Skip to content
CareRulebook
MenuClose

Where are you starting?

United StatesTexas, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio
TexasManual
Build your Texas policy manualPreview free, then $199 founding price
North CarolinaManual
Build your North Carolina policy manualPreview free, then $199 founding price
GeorgiaManual
Build your Georgia policy manualPreview free, then $199 founding price
VirginiaManual
Build your Virginia policy manualPreview free, then $199 founding price
OhioGuideAll US states →
United KingdomEngland
EnglandPack
Build your CQC registration packPreview free, then £119 founding price
ScotlandSoonWalesSoonNorthern IrelandSoonAll UK nations →
Free toolsChecklists, calculators and templates
Rule-change trackerHow we verify rulesCorrections logTerms and refunds

Georgia · Chapter 111-8-65 amendment · Adopted July 9, 2026

Georgia’s 2026 private home care rule changes

Georgia has adopted changes to its private home care rules. Staff need a fingerprint result before client contact, background checks now point to Chapter 111-8-12, and the annual TB test gives way to a health screening program. DCH has not confirmed when the changes take effect, and most agencies can meet both versions today.

See what changesTell me when it takes effect
  • Rule-verified September 30, 2026
  • Current and adopted text side by side
  • From DCH’s adopted text and Board record
A Georgia home care agency owner compares two printed rule pages at his desk, with sticky notes reading Fingerprints before client contact and TB screening before starting work, next to his CareRulebook binder

Quick answer

On July 9, 2026, Georgia’s Board of Community Health gave final adoption to an amendment of Chapter 111-8-65, the rules for private home care providers. It changes three rules: .03 Definitions, .05 Licenses and .09 Administration and Organization. DCH’s synopsis says "The purpose of these rule revisions is to update health screening requirements for employees and to provide conformity with the Rules and Regulations for Criminal Background Checks, Chapter 111-8-12." DCH synopsis

In practice: staff need a satisfactory fingerprint result before serving as a direct access employee; administrators need a satisfactory fingerprint determination in place of the misconduct statement; owners follow Chapter 111-8-12; and a health screening program, with TB screening before work starts, replaces the annual TB test.

The effective date is not confirmed. DCH has not published one that we could find, so this page compares the rule as printed with the adopted text and shows how to meet both.

Rule-verified, checked against official sources on September 30, 2026

Status

Stage
Final adoption, July 9, 2026Board summary
Effective date
Not confirmed by DCHadopted text
Rules amended
.03, .05 and .09public notice
What it covers
Background checks; health and TB screeningsynopsis

Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026.

Where the amendment stands

The amendment has been through Georgia’s full adoption process at DCH: initial adoption in May, a public hearing in June and final adoption in July. The Board summary for July 9, 2026 records that it "Unanimously approved the Rules and Regulations for Private Home Care Provider, Ga. Comp. R & Regs., r. 111-8-65, Final Adoption". Board summary, July 9, 2026

What we cannot confirm yet is the date it takes effect. The adopted text DCH posted does not state one, and the published rule text we check against (Cornell’s LII copy, last checked September 30, 2026) still shows the old wording. DCH’s checklist says "The official rules for Private Home Care Providers are on record with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office". DCH checklist, p. 1 We check that record and DCH’s pages, and we will update this page, and email everyone on the list below, when the effective date is confirmed.

DCH described the change to the Board calmly: the background check part adds a cross-reference "so that all requirements associated with criminal background checks for owners, administrators, and direct care staff are contained within those designated rules", and "Long indicated no substantive changes were being made to the requirements." The second part updates health screening, including TB screening, "to align with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)". Board minutes, May 14, 2026, p. 4

Timeline

  1. May 14, 2026

    Initial adoption and public notice

    DCH presented the amendment to the Board of Community Health, which approved it for initial adoption unanimously. DCH posted the signed rules and synopsis with the meeting materials.

    Board summary and meeting page, May 14, 2026

  2. June 16, 2026

    Public hearing

    A public comment hearing was held by Zoom, at 11:30 a.m.

    Board minutes, May 14, 2026

  3. June 18, 2026

    Written comments closed

    Written comments were due on or before this date.

    Board minutes, May 14, 2026

  4. July 9, 2026

    Final adoption

    The Board unanimously approved the amendment for final adoption.

    Board summary, July 9, 2026

  5. July 14, 2026

    Final text posted

    DCH listed the final adoption text on its Public Notices page.

    DCH Public Notices

  6. Not confirmed

    Takes effect

    DCH has not published an effective date that we could confirm. We will update this page when it does.

    adopted text

Tell me when it takes effect

We check DCH and the Secretary of State record for the effective date. Leave your email and we will tell you when it is confirmed, and which of your policies need updating.

