All Roll Calls
Yes: 217 • No: 0
GeorgiaSB 722025-2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
"Hope for Georgia Patients Act"; enact
Sponsored By: John Albers (Republican), Matt Brass (Republican), Greg Dolezal (Republican), Drew Echols (Republican), Russ Goodman (Republican), Bo Hatchett (Republican), Chuck Hufstetler (Republican), Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Lanny Thomas (Republican), Randy Robertson (Republican), Brian Strickland (Republican), Carden Summers (Republican), Blake Tillery (Republican), Larry Walker (Republican), Rick Williams (Republican)
Became Law
HealthHealth and Human ServicesGeneral Bill
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Access to personalized experimental care
The law lets eligible patients ask for a personalized investigational treatment, and lets makers or facilities choose to provide it. A patient is eligible when a physician writes that the illness is life‑threatening or severely debilitating, all FDA‑approved options were considered, and a genomic‑based recommendation supports the treatment, plus written consent. These treatments are made for one patient and can include gene therapies, antisense drugs, or neoantigen vaccines; products from embryonic stem cells are excluded. The State of Georgia and its agents cannot block access, but medical advice that follows standards of care is allowed. Manufacturers and facilities are not required to provide treatment.
Who pays for personalized treatments
Health plans and government programs are not required to cover individualized investigational treatments. A maker or facility can provide the treatment for free, or require the patient to pay to manufacture it. Hospitals and facilities do not have to add new services to support these treatments. If death is caused by the treatment, the patient’s estate and heirs do not owe the remaining debt for that treatment’s charges; bills for nonexperimental care, including treatment of complications, still apply.
Legal shields for doctors and suppliers
The medical board cannot discipline a physician solely for recommending, prescribing, or giving an individualized investigational treatment. The state may not act against a provider’s Medicare certification just for making such a recommendation. Doctors cannot be sued under this article for refusing to recommend these treatments. Makers, facilities, and other caregivers are shielded from suits for harms if they followed this law in good faith and used reasonable care. Liability still applies if required written informed consent was not obtained.
Stronger consent for experimental care
Before treatment, the patient (or guardian) must sign a detailed consent form. It must list approved options, explain best and worst outcomes, and identify the proposed treatment. It must say your health plan is not required to pay and that hospice eligibility may be withdrawn. It must also state when you are responsible for expenses, except as limited elsewhere in the law.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
John Albers
Republican • Senate
Matt Brass
Republican • Senate
Greg Dolezal
Republican • Senate
Drew Echols
Republican • Senate
Russ Goodman
Republican • Senate
Bo Hatchett
Republican • Senate
Chuck Hufstetler
Republican • Senate
Kay Kirkpatrick
Republican • Senate
Lanny Thomas
Republican • Senate
Randy Robertson
Republican • Senate
Brian Strickland
Republican • Senate
Carden Summers
Republican • Senate
Blake Tillery
Republican • Senate
Larry Walker
Republican • Senate
Rick Williams
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
Lee Hawkins
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 3/27/2025
PASSAGE
Yes: 161 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/24/2025
PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE
Yes: 56 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Effective Date
7/1/2025Senate Date Signed by Governor
5/12/2025SenateAct 122
5/12/2025Senate Sent to Governor
4/7/2025SenateHouse Third Readers
3/27/2025HouseHouse Passed/Adopted
3/27/2025HouseHouse Committee Favorably Reported
3/20/2025HouseHouse Second Readers
2/27/2025HouseHouse First Readers
2/26/2025HouseSenate Third Read
2/24/2025SenateSenate Passed/Adopted By Substitute
2/24/2025SenateSenate Read Second Time
2/12/2025SenateSenate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
2/11/2025SenateSenate Read and Referred
2/4/2025SenateSenate Hopper
2/3/2025Senate
Bill Text
SB 72/AP* (v7)
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