Senate Bill 162
By: Senators Hufstetler of the 52nd, Watson of the 1st, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Tillery of
the 19th and Walker III of the 20th
AS PASSED
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 34 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to Georgia Composite Medical Board, so as to provide for the board to implement
an automated licensing system for certain healthcare providers in this state; to provide for
guidelines; to provide for a short title; to provide for legislative declarations and intent; to
provide for contingent effectiveness and automatic repeal; to provide for related matters; to
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as "The Paul Brock Act."
SECTION 2.
The Georgia Composite Medical Board has recently implemented a new data management
system used in the licensing of healthcare providers. It is the intent of the General Assembly
that this new system be further modified to allow healthcare providers to input credentialing
information specific to their facility with the outcome being that, once credentialed and
licensed in Georgia, the healthcare provider would be available to all healthcare facilities
without the need for additional credentialing.
SECTION 3.
Article 1 of Chapter 34 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
Georgia Composite Medical Board, is amended in Code Section 43-34-6, relating to board
as an independent agency, executive director, meetings and hearings, licenses, certificates,
and permits, investigations, venue, credit to veterans, and annual report, by adding new
subsections to read as follows:
<ins>"(k) No later than January 1, 2027, the board shall modify its data management software
system to streamline and automate the licensing process for physicians, physician
assistants, and anesthesiologist assistants. No later than January 1, 2027, such system shall
be fully operational for other healthcare providers licensed by the board.
(l) The system provided for in subsection (k) of this Code section may:
(1) Organize, verify, and store the licenses of healthcare providers, allowing for a single
verification process that results in authorization state wide, provided that a healthcare
facility, licensee, or applicant inputs the credentialing information and agrees to such
authorization;
(2) If available, be customizable so that a healthcare facility can add requirements to
meet such facility's rules, regulations, or bylaws;
(3) Allow any healthcare facility to accept the information for licensing as acceptance
for credentialing and any healthcare provider to add additional requirements for
credentialing in their facility;
(4) Allow for administrative approval of licenses by the board to provide for physicians,
physician assistants, and anesthesiologist assistants to be available for employment
immediately upon meeting all requirements; and
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<ins>(5) Perform any other functions the board deems necessary to improve licensing
processes under this chapter."
</ins> SECTION 4.
This Act shall become effective only if funds are specifically appropriated for the purposes
of such Act in an appropriations Act enacted by the General Assembly and shall stand
repealed by operation of law on December 31, 2030, if no such funding becomes available
before such date.
SECTION 5.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.