Georgia CommonsSenate · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SB 411: Professions and Businesses; dry needling to be performed by certain licensed professionals; provide
Last action April 2, 2026 · House Passed/Adopted By Substitute
A Senate bill, as substituted by a House committee, would loosen the criteria hospitals must meet to qualify as rural hospital organizations for Georgia's tax credit program and would create a new state certification system for community health workers.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Comm Sub version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This bill, despite its title referencing dry needling, actually does two unrelated things. First, it amends O.C.G.A. § 31-8-9.1, which governs which hospitals qualify as 'rural hospital organizations' eligible for Georgia's rural hospital tax credit program. It expands eligibility to rural freestanding emergency departments, lowers the required share of indigent or charity care revenue from 10 percent to 5 percent (or allows qualification through maternal and newborn licensing), and removes a requirement that hospitals maintain a patient margin below a statewide average. Second, the bill creates a brand-new Chapter 31 in Title 31 of Georgia law establishing a certification system for community health workers, frontline public health workers who provide outreach and support in communities. It creates an 11-member Georgia Community Health Worker Certification Committee, appointed by the commissioner of public health, to set training and certification standards, review applications, run background checks, and discipline certified workers. The hospital tax credit change takes effect July 1, 2026; the community health worker chapter only takes effect if the General Assembly specifically appropriates funding for it.
What the bill does
- Expands the definition of 'rural hospital organization' under O.C.G.A. § 31-8-9.1 to include rural freestanding emergency departments, not just acute care hospitals.
- Lowers the indigent/charity care revenue threshold hospitals must meet from 10 percent to 5 percent, or lets hospitals qualify instead by being licensed for maternal and newborn services.
- Removes the requirement that a qualifying hospital's three-year patient profit margin stay below a statewide average, eliminating that eligibility test entirely.
- Creates a new Georgia Community Health Worker Certification Committee to set standards for training programs and certification of community health workers.
- Requires community health workers to complete an approved 45-hour training program, pass a criminal background check, and log 2,000 hours of work experience to be certified.
- Makes the community health worker certification chapter effective only if the General Assembly appropriates specific funding for it in a future budget act.
Who it affects
Rural and critical access hospitals and rural freestanding emergency departments seeking the state's rural hospital tax credit, community health workers currently or newly working in Georgia communities, training program providers, the Department of Public Health, and Georgians who rely on rural hospital care or community health outreach services.
Why it matters
More rural hospitals and emergency departments could qualify for donor tax credit funding under the eased criteria, potentially expanding financial support for struggling rural facilities. Meanwhile, community health workers would gain formal state certification and training standards for the first time, though that entire program only launches if lawmakers separately fund it.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 31-8-9.1(a)(3) to add rural freestanding emergency departments, cut the indigent care threshold to 5 percent (or substitute maternal/newborn licensing), and delete the patient-margin comparison requirement.
- Section 2 creates new Code Sections 31-31-1 through 31-31-5, defining terms like 'certified community health worker' and 'core competencies.'
- Code Section 31-31-2 establishes an 11-member Georgia Community Health Worker Certification Committee appointed by the commissioner of public health, with the committee set to be abolished June 30, 2030 and its duties transferred to the Department of Public Health.
- Code Section 31-31-4 requires training programs to include 45 hours of core competency training, 16 of which cover specific health topics, and sets a biennial renewal cycle for program approval.
- Code Section 31-31-5 sets certification requirements for community health workers, including age 18+, a high school diploma, criminal background checks, and 2,000 hours of relevant work experience.
- Section 3 makes the hospital tax credit changes effective July 1, 2026, but makes the community health worker chapter effective only if the General Assembly appropriates funding for it.
From the bill
“The title 'certified community health worker' shall only be used by individuals who have met the requirements and qualifications for certification as a community health worker as established by the committee and have been duly certified by the committee.”
“Section 2 of this Act shall become effective only if funds are specifically appropriated for the purposes of this Act in an appropriations Act enacted by the General Assembly.”
Discussed in meetings (18)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
Senate Health and Human Services Committee, February 2, 2026
From 0:18:30 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill defines dry needling and limits it to properly licensed and trained acupuncturists, occupational therapists and physical therapists. The sponsor said it prevents therapists performing dry needling from advertising themselves as acupuncturists, addressing a request from acupuncture practitioners. The sponsor said occupational therapists would need at least 50 hours of training, matching physical therapists, and the bill removes an additional year of postgraduate experience required for acupuncturists, which the sponsor described as a barrier to entry. The sponsor explained that the substitute prevents a violation from creating a separate basis for a lawsuit while preserving other legal remedies. Asked how patients could seek relief, the sponsor said malpractice claims would remain available, including for injuries caused by improperly inserted needles. Another member confirmed that explanation. Asked how the practices differ, the sponsor described dry needling as brief needle insertion to stimulate muscles, while traditional Chinese acupuncture involves needles placed at selected points and left in place. Members praised the agreement among practitioners, and one member reported personal relief from acupuncture. No opposition was voiced. The committee approved the substitute by voice vote, which the chair described as unanimous.
Senate Rules Committee, February 4, 2026
From 0:16:04 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 411 addresses dry needling in relation to acupuncture and its use by physical and occupational therapists. The sponsor described several months of work with the organizations involved, including hearings between legislative sessions, and said the groups had reached agreement. No members asked substantive questions, and the transcript shows no calendar action on the bill.
