ATLANTA – The Georgia House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 1040 on Friday, March 26, 2010. Sponsored by Representative Jimmy Pruett (R-Eastman), HB 1040 allows individuals to have certain health maintenance activities performed by a friend or caregiver that would otherwise have to be provided by an RN or LPN because the individual cannot provide the activities to themselves due to disability.
“HB 1040 provides Georgians with more options and flexibility concerning their own healthcare,” said Representative Pruett.
Current law allows family members to perform certain health maintenance activities, but HB 1040 expands this ability to include friends and caregivers as an option. The legislation is intended to target services that would otherwise have to be provided by an RN or LPN because the patient cannot provide the activities to themselves due to disability.
Health maintenance activities are defined as activities that, but for a disability, a person could reasonably be expected to do for himself or herself. They are activities that can be performed safely and are reasonably precise with unchanging directions. Assistance with these activities enables disabled patients to continue to live at home, rather than be put into an institution. These activities are part of ongoing care and do not include activities that require complex care, complex observations, or making critical decisions.
A link to HB 1040 can be found by clicking here. The bill is now in the Senate for consideration.
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Representative Jimmy Pruett represents the citizens of District 144, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, and Wilcox Counties and portions of Ben Hill and Pulaski Counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2006, and serves as one of Governor Perdue’s Floor Leaders. He currently serves on the Appropriations, Children & Youth, Economic Development & Tourism, and Industrial Relations Committees. He can be reached at Jimmy.Pruett@house.ga.gov or 404-651-7737.