Legislative Update 03/30/26

 

In the final days of session, it’s a mad dash between committees, members negotiating inside their chamber and with the opposite chamber, to get their bills passed before Sine Die on Thursday, April 2. GPhA members saw this action firsthand with our Day at the Dome last week. We “worked the ropes,” lobbying both House Members and Senate members, and by chance we spoke to many House members while they were on their way to the Senate chamber. A big thank you to everyone that was able to join!  

 

Another big thank you goes to the Georgia General Assembly for their support of SB 195,  the PEP/PrEP Bill. SB 195, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome), received final passage on Wednesday of last week and is on its way to the Governor’s desk. Before dispensing or administering PrEP or PEP medication to a patient, a pharmacist will need to complete a training program approved by the Georgia Board of Pharmacy and accredited by ACPE. The Board of Pharmacy will need to approve the training program by January 1, 2027. 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 has also received final passage and is also on its way to the Governor’s desk. SB 220, Putting Georgia’s Patient First Act, sponsored by Sen. Matt Brass (R-Newnan) replaces “Low THC Oil” with “medical cannabis” throughout various code sections and renames the “Low THC Oil Patient Registry” the “Medical Cannabis Patient Registry." This bill will change the dosage limit from a percentage to milligrams, set the limit at 12,000 milligrams, and expand the delivery method to include vaporizer and additional qualifying conditions, including lupus.  

The Georgia General Assembly has completed 38 Legislative Days through Friday, March 27. Looking ahead at the rest of the calendar: 

 

 

Please note that this newsletter may be delayed next week so we can bring you a complete and comprehensive report post session.  

In the Georgia General Assembly nothing is ever dead dead until the final gavel on Sine Die.  Bills will reemerge, swap out, swapped around and fully reimagined. Once such bill that has had a revival is HB 291, sponsored by Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville). HB 291 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 and require CHWs to have 45 hours of training, including 16 hours on specific health topics. The Committee would handle disciplinary action against any CHW violating rules and standards. Community Health Worker Certification Committee will “sunset” or dissolve on June 30, 2029. HB 291 passed the House169 – 4 in 2025 and has sat waiting in Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing last Wednesday moving this bill forward.  It's now awaiting action from the Senate Rules Committee.  

 

In that same Senate Committee, HB 1138 received committee approval to continue on its legislative journey. HB 1138, sponsored by Rep. Beth Camp (R-Concord), the Increasing Access to Contraceptives Act, would allow pharmacists under a joint protocol agreement to dispense self-administered contraceptives and administer injectable contraceptives without a patient-specific prescription. Changes from the original version remove the Composite Medical Board from the equation and calls for the Department of Public Health and the Board of Pharmacy to issue a joint protocol agreement. The current version of HB 1138 would require “12 hours of self-study, eight hours of live or recorded seminar, a written examination, and a hands-on assessment of intramuscular and subcutaneous injection technique.” After the initial training, one hour of continuous education per year will be required.   

 

HB 1138 was amended in committee by Sen. Sally Harrell (D-Atlanta) with a portion of her bill, SB 278, about corn masa. SB 278 was a bipartisan bill that had previously passed out of the Health and Human Services Committee and placed on the calendar for Crossover Day by the Senate Rules committee; however, SB 278 was tabled on Crossover Day.  As amended, HB 1138 would require that all corn flour sold in the state after July 1, 2027, contain .07 milligrams of folic acid per pound of corn masa flour.  

 

HB 1138 was placed on the Senate Rules calendar for floor action on Friday. However, the Senate took a late lunch break and tabled all their bills, which is normal during the final days with lots of legislation on the schedule. HB 1138 was not called back up before they adjourned on Friday. We anticipate Senate floor action on Tuesday. 

On Friday of last week, Appropriations Chairman, Sen. Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia), presented HB 974, the big budget for FY 2026-2027, on the Senate floor. Sen. Tillery walked members through the 265-page bill, first highlighting where the Senate agrees with the House, then the changes the Senate has made to the budget. Highlights of the budget include:  

 

 

HB 974 passed the Senate 52-0. As HB 974 has been changed it will go back to the House for agree/disagree, which will traditionally happen very fast and a conference committee will also be called.  

 

 

HB 291 Health; certification of community health workers; provide  

Sponsor Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville)  

Status: Passed House 168-4; Passed Senate Health & Human Services; In Senate Rules  

This bill would create a Community Health Worker Certification Committee tasked with creating rules and standards for a Community Health Worker certification. This committee would also be tasked with establishing a process for handling complaints and revocation of such certificates. 