No spam. Only emails about Georgia home care rule changes. How we use your email.

What changes, side by side

Each change shows the rule as printed today next to the text the Board adopted, both quoted exactly, and the CareRulebook policies it touches.

  1. 1. Fingerprints before client contact

    111-8-65-.09(5)(a)1

    Staff must have a satisfactory fingerprint determination before serving as a direct access employee.

    Rule as printed today

    "Never have been shown by credible evidence (e.g. a court or jury, a department investigation, or other reliable evidence) to have abused, neglected, sexually assaulted, exploited, or deprived any person or to have subjected any person to serious injury as a result of intentional or grossly negligent misconduct as evidenced by an oral or written statement to this effect obtained at the time of application"

    Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-65-.09

    Adopted July 9, 2026

    "Prior to serving as a direct access employee, obtain a satisfactory fingerprint records check determination in compliance with the Rules and Regulations for Criminal Background Checks, Chapter 111-8-12"

    Amended 111-8-65-.09(5)(a)1

    CareRulebook policies affected: 3.3 Criminal history checks and registry searches; 3.1 Staffing policies

  2. 2. Health and TB screening

    111-8-65-.09(4)(c)4

    A health screening program replaces the annual TB test. TB screening happens before work starts, following CDC guidance.

    Rule as printed today

    "Documentation of a satisfactory TB screening test upon employment and annually thereafter"

    Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-65-.09

    Adopted July 9, 2026

    "Prior to starting work, all employees must be screened for TB in accordance with CDC guidance for baseline screening and testing for health care personnel."

    Amended 111-8-65-.09(4)(c)4

    CareRulebook policies affected: 3.4 Employee health and TB screening; 3.2 Personnel records; 7.1 Infection control

  3. 3. Administrator checks

    111-8-65-.09(3)(a)

    Administrators need a satisfactory fingerprint determination under Chapter 111-8-12, replacing the misconduct statement.

    Rule as printed today

    "Never have been shown by credible evidence (e.g. a court or jury, a department investigation, or other reliable evidence) to have abused, neglected, sexually assaulted, exploited, or deprived any person or to have subjected any person to serious injury as a result of intentional or grossly negligent misconduct as evidenced by an oral or written statement to this effect obtained at the time of application"

    Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-65-.09

    Adopted July 9, 2026

    "Obtain a satisfactory fingerprint records check determination in compliance with the Rules and Regulations for Criminal Background Checks, Chapter 111-8-12"

    Amended 111-8-65-.09(3)(a)

    CareRulebook policies affected: 3.3 Criminal history checks and registry searches; 1.1 Governing body, administrator and license

  4. 4. Owner checks

    111-8-65-.05(1)(b)

    Owners applying for a license follow Chapter 111-8-12.

    Rule as printed today

    "Prior to the issuance of any new license, the owner of the business or agency applying for the license ... shall be required to submit a records check application so as to permit the department to obtain a criminal history background check"

    Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-65-.05

    Adopted July 9, 2026

    "the owner of the business or agency applying for the license must comply with the requirements of the Rules and Regulations for Criminal Background Checks, Chapter 111-8-12."

    Amended 111-8-65-.05(1)(b)

    CareRulebook policies affected: 3.3 Criminal history checks and registry searches; 1.1 Governing body, administrator and license

The health screening program in change 2 is new wording, not a replacement for anything: "Each provider shall have in place a health screening program designed to identify conditions that may place clients at risk for infection, injury, or improper care." "The program shall include requirements and processes for initial, routine, and targeted health screenings of employees and contractors who interact with clients or conduct other activities with environmental impact." Amended 111-8-65-.09(4)(c)4(i)

Smaller changes in the same amendment

These follow from moving background checks into Chapter 111-8-12. They change where a requirement is written more than what an agency does.

The owner exemption and 12-month shortcut are removed from 111-8-65

111-8-65-.05(1)(b)1-2

The rule as printed lets DCH excuse an owner who has no office or residence where services are given, no direct access and no direct supervision of staff, and lets an owner send proof of a satisfactory check from the previous 12 months instead. The adopted text keeps only the cross-reference to Chapter 111-8-12. That chapter has its own 12-month rule: you may give DCH proof that "the individual has received a satisfactory determination within the immediately preceding 12 months".

Rule as printed today

"An owner may not be required to submit a records check application if a determination is made by the Department that the owner does not do any of the following"

Current rule text

Adopted July 9, 2026

Removed from Chapter 111-8-65.

