[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6053809,"mediaKeyId","3352975-5bc8e3ca94f05e20f25916987ae2ae03","parentId",3352975,"title","Georgia committee hears debate on licensing radiologist assistants; bill tabled for revisions","audioSeconds",1341,"startMs",1136000,"endMs",2477000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3352975-5bc8e3ca94f05e20f25916987ae2ae03&start=1136&end=2477","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3352975-5bc8e3ca94f05e20f25916987ae2ae03/thumbnail_1136000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6053809/Georgia/Georgia-committee-hears-debate-on-licensing-radiologist-assistants-bill-tabled-for-revisions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053809-424fdc4122662cf19c7cb5e35b37afa6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437835&Signature=fVbbgLXq-etVrA2tQt-GXHuII~TK-cyijJ5BFEAifv-MfYlx-FLuPrjOuCCl81Iogxykst4xyBYssLeQXvMWZpHmiq3Xh3eacnZKsjzYZGpIgkzIvmMSVorEanL96erJugfBrD-lvFqIFKtTVycb3QB8T7g1-47ttvPsHF9rNY5b70P9BvCcc3HSM-XLEiMz8VxJ1UE~COlWk-XyMT08DQ1Mg4EmUlwg-5EvHArfB5m7dPMInVeTOdDzkXB35ErYjzbfHyQkYiEYg899jc5PVDNDxt7QEzrAZXzWfu6ios2d~uLYSCCizIqh5uSjM~-TAPEjT2v9eeToLuJSpANXxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","GA Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities","date","2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee took testimony on House Bill 571 on Oct. 12, 2025, a measure that would create a state licensure pathway for radiologist assistants and set a July 1, 2025, effective date; after more than two hours of questions and testimony the committee voted to table the bill to allow sponsors and stakeholders to revise language.

The measure would add an article to state code authorizing the Composite Medical Board to license radiologist assistants, define permissible procedures and supervision levels, and create an advisory group to help the board set scope and protocols. Supporters said licensure would give hospitals confidence to hire assistants, expand a midlevel career path for radiologic technologists, and speed access to diagnostic procedures. Opponents and several committee members said the bill’s timing and supervision language could limit access in rural areas.

Becky Ryals, representing the Georgia Radiological Society and the Georgia Society for Radiologic Technologists, said the board concluded licensure was appropriate because radiologist assistants complete radiologic technologist training plus an additional two years of education and clinical training. “The composite medical board felt that their training was commiserate with other mid levels in Georgia,” Ryals said, describing how a protocol agreement would match an assistant’s documented competencies to the supervising radiologist’s specialty.

Dr. Bill Harrington, retired radiologist and former leader at the American College of Radiology, told the committee the role provides an upward career path for technologists and helps address workforce shortages. “If you’re a radiologic technologist…there’s no place to go,” Harrington said. He noted that Medicare and CMS created billing codes that place radiologist assistants within existing midlevel payment frameworks, but that federal and state administrative steps remain.

Dr. Ali Sheikh, medical director of radiology at Houston Medical Center and other regional hospitals, urged broader allowance for general supervision in order to preserve after-hours access in rural hospitals. “This bill in its current form is very restrictive and will be detrimental to the citizens of Houston County and the surrounding counties that we service,” Sheikh said, adding that his practice’s radiology assistant had performed more than 2,500 minor invasive procedures under general supervision without safety concerns.

Committee members asked whether current, practicing radiologist assistants in Georgia already meet the bill’s proposed qualifications. Ryals said fewer than 100 radiologist assistants currently practice in the state and that most have the registry credential from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). Committee members pressed the sponsor about the bill’s July 1, 2025, effective date and whether the Composite Medical Board and its advisory group could form and process dozens of initial license applications in the time allotted; supporters said they believed the board and stakeholders could meet the timetable but acknowledged the timeline is tight.

Several senators also questioned language that would allow the board discretion to issue licenses even where applicants meet listed qualifications; one member flagged that the bill uses “may issue” where members expected a mandatory (“shall”) issuance when statutorily qualified. Supporters said the “may” language preserves the board’s authority to deny licensure for conduct-based reasons.

After testimony and amendments were discussed, a majority of committee members voted to table House Bill 571 so the sponsor and interested parties could negotiate changes, including proposed amendments to permit more procedures under general supervision, to adjust the effective date, and to refine licensure issuance language. The committee asked sponsors to circulate revised language quickly for possible action at the next meeting.

If revised language returns to the committee, sponsors and medical-board representatives said they would focus on: (1) explicit definitions of personal/direct/general supervision aligned with CMS guidance; (2) a phased approach to scope expansion tied to case logs and board protocols; and (3) clarifying licensure issuance criteria and the role of the advisory group.

