Bill > HB109

This bill establishes a five-year pilot program for creating Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing (EmPATH) units in hospitals across Georgia. These units are specialized outpatient programs designed to provide behavioral health services for individuals experiencing mental health crises, offering 24/7 treatment as an alternative to emergency department admission or inpatient hospitalization. The program requires at least one EmPATH unit to be established in a rural county and one in an urban county, with grants specifically prohibited from funding existing programs. The units will provide intensive crisis treatment, including a psychiatric evaluation within 24 hours of admission, and offer services such as observation, detoxification, stabilization, and medication. The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, in coordination with the Department of Community Health, will oversee the program, establish grant criteria, and promulgate rules and regulations. The program is contingent on legislative appropriation and will be subject to a detailed evaluation report due by December 31, 2029, which will include recommendations for potential statewide expansion. The pilot program will automatically terminate after five years, with the legislation set to be automatically repealed on July 1 following the program's conclusion.