# Georgia SB 220: "Putting Georgia's Patients First Act"; enact Georgia SB 220, "Putting Georgia's Patients First Act"; enact, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Lee Anderson (Republican), Brandon Beach (Republican), Matt Brass (Republican) and 16 others; status signed, last action 2026-07-01 (Effective Date); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB220-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Georgia SB 220 - State: Georgia - Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session - Title: "Putting Georgia's Patients First Act"; enact - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-19 - Last action: 2026-07-01, Effective Date - Sponsors: Lee Anderson (Republican), Brandon Beach (Republican), Matt Brass (Republican), Russ Goodman (Republican), Bo Hatchett (Republican), Billy Hickman (Republican), Mike Hodges (Republican), Kim Jackson (Democrat), Harold Jones II (Democrat), Emanuel Jones (Democrat), David Lucas (Democrat), Josh McLaurin (Democrat), Colton Moore (Republican), Elena Parent (Democrat), Sheikh Rahman (Democrat), Freddie Powell Sims (Democrat), Brian Strickland (Republican), Carden Summers (Republican), Rick Williams (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Regulated Industries, Health and Human Services, General Bill - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 9 (479 yes, 226 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 10 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More caregivers can help cannabis patients: benefit, medium. Caregivers include parents, guardians, or legal custodians of patients under 18, and willing adults chosen by patients. A healthcare institution also qualifies when the patient receives care there and it agrees to allow cannabis possession and use. The Department of Public Health must issue cards t… - Longer cannabis cards and easier registration: benefit, low. Medical cannabis cards last five years from issuance, even when unused. Annual certification of the continued diagnosis remains required, except for patients with incurable or irreversible conditions. Patients and caregivers can choose physical cards, electronic cards, or both; electronic issuance… - Legal protection for authorized cannabis activities: benefit, low. Covered hemp and medical cannabis are excluded from specified controlled-substance definitions when held by someone legally authorized to possess or control them. Pharmacies and pharmacists dispensing lawfully to a patient's caregiver, parent, or guardian receive protection from arrest, prosecution… - Patients face limits on cannabis use: cost, low. No one can use medical cannabis by smoking or burning it. Vaporizing is exempt from that ban, but people age 21 or younger cannot vaporize medical cannabis. No one can ingest medical cannabis or its products in any manner in a public place. - Tighter location rules for cannabis sellers: cost, low. Medical cannabis licensees cannot operate within 3,000 feet of schools, early care programs, or places of public religious worship that predate their licensing. Distance is measured from property line to property line; this replaces the separate 1,000-foot rule for dispensing licensees. Beginning J… - Broader cannabis eligibility, stricter doctor rules: mixed, high. More conditions qualify for medical cannabis, including cancer other than nonmetastatic skin cancer, and several disease-stage limits are removed. Inflammatory bowel disease replaces Crohn's disease, Stage III HIV replaces severe or end-stage AIDS, and lupus is added. Patients' symptoms must be exp… - New cannabis limits and patient penalties: mixed, medium. Registered patients can possess, purchase, or control products totaling up to 12,000 milligrams of THC, replacing the former 20-fluid-ounce limit. Products must be in pharmaceutical containers labeled by the manufacturer with the THC amount in milligrams. Georgia patients need a physical or electro… - Broader medical cannabis, capped product packages: mixed, low. Medical cannabis includes the cannabis plant and its parts or derivatives, whether growing or not. The definition excludes federally approved drug products and hemp or hemp products. Covered commercial products can contain no more than 1,200 milligrams of THC per package. The product definition exc… - Research cannabis access comes with limits: mixed, low. Listed participants and personnel in qualifying Georgia research programs, clinical trials, or studies can possess, purchase, or control medical cannabis products. Eligible people include participants, their parents, guardians or legal custodians, and designated research workers and listed program… - More cannabis education, but advertising stays banned: mixed, low. Georgia's medical cannabis commission can publish materials and educate the public, law enforcement, and healthcare providers about the program and effective uses. Licensees can share information with healthcare providers and explain legal and safe uses to registered patients. Licensees still canno… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Lee Anderson (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Brandon Beach (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Matt Brass (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Russ Goodman (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Bo Hatchett (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Billy Hickman (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Mike Hodges (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Kim Jackson (Democrat), Senate - Sponsor: Harold Jones II (Democrat), Senate - Sponsor: Emanuel Jones (Democrat), Senate - Sponsor: David Lucas (Democrat), Senate - Sponsor: Josh McLaurin (Democrat), Senate - Sponsor: Colton Moore (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Elena Parent (Democrat), Senate - Sponsor: Sheikh Rahman (Democrat), Senate - Sponsor: Freddie Powell Sims (Democrat), Senate - Sponsor: Brian Strickland (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Carden Summers (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Rick Williams (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Mark Newton (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-23 | House | Agree to Senate Amend to House Sub | pass | 144 | 21 | 7 | | 2026-03-18 | Senate | ADOPTION OF AMEND #1A BY SEN FROM THE 6TH TO AMEND #1 BY SEN FROM THE 6TH | pass | 36 | 15 | 3 | | 2026-03-18 | Senate | AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE AS AMENDED | pass | 38 | 14 | 2 | | 2026-03-12 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 138 | 21 | 7 | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #4 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 29TH | fail | 12 | 43 | 1 | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #1 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 37TH | fail | 12 | 44 | | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE | pass | 39 | 17 | | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #2 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 6TH | pass | 47 | 8 | 1 | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #3 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 23RD | fail | 13 | 43 | | ## Actions (19) - 2026-07-01: Effective Date - 2026-05-12: Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate) - 2026-05-12: Act 712 - 2026-04-10: Senate Sent to Governor (Senate) - 2026-03-23: House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House) - 2026-03-18: Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub As Amended (Senate) - 2026-03-12: House Third Readers (House) - 2026-03-12: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House) - 2026-02-10: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House) - 2025-04-04: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House) - 2025-03-20: House Committee Favorably Reported (House) - 2025-03-11: House Second Readers (House) - 2025-03-10: House First Readers (House) - 2025-03-06: Senate Third Read (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate) - 2025-02-28: Senate Read Second Time (Senate) - 2025-02-27: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Senate Read and Referred (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Senate Hopper (Senate) ## Bill text - SB 220/AP* (v24): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/247231) ## Related bills - SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckless stunt driving; replace the forfeiture penalty (signed) - SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation for certain motor vehicles; provide (signed) - SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Service Foundation; establish (signed) - SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact (signed) - HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish (signed) - HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact (signed) ## Sources - [SB 220/AP* (v24) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/247231) ## Related - [SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckles…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB160-2025-2026) - [SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB384-2025-2026) - [SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Servic…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB76-2025-2026) - [SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB406-2025-2026) - [HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1391-2025-2026) - [HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1344-2025-2026) - [Georgia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/georgia/bills) - [Georgia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/georgia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB220-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).