03 Nov 2025

Legislative Update Week 8:
Crossover is Coming

From Ben Ross, PharmD
President, GPhA Board of Directors

Welcome to our eighth weekly Legislative Update Newsletter of the 2025-2026 Georgia General Assembly Legislative Session.

We'll start once again with a look at key events this week:

Monday, March 3 brings us to Legislative Day 26. Committee meetings begin as early at 7am. The House will gavel in for a floor session at 10am, and the Senate is scheduled for a 1pm start time.

Tuesday, March 4 is Legislative Day 27 and Wednesday, March 5 is a committee working day. Expect lots and lots of committee meetings and agendas to be announced, rescheduled, new bills added, etc.

Thursday March 6 is Legislative Day 28 aka Crossover Day. LD 28 is the last day for a piece of legislation to “Crossover” to the other chamber during this calendar year. To continue the legislative process, a House bill must be voted on by the House and sent over to the Senate for consideration, and a Senate Bill must pass the Senate and be sent over to the House. If a bill does not “Crossover” on or before Thursday, it cannot be considered by the opposite chamber for the rest of this year (with exception of fancy parliamentary maneuvers, which we will report as they happen). Any bill that has not crossed over can be picked up next year since we are in the first year of a two-year biennium. Expect the floor session to go late into the evening.

Friday, March 7 will be a day of rest and catching up before starting Legislative Day 29 on March 10.

SB 195, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome), passed out of the Senate Health and Human Services (HHS) committee last week with unanimous support. This bipartisan bill allows pharmacists 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 195 is currently scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor today, Monday, March 3. There is a floor amendment which will clarify the term “board” means the Georgia Board of Pharmacy in several places throughout the bill.

Over on the other side, CHW or HB 291, received passage from the House Public and Community Health (P&CH) committee, and is awaiting action from the House Rules committee. HB 291, sponsored by Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville), would create a Georgia Community Health Worker (CHW) Certification Committee under the Department of Public Health. The committee would be charged with developing a certification program that includes setting standards and core competencies, developing training programs, and creating a process to accept complaints. In addition, the Committee would handle disciplinary action against any CHW violating rules and standards. The original bill was substituted in committee with a new version adding a “sunset” to dissolve the Community Health Worker Certification Committee on June 30, 2029. Sunsets, or deadlines to end a program or law, are often used to advance programs or legislative ideas that are new so that the program could be evaluated before becoming permanent. Sunsets can be extended or completely lifted with future legislation.

The tastiest bills to pass the House this year are HB 14 and HB 233. HB 14 would declare cornbread as the official state bread of Georgia. The sponsor, Rep. Kasey Carpenter (R- Dalton), was unable to get this bill across the finish line last year. Rep. Angela Moore (D-Stonecrest) joined to help this year with HB 65 to designate collard greens as official state greens and potlikka as official state dipping sauce of the official state bread. HB 65 is still awaiting action in committee.

HB 233, sponsored by Rep. Rick Townsend (R- Brunswick) would assert Brunswick Stew as the official stew of Georgia:

(1) Brunswick stew is a rich, thick stew noted for its signature ingredients of meat, tomatoes, and fresh vegetables, such as sweet corn;  

(2) A plaque on an old iron pot in Brunswick, Georgia, declares the first Brunswick stew was made in it on July 2, 1898, on nearby St. Simons Island; and  

(3) Contrary to claims by other states, Georgia, and specifically Brunswick, Georgia, is the birthplace of Brunswick stew.

We are told corn bread was available in the chamber’s anteroom before and after the vote for HB 14. We have not confirmed if collard greens, potlikka or Brunswick stew were included.

Tort Reform – Detour or Hot Lane?

Governor Kemp’s marquee bills, a tort reform package consisting of SB 68 and SB 69, sailed through the Senate. The House has created a Rules subcommittee on Lawsuit Reform in which these bills will be vetted.

Subcommittee members include:

Subcommittee Chairman Rob Leverett (R-Elberton)
Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones (R-Milton)
Majority Leader Chuck Efstration (R-Mulberry)
Minority Caucus Chairwoman Tanya Miller (D-Atlanta)
Rules Chairman Butch Parrish (R-Swainsboro)
Appropriation Chairman Rep. Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin)
Majority Whip James Burchett (R-Waycross)
Minority Whip Sam Park (D–Lawrenceville)
Judiciary Chairman Rep. Stand Gunter (R-Blairsville)
Rep. Mark Newton (R–Augusta)
Rep. Stacey Evans (D-Atlanta)
Rep. Al Williams (D–Midway)

The subcommittee held their first meeting last Thursday for the initial hearing on SB 68, Sponsored by Senator John Kennedy (R-Macon), President Pro Tem of the Senate. You can watch the video here.

