In addition to other issues, HB 200 requires that law enforcement training centers monitored by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and funded by the Georgia Public Safety Training Center are required to include training on methods of identifying, combating and reporting incidents where a person has been trafficked for labor or sexual servitude. Training and materials will also be required to provide proper detention facilities or alternatives to detention facilities for those who have been trafficked for labor or sexual servitude.

HB 214 removes the public health duties of the Department of Community Health and re-creates the Department of Public Health.

HB 247 allows applicants for initial licensure to request that a criminal history records check be conducted by a state or local law enforcement agency or by a private vendor approved by the department  This bill was amended in the Rules Committee to provide authority to the Firefighters Standards and Training Council to refuse to grant a certificate or to discipline a certified firefighter upon the determination that the applicant or firefighter has been convicted of a felony offense.  This bill also requires a criminal background check on potential guardians prior to appointment by the probate court to serve as a guardian by court order.  This bill was signed by the Governor on April 16, 2012.

This bill adds burn centers who treat at least 300 burn patients annually to the list of designated trauma centers.

Revises numerous statutes regarding the care of the developmentally disabled by the state to reflect the implementation of community based services.

This bill allows the establishment of short term residential crisis stabilization to provide psychiatric stabilization and detoxification services. These services would be licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities instead of the Department of Community Health.

HB 822 establishes a procedure in equity that could be used whenever someone makes a false or fraudulent claim for payment from the state or a county or fails to deliver all or any property owed to the state or a county to the state or county. It allows the Attorney General to initiate an investigation or to delegate the investigation to the district attorney "or other appropriate official of a local government."  If the Attorney General finds that a violation occurred, he may either initiate a civil action or give the local government the authority to initiate a civil action.  Private citizens may also initiate a proceeding on the county's behalf. A private person winning such a case may be awarded between 25% and 35% of the proceeds of the action.  The civil penalty is between $5,000 and $11,000 plus three times the amount of damages that the county sustains because of the fraud. This bill is similar to existing state Medicaid fraud law and brings the state law into compliance with federal Medicaid fraud law. Effective July 1, 2012 pending signature by the Governor. 

HB 861 would require applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to take and pass a drug test in order to qualify for benefits. The person applying for benefits would be responsible for the cost of the drug test.

The state would provide the applicants with a list of approved substance abuse treatment programs. The cost of a substance abuse treatment program would not be paid for by the state. If an applicant fails a drug test three times, they are ineligible to receive TANF benefits for three years. Such an applicant would be required to complete an approved substance abuse treatment program.

The results of the drug tests would not be required to be released under the Open Records Law.  This bill was signed by the Governor on April 16, 2012.

SB 76 was amended to include language that requires criminal background checks for the initial certification of EMS personnel.  This requirement will not apply to EMS personnel currently certified.  This legislation changes the way that the Georgia Trauma Commission distributes funds during the first two fiscal years that funds are appropriated. It also allows EMS to receive payment for uncompensated care for transporting trauma patients to any medical facility, currently patients must be transported to a trauma center for EMS to receive payment.

This bill includes assisted living communities as a type of business from which counties can collect a regulatory fee.