# Georgia SB 72: "Hope for Georgia Patients Act"; enact

Georgia SB 72, "Hope for Georgia Patients Act"; enact, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by John Albers (Republican), Matt Brass (Republican), Greg Dolezal (Republican) and 12 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-SB72-2025-2026
- 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 72
- State: Georgia
- Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
- Title: "Hope for Georgia Patients Act"; enact
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-02-03
- Last action: 2025-07-01, Effective Date
- Sponsors: John Albers (Republican), Matt Brass (Republican), Greg Dolezal (Republican), Drew Echols (Republican), Russ Goodman (Republican), Bo Hatchett (Republican), Chuck Hufstetler (Republican), Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Colton Moore (Republican), Randy Robertson (Republican), Brian Strickland (Republican), Carden Summers (Republican), Blake Tillery (Republican), Larry Walker (Republican), Rick Williams (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Health, Health and Human Services, General Bill
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 2 (217 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 5

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Families get limited treatment debt relief: benefit, medium. When custom experimental treatment is a legal, direct cause of an eligible patient's death, the law provides debt relief. The estate, heirs, and people named in the will do not owe direct treatment charges remaining after insurance payments. Relief does not cover nonexperimental care, including car…
- Doctors gain protections for experimental treatment: benefit, low. Georgia's medical board cannot revoke, suspend, or otherwise punish a doctor's license solely for recommending, prescribing, or providing these treatments. The protection applies to treatment of an eligible patient. Georgia's health department cannot act against a provider's Medicare certification…
- Patients face limits on treatment lawsuits: cost, low. The law limits patients' and families' civil claims for injury or death tied to custom experimental treatment. Protected parties must follow the law in good faith and use reasonable care. The liability limit does not apply when required written informed consent was not obtained. The law creates no…
- Patients face treatment coverage and service limits: cost, low. Health plans and government agencies do not have to cover custom experimental treatments or related services unless a law or contract requires coverage. Patients must be told that coverage is not guaranteed and may owe uncovered costs. Patients are responsible for treatment expenses unless a separa…
- Custom treatments for seriously ill patients: mixed, medium. Georgia patients with life-threatening or severely debilitating illnesses can request experimental treatments made just for them using their genetic information. Natural aging alone does not qualify, and products from abortion or human embryonic stem cells or cell lines are excluded. Eligible inves…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: John Albers (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Matt Brass (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Greg Dolezal (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Drew Echols (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Russ Goodman (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Bo Hatchett (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Chuck Hufstetler (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Colton Moore (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Randy Robertson (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Brian Strickland (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Carden Summers (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Blake Tillery (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Larry Walker (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Rick Williams (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Lee Hawkins (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-27 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 161 | 0 | 16 |
| 2025-02-24 | Senate | PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE | pass | 56 | 0 |   |

## Actions (15)

- 2025-07-01: Effective Date
- 2025-05-12: Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
- 2025-05-12: Act 122
- 2025-04-07: Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
- 2025-03-27: House Third Readers (House)
- 2025-03-27: House Passed/Adopted (House)
- 2025-03-20: House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- 2025-02-27: House Second Readers (House)
- 2025-02-26: House First Readers (House)
- 2025-02-24: Senate Third Read (Senate)
- 2025-02-24: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- 2025-02-12: Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- 2025-02-11: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- 2025-02-04: Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- 2025-02-03: Senate Hopper (Senate)

## Bill text

- SB 72/AP* (v7): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/237927)

## 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 72/AP* (v7) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/237927)

## 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-SB72-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).