Georgia Occupational Regulation Review Council - House Bill 412, LC 33 8468 Applied Behavior Analyst Licensure Act - A Review of the Proposed Legislation

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Fez

Georgia Occupational Regulation Review Council reviews House Bill 412 (LC 33 8468), which would extend licensure to individuals practicing applied behavior analysis and create the Georgia Behavior Analyst Licensing Board. The Council gathers input from multiple stakeholder organizations and applies statutory criteria under O.C.G.A. §43-1A-6. Findings emphasize potential harm from unregulated ABA practice, the need for specialized training, and the conclusion that state regulation is the best protection for consumers. The Council recommends passage, with attention to accountability and supervision of behavioral technicians.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Georgia Occupational Regulation Review Council Membership 2021

Introduction

Description of Proposed Legislation

Current Practices

The Issue and Potential for Harm Findings

Recommendation

Appendix A: Summary of Proposed Legislation

Appendix B: Complete Text of House Bill 412

Appendix C: Fiscal Note for HB 412

Georgia Occupational Regulation Review Council House Bill 412, LC 33 8468 Applied Behavior Analyst Licensure Act A Review of the Proposed Legislation AUGUST 2021 Table of Contents Executive Summary Georgia Occupational Regulation Review Council Membership 2021 Introduction Description of Proposed Legislation Current Practices The Issue and Potential for Harm Findings Recommendation Appendix A: Summary of Proposed Legislation Appendix B: Complete Text of House Bill 412 Appendix C: Fiscal Note for HB 412 As provided in O.C.G.A. §43-1A, the Georgia Occupational Regulation Review Council (Council) reviews all bills proposing licensure of a profession or business referred to by the chairperson of the legislative committee of reference. Accordingly, the Council, at the request of the chairperson of the House Regulated Industries Committee, has reviewed House Bill 412, which proposes extending licensure to individuals practicing applied behavior analysis and to create the Georgia Behavior Analyst Licensing Board. During the course of this review, Council staff obtained information from the applicant group – the Georgia Association for Behavior Analysis (GABA)– the Georgia Occupational Therapy Association (GOTA), the Georgia Academy of Audiology (GAA), the Georgia Speech-Language-Hearing Association (GSHA), the Georgia Psychological Association (GPA), Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), and the Office of the Secretary of State (SOS), while also conducting internal research. O.C.G.A. §43-1A-6 requires the Council to consider certain criteria when determining the need for the regulation of a business or profession. For this review, the Council used these criteria to guide the development of findings related to the licensure of occupational therapists. The Council, with assistance from staff, developed the following findings during this review: ❖ The unregulated practice of applied behavior analysis may harm or endanger the health, safety, and welfare of citizens of this state. With approximately 1,112 license-eligible individuals practicing applied behavior analysis in Georgia, citizens of this state may be harmed by the practice in an unregulated environment and the lack of consumer protections in place. ❖ The practice of applied behavior analysis requires specialized skill or training. Behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts must meet certain education requirements and attain certain degrees, undergo supervised training, and pass an exam to achieve certification by the Behavioral Analyst Certification Board, Inc., thereby meeting licensure requirements laid out in HB 412. ❖ The citizens of this state will be best protected by state regulation of behavior analysts. Citizens of Georgia will be best protected from malpractice by regulating behavior analysts practicing in this state. ❖ There are no means other than state regulation to protect the interests of the state. State regulation of behavior analysis is the only way to protect the interests of those receiving treatment in this state. Based on these findings, the Council recommends that the bill pass but recommends that the applicant group work with the legislature to address the accountability and supervision of the Behavioral Technicians. The vote was unanimous. Georgia Occupational Regulation Review Council Membership 2021 Standing Members Anna Wrigley Miller, Chairwoman Kelly Dudley Bo Warren Stephen DeBaun Kate Iannuzzi Megan Andrews Sam Teasley Legislative Members Representative Ginny Ehrhart Senator Ben Watson Representing Office of Planning and Budget State Accounting Office Department of Agriculture Department of Revenue Department of Natural Resources Department of Public Health Office of the Secretary of State Georgia House of Representatives Georgia State Senate House Bill (HB) 412 provides for licensure of individuals practicing applied behavior analysis (ABA) and would create the G

FAQs

What is the purpose of House Bill 412 in Georgia?

It proposes extending licensure to individuals practicing applied behavior analysis and creating the Georgia Behavior Analyst Licensing Board.

What key risks does the Council identify with unregulated applied behavior analysis?

The report states that unregulated practice may harm or endanger the health, safety, and welfare of Georgia citizens due to the lack of consumer protections.

What does the Council recommend regarding HB 412?

The Council recommends the bill pass unanimously, while asking the applicant group to work with the legislature to address accountability and supervision of behavioral technicians.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Fez