Legislative Update 02/02/2026

 

First, let’s take a moment to celebrate that SB 195 PEP/PrEP Administration received a unanimous ‘Do Pass’ recommendation from the House Health committee!  

 

SB 195, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome), advanced through the Senate last year, made it out of the House Health committee and then ran out of time before Sine Die.  Through a standard parliamentary procedure, all bills that did not make it on the House floor were recommitted back to the assigned subject matter committee.   

 

SB 195 was first up this year in the House Health Committee with minor language clarifications. Most of these changes deal with clarifying that the protocol agreement is between a physician and up to 10 pharmacists, not pharmacies. Dr. Kenric Ware, GPhA Member and Mercer Professor, and Cathalene Teahan with the Georgia AIDS Coalition, were on hand in case of questions from the committee; however, the bill passed quickly. We thank Dr. Ware and Cathalene Teahan for sharing their expertise with committee members. 

 

Next stop for SB 195 is the House Rules committee. Because of this language change, once SB 195 passes the House floor it will ultimately have to go back to the Senate for an agree/disagree vote for final passage.  

 

In that same committee this week there was a passionate debate about organ transplants and the COVID-19 vaccines. HB 522, sponsored by Rep. Joseph Gullett (R-Dallas), would bar healthcare providers from denying a patient’s organ transplant or placement on an organ transplant waitlist based on the individuals COVID-19 vaccination status. Anatomical Gifts, in legal terms, are highly regulated, and individuals are evaluated before becoming qualified recipients. Committee member Rep. Don Parsons (R-Marietta) shared with the committee his opposition to this bill. Rep. Parsons lost several people to COVID-19, including his daughter. In support of the bill was an individual telling her personal story about being denied a place on the organ transplant waiting list because she refused the COVID-19 vaccine.  HB 522 passed out of committee by an 11-6 vote.  

 

You can watch the Health Committee Hearing here.  

The Georgia General Assembly has completed nine Legislative Days through Thursday, January 29. Legislative Days will resume on February 2 with LD 10 and continue through Friday, February 5, for LD 14.

 

On Monday, February 2, the Senate Health and Human Services committee is scheduled to meet in the afternoon. There is some confusion whether it will be at 2pm or 4pm as the online schedule shows 2pm while the agenda says 4pm. These things sometimes happen, and we are so glad we have lobbyists on the ground every day to cover as things develop. Those are your membership dues hard at work! Currently there is one bill on the agenda regarding dry needling -- ouch. 

 

On Tuesday, February 3, the House Public and Community Health committee is scheduled to meet at 2pm. On the agenda is a presentation on Prader-Willi Syndrome, a presentation on Hemophilia, and two bills. Senate Insurance and Labor is scheduled for 3pm; no agenda yet. 

 

Senate Health and Human Services is scheduled again for Wednesday, February 4, at 4pm; no agenda posted.  

 

Committee times and agendas often change.  You can view the committee meeting notices here.  

Each chamber has a very powerful Rules Committee, the final stop for bill before being placed on the chamber’s Rules Calendar for a full floor vote.  For a bill to become law, it must go through an assigned subject matter committee, then the Rules Committee, and then a full floor vote.  After that it crosses over to the other chamber and does the same thing all over again.  

 

The House Rules Committee Chairman is Rep. Butch Parrish (R-Swainsboro) who is a pharmacist and we are proud to say a GPhA Member. The Senate Rules Committee Chairman, Sen. Matt Brass (R-Newnan), is a known friend of the profession of pharmacy. House Rules generally meets at 9am before the start of the legislative day and the Senate Rules upon adjournment of their floor session. You can view the members of the House Rules committee here and the Senate Rules committee here.  

