HB522: HB522 Health; prohibit certain health care providers and facilities from discriminating against potential organ transplant recipients due solely to their vaccine status

Georgia already has a law, O.C.G.A. section 31-1-24, that stops covered health care providers and facilities from denying organ transplants to people solely because they have a disability. This bill rewrites that law to add a second protected category: vaccine status, defined specifically as whether someone has received a COVID-19 vaccination or series of vaccinations. Under the revised law, covered entities such as hospitals, transplant centers, and organ-matching organizations could not use vaccine status alone to deem someone ineligible for a transplant, deny related medical services, refuse referrals, refuse to place someone on a waiting list, or move them lower on a waiting list. Insurance coverage for transplant-related care also could not be refused based solely on vaccine status. The bill keeps existing civil enforcement provisions, letting an affected person sue for injunctive relief, but does not create a right to money damages. There is no stated future effective date beyond the standard process.

• Adds 'vaccine status' (specifically COVID-19 vaccination status) as a protected category alongside disability in Georgia's organ transplant nondiscrimination law (O.C.G.A. section 31-1-24).
• Prohibits covered health care providers and organ-matching entities from denying transplant eligibility, medical services, referrals, or waiting list placement solely because of vaccine status.
• Bars lowering a person's position on an organ transplant waiting list because of their vaccine status.
• Prohibits refusing insurance coverage for transplant-related procedures solely because of a person's vaccine status.
• Keeps the existing civil action remedy allowing affected individuals to sue for injunctive relief but does not allow money damages, and extends that remedy to vaccine status violations.

The bill affects hospitals, transplant centers, licensed health care practitioners, nursing and intermediate care facilities, organ-matching organizations, and insurers involved in transplant coverage. It also directly affects patients seeking organ transplants, particularly those who have not received COVID-19 vaccinations.

If enacted, unvaccinated Georgians seeking organ transplants would gain a legal basis to challenge providers who deny care, referrals, or waiting list placement based solely on their COVID-19 vaccination status, potentially affecting how transplant centers set eligibility criteria.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. section 31-1-24, adding a new definition of 'COVID-19' and 'vaccine status' (whether someone received a COVID-19 vaccination or series).
• Subsection (b)(2) extends the list of prohibited actions, such as denying eligibility or services, refusing referrals, or lowering waiting list priority, to cover vaccine status in addition to disability.
• Subsection (b)(3) still allows a covered entity to factor in a disability if a physician finds it medically significant, but this exception does not extend to vaccine status.
• Subsection (c) preserves the existing civil action process, allowing affected individuals to sue for injunctive and equitable relief in the county where they reside or were denied care, with expedited court review.
• Subsection (c)(4) confirms the law does not create a right to compensatory or punitive damages.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-01-29House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
3. 2025-02-28House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
4. 2025-02-21House Second Readers (House)
5. 2025-02-20House First Readers (House)
6. 2025-02-19House Hopper (House)

• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)Primary sponsor
• Mitchell Scoggins (R, HD-014)
• Karen Mathiak (R, HD-082)
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)

• organ transplants
• vaccine mandates
• health care discrimination
• COVID-19 policy
• disability rights