The 2025 legislative session is in its final stretch, with two weeks left until session ends on April 4th. With only a few legislative days left, lawmakers are working quickly to finalize key bills and the state budget. You can view the legislative schedule here.
Ending the Practice of Subminimum Wage in Georgia
Last week, the House passed Senate Bill 55, the Dignity and Pay Act. The bill now heads to the Governor for final approval. SB 55 phases out the use of 14(c) certificates in Georgia to pay subminimum wages (below the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr) to workers with disabilities.
Initially intended to promote employment for disabled veterans, Section 14(c) of the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) permits paying people with disabilities wages below the statutory federal minimum wage. Section 14(c) can no longer apply to disabled veterans, yet it remains a legal way to pay people with disabilities – usually people with developmental disabilities (DD) – below minimum wage. (Employers using 14(c) waivers often pay disabled employees just pennies per hour.) More than 85 years after the law’s initial passage, the policy has frequently led to exploitation—leaving workers with developmental disabilities earning wages far below the poverty line in roles that offer little chance for growth or advancement.
SB 55 supports efforts nationwide to expand competitive, integrated employment (CIE) opportunities for Georgians with DD. Georgia can further support fully integrated employment of Georgians with IDD by investing in supported employment programs, employer incentives, and workforce training initiatives. By promoting inclusive employment, Georgia can build a stronger, more equitable labor market that benefits everyone and improves health.
Status: Passed by the Senate. The bill now goes to the Governor for review and final approval.
GHF Position: Monitoring
What this bill does: HB 89 aims to improve how the state of Georgia collects information on maternal deaths and provides care for mothers and babies. It gives the Maternal Mortality Review Committee more access to patient records, including mental health and pharmacy records, to better understand why mothers pass away during pregnancy or childbirth. The bill also creates a Regional Perinatal Center Advisory Committee, which will help make sure hospitals and doctors have the right resources to care for high-risk pregnancies and births. Lastly, the bill simplifies the process for investigating the deaths of pregnant women, so medical examiners don’t always have to go through a regional perinatal center unless special circumstances require it.
Status: Passed out of the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee.
Position: Support
What this bill does: HB 94 would require state-regulated health plans to cover fertility preservation services for people undergoing medical treatments for cancer, sickle cell disease, or lupus that could lead to infertility. These services include procedures like freezing eggs, sperm, or embryos to help individuals have children in the future. The bill also sets guidelines and limits for what insurance must cover, such as evaluation costs, medications, and one year of storage for reproductive cells. Limits include restrictions based on age and the number of procedures covered.
HB 196 – PBM Price Transparency in the State Health Benefit Plan
Lead Sponsor: Rep. Kelley (16th)
Status: Passed out of the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee.
What this bill does: HB 196 would require greater transparency and set standards for how Georgia’s State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) reimburses pharmacies for prescription drugs. The bill establishes new rules for how pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) and insurers must calculate drug reimbursements to ensure pharmacies receive fair payment for dispensing medications. The Senate committee voted on an updated version of HB 196, which removed the ability for a pharmacy or beneficiary to sue the PBM if they violate the reimbursement guidelines outlined in the bill, including by adjusting the final price with a prescription drug discount card.
Status: Passed out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
GHF’s Position: Support
What this bill does: HB 291 would establish a certification process for community health workers (CHWs) in Georgia. CHWs are frontline public health workers who help connect individuals to health care and essential services, particularly in underserved communities. They go by many titles, such as Patient Navigator, Community Health Advocate, and Promotora de Salud. By setting uniform standards and training for CHWs, creating a statewide certification system would support a skilled, stable CHW workforce.
HB 422 – High Deductible Health Plans in the State Health Benefit Plan
Lead Sponsor: Rep. McCollum (30th)
Status: Passed out of the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee.
GHF position: Monitoring
What this bill does: HB 422 would require the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) to offer at least two high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to state employees. These plans must be paired with health savings accounts (HSAs), allowing employees to make pre-tax contributions directly from their paychecks. The Senate committee voted on a substitute for HB 422, which extends the implementation timeline and requires that the Department of Community Health include high-deductible plans in the SHBP only if they are cost-neutral for the state.
