---
title: SB 131. Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce; Georgia Health Care Professionals Data System; establishment
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb131
cite_as: SB 131, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb131
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb131.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb131/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70090
date: 2026-03-31
status: engrossed
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: 1309
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb131.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 131
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-27
last_action: Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub As Amended
sponsors:
  - Mike Hodges
  - Ben Watson
  - Shawn Still
  - Clint Dixon
  - Russ Goodman
  - Billy Hickman
  - Kay Kirkpatrick
  - Rick Townsend
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB131/2025
upstream_id: 1964501
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - mental health parity
  - health insurance regulation
  - behavioral health
  - Georgia insurance oversight
---

# SB 131. Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce; Georgia Health Care Professionals Data System; establishment

## Text

The House Committee on Rules offers the following substitute to SB 131:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 37 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to general provisions regarding the administration of mental health, developmental
disabilities, addictive diseases, and other disability services, so as to add a member to the
Behavioral Health Coordinating Council; to establish a parity compliance review panel; to
provide for its composition and duties; to require health care providers to report parity
concerns to the panel; to provide for evaluation of parity concerns reported; to provide for
recommendations for punitive actions; to provide for definitions; 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 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 37 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions regarding the administration of mental health, developmental disabilities,
addictive diseases, and other disability services, is amended in Code Section 37-2-4, relating
to the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council and its membership, meetings, and
obligations, by revising subsections (a) and (c.1) and by adding a new subsection to read as
follows:
"(a) There is created the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council. The council shall
consist of the commissioner of behavioral health and developmental disabilities; the
commissioner of early care and learning; the commissioner of community health; the
commissioner of public health; the commissioner of human services; the commissioner of
juvenile justice; the commissioner of corrections; the commissioner of veterans service; the
commissioner of community supervision; the commissioner of community affairs; the
commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia; the Commissioner of Labor;
the State School Superintendent; <ins>the Insurance Commissioner;</ins> the chairperson of the State
Board of Pardons and Paroles; a behavioral health expert employed by the University
System of Georgia, designated by the chancellor of the university system; two members,
appointed by the Governor; the ombudsman appointed pursuant to Code Section 37-2-32;
the Child Advocate for the Protection of Children; an expert on early childhood mental
health, appointed by the Governor; an expert on child and adolescent health, appointed by
the Governor; a pediatrician, appointed by the Governor; an adult consumer of public
behavioral health services, appointed by the Governor; a family member of a consumer of
public behavioral health services, appointed by the Governor; a parent of a child receiving
public behavioral health services, appointed by the Governor; a member of the House of
Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and a member
of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate."
"(c.1) The commissioner of behavioral health and developmental disabilities, the
commissioner of early care and learning, the commissioner of community health, the
commissioner of public health, the commissioner of human services, the commissioner of
juvenile justice, the commissioner of corrections, the commissioner of veterans service, the
commissioner of community supervision, the commissioner of community affairs, the
commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia, the Commissioner of Labor,
the State School Superintendent, <ins>the Insurance Commissioner,</ins> and the chairperson of the
State Board of Pardons and Paroles shall each be authorized to be represented by a delegate
or agent at any meeting of the council or subcommittee meeting. Any such delegate or
agent shall be counted toward a quorum, shall have all voting privileges as the member's
delegate or agent, and shall not be considered an absence of the member."
<ins>"(j) The council shall serve in an advisory role for the parity compliance review panel
established pursuant to Code Section 37-2-12."
</ins> SECTION 2.
Said article is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
<ins>"37-2-12.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Health care provider' means any health care professional licensed under Title 43 or
any hospital or other health care facility licensed or regulated under Chapter 7 of Title 31
or under this title.
(2) 'Health insurer' has the same meaning as provided for in subsection (a) of Code
Section 33-1-27.
(3) 'Panel' means the parity compliance review panel established pursuant to this Code
section.
(4) 'Parity concerns' means actual or potential violations by health insurers and state
health care entities of the requirements contained in:
(A) Code Sections 33-1-27 and 33-21A-13, including, without limitation, the failure
to use the statutory definitions of 'medically necessary' or 'generally accepted standards
of mental health and substance use disorder care'; and
(B) Code Section 33-24-59.10 and 42 U.S.C. Section 1905(r).
(5) 'State health care entity' has the same meaning as provided for in subsection (a) of
Code Section 33-21A-13.
(b) There is established a parity compliance review panel within the council to be
composed of:
</ins>
<ins>(1) The following members of the council:
(A) The commissioner of community health, or his or her designee;
(B) The commissioner of behavioral health and developmental disabilities, or his or her
designee;
(C) The commissioner of human services, or his or her designee; and
(D) The Insurance Commissioner, or his or her designee; and
(2) The following appointed members:
(A) Two mental health clinicians, appointed by the Governor;
(B) Two senior executives of facilities or systems providing mental health care,
appointed by the Governor;
(C) One mental health advocate, appointed by the President of the Senate; and
(D) One mental health advocate, appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
(c)(1) Health care providers shall be required to report parity concerns in the manner and
pursuant to the forms and periodicity, if any, adopted by the panel.
(2) Any such reports shall:
(A) Enable the submission of information by health care providers of actions or
practices of concern that are not specifically listed in a form; and
(B) Recognize the need to distinguish reporting content relevant for health care
providers in general hospitals, inpatient or residential psychiatric treatment facilities,
and emergency department or outpatient settings.
(3) The panel shall encourage feedback from health care providers during the
development of any reporting form, including, without limitation, feedback provided to
the two senior executives of facilities or systems providing mental health care appointed
to the panel by the Governor.
(4) The panel shall have no authority to impose financial penalties on a health care
provider for failing to report a parity concern.
</ins>
<ins>(d) The panel shall establish a simple and intuitive process to receive parity concerns
reported by health care providers pursuant to subsection (c) of this Code section. The panel
shall evaluate submitted parity concerns to determine whether a health insurer or state
health care entity is in violation of mental health parity laws. Based on such evaluation,
the panel shall make recommendations as to appropriate punitive actions, if any, that may
be warranted for a health insurer to the Commissioner of Insurance for violations of Code
Section 33-1-27 and for a state health care entity to the commissioner of community health
for violations of Code Section 33-21A-13.
(e) The panel shall be authorized to:
(1) Receive and analyze required reports from insurance companies and health care
providers;
(2) Request additional information from health insurers or state health care entities
regarding potential mental health parity violations, including determinations of medical
necessity;
(3) Create and review educational materials for consumers and health care providers
relating to compliance with mental health parity laws. Such educational materials shall
include information on the concept of mental health parity, individuals' rights, and the
complaint processes established pursuant to subsection (e) of Code Section 33-1-27,
subsection (e) of Code Section 33-21A-13, and subsection (d) of this Code section. All
such educational materials shall be culturally and linguistically sensitive, to the extent
practicable; available in multiple languages; widely distributed; and offered in various
formats, such as on a public website, in a brochure, and in written documentation; and
(4) Consult and coordinate with the Governor's office, the Department of Community
Health, and the office of the Commissioner of Insurance to establish criteria and
procedures for the panel in formulating recommendations relating to punitive action for
insurance companies that are not compliant with mental health parity laws.
</ins>
<ins>(f) Subject to available funds, the panel shall establish a team to support the work of the
panel, including, but not limited to, research, report preparation, and creation of educational
materials."
</ins> SECTION 3.
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 Senate bill would add the Insurance Commissioner to the state's Behavioral Health Coordinating Council and create a new panel to review whether health insurers and state agencies are following mental health parity laws.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia already has a Behavioral Health Coordinating Council made up of state commissioners, agency heads, and appointed experts who advise on mental health and addiction services. This bill adds the Insurance Commissioner as a voting member of that council and lets the commissioner send a delegate to meetings, just like other members already can.