Adopted text

111-8-12-.05(2)

The owner covered-crimes list leaves 111-8-65

111-8-65-.05(1)(c)-(e)

The adopted text no longer lists the 14 crimes, the 2007 transition rule for existing owners or DCH’s power to ask an owner for a new check. Chapter 111-8-12 covers the same ground: it defines covered crimes, tells an owner with an unsatisfactory result that they are ineligible, and lets DCH require a new check after an arrest.

Rule as printed today

"A private home care provider license shall not be issued, and any issued license shall be revoked, where it has been determined that the owner has received an unsatisfactory criminal records check determination involving any of the following covered crimes"

Current rule text

Adopted July 9, 2026

Removed from Chapter 111-8-65.

Adopted text

111-8-12-.03(3)111-8-12-.07111-8-12-.08

Background check definitions are dropped from .03

111-8-65-.03

The adopted .03 no longer defines "criminal history background check", "criminal record", "records check application" or satisfactory and unsatisfactory determinations, and the remaining definitions are relettered. The Chapter 111-8-12 definitions apply instead.

Rule as printed today

""Records check application" means two sets of classifiable fingerprints, a records search fee to be established by the department by rule and regulation"

Current rule text

Adopted July 9, 2026

Removed from Chapter 111-8-65.

Adopted text

111-8-12-.03

"After the effective date of these rules" is removed

111-8-65-.09(3)(a), .09(5)(a)

The qualification lists for administrators and staff no longer carry the phrase "after the effective date of these rules". The adopted wording simply says any administrator, and all staff hired by the provider.

Rule as printed today

"Any administrator employed after the effective date of these rules must meet the following minimum qualifications ... All staff hired after the effective date of these rules must meet the following minimum qualifications"

Current rule text

Adopted July 9, 2026

"Any administrator employed by the provider must meet the following minimum qualifications ... All staff hired by the provider must meet the following minimum qualifications"

Adopted text

The provisional license rule moves, unchanged

111-8-65-.05(1)(f) to .05(1)(c)

Because owner subsections are removed, the provisional license wording moves up from .05(1)(f) to .05(1)(c). The wording itself is the same, and DCH’s three-month provisional period comes from its checklist, not this rule.

Rule as printed today

"To allow a newly established provider a reasonable, but limited, time to demonstrate that its operational procedures comply with these rules"

Current rule text

Adopted July 9, 2026

"A provisional license may be issued by the department on a conditional basis for one of the following reasons"

Adopted text

DCH checklist, p. 2

What does not change

The amendment touches only rules .03, .05 and .09, and inside .09 only the background check and health screening wording. Everything else stays as it is.

ItemStays asSource
Registry checks before fingerprintsStill required for owners, administrators and employees, under Chapter 111-8-12.111-8-12-.04(1)
Fees$300 application fee and $250 a year per service category, up to $750. Fees sit in Chapter 111-8-25, which this amendment does not touch. Cost and timeline →111-8-25-.03(8)
Orientation, including TB exposureEvery employee is still oriented before working with clients, including their duty to report known exposure to TB or hepatitis.111-8-65-.09(6)(a)
Annual trainingAt least 8 hours a year for each employee after their first year.111-8-65-.09(6)(b)
Aide trainingThe four routes for personal care aides, including the 40-hour agency course (20 hours before serving clients).111-8-65-.09(5)(c)
Supervisory visitsEvery 92 days for personal care clients and every 122 days for companion clients. Rule .10 is not amended.111-8-65-.10(2)
Client recordsKept at least five years from the last service.111-8-65-.09(4)(b)1

What to do now: meet both versions

You do not need to wait for the effective date to get ready. Most of the adopted requirements can be met alongside the rule as printed, so a surveyor finds you compliant whichever version applies on the day. These are CareRulebook’s suggestions, each linked to the rule behind it.

  1. 01

    Wait for a satisfactory fingerprint result before client contact

    The adopted text requires the result before someone serves as a direct access employee. Chapter 111-8-12 still allows up to 30 days of supervised contact while a check is pending. Waiting for the result meets both, so it is the simpler policy to run today.

    Amended .09(5)(a)1; 111-8-12-.06(3)(a)Background checks, step by step →

  2. 02

    Screen for TB before work starts, using CDC guidance

    The adopted text asks for TB screening before starting work, in line with CDC guidance for health care personnel. The rule as printed asks for a TB screening test on employment. Following CDC baseline screening at hire covers both.

    Amended .09(4)(c)4(ii); .09(4)(c)4

  3. 03

    Keep the annual TB test for now

    The rule as printed still asks for a TB screening test every year. Until DCH confirms the effective date, keep doing it. When the change takes effect, routine screening follows your health screening program instead.