HB 89 Public Health, Department of; require healthcare providers, facilities, and pharmacies to provide the Maternal Mortality Review Committee with psychiatric or other clinical records
Sponsor Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta)
Status: Back in the House Rules Committee
The Georgia Department of Public Health collects information and records to provide information to the Maternal Mortality Review Committee. The records and information are collected from all healthcare providers, including pharmacists, to obtain information around a maternal death. This bill will add psychiatric records to the requirements and create a Regional Perinatal Center Advisory Committee. This bill was sent back to the committee the prior week to be reworked, has passed out of committee again and is waiting House Rules committee action.

HB 100 Prescription Drug Consumer Financial Protection Act; enact
Sponsor Demetrius Douglas (D-Stockbridge)
Status: In House Insurance; Heard in Subcommittee last week, no vote was taken
This bill would require health insurance plan providers to pass on to the patient drug rebates of at least 80% at the point of sale with an explanation of the calculation. There are civil penalties and revocation of an insurers license for noncompliance. A patient’s co-pay and deductible would still apply.

HB 196 State employees' health insurance plan; drugs dispensed for self-administration; provisions
Sponsor Trey Kelley (R-Cedartown)
Status: In Senate Insurance & Labor
This bill would require pharmacies be reimbursed at NADAC plus $10.64 in the Georgia’s SHBP and university system health plans.

HB 227 Putting Georgia's Patients First Act; enact 
Sponsor Robert Dickey (R-Musella)
Status: Passed House, Senate Health and Human Services
This bill would replace “Low THC Oil” with “Medical cannabis” throughout various code sections and renaming the “Low THC Oil Patient Registry” the “Medical Cannabis Patient Registry.”  

HB 419 Education; require possession of opioid antagonists by institutions within University System of Georgia
Sponsor Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville)
Status: In House Higher Education
All colleges in the University System of Georgia will be required to have opioid antagonist and defibrillators on campus. Allows for possession of opioid antagonists by student and faculty. Provides some protection from civil liability when acting in good faith in decisions to apply or not apply an opioid antagonist. Allows for community groups and grants to fund access to antagonists. This bill was heard last week in committee. Anticipate another hearing this week with a few small changes to the bill.

HB 473 Controlled substances; Schedule I; provide certain provisions
Sponsor Ron Stephens (R–Savannah)
Status: Passed House Health, In House Rules Committee
It’s the annual update to the list of Schedule I drugs. From Acoramidis to Zolbetuximab-clzb there are 61 new dangerous drugs.

SB 5 Private Review Agents; health insurers to implement and maintain a program that allows for the selective application of reductions in prior authorization requirements; provide for annual filing; and to appeal conflicting laws.
Sponsor Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Marietta)  
Status: Passed House Insurance Committee, In House Rules Committee
This bill would require health insurers to implement and maintain a program that allows for the selective application of reductions in prior authorization requirements under certain circumstances. The Commissioner of Insurance will be tasked with implementation.   

SB 131 Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce; Georgia Health Care Professionals Data System; establishment
Sponsor Mike Hodges (R-Brunswick)
Status: Passes Senate, In House Regulated Industries Committee
This bill would require the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce to create and maintain a statewide database of health care workers including Pharmacist and Pharmacist Technicians. Fourteen different state licensing boards, including the Board of Pharmacy, would report into such a database.

SB 140 Optometrists; Doctor of Optometry to dispense and sell pharmaceutical agents to patients under certain conditions; provide
Sponsor Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming)
Status: Passed Senate Health and Human Services; In Senate Rules
Scope of Practice bill to allow Optometrists to use, dispense and sell pharmaceutical drugs to treat eye conditions and diseases.

SB 195 Pharmacies; pharmacists are authorized to dispense preexposure prophylaxis and postexposure prophylaxis under certain conditions; provide
Sponsor Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome)
Status: Schedule for Senate Floor Vote on Monday, March 3
Bipartisan 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 220 Putting Georgia's Patients First Act; enact
Sponsor Matt Brass (R-Newnan)
Status: Passed Senate Health and Human Services Committee, In Senate Rules
This bill would replace “Low THC Oil” with “Medical cannabis” throughout various code sections and renaming the “Low THC Oil Patient Registry” the “Medical Cannabis Patient Registry.”  Similar language to HB 227.

SB 229 Alcoholic beverages; the issuance of wholesale consumable hemp licenses to wholesale dealers of alcoholic beverages; prohibit
Sponsor Jason Anavitarte (R-Dallas)
Status: In Senate Regulated industries & Utilities
Prohibits alcohol wholesale distributors from being licensed consumable hemp wholesalers.

About this newsletter:

These updates and alerts are a benefit of GPhA membership to keep our members in the know. There is a lot to read here, and we believe it is important information to help you be a better Pharmacist, Pharmacy Technician and Pharmacy Owner.

You can find your representative at My Voter Page. Visit Legislative Website to find out more about your representative & senator. Check out the Committee meeting schedule here, and find a list of the Committees and their members here.

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Legislative Update 03/03/25

Legislative Update Week 8:Crossover is Coming

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Legislative Update Week 8:
Crossover is Coming