The bill also creates a new parity compliance review panel inside the council. The panel would review whether health insurers and state health care agencies are meeting Georgia's mental health parity laws, which require insurers to cover mental health and substance abuse treatment the same way they cover other medical care. Health care providers would have to report parity concerns to the panel using forms the panel develops, though the panel could not fine providers for failing to report. The panel would evaluate concerns and recommend punitive action to the Insurance Commissioner or the Department of Community Health, and would produce consumer education materials on mental health parity rights.

### What it does

- Adds the Insurance Commissioner as a voting member of the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council and allows the commissioner to send a delegate to meetings (O.C.G.A. § 37-2-4).
- Creates a new parity compliance review panel within the council to monitor compliance with Georgia's mental health parity laws (new O.C.G.A. § 37-2-12).
- Requires health care providers licensed under Title 43 or hospitals and facilities regulated under Title 31 to report parity concerns to the panel using forms and schedules the panel adopts.
- Bars the panel from imposing financial penalties on health care providers who fail to report a parity concern.
- Directs the panel to evaluate reported concerns and recommend punitive action to the Insurance Commissioner for insurer violations or to the commissioner of community health for state agency violations.
- Authorizes the panel to request more information from insurers, create consumer education materials, and build a support team for research and report writing, subject to available funding.

### Who it affects

The bill affects the Insurance Commissioner and other state commissioners on the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council, mental health clinicians and hospital executives appointed to the new panel, health insurers, state health care agencies like the Department of Community Health, and health care providers such as hospitals, psychiatric facilities, and licensed professionals who must report parity concerns.

### Why it matters

Georgians who rely on insurance coverage for mental health or substance abuse treatment could see closer state scrutiny of whether insurers and state agencies apply the same coverage standards used for physical health care, since providers would now have a formal channel to flag suspected violations for review and potential penalties.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 adds the Insurance Commissioner to the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council's membership and delegate provisions in O.C.G.A. § 37-2-4, and makes the council an advisory body to the new parity panel.
- Section 2 creates O.C.G.A. § 37-2-12, defining 'health care provider,' 'health insurer,' 'parity concerns,' and 'state health care entity' by reference to existing insurance and Medicaid code sections.
- Section 2 sets the panel's membership: four council members (or designees) plus two mental health clinicians and two facility executives appointed by the Governor, and one mental health advocate each appointed by the Senate President and House Speaker.
- Section 2 requires the panel to build a simple reporting process for providers, evaluate parity concerns, and recommend punitive action to the Insurance Commissioner or the commissioner of community health depending on who is responsible.
- Section 2 authorizes the panel to request added information from insurers and state agencies, create consumer education materials in multiple languages and formats, and coordinate with the Governor's office and the Department of Community Health on enforcement criteria.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Engrossed (2025-02-27)
- Last action: Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub As Amended (2026-03-31)
- Sponsors: Mike Hodges, Ben Watson, Shawn Still, Clint Dixon, Russ Goodman, Billy Hickman, Kay Kirkpatrick, Rick Townsend
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70090

> The history, votes, and amendments (1,309 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb131.md?full=1