    111-8-65-.09(4)(c)4

  4. 04

    Start a simple health screening program

    The adopted text asks for initial, routine and targeted health screenings of employees and contractors who work with clients. Nothing in the current rule stops you from starting one now, so you are ready on day one.

    Amended .09(4)(c)4(i)

  5. 05

    Keep the misconduct statement on applications

    The rule as printed asks each new administrator and staff member for a statement that they have never been shown to have abused, neglected or exploited anyone. It costs nothing to keep collecting it until the change takes effect.

    111-8-65-.09(3)(a)1, .09(5)(a)1

  6. 06

    Fingerprint administrators and 10% owners through GCHEXS

    DCH’s application checklist already asks for a GCHEXS satisfactory determination letter for every administrator and every individual owner of 10% or more, dated within 12 months of applying.

    DCH checklist, items 7 and 9

Applying for a license now? The Georgia license application guide lists the GCHEXS letters DCH asks for, and the free license checklist puts every step in order.

Which CareRulebook policies are affected

6 of the 25 policies in the CareRulebook Georgia manual are touched by the amendment. Each one follows the rule in force today and has a section showing the adopted text and what will change when it takes effect.

  • Policy 1.1

    Governing body, administrator and license

    Changes: Administrator checks; Owner checks.

  • Policy 3.1

    Staffing policies

    Changes: Fingerprints before client contact.

  • Policy 3.2

    Personnel records

    Changes: Health and TB screening.

  • Policy 3.3

    Criminal history checks and registry searches

    Changes: Fingerprints before client contact; Administrator checks; Owner checks.

  • Policy 3.4

    Employee health and TB screening

    Changes: Health and TB screening.

  • Policy 7.1

    Infection control

    Changes: Health and TB screening.

Every policy Chapter 111-8-65 requires, rule by rule →

The CareRulebook manual preview on a laptop

CareRulebook

A manual that already knows about the change

CareRulebook writes every policy Chapter 111-8-65 requires for the services you offer, with your agency’s details and the rule quoted under each. The affected policies show the adopted text, and when DCH confirms the effective date we update them.

  • 25 policies, 52 rule requirements mapped
  • Policy 3.4: Employee health and TB screening
  • Policy 3.3: Criminal history checks and registry searches
  • 12 months of free updates when Georgia’s rules change
Preview your manual

$199CareRulebook founding price for the first 50 Georgia agencies, then $249. Not a DCH fee.

Questions worth confirming with DCH

We found these while comparing the adopted text with the rules around it. DCH’s checklist sends questions about regulations to the Private Home Care Team at hfrd.phcp@dch.ga.gov. DCH checklist, p. 1

The effective date

DCH has not published one that we could confirm, and the rule text we can read online still has the old wording. DCH’s checklist says the official rules are on record with the Georgia Secretary of State.

DCH checklist, p. 1

The 30-day grace period

Chapter 111-8-12 allows up to 30 days of supervised client contact while a check is pending. The adopted 111-8-65 text requires a satisfactory result before serving as a direct access employee. It is worth asking DCH whether the grace period still applies to private home care staff.

Amended .09(5)(a)1

Administrators already in post

The adopted text says any administrator employed by the provider needs a satisfactory fingerprint determination. If your administrator was approved before the change, it is worth confirming whether DCH expects a new determination.

Amended .09(3)(a)1

How often to re-screen for TB

The adopted text drops the annual TB test and asks for routine screenings under your health screening program, without naming a frequency. Confirm with DCH what a surveyor will expect.

Amended .09(4)(c)4(i)

Common questions, answered from the source

Do Georgia caregivers need an annual TB test?

It depends. The rule as currently printed says yes: on hire and every year. The 2026 amendment, finally adopted on July 9, 2026, replaces that with a health screening program and TB screening before work starts, following CDC guidance. Confirm the effective date with DCH before dropping annual tests.

"Prior to starting work, all employees must be screened for TB in accordance with CDC guidance for baseline screening and testing for health care personnel."

Can a new Georgia caregiver start before the fingerprint result comes back?

It depends. Chapter 111-8-12 allows up to 30 days of client contact while a check is pending, only under the direct supervision of a staff member who has a satisfactory determination, and never for an administrator. The 2026 amendment to Chapter 111-8-65, adopted July 9, 2026, requires a satisfactory fingerprint result before serving as a direct access employee. Until DCH confirms when it takes effect, the cautious course is to wait for the result.

