SB314: SB314 "Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Act"; enact

This bill sets up the "Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Act," a new chapter of Georgia law directing the Department of Community Health to build a program that imports prescription drugs from licensed Canadian suppliers for sale in Georgia. The department would contract with prescription drug wholesalers and Canadian suppliers, register health plans, providers, and pharmacies to dispense the imported drugs, publish a list of qualifying drugs and prices, and run outreach and a call center or web portal to inform consumers. Only drugs that meet FDA safety standards, don't violate federal patent law, are expected to save consumers money, and aren't controlled substances, biologics, infused or intravenous drugs, surgical inhalants, or parenteral drugs would qualify. The department must monitor for anticompetitive activity, audit participating wholesalers, and report yearly to the Governor and General Assembly. The law would take effect July 1, 2026, but only if the General Assembly specifically appropriates funding for it in a future budget act.

• Creates a new wholesale prescription drug importation program inside the Department of Community Health to bring lower-cost drugs from Canada into Georgia.
• Requires the department to contract with licensed prescription drug wholesalers and Canadian suppliers and to register health plans, healthcare providers, and pharmacies to dispense imported drugs.
• Limits imported drugs to those that meet FDA safety standards, don't violate patent law, are expected to save consumers money, and exclude controlled substances, biologics, and certain injected or inhaled drugs.
• Bans reselling or distributing imported drugs outside Georgia and requires compliance with federal drug tracking and tracing rules.
• Requires an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly on participating drugs, suppliers, providers, and estimated cost savings.
• Makes the entire law contingent on the General Assembly specifically appropriating money for it before it can take effect on July 1, 2026.

Georgia patients seeking lower drug prices, the Department of Community Health and the State Board of Pharmacy, licensed prescription drug wholesalers, Canadian pharmaceutical suppliers, and Georgia healthcare providers, pharmacies, and health benefit plans that would register to dispense imported drugs.

If funded, Georgians could gain access to a state-run channel for lower-cost imported prescription drugs, potentially easing medication costs for patients and health plans. Because the law only takes effect with a specific future appropriation, its real-world impact depends entirely on whether lawmakers later decide to pay for it.

• Section 1 names the law the 'Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Act.'
• Section 2 states the General Assembly's finding that drug affordability is a public health issue the program is meant to address.
• New Code Section 31-8A-2 directs the Department of Community Health to design the program in line with federal law (21 U.S.C. Section 384) to cut prescription drug costs.
• New Code Section 31-8A-3 restricts which drugs can be imported, excluding controlled substances, biologics, and several categories of injected or inhaled drugs.
• New Code Section 31-8A-4 requires monitoring for anticompetitive activity in consultation with the Attorney General.
• New Code Section 31-8A-6 requires an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly each December 1 on the program's participants and cost savings.
• Section 4 makes the Act effective July 1, 2026, only if the General Assembly appropriates specific funding for it beforehand.
• Section 5 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-03-03Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-02-28Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Jason Esteves (D, SD-035)Primary sponsor
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
• Josh McLaurin (D, SD-014)
• Derek Mallow (D, SD-002)

• prescription drug prices
• drug importation
• health care costs
• Department of Community Health
• pharmacy regulation