State Rep. Trey Kelley has sponsored a new bill in the Georgia House that proposes an overhaul of the contracting system for organizations managing Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids, as stated by the Georgia State House.
Labeled as HB1502, the measure was introduced Tuesday, March 3 during the 2026 session of the 158th General Assembly. The bill’s formal description reads: ’Community Health, Department of; contracts with care management organizations for the provision of healthcare services for Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids recipients; establish requirements’.
The following summary draws on the official bill text. It includes explanatory material to increase readers’ understanding of its contents.
This legislation establishes updated procedures for the Department of Community Health when contracting with care management organizations offering Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids services. Key provisions require the state to publicly release draft application requests and related documents, solicit public feedback, and contract with eligible organizations that meet established minimum standards for quality and performance. It halts any ongoing procurements as of its effective date, grants members the ability to select from qualifying regional plans, and imposes ongoing evaluations, benchmark tracking, public reporting, and recertification steps. The bill also outlines organizations’ rights to appeal, set enforcement actions for rule violations, and makes this process the only approach for these contracts. Implementation would occur once approved, impacting all upcoming contracts.
Rep. Bruce Williamson (Republican-112th) and Rep. Demetrius Douglas (Democrat-78th) have joined as co-sponsors.
Kelley has put forward 23 proposals since this session began, with seven of those measures gaining passage.
Kelley earned a BS from Shorter University in 2008 and a JD from Georgia State University College of Law in 2014.
A Republican, Kelley joined the Georgia State House in 2013 representing the 16th House District, succeeding Rick Crawford.
The legislative process in Georgia starts when a lawmaker—sometimes prompted by a constituent—partners with the Office of Legislative Counsel to draft a bill. After being filed with the House Clerk or Senate Secretary, the bill goes through an initial reading and is referred to committee for discussion and review. Once it clears committee, the measure moves forward for subsequent readings, debate, and a full chamber vote. For enactment, the bill must pass both legislative bodies—sometimes via conference committee to reconcile changes—before submission to the governor. The governor is given six days within a session, or 40 days following adjournment (Sine Die), to sign, veto, or let the law take effect without a signature. The Georgia General Assembly convenes annually for a 40-day session starting the second Monday in January.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB1470 | 02/26/2026 | Torts; abusive litigation based on alleged website access violations under federal and state law; create a cause of action |
| HB1444 | 02/24/2026 | Sales and use tax; require each sales tax return include specific information |
| HB1361 | 02/18/2026 | Pharmacies; compounding of certain active pharmaceutical ingredients; provisions |
| HB1354 | 02/18/2026 | Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act; require certain health insurers providing a network plan to approve credentialing applications within a certain time frame |
| HB1333 | 02/17/2026 | Municipal corporations; calculation of costs of governmental affairs activities by municipalities which taxpayers may elect not to pay; provide |
| HB1303 | 02/12/2026 | Crimes and offenses; offense of possession of a controlled substance in the presence of a child; provide |
| HB1236 | 02/06/2026 | Insurance; medical necessity of a healthcare service; provisions |
| HB1211 | 02/05/2026 | Insurance; guidelines and recommendations for colorectal cancer screening, examinations, and laboratory tests; provide |
| HB848 | 03/25/2025 | Polk County; school district ad valorem tax; provide homestead exemption |
| HB834 | 03/25/2025 | Cedartown, City of; Redevelopment Powers Law; provide for a referendum |
| HB802 | 03/20/2025 | Cedartown, City of; Redevelopment Powers Law; provide for a referendum |
| HB757 | 03/11/2025 | Crimes and offenses; registration of kratom products and sworn certification of compliance; provide |
| HB482 | 02/18/2025 | Courts; superior court judicial officers in certain judicial circuits; provide |
| HB481 | 02/18/2025 | Elections; dates on which special elections to present questions to the voters can be held; revise provisions |
| HB432 | 02/12/2025 | Game and fish; Georgia turkey stamps; provide |
| HB412 | 02/12/2025 | Polk County Water Authority; reappointment of members; change certain provisions |
| HB359 | 02/10/2025 | Cedartown, City of; Redevelopment Powers Law; provide for a referendum |
| HB320 | 02/06/2025 | Waste management; require recycling of solar panels |
| HB298 | 02/05/2025 | Health; requirements for nurse staffing in hospitals; provide |
| HB274 | 02/05/2025 | Alternative ad valorem tax; motor vehicles; change certain definitions |
| HB273 | 02/05/2025 | Title ad valorem tax; motor vehicles; change certain definitions |
| HB199 | 01/30/2025 | Courts; protection of personally identifiable information of judges and their spouses; modify provisions |
| HB196 | 01/30/2025 | State employees’ health insurance plan; drugs dispensed for self-administration; provisions |
Information for this article comes from the Georgia State House. For source data, visit here.