"While a criminal background check is pending, the facility may permit an individual to have direct access to residents for a period not to exceed 30 days, provided that the individual is under the direct supervision of a staff member who has a satisfactory determination"

Frequently asked questions

Are Georgia’s 2026 private home care rule changes in effect yet?

Not that we can confirm. The Board of Community Health gave the amendment final adoption on July 9, 2026, and DCH posted the final text on July 14, 2026. DCH has not published an effective date that we could confirm, and the rule text available online still shows the old wording. Until DCH confirms the date, the practical course is to meet both versions where you can.

What does the 2026 amendment to Chapter 111-8-65 change?

It amends three rules: .03 Definitions, .05 Licenses and .09 Administration and Organization. Background check requirements for owners, administrators and staff now point to Chapter 111-8-12, staff need a satisfactory fingerprint result before serving as direct access employees, administrators need a satisfactory fingerprint determination in place of the misconduct statement, and the annual TB test is replaced by a health screening program with TB screening before work starts, following CDC guidance.

Do Georgia caregivers still need an annual TB test?

Under the rule as printed, yes: a TB screening test on employment and every year. The adopted amendment replaces that with a health screening program and TB screening before starting work, following CDC guidance for health care personnel. Until DCH confirms the effective date, keep the annual test.

Can a new caregiver start work before the fingerprint result comes back?

Chapter 111-8-12 allows up to 30 days of client contact under direct supervision while a check is pending, never for an administrator. The adopted 111-8-65 text requires a satisfactory fingerprint determination before serving as a direct access employee. Waiting for the result meets both versions.

Did DCH say the background check changes were substantive?

No. At the May 14, 2026 Board meeting, DCH said the amendment adds a cross-reference so that all background check requirements for owners, administrators and direct care staff sit in Chapter 111-8-12, and that no substantive changes were being made to the requirements.

Does the amendment change Georgia’s license fees?

No. Fees are set in Chapter 111-8-25, which this amendment does not touch. The application processing fee is $300 and the annual license fee is $250 for each service category, up to $750.

Who should I ask about the amendment?

DCH’s application checklist sends questions about regulations, surveys and permits to the Private Home Care Team at hfrd.phcp@dch.ga.gov.

Does the CareRulebook Georgia manual cover the change?

Yes. The manual follows the rule as printed, and each affected policy has a section showing the adopted text and what will change. When DCH confirms the effective date we update those policies, and buyers can download the new version free for 12 months.

Know the day it takes effect

Leave your email and we will tell you when DCH confirms the effective date of the Chapter 111-8-65 amendment, and what it means for your policies.

No spam. Only emails about Georgia home care rule changes. How we use your email.

Keep reading

Georgia

How to start a home care agency in Georgia

The license, service categories, fees, staff training and supervision.

Georgia

Georgia caregiver background checks

Registry checks, GCHEXS fingerprints and the 30-day grace period.

Georgia

Georgia home care policies and procedures

Every rule that asks for a written policy, mapped to the policy that meets it.

Georgia

Georgia administrator and RN requirements

Who can be administrator, the RN on your application and supervisors.

Georgia

Georgia license cost and timeline

Every DCH fee and every step from application to permanent permit.

Tool

Georgia license checklist

Every step, tailored to your agency, emailed to you.

Texas

Texas HCSSA rule changes

The proposed rewrite of 26 TAC Chapter 558.

Virginia

Virginia proposed rule changes

The 12VAC5-381 rewrite and remote supervision proposals, and where each stands.

Tracker

Rule change tracker

Every proposed and adopted change we follow, by state and nation.

Sources

  1. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 111-8-65, Rules and Regulations for Private Home Care Providers · Georgia DCH (text via Cornell LII, checked against the Secretary of State text) · retrieved September 30, 2026
  2. Private Home Care Providers, Chapter 111-8-65, final adoption (2026 amendment to rules .03, .05 and .09) · Georgia Department of Community Health · retrieved September 30, 2026
  3. Board of Community Health meeting minutes and summaries, May 14 and July 9, 2026 · Georgia Department of Community Health · retrieved September 30, 2026
  4. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 111-8-25, General Licensing and Enforcement Requirements (incl. 111-8-25-.03 fees) · Georgia DCH (text via Cornell LII, checked against the Secretary of State text) · retrieved September 30, 2026
  5. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 111-8-12, Rules and Regulations for Criminal Background Checks · Georgia DCH (text via Cornell LII) · retrieved September 30, 2026
  6. Private Home Care Providers Application Checklist (July 2026) · Georgia Department of Community Health · retrieved September 30, 2026
Tell me when it takes effectGeorgia