Georgia Bio 2019 Legislative Session Recap

The 2019 Georgia 40-day legislative session concluded with Sine Die on Tuesday, April 2nd. This legislative session was characterized by new leadership in the Governor and Lt. Governor’s office, as well as 40 freshman legislators.

Of the eight measures detailed below, there were two for which Georgia Bio actively advocated on behalf of our members and the people of georgia. Our rural teacher training program received state funding to expand an existing pilot training program for high school teachers that specifically addresses the skill and equipment gap. Workforce development and availability is always a top question we must address with life sciences companies seeking new locations, headquarters or expansions. More on this exciting development and program is coming soon.

We also took a supportive stance on HB 63, which helps protect patients from onerous step therapy requirements. That bill was signed into law by Governor Kemp as well.

We thank our legislative affairs team for their tireless work arranging and executing on awareness and importance meetings with appropriation committee members, the Governor’s and Lt. Governor’s offices. We also thank our members who contributed in person to those meetings to ensure the industry’s position and subject matter expertise were well represented in those conversations with our state legislators.

As Georgia Bio closes out a successful legislative session, we will be meeting with and working with as many members as possible during the remainder of the year to discuss top of mind priorities and construct our legislative efforts going into the 2020 session.

Here is a recap of the top life science industry items that made it through the session and were signed into law last month by Governor Kemp.

2019 Legislative Priorities

Rural Teacher Training Program

As many of you are aware, the life sciences industries require many skills that are in the traditional STEM education area, however what is often lacking is practical laboratory technique combined with hands-on laboratory experience. Thanks to the leadership of state appropriators and Governor Brian Kemp, Georgia Bio was able to secure funding in the FY2020 budget to match private funds that will enable Georgia Bio, through the Georgia BioEd Institute in partnership with the Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing at Georgia Tech, to expand an existing pilot training program for high school teachers that specifically addresses the skill and equipment gap. Partnering with the Department of Education and the Georgia Youth Science Centers, year one of the program will provide 8 training workshops in rural school districts impacting roughly 64 high school teachers and reaching over 5,000 students.

BILL MOVEMENT

This session the Georgia Generally Assembly passed legislation that would establish step therapy protocols for patients, provisions for the licensure of genetic counselors, the authorization to submit a Section 1115 waiver request to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and modernizing telemedicine policy in Georgia. Please see below for more details on bills that passed out of the 2019 Georgia Legislative Session and signed into law by Governor Kemp.

HB 63 – Health Benefit Plans to Establish Step Therapy Protocols

Georgia Bio Legislative Affairs Committee voted to SUPPORT HB 63, introduced by Representative Sharon Cooper (R – Marietta) establishes step therapy protocols to protect patients from onerous step therapy requirements. Ensures that step therapy protocols are based on clinical guidelines developed by independent experts. Establishes a basic framework for when it is medically appropriate to exempt patients from step therapy, as well as an exceptions process that is transparent and accessible to patients and health care providers. The step therapy bill passed out of the Senate with a vote of 49-0 and House of Representatives with a vote of 165-0 on April 2 nd .

HB 166 – Genetic Counselors Act

Representative Deborah Silcox (R – Sandy Springs) authored HB 166, requiring licensing for genetic counselors, including physicians, assistants and mandates some continuing education requirements. There are approximately 89 genetic counselors in Georgia and all those individuals have master’s degrees for a specialty in genetic counseling and half work in hospitals. The other half of the genetic counselors work out in the field with physicians, primarily, and primary care doctors. They work primarily in three different areas: prenatal care, cardiac care and oncology. HB 166 passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 148-15 on February 15 th and was adopted by the Senate with a vote of 45-4 on March 11 th .


HB 321 – Extend Sunset for the Hospital Medicaid Financing Program

Authored by Representative Jodi lott (R – Evans) HB 321 extends Georgia’s hospital provide fee through June 30, 2025 to help finance the state’s Medicaid program. In FY 2020, the state expects to collect more than $310 million from the provider fee which it will utilize to draw more than $650 million in federal funds. The bill also includes new financial disclosure and transparency requirements for nonprofit hospitals and the five-year extension of the state’s $60 million rural hospital tax credit. The House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 147-19 on February 28 th and was adopted by the senate with a vote of 50-2 on March 29 th .

HB 514 – Georgia Mental Health Reform and Innovation Commission

HB 514 authored by Representative Kevin Tanner (R – Dawsonville) creates the Georgia Mental Health Reform and Innovation Commission. The FY 2020 budget also included several increases for mental health services. The House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 152-10 on March 7 th and the Senate adopted with a vote of 52-0 on April 2 nd .

SB 106 – Patients First Act

SB 106 coined the Patients First Act Authored by Senate Blake Tillery (R – Vidalia) authorizes the Department of Community Health to submit a Section 1115 waiver request to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This act is a step toward lowering insurance premiums, enhancing access to quality care, and improving health outcomes in every part of our state. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 35-20 on February 26 th and the House of Representatives adopted with a vote of 104-67 on March 25 th .


SB 115 – “Medical Practice Act of the State of Georgia

SB 115 sponsored by Senator Renee Unterman (R – Buford) aims to provide telemedicine licenses for physicians in other states and for Georgia to engage in the practice of medicine with patients in the state through telemedicine. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 54-0 on February 26 th and the House of Representatives adopted with a vote of 161-2 on March 29 th .