HR 659 – House Study Committee on Insurance Market Reform
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Lumsden (12th), Rep. Burns (159th)
Status: Introduced and referred to the House Insurance Committee.
GHF Position: Support
What this resolution does: HR 659 creates the House Study Committee on Insurance Market Reform to examine Georgia’s rising insurance premiums, reduced coverage options, and lack of competition in the insurance industry. In response to some of the concerns about insurance practices raised during the passage of SB 68, the committee will study issues like rate-setting practices, industry profits, regulatory compliance, and models from other states to identify reforms that could protect consumers from unaffordable premiums and ensure fairness and transparency. The study committee will include seven House members and four additional non-legislative experts. A report with the committee’s findings and recommendations is due before the committee’s abolishment on December 1, 2025.
SENATE BILLS
SB 131 – Georgia Health Care Professionals Data System
SB 30 – Ban on Gender-Affirming Medical Care for Minors
Lead Sponsor: Sen. Watson (1st)
Status: Hearing only in the House Public and Community Health Committee on 3/18.
GHF Position: Oppose
What this bill does: SB 30 would expand Georgia’s restrictions on gender-affirming medical care for minors by banning puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and gender-affirming surgeries. It goes further than the existing SB 140 law from 2023 by removing exceptions (like for young people already taking these types of medications), increasing penalties for doctors, and allowing parents to sue medical providers.
Status: Passed the House. The bill now goes to the Governor for review and final approval.
GHF’s Position: Support
What this bill does: SB 55, called the Dignity and Pay Act, would phase out the practice of paying people with disabilities less than the minimum wage in Georgia. Currently, Georgia employers are allowed to use an almost 90-year-old federal rule (called a 14(c) certificate) to pay workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage (which is $7.25/hr). In some cases, employers using 14(c) pay employees with disabilities as little as $0.22/hr.
SB 61 – School Safety and Juvenile Justice Changes
Lead Sponsor: Sen. Dolezal (27th)
Status: Passed out of House Judiciary Non-Civil – Hong Subcommittee.
GHF position: Oppose
What this bill does: Senate Bill 61 expands school safety policies and juvenile justice coordination by creating new school-related criminal offenses, increasing school threat assessment requirements, and requiring courts to share student legal records with schools. The bill raises penalties for school-related threats, moves more juvenile cases to superior court, and mandates annual site threat assessments at every public school. While intended to improve school safety, the bill may increase the criminalization of student behavior, disproportionately impact marginalized students, expand school surveillance, and increase law enforcement involvement in schools without investing in mental health or preventive support services.
Status: The Senate agreed to the changes made by the House last week. The bill now goes to the Governor for review and final approval.
GHF’s Position: Monitoring
Summary: SB 68 proposes significant changes to Georgia’s civil justice system by limiting certain types of damages, changing rules for lawsuits, and adjusting legal procedures related to personal injury cases, insurance claims, and liability disputes. The bill includes significant changes to Georgia’s medical malpractice laws and how courts handle lawsuits against health care providers and insurers. The changes to medical malpractice aim to limit the costs of medical malpractice lawsuits, reduce liability for health care providers, and adjust how damages are awarded in personal injury and medical negligence cases.
Note: The House’s hearings on and passage of SB 68 prompted the introduction of HR 659, House Study Committee on Insurance Market Reforms.
What this bill does: SB 72, also known as the “Hope for Georgia Patients Act,” expands access to investigational treatments for patients with severely debilitating or life-threatening illnesses. The bill builds on Georgia’s existing Right to Try Act by allowing patients to seek personalized, experimental medical treatments not fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While the bill could expand access to experimental treatments for patients with rare or terminal diseases, it also opens the door to further expansion of access to treatments not approved by the FDA. FDA approval ensures that drugs meet strict safety and efficacy standards, and bypassing this process could expose patients to unknown risks. Additionally, patients may pursue costly, unproven treatments that may not work or could worsen their condition.
