Georgia House Bill HB238

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/4/25
• Report Pass: 2/27/25
• Engrossed: 3/4/25
• Refer: 3/6/25
• Report Pass: 3/21/25
• Enrolled: 4/9/25
• Chaptered: 5/14/25
• Passed: 5/14/25

Caption

Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council; create and maintain an at-risk adult training course focusing on officer response to individuals with Alzheimer's disease or dementia

Summary

HB238 requires the Georgia Public Safety Training Center to create and maintain an at-risk adult training course for peace officers, emergency medical personnel, and behavioral health co-responders. The course is specifically aimed at improving responses to at-risk adults, including people living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. The bill sets minimum subject areas for the training, including investigations involving benefits trafficking, abuse/neglect/exploitation of disabled adults or elder persons, missing persons reports, trauma-informed and victim-centered interactions, dementia recognition, communication techniques, alternatives to physical restraints, and protocols for contacting caregivers when a person with dementia is wandering or in an emergency. The course must be developed in collaboration with the Division of Aging Services’ Forensic Special Initiatives Unit, and the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council must approve the required hours and curriculum.

Impact

HB238 amends Chapter 5 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated by adding a new section requiring a statewide training program for first responders and related personnel. It creates an ongoing duty for the Georgia Public Safety Training Center to maintain the course and ties the curriculum to POST Council approval, while also directing collaboration with the Department of Human Services’ Division of Aging Services. The bill affects training standards for peace officers, emergency medical personnel, and behavioral health co-responders, and is intended to improve state response practices involving vulnerable adults, especially those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the House 171-0 and the Senate 52-0, indicating strong consensus that specialized training for responders dealing with dementia and at-risk adults is needed. The absence of recorded committee debate in the provided materials also suggests the measure was noncontroversial and viewed as a practical public safety and elder-protection initiative.

Contention

No major points of contention are reflected in the available discussion or voting record. The only substantive policy choices in the bill concern the scope of required training topics, the agencies responsible for developing the course, and POST Council approval of curriculum and hours. If any concerns existed, they are not evident in the provided materials; the unanimous votes suggest lawmakers largely agreed on the need for training on dementia, elder abuse, missing persons, and trauma-informed response.