The committee did not vote on final passage; the action taken was to table the bill for further drafting and stakeholder negotiation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","03/26/2025 Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee took testimony on House Bill 571 on Oct. 12, 2025, a measure that would create a state licensure pathway for radiologist assistants and set a July 1, 2025, effective date; after more than two hours of questions and testimony the committee voted to table the bill to allow sponsors and stakeholders to revise language.","taxTitle","Regulated Industries and Utilities, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Georgia","taxId",17677,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6053804,"Committee approves substitute allowing homeowners to drill irrigation wells; Piedmont Water raises operational concerns",398,5267000,5665000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3352975-5bc8e3ca94f05e20f25916987ae2ae03&start=5267&end=5665","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3352975-5bc8e3ca94f05e20f25916987ae2ae03/thumbnail_5267000.jpg","/articles/6053804/Georgia/Committee-approves-substitute-allowing-homeowners-to-drill-irrigation-wells-Piedmont-Water-raises-operational-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053804-7bf8606f0e751c5247f6db2e38e5717e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437835&Signature=YwURf9mlBwjCXPX-RI7R0lT1trflfgs8txQovbkOd3IhEIDSr42Xv9m7HOaAm34rSpY~znE-kO0kIzuP-RW5C-VZ0sKWb8AI--4WiJHko92FNL3W6aXpjJeHP7jZdnmsIUbkTuynzquzuj1tfKqEJQqncCKobZH97MRi7GF47rEoXGKXNcaAtYgtW8QsOoD7AkyrM86g7AM0L-NWsPCmifvpxCBbviyUDMnns3vR3nt2nOq8YOHXqxjAY3aVx~GvZlyHKtAmU6-40y8~0z3~gu6UB7Cn2NpDflFdD-yze7VVgMRLupDxLWwgb3sZkYG58TqREBIrxc3z9NOtAW1h3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee approved a committee substitute on Oct. 12, 2025, providing private property owners in surface-water service areas an option to drill wells for irrigation use without authorizing sale of that water to others. The substitute, LC550632S as amended, passed the committee after senators debated competing concerns about private investment, customer protection and local public-health rules.

Adam Schaefer, chief executive officer of Piedmont Water Company, urged the panel to reject the original House bill and warned against imposing a public-utility regulatory framework on private water providers. “This legislation would force us to reassess our planned projects, which would negatively impact our customers,” Schaefer said, adding that Piedmont is one of two private companies in Georgia that invested private capital to develop surface-water sources.

Schaefer and other witnesses said the company provides fire protection and storage capacity across 71 water systems and 10 sewer systems in 14 counties and that substantial capital investments — including a $15 million surface-water treatment plant built in 2022 — affect customer rates. He described tiered pricing that aims to conserve water and said approximately 85% of Piedmont’s customers use 5,000 gallons or less per month; a smaller group of high-irrigation users account for large seasonal demand spikes.

Representative Rhodes, who offered a committee substitute to the original House bill, said the revised language would not impose price controls or interfere with Piedmont’s contract with large customers. Instead, the substitute would allow homeowners to drill wells for irrigation on their own parcels, subject to environmental and county health rules and with a prohibition on reselling the water. Rhodes described the approach as giving homeowners “another option” without converting private systems into public utilities.

Committee members asked detailed technical questions about fire-flow capacity, storage tanks and hydrant management. Schaefer said Piedmont maintains nine overhead storage tanks on systems with fire protection, totaling about 1.3 million gallons, and that fire protection design focuses on storage and pressure as well as source generation. The company said it inspects hydrants and provides meters to builders who temporarily draw water for construction.

Senators also discussed how separating irrigation water from potable household service would affect sewer billing: Piedmont staff noted that wastewater charges rely on metered water use and that the company would need a reliable method to document that a given well is used only for irrigation and not for household potable use. Committee discussion resulted in an amendment clarifying that wells authorized by the substitute are intended for irrigation (nonpotable) use and cannot be used to supply neighboring parcels or be sold commercially.

After floor discussion the committee approved the substitute as amended on a committee vote. Sponsors and Piedmont representatives said they would continue discussions about implementation details — including county health department reviews, how utilities would measure wastewater flows if customers use private wells for irrigation, and protections for existing private capital investments.

The committee’s action creates a legislative pathway allowing homeowners in affected surface-water territories to pursue on-parcel irrigation wells while leaving regulation of rates and overall water-service oversight outside the scope of the substitute. Sponsors said the language is intended as a compromise to address constituent complaints about high summer irrigation bills while preserving private infrastructure and existing contracts.","After testimony from Piedmont Water and county leaders, the committee adopted a committee substitute that would permit property owners in certain surface-water service areas to drill wells for irrigation use, with limits. The substitute passed the committee as amended; sponsors said the change gives homeowners an option while preserving private-","actionData","errors"]

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Georgia committee hears debate on licensing radiologist assistants; bill tabled for revisions

Committee approves substitute allowing homeowners to drill irrigation wells; Piedmont Water raises operational concerns