SB 91 – Ban on Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs) in the State Health Benefit Plan
Lead Sponsor: Sen. Tillery (19th)
Status: Hearing only in the House Health Committee on 3/19.
GHF Position: Monitoring
What this bill does: SB 91 would ban pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) that own or are associated with retail pharmacies from managing prescription drug benefits for the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP). The bill aims to address the conflicts of interest that can occur due to the large PBMs owning or being affiliated with retail pharmacies (ex., CVS, Express Scripts, OptumRx), which can lead to “steering” or “self-dealing”—meaning the insurer might favor their own pharmacies over independent or local ones.
SB 131 – Georgia Health Care Professionals Data System
Lead Sponsor: Sen. Hodges (3rd)
Status: Passed out of the House Regulated Industries Committee.
GHF Position: Support
What this bill does: SB 131 creates the Georgia Health Care Professionals Data System, a publicly available, statewide database that compiles non-identifying information about licensed health care professionals in Georgia. The system will collect provider data, including age, gender, practice location, language proficiency, and license type, to help track workforce demographics and geographic distribution. The bill aims to improve data collection on Georgia’s health care workforce and help policymakers, and others identify shortages of health care professionals, particularly in underserved areas.
SB 195 – Over-the-Counter Access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
Lead Sponsor: Sen. Hufstetler (52nd)
Status: Passed out of the House Health Committee.
GHF Position: Support
What this bill does: SB 195 would allow pharmacists in Georgia to dispense Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention without a prescription from a doctor. PrEP is a highly effective medication that reduces the risk of HIV transmission by up to 99% when taken as prescribed. However, barriers to accessing PrEP—such as requiring a doctor’s prescription, lack of insurance, or stigma—can prevent people at risk from getting preventive treatment. Expanding access through pharmacies allows individuals to obtain PrEP more quickly and conveniently, particularly in areas with limited health care providers. The bill establishes guidelines for pharmacists to provide PrEP under a statewide protocol, ensuring greater accessibility to the medication.
SB 233 – Updates to the Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission (BHRIC)
Lead sponsor: Sen. Brass (6th)
Status: Passed out of the House Public & Community Health Committee.
GHF position: Support
What this bill does: SB 233 makes several updates to the Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission (BHRIC), including expanding its membership, restructuring its subcommittees, and extending its existence by 18 months (from June 2025 to Dec. 2026). The commission is responsible for evaluating and recommending improvements to Georgia’s behavioral health system. Key changes to the committee include adding to the Commission’s membership a certified addiction recovery specialist with lived experience, a provider specializing in intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), a parent of an individual with IDD or an individual with IDD, an individual who has lost an immediate family member to drug overdose or fentanyl poisoning, a leader of an IDD advocacy organization, and an executive director of a Georgia nonprofit focused on addiction and recovery. The bill also removes the Involuntary Commitment and Workforce & System Development committees and replaces them with the Addictive Diseases and Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities committees, respectively.
SB 276 – Third-Party Payer Accountability for Medicaid Claims
Lead Sponsor: Sen. Echols (49th)
Status: Passed out of the House. The bill now goes to the Governor for review and final approval.
GHF Position: Monitoring
What this bill does: Senate Bill 276 strengthens accountability for third-party payers (such as private insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers) when paying health care costs for Medicaid beneficiaries. The bill requires these payers to promptly respond to claims and inquiries and prohibits denials of payment based on prior authorization issues.
Share Your Advocacy Events with Us!
GHF wants to help spread the word about advocacy events happening at the Capitol!
If your organization hosts an event during the legislative session, let us know! We’d love to include it in our weekly updates.
Submit your event details to Anthony Hill at ahill@healthyfuturega.org to have it featured in an upcoming legislative update.
Let’s work together to keep advocates engaged and make an impact at the Capitol!
GHF Has You Covered!
Stay up-to-date with the legislative session
GHF monitors legislative activity on a number of critical consumer health care topics. Along with our weekly legislative updates and timely analysis of bills, here are tools to help you stay in touch with health policy under the Gold Dome.
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