 

The Senate Rules Committee met for the first time this session on Tuesday of last week. Occasionally, bills will be assigned to the Rules committee as a subject matter committee.  These are usually either ceremonial (road naming bills), or highly controversial (last year’s tort reform package). Senate Rules met as a Standing Committee to review four pieces of legislation. The most intriguing bill the Committee heard that day was HB 117 sponsored by Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah). Rep. Petrea reported to the committee that he is concerned about illegal radioactive shrimp being imported into Georgia and served in restaurants, which may have misleading advertisements. HB 117 would require “FOREIGN IMPORTED” or “FOREIGN IMPORTED SHRIMP” to be displayed on menus or placards. HB 117 passed the Senate Rules Committee as a Standing committee on Tuesday, then again on Thursday, and is scheduled to come before the whole Senate today.  

 

House Rules Committee met for the first time this year on Wednesday of last week.  The meeting began with recognition of the late Rep. Mandi Balinger, who was secretary of the committee. Rep. Trey Kelley (R-Cedartown) was introduced as the new secretary of the House Rules Committee, which heard one resolution, HR 1008, sponsored by Rep. Lynn Smith (R-Newnan).  HR 1008 ratifies changes to the statewide water management council. HR 1008 was placed on the Rules Calendar for a floor vote on Thursday of last week and received passage from the House.  

HB 973 Supplemental appropriations; State Fiscal Year July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026 

Sponsor Jon Burns (R-Newington)  

Status: In House Appropriations 

Supplemental Budget for FY 2026. More budget documents can be found here. 

 

HB 974 General appropriations; State Fiscal Year July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 

Sponsor Jon Burns (R-Newington)  

Status: In House Appropriations 

Budget for FY 2027. More budget documents can be found here. 

 

HB 981 Professions and businesses; expand certain advanced practice registered nurse and physician assistant prescriptive authorizations 

Sponsor Alan Powell (R-Hartwell) 

Status: In House Public & Community Health  

This bill would expand prescriptive authority of Advance Practice Registered Nurses and physician assistants from a five-day emergency supply to a thirty-day supply of prescription medication, expand the type of medication to include stimulants and remove the limitations that authority only applies to patients 18 years or older. 

 

HB 1006  Public Health, Department of; require inclusion of an opioid antagonist in first aid kits maintained at certain establishments 

Sponsor Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus) 

Status: In House Public & Community Health 

This bill would require restaurants, bars, taverns and night clubs, to have at least three opioid antagonists on site, one of which must be included with a first aid kit. Employers would be responsible for training staff on location of antagonists within the facility and proper use of the antagonist.  

 

HB 1089 Controlled substances; ivermectin as an over-the-counter medication; provide 

Sponsor Karen Mathiak (R-Griffin)  

Status: Introduced  

This bill would allow Ivermectin to be sold over the counter.   Similar bill to SB 366 whose sponsor has resigned to run for a different office.  

  

SB 195 Pharmacies; pharmacists are authorized to dispense preexposure prophylaxis and postexposure prophylaxis under certain conditions; provide 

Sponsor Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome)  

Status: Passed Senate 55-0; Passed House Health; In House Rules  

Bi-partisan bill allowing pharmacist to dispense PrEP and PEP treatment. Before dispensing or administering PrEP or PEP medication to a patient, a pharmacist will need to complete a training program accredited by ACPE and approved by the Georgia Board of Pharmacy. The Board of Pharmacy will need to approve the training program by January 1, 2026. The patient may present a negative HIV test taken within the previous seven days, or the pharmacist may order and administer a CLIA-waived HIV test. 

 

SB 440 Department of Public Health; provisions relative to duties or functions; modernize and update 

Sponsor: Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Marietta)  

Status: Introduced 

Bipartisan code update dealing with the Department of Public Health. Removes outdated language.

PharmPAC is the Georgia Pharmacy Association’s political action committee, established to advocate on behalf of all of pharmacy practice in the state to protect the rights of pharmacy employees, protect the practice of pharmacy in the state, elect candidates who champion pharmacy and pharmacists, and bring important policy issues to the attention of elected officials in Georgia.

 

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These updates and alerts are a benefit of GPhA membership to keep our members in the know. GPhA believes it is valuable information to help you be a better pharmacist, pharmacy technician, and pharmacy owner.

 

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