AdvaMed and Georgia Bio Send Letter to Natural Resources & Environment Committee Related to Ethylene Oxide
On behalf of the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) and Georgia Bio, we wrote to the Natural Resources & Environment Committee to share our comments on Senate Bill 426, being considered by the legislature, related to ethylene oxide. As you may know, billions of medical devices each year in the U.S. are sterilized using ethylene oxide. The direct impact of severe restriction on the ability to sterilize medical devices could compromise the medical device industry’s ability to provide a consistent, stable, and safe supply of medical supplies to patients nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the threat of antimicrobial resistance to disease-causing, mutating microbes continues to rise in the U.S. and around the globe, now more than ever, we need to ensure the medical and surgical equipment health care providers use is sterile. Ethylene oxide allows sterile surgeries to happen.
Please click here to view the full letter to the committee.
June 5, 2026 - Georgia Life Sciences is pleased to announce the promotion of Stacey Bowlin to Executive Vice President . Since joining Georgia Life Sciences in 2024, Stacey has played a central role in advancing the organization’s strategic visibility, industry partnerships, membership growth, and statewide engagement. Her leadership has helped strengthen Georgia Life Sciences’ position as a leading voice for Georgia’s biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, and digital health sectors. “Stacey has made an extraordinary impact on Georgia Life Sciences in a very short period of time,” said Maria Thacker Goethe, President & CEO of Georgia Life Sciences . “She successfully led our transformation from Georgia Bio to Georgia Life Sciences, helping modernize our brand and better reflect the full breadth of Georgia’s life sciences industry. She has also strengthened our member recruitment and retention strategy, deepened engagement across the ecosystem, and brought a level of operational discipline that has helped position the organization for continued growth. I am thrilled to recognize Stacey’s leadership and contributions with this well-deserved promotion to Executive Vice President.” In her expanded role, Stacey will continue to lead key areas of organizational strategy, operational execution, member engagement, and long-term growth. She will work closely with the CEO to support financial and organizational performance, oversee key initiatives, and help translate Georgia Life Sciences’ long-term vision into actionable strategies that strengthen the state’s life sciences ecosystem. With more than two decades of experience in strategic engagement, marketing, operations, and industry development, Stacey brings a collaborative, mission-driven approach to leadership that aligns closely with Georgia Life Sciences’ vision for the future.
June 4, 2026 - Governor Brian Kemp has issued a formal proclamation convening the Georgia General Assembly in a special session, signaling the need for legislative action outside the regular session calendar. Under the Georgia Constitution, the Governor is empowered to call a special session and define the scope of issues lawmakers may consider. In this instance, the proclamation outlines the specific subject matter to be addressed, effectively limiting legislative activity to those enumerated items. The proclamation underscores the urgency and importance the administration places on the identified issues, which may include time-sensitive fiscal matters, policy priorities, or emergent statewide concerns that cannot reasonably wait until the next regular session. By setting the agenda, the Governor not only accelerates legislative consideration but also shapes the policy framework within which the General Assembly must operate. From a practical standpoint, the special session compresses the legislative timeline, requiring stakeholders to quickly mobilize, engage decision-makers, and adapt strategies in a fast-moving environment. For clients and partners, this means heightened attention to committee activity, leadership negotiations, and potential amendments, as outcomes are often determined on an expedited basis. Topspin Strategies will continue to monitor developments closely, provide real-time updates, and engage with key policymakers to ensure our clients’ priorities are effectively represented throughout the duration of the special session. Details About the Code Sections Being Discussed: Code Section 21-2-379.23 This law applies to Georgia’s electronic ballot marking devices. Key requirements: Ballots must include standard info like: “OFFICIAL BALLOT” Election date Candidates, offices, and questions Ballots must be printed on secure paper with features like a watermark. The text on the paper ballot is the official vote The human-readable text (what you can read on the ballot) = the legally binding vote This applies to: Vote tabulation Recounts Audits What S.B. 189 changed The 2024 law (Act 697 / S.B. 189) made a major shift: It prohibits relying on QR codes or machine-readable codes to count votes Instead, only the printed text must be counted The key changes to this section are scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026 This code section is at the center of current election debates because: Georgia’s existing voting system relies on QR codes for tabulation The law forces a transition to text-based counting State and local officials have warned this creates: Logistical challenges Potential funding gaps Uncertainty before elections Code Section 48-8-109.52 This section (added by S.B. 33) deals with a specific type of local sales tax authority. From the bill text, it ties to: Local governments that levy certain property taxes (ad valorem taxes) And allows or governs how they can adopt an additional local sales tax via local legislation It creates a framework for certain local governments to pass a new or modified local sales tax, but they must do it through a local Act. If a county/city wants to use this new tax authority The legislature must pass a local bill (local Act) following the rules in that code section S.B. 33 (Act 461, 2026) This is the law that: Created or updated this tax mechanism Set the rules + process for how locals can implement it
June 2, 2026, North Carolina - This week, Georgia Life Sciences' Phil Gibson joined leaders from across the engineering biology ecosystem at the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) Annual Meeting at North Carolina State University, where he delivered a flash talk on "Advancing the Bioeconomy Industry Ecosystem." The future of the bioeconomy depends on more than breakthrough discoveries—it requires strong connections between academia, industry, and government to move innovation from the laboratory into real-world applications. At Georgia Life Sciences, we are committed to breaking down traditional silos and building pathways for collaboration among researchers, trainees, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, investors, and policymakers. By strengthening these connections, we help accelerate the translation of engineering biology innovations into new products, companies, manufacturing opportunities, and economic growth. Thank you to EBRC for convening this important conversation on the future of engineering biology and the bioeconomy.
