# Georgia 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

Georgia 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, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Ed Harbison (Democrat), Chuck Hufstetler (Republican), Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican) and 3 others; status signed, last action 2025-07-01 (Effective Date); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB5-2025-2026
- 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 5
- State: Georgia
- Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
- Title: Private Review Agents; health insurers to implement and maintain a program that allows for the selective application of reductions in prior authorization requirements; provide
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-13
- Last action: 2025-07-01, Effective Date
- Sponsors: Ed Harbison (Democrat), Chuck Hufstetler (Republican), Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Michael 'Doc' Rhett (Democrat), Larry Walker (Republican), Ben Watson (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Insurance, Insurance and Labor, General Bill
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 3 (272 yes, 3 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- More coverage for children's neuropsychiatric care: benefit, medium. Georgia requires coverage for PANDAS and PANS, two pediatric neuropsychiatric conditions. The requirement covers individual and group major medical policies issued, delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed starting July 1, 2025. Self-insured plans covered by ERISA are excluded. Georgia's state he…
- Fewer insurance approval steps for some patients: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Georgia insurers using prior authorization must maintain programs to reduce advance approval requirements selectively. Reductions depend on providers' performance and use of evidence-based medicine. Insurers choose participation criteria, participating providers, and which s…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Ed Harbison (Democrat), Senate
- Sponsor: Chuck Hufstetler (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Michael 'Doc' Rhett (Democrat), Senate
- Sponsor: Larry Walker (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Ben Watson (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Lee Hawkins (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-04 | Senate | AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE | pass | 52 | 0 | 3 |
| 2025-04-02 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 169 | 2 | 3 |
| 2025-02-12 | Senate | PASSAGE | pass | 51 | 1 | 1 |

## Actions (18)

- 2025-07-01: Effective Date
- 2025-05-14: Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
- 2025-05-14: Act 299
- 2025-04-10: Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
- 2025-04-04: Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
- 2025-04-02: House Third Readers (House)
- 2025-04-02: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- 2025-03-31: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- 2025-03-27: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
- 2025-02-26: House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- 2025-02-18: House Second Readers (House)
- 2025-02-13: House First Readers (House)
- 2025-02-12: Senate Third Read (Senate)
- 2025-02-12: Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- 2025-02-03: Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- 2025-01-30: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- 2025-01-14: Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- 2025-01-13: Senate Hopper (Senate)

## Bill text

- SB 5/AP* (v9): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/239395)

## 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 5/AP* (v9) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/239395)

## 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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB5-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).