HB1192: HB1192 Public assistance; certain accounting practices by Department of Human Services and Department of Community Health; provide

Georgia law already lets the state legislature appropriate money to the Department of Human Services and the Department of Community Health for public assistance and medical assistance programs. This bill would add specific accounting rules to that law. It would require both departments to keep any state or federal funds designated for a specific purpose in a separate account, rather than mixing them with other money, and would bar spending that money on anything other than its designated purpose. The bill also requires each department's commissioner to review agency practices, contracts, provider agreements, rebate programs, and accounting methods every year to look for cost savings and efficiency opportunities. Starting no later than December 31, 2026, and every year after that, each commissioner must report those findings to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and to the House Committee on Public and Community Health and the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without his signature, though the bill has since been vetoed.

• Requires the Department of Human Services to keep funds designated for a specific purpose in a separate account and bars spending them on anything else.
• Applies the same fund-separation and single-purpose spending rule to the Department of Community Health.
• Requires both departments' commissioners to annually review agency practices, contracts, provider agreements, rebate programs, and accounting methods for cost savings.
• Sets a December 31, 2026 deadline, and annually thereafter, for each commissioner to report review findings to specified legislative committees.
• Amends O.C.G.A. §§ 49-2-10 and 49-4-144 to add these accounting and reporting requirements to existing public assistance law.

The Department of Human Services and the Department of Community Health, including their commissioners, are directly affected, along with recipients of public assistance and medical assistance programs those agencies administer. Legislative committees overseeing appropriations and health policy would receive the new annual reports.

If enacted, the departments would be required to segregate and account separately for money set aside for particular programs, which could reduce the risk of funds being redirected between purposes. Lawmakers on relevant committees would also get yearly reports on cost savings and efficiency findings from both agencies.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 49-2-10 to require the Department of Human Services to keep state, county, or federal funds designated for a specific purpose in a separate, non-commingled account.
• Section 1 requires the Human Services commissioner to annually review department practices, contracts, and accounting practices and report findings to specified House and Senate committees by December 31, 2026 and annually after.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 49-4-144 to impose the same fund-separation rule on the Department of Community Health for both state-appropriated and federal funds.
• Section 2 requires the Community Health commissioner to annually review practices, provider agreements, rebate programs, and accounting practices, reporting findings to the same legislative committees by the same deadline.
• Section 3 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's approval or upon becoming law without approval.
• Section 4 repeals all conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-12Veto V6
2. 2026-05-12House Date Vetoed by Governor (House)
3. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
4. 2026-03-20Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
5. 2026-03-20Senate Third Read (Senate)
6. 2026-03-19Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
7. 2026-03-18Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
8. 2026-03-04Senate Read and Referred (Senate)

• Darlene Taylor (R, HD-173)Primary sponsor
• Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
• James Hatchett (R, HD-155)
• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-027)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 3, 2026

   170 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #584

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 20, 2026

   47 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 6 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #781

• public assistance
• state agency funding
• government accountability
• Medicaid administration
• legislative oversight