 

HB 382 Controlled substances; Schedule I; psilocybin; revise a provision 

Sponsor Ron Stephens (R-Savannah)  

Status: Passed House 167-0; Passed Senate Health and Human Services; In Senate Rules  

Drugs containing a synthetic version of psilocybin and approved by the Food and Drug Administration would not be defined as Psilocybin. This would allow for use in treatment of mental health, including PTSD, in patients. Would remove the certified technician requirements in the tech to pharmacist ratios. A pharmacist could supervise up to four pharmacy technicians but adds that a pharmacist cannot supervise more than six individuals, including interns and externs.  

 

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

Sponsor Jon Burns (R - Newington)  

Status: Passed House 160-0; Passed Senate 52-0; Back to House for Agree/Disagree 

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

 

HB 1138 Increasing Access to Contraceptives Act; enact 

Sponsor Beth Camp (R-Concord) 

Status: Passed House 162-4; Passed Senate Health & Human Services; Tabled on Senate Floor 

This bill would allow pharmacists, under a joint protocol agreement, to dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives and administer injectable hormonal contraceptives without a patient-specific prescription. The Department of Public Health and the Board of Pharmacy would join in a joint protocol agreement and be responsible for approving training for pharmacists, self-screening risk assessment for the patient, and other requirements.  

 

HB 1329 Controlled substances; Schedule I; provide certain provisions 

Sponsor Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) 

Status: Passed House 171-0; Passed Senate 41-0; At Governor’s Desk  

Annual Drug update bill for over fifty drugs, Aceclidine to  Zopapogene imadenovec-drba. There is added language on dispensing epinephrine nasal spray of 2mg or less OTC. 

 

HB 1344 Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact 

Sponsor Matt Reeves (R-Duluth) 

Status: Passed House 166-3; Passed Senate Insurance & Labor; In Senate Rules 

37-page bi-partisan bill raising fees and penalties that the Insurance and Fire Safety Commission may impose on entities found in violation of many code sections. If a person or entity is found to be acting as a PBM without a license or violating regulations, the violation fine would rise to $4,000 - $20,000 depending on the severity of the violation. It is currently $2,000 to $10,000.  

 

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 155-7; Senate Agreed to House changes; At Governor’s desk   

Bi-partisan bill allowing 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 approved by the Georgia Board of Pharmacy and accredited by ACPE. The Board of Pharmacy will need to approve the training program by January 1, 2027. 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 38-17; Passed House 138-21; Senate Amended House Version 38-14; Back to House agreed to Senate Amendment; At Governor’s Desk   

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.” The updated version of this bill would change the dosage limit from a percentage to milligrams and set the limit at 12,000 milligrams. It expands the delivery method to include vaporizer and qualifying conditions.  

 

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

Sponsor Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Marietta)  

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

Bipartisan code update dealing with the Department of Public Health.  Removes outdated language on the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). The Georgia Department of Public Health has asked for these updates to remove the requirement that the department establish a PDMP Electronic Database Review Advisory Committee, charged with consulting with and advising the department on matters related to the establishment, maintenance, and operation of electronic prescription review. The Electronic Database Advisory Committee has not met since 2023 and was largely composed of DPH staff. The program will still engage partners in the development of improvements to the PDMP, but a statutorily established committee is no longer necessary per DPH. Updated bill would allow the selling of ivermectin to anyone 18 years or older and behind the counter in a pharmacy without a prescription. 

 

SR 927 Senate Pharmacy Benefits Managers and Consumer Access to Prescription Medications Study Committee; create  

Sponsor Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia)  

Status: Passed Senate Health and Human Services; In Senate Rules   

Creates a Senate Study Committee on PBMs. Committee members would include Chairman of the Senate Appropriations committee, Chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and three other members appointed by the Lt. Governor. This study committee only requires approval by the Senate. Mirror language of HR 948 has already received passage.  

 

 

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.

 

PharmPAC works at the local and state levels, leading the way in influencing pharmacy-related legislation. An investment in PharmPAC is an investment in the future of pharmacy across the entire state, protecting the long-term health of the practice of pharmacy for independent pharmacy owners, employee pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians so that the vital work of these health care professionals can continue in the best interests of the people of Georgia – your patients. 

 

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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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