SB 118 – Georgia Telemedicine Act

Authored by Senator Renee Unterman (R – Buford), SB 118 modernize the Georgia Telemedicine Act by renaming it to the Telehealth Act. The bill provides the definitions of telemedicine and telehealth and would require that all health insurance policies over appropriately provided telehealth services. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 50-0 on February 26 th and the House of Representatives adopted with a vote of 168-1 on March 25 th .

Manufacturing Investment Is Accelerating. Can the Workforce Keep Pace?

October 15, 2026
As pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies expand U.S. manufacturing operations, a growing demand for specialized talent underscores the importance of industry-driven workforce development. October 16, 2026 | Georgia Life Sciences The United States is experiencing a resurgence in domestic manufacturing investment, with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies announcing major expansions and new production facilities. But as investment accelerates, a critical challenge is emerging: ensuring that a skilled workforce is available to support this growth. According to a Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute study , approximately 3.8 million manufacturing positions could need to be filled nationwide through 2033 , with as many as 1.9 million potentially remaining unfilled due to workforce and skills gaps. While these projections span the broader manufacturing sector, the implications for life sciences are significant. Biomanufacturing's Growing Talent Challenge A recent PharmaVoice article examines how pharmaceutical companies are responding to growing competition for skilled workers, particularly in specialized roles such as automation engineering, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, process engineering, and manufacturing operations. These positions are essential to bringing new facilities online, maintaining regulatory compliance, and ensuring safe, reliable production. The challenge extends beyond competition among pharmaceutical manufacturers. Life sciences companies are increasingly competing with industries such as semiconductors, aerospace, energy, and advanced manufacturing for workers with similar technical skills. Some companies are responding by investing directly in regional education and training partnerships. Eli Lilly, for example, recently committed $15 million to San Jacinto College in Texas, including $12.5 million dedicated to workforce training, alongside a major manufacturing expansion in the Houston area. The message is increasingly clear: Workforce planning must begin alongside facility planning, not after construction is complete. What This Means for Georgia Georgia has an opportunity to build on its growing biomanufacturing presence, established industry base, research universities, and technical education infrastructure. However, continued success will depend on ensuring that workforce development keeps pace with industry investment. As manufacturing technologies evolve, employers will need workers with expertise in automation, digital systems, quality control, and advanced production processes. Traditional education pathways alone may not be sufficient to meet these changing needs. That makes stronger collaboration among employers, educational institutions, workforce organizations, and policymakers increasingly important. Through its Manufacturing Council, Georgia Life Sciences is working to strengthen industry engagement and better understand employers' evolving workforce needs. These conversations help identify opportunities to align education and training with the skills companies need today and anticipate those they will require tomorrow. The Georgia Life Sciences Institute also supports the long-term talent pipeline through education and workforce initiatives designed to introduce students and educators to life sciences careers and strengthen connections between education and industry. Looking Ahead: Talent as a Competitive Advantage As states compete to attract life sciences investment, workforce readiness will increasingly influence where companies choose to expand and how successfully those investments translate into long-term economic growth. For Georgia, the opportunity is not simply to attract new facilities but to build the talent ecosystem necessary to sustain them. That requires earlier employer engagement, flexible training models, stronger industry-education partnerships, and continued attention to emerging technologies that are changing the nature of manufacturing work. The next chapter of biomanufacturing growth will be defined not only by where companies invest, but by where they can find, develop, and retain the talent needed to succeed. Related Reading Deloitte: Taking Charge — Manufacturers Support Growth With Active Workforce Strategies PharmaVoice: Pharma's Manufacturing Boom Has a Workforce Problem

Georgia Life Sciences Weighs In on PBM and 340B Policy

October 5, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences has submitted written comments to the Georgia House Study Committee on Pharmacy Benefits Managers and Consumers’ Access to Prescription Medications, encouraging greater transparency, accountability, and a focus on measurable patient benefit across the prescription drug system. The comments address both pharmacy benefit manager practices and the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, emphasizing the importance of understanding where prescription drug savings accrue and whether those savings ultimately benefit patients. The Study Committee continues its work this fall as it develops recommendations for the Georgia General Assembly. Read Georgia Life Sciences’ full comments →

Georgia Life Sciences Joins National Coalition Calling for PAHPA Reauthorization

September 22, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences (GLS) has joined more than 80 organizations from across industry, academia, public health and the biosecurity community in calling on congressional leaders to fully reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) before the end of 2026. Led by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, the coalition urged congressional leaders to advance a comprehensive reauthorization of PAHPA, the federal framework that supports the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies and other health security threats. First enacted in 2006, PAHPA established and strengthened critical components of the nation’s health security infrastructure, including the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). The law also supports public-private partnerships involved in the research, development, manufacturing and procurement of medical countermeasures, including vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. PAHPA’s authorization expired in 2023 and key provisions have since continued through short-term extensions. The coalition is calling for a comprehensive reauthorization that provides greater stability and ensures the nation’s preparedness infrastructure can continue adapting to emerging biological, infectious disease and other health security threats. For the life sciences industry, these programs are particularly important. Partnerships between government and industry can help move promising technologies from research through development and manufacturing while maintaining capabilities needed to respond quickly during an emergency. The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), also a signatory to the letter, has identified several priorities for reauthorization, including continued authorization of BARDA, the Strategic National Stockpile, Project BioShield and the Pandemic Influenza Program, as well as incentives supporting the development of medical countermeasures. Georgia Life Sciences is proud to join organizations across the country in supporting a strong and sustainable national framework for health security, preparedness and biomedical innovation. Read the coalition letter and view the full list of signatories.
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