Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee votes 6-3 to remove routine COVID test requirement for new long-term care residents and hires
Summary
A legislative committee approved a bill to remove a blanket requirement that new residents and newly hired staff in certain long-term care facilities be tested for COVID-19, saying the rule is no longer routinely enforced; opponents warned the change could reduce a low-cost infection-control tool.
A committee voted 6-3 to approve House Bill 645, which would remove a statutory or regulatory requirement that new residents and newly hired staff at certain long-term care facilities be routinely tested for COVID-19.
Mr. Sherman, the bill’s presenter, told the committee the testing requirement was added during the 2020 pandemic and is no longer widely enforced. “So this bill just removes that requirement,” he said, adding that the department could reinstate testing “if there’s an outbreak.”
The measure applies to congregate personal care homes (facilities with more than 25 beds), assisted-living communities and skilled nursing facilities. Supporters, including Seth Daniels, director of government affairs for the Georgia Senior Living Association, said most providers have already stopped the routine testing and asked the legislature to clarify enforcement. “The vast majority, 99% are not doing it and are not being checked for it,”…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