Senate Rules Committee, February 6, 2026
From 0:05:33 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair identified the proposal as the dry needling bill and said it had already been covered. The sponsor confirmed that, and no substantive questions or further explanation followed. Later, a committee member selected the bill, and the committee unanimously approved a motion covering it, SB 146 and SB 150.
Senate floor session, February 9, 2026 (legislative day 15)
From 1:33:24 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 411 would align physical and occupational therapists’ dry-needling practices and clarify the distinction between dry needling and acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine. The sponsor described the committee substitute as a compromise among physicians, therapists and acupuncturists, with Georgia Medical Association approval, addressing training and professional responsibilities. The sponsor also pointed to language concerning private lawsuits. A senator asked whether concerns raised by practitioners of Chinese and Eastern medicine the previous year had been resolved. The sponsor said those practitioners had helped draft the legislation and their concerns were resolved. The Senate adopted the committee substitute without objection and passed the bill 49-2.
House Health Committee, March 9, 2026
From 0:40:25 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 411 would allow occupational therapists to perform dry needling under the same training standards as physical therapists, distinguish dry needling from acupuncture in advertising, and remove a one-year supervised-practice requirement for acupuncturists who have completed more than 2,000 hours of training. The sponsor described the language as a compromise developed with licensing officials and the affected professions. A witness for the American Physical Therapy Association Georgia supported the compromise. Asked about the training requirement, the sponsor said occupational therapists would need at least 50 additional hours specifically in dry needling after their professional education. Another member raised constituents' occupational therapy licensing delays. The chair said the bill would expand permitted treatments rather than address existing licensing problems. The committee recommended passage by voice vote, with no opposition voiced.
House Rules Committee, March 16, 2026
From 0:39:13 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: A committee member moved to return SB 411 to the Health Committee. After correcting an initial verbal reference to Rules, the chair announced that the bill was returned to Health without objection. There was no discussion of its substance.
House Health Committee, March 23, 2026
From 0:21:51 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 411 resulted from study committees and discussions among medical regulators, acupuncturists, physical therapists and occupational therapists. The sponsor said it would distinguish dry needling from acupuncture in advertising, require occupational therapists offering dry needling to meet the same training requirements as physical therapists, and remove an additional supervised-practice requirement for acupuncturists after 2,500 hours of education and training. Asked whether athletic trainers had been added, the sponsor said no. A physical therapist representing APTA Georgia supported the collaborative process and resulting legislation. An ACEC Georgia witness supported the included engineering-board revenue provisions. The chair offered an amendment adding physicians to the list of professionals allowed to perform dry needling and said athletic trainers’ concerns should be addressed later. The committee adopted the amendment and approved the bill as amended by voice votes. No vote counts were stated.
House Rules Committee, March 25, 2026
From 0:35:49 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter explained that the substitute would allow occupational therapists to perform dry needling, let the engineering and surveying board retain some fees to operate, and allow physicians to dispense pharmaceuticals in their offices. The presenter said a committee amendment prohibited in-office dispensing of Schedule II drugs to avoid enabling pill mills. A committee member questioned why engineering provisions were combined with medical subjects. The presenter acknowledged the combination and said the provisions had been assembled in the other chamber. The committee approved substitute LC46-1660S without voiced opposition.
House Rules Committee, March 31, 2026
From 0:52:55 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 4248
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor briefly identified SB 411 as the dry-needling proposal and said work with a House committee chair was continuing to move it forward. No substantive changes were explained, and there were no questions or recorded decisions.
House Rules Committee, April 2, 2026
From 0:54:11 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair announced replacement of a previous substitute for SB 411. A presenter said the new version combined HB 291, concerning community health workers, and HB 662, concerning rural hospital organizations. The presenter said community workers known locally could extend health care into homes and other settings. The presenter also said removing a three-year averaging provision for rural hospital tax credit eligibility would protect hospitals from eligibility problems caused by incoming Healthcare Transformation Act funding. The committee adopted the substitute without stated opposition and later placed it on the floor calendar under the modified structured rule.
House floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, PM, part 2)
From 1:11:48 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 4561
Summary by Georgia Commons: Although the clerk read a title about dry needling, the presenter explained that the replacement version of SB 411 combined two previously passed House proposals. The presenter said one would establish community health workers to connect hospitals and providers with people at home for maternal care, older-adult care, screenings, and prevention. The other would update rural hospital tax-credit language and prepare Georgia for healthcare transformation financing. No questions were asked. The House adopted the Rules Committee's replacement version and passed the bill, 166 to 5.
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, January 27, 2026 (legislative day 7), 0:20:25
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 3, 2026 (legislative day 11), 0:31:30
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 4, 2026 (legislative day 12), 0:27:28
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 10, 2026 (legislative day 16), 0:41:57
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 11, 2026 (legislative day 17), 0:40:53
- Read aloud: House floor session, March 10, 2026 (legislative day 30), 0:49:57
- Read aloud: House floor session, March 25, 2026 (legislative day 37, AM), 0:42:10
Status timeline
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
Show full history (13 actions)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Shawn Still (R, SD-48)
- Ben Watson (R, SD-1)
- Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-32)
- Lee Hawkins (R, HD-27)
Votes
- Senate voteFebruary 9, 2026
49 yea, 2 nay (0 not voting, 3 excused)
- House voteApril 2, 2026
166 yea, 5 nay (3 not voting, 2 excused)
Topics
- rural hospitals
- health care funding
- community health workers
- public health certification
- tax credits