HB 1332: Georgia Buy American Medicine Act; enact

Georgia hospitals and clinics that get state money currently can buy prescription drugs from any manufacturer, foreign or domestic. This bill, called the Georgia Buy American Medicine Act, would require those providers to give preference to 'American manufactured pharmaceuticals,' meaning drugs made and finished at a U.S. facility registered with the federal Food and Drug Administration, whenever such drugs are reasonably available. The preference only applies to spending of state funds, not federal money or federally regulated purchases. Providers could still buy foreign-made drugs if an American version isn't reasonably available, would harm patient safety, is needed during a shortage or emergency, or costs more than 20 percent extra. Providers must document any exception and keep records for three years. The Department of Community Health would write enforcement rules, and providers that repeatedly or willfully violate the law could face corrective action or lose eligibility for state funds. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.

• Adds a new Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 31-2-20) requiring hospitals, health systems, clinics, and medical facilities that receive state funds to prefer American-made prescription drugs when reasonably available.
• Limits the preference to spending of state funds only, exempting federal money or purchases governed by federal procurement rules.
• Creates exceptions letting providers buy foreign-made drugs if the American version is unavailable, unsafe, needed during a shortage or emergency, or costs more than 20 percent more.
• Requires providers to document and keep records of any exception for at least three years.
• Directs the Department of Community Health to write enforcement rules and allows corrective action plans or loss of state funding eligibility for repeated or willful violations.

Hospitals, health systems, clinics, and medical facilities in Georgia that receive state funds; the Department of Community Health, which must write and enforce the rules; physicians, whose independent medical judgment is protected; and patients who receive prescription drugs through these providers.

Providers that rely on state funding would need new purchasing procedures and paperwork to track whether drugs are American-made, potentially affecting which medications are stocked and how quickly supply decisions can be made, especially during shortages or when domestic drugs cost significantly more.

• Section 2 lists legislative findings about drug safety, FDA inspection differences, and reliance on foreign drug manufacturing.
• Section 3 adds O.C.G.A. § 31-2-20, defining 'American manufactured pharmaceutical,' 'healthcare provider,' 'reasonably available,' 'state funds,' and 'substantially higher' (over 20 percent).
• Subsection (b) requires state-funded healthcare providers to prefer American-made pharmaceuticals when reasonably available.
• Subsection (c) limits the preference to state funds, excluding federal funds or federally regulated procurement.
• Subsection (d) lists four exceptions allowing purchase of non-U.S.-made drugs, including unavailability, patient safety risk, emergencies, and substantially higher cost.
• Subsection (e) requires documentation of exceptions kept for at least three years.
• Subsection (g) authorizes corrective action plans or suspension/termination of state funding eligibility for repeated or willful noncompliance.
• Section 4 makes the Act effective immediately upon the Governor's signature or becoming law without signature.

1. 2026-03-03House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-02-19House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-18House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-17House Hopper (House)

• David Clark (R, HD-100)Primary sponsor
• Steven Sainz (R, HD-180)
• Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
• Tim Fleming (R, HD-114)
• Johnny Chastain (R, HD-007)
• Karen Mathiak (R, HD-082)

• prescription drug policy
• hospital funding
• Buy American laws
• drug safety
• state health regulations