Rep. Imani Barnes Reintroduces EmPATH Georgia Act

ATLANTA - State Representative Imani Barnes (D-Tucker) recently reintroduced the "EmPATH Georgia Act," legislation originally introduced as House Bill 913, during the 2024 legislative session. This year's version, House Bill 109, provides for a 5-year pilot program that would require the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to coordinate with the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) to establish a grant program for creating emergency psychiatric assessments, treatment and healing (EmPATH) units in hospitals. House Bill 109 would further require grant funding for the creation, development and operation of at least two EmPATH units, one in a rural county and the other in an urban county.

"I'm proud to reintroduce the EmPATH Georgia Act this year," said Rep. Barnes. "This legislation is a crucial step toward improving mental health care in our state by creating dedicated units in hospitals for emergency psychiatric assessments, treatment and healing. Recently, in 2023, South Carolina established a $35 million grant to provide one-time funding to 13 EmPATH units for a three-year pilot program. HB 109 would ask for a five-year pilot program. By establishing a grant program through DCH, we can ensure that individuals in crisis receive the care they need, when they need it, in a compassionate and effective manner. This is about providing timely support and saving lives."

During the 2024 legislative session, Rep. Barnes introduced HB 913, which would establish what are known as "EmPATH" units, hospital-based emergency care units that provide emergency psychiatric assessment and treatment for individuals struggling with behavioral health crises. Although HB 913 did not receive final passage, Rep. Barnes introduced HB 109 this year to build on that earlier effort. The goal of EmPATH units is to expedite patient care, quickly stabilize individuals in crisis, reduce emergency department wait times and free up inpatient beds for those who need them most. HB 109 would mandate that evaluations for intensive crisis treatment be conducted within 24 hours of a patient's admission to the hospital unit. Additionally, the bill would require EmPATH units to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing intensive, short-term, non-institutional treatment.

To read the full text of HB 109, please click here.

Representative Imani Barnes represents the citizens of District 86, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves on the Higher Education, Public and Community Health and Technology and Infrastructure Innovation committees.

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