program and repeals the Code section by operation of law on June 30, 2029.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-01-12House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-04-04House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-04-04House Hopper (House)

• Karen Lupton (D, HD-083)Primary sponsor
• Marvin Lim (D, HD-098)

• public health
• school health services
• dietitians
• federally qualified health centers
• pilot programs