---
title: HB 605. Public Health, Department of; continue operation of Georgia Tobacco Quit Line, subject to appropriations of funds; require
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb605
cite_as: HB 605, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb605
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb605.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb605/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70733
date: 2025-02-27
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb605.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 605
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-24
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Marvin Lim
- Shea Roberts
- Karen Lupton
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB605/2025
upstream_id: 1982214
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- tobacco cessation
- public health
- lung cancer screening
- vaping regulation
- retailer requirements
---
# HB 605. Public Health, Department of; continue operation of Georgia Tobacco Quit Line, subject to appropriations of funds; require
## Text
House Bill 605
By: Representatives Lim of the 98th, Roberts of the 52nd, and Lupton of the 83rd
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 2A of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to general provisions related to the Department of Public Health, so as to require the
Department of Public Health to continue operation of the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line, subject
to appropriations or the availability of other funds; to provide for definitions; to provide
requirements for the Quit Line; to provide that the Quit Line will provide information about,
evaluation for, and referrals to lung cancer screening services; to provide for the utilization
and security of any data collected by the Quit Line; to provide for the creation of written
materials with information about the Quit Line by the Department of Public Health and to
require certain sellers of tobacco products to display and distribute such written materials;
to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 1 of Chapter 2A of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions related to the Department of Public Health, is amended by adding a new
Code section to read as follows:
"31-2A-21.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Alternative nicotine product', 'cigarette', 'tobacco product', 'tobacco related object',
and 'vapor product' shall have the same meanings as set forth in Code Section 16-12-170.
(2) 'Quit Line' means the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line operated by the Department of
Public Health pursuant to this Code section.
(b) Subject to appropriations or the availability of other funds, the department shall
continue to operate, maintain, and make available a public health service to help Georgians
quit smoking, vaping, and using all forms of tobacco products, known as the Georgia
Tobacco Quit Line. The department may contract for the design, operation, and
maintenance of the Quit Line.
(c) The Quit Line shall be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Quit Line
shall:
(1) Provide cessation services that address the use of all tobacco products;
(2) Provide telephone, text, and internet based services for users of tobacco products,
vapor products, and alternative nicotine products, provided that such users are 13 years
of age or older;
(3) Provide services and support for pregnant and postpartum women who use tobacco
products, vapor products, or alternative nicotine products;
(4) Provide support in multiple languages;
(5) Provide referrals to community resources, when applicable;
(6) Provide free supplies of nicotine replacement therapies, such as gum or patches, for
qualified Georgia residents 18 years of age and older;
(7) Provide information about lung cancer screening to individuals accessing the Quit
Line, evaluate lung cancer screening eligibility for individuals accessing the Quit Line,
and provide referrals to lung cancer screening services, when applicable;
(8) Follow national guidelines for treating tobacco use and dependence;
(9) Implement practices to comply with all applicable laws respecting individual and
patient privacy;
(10) Implement practices to ensure the security of any data collected, if applicable, in
line with industry best practices and in compliance with all applicable laws; and
(11) Utilize de-identified data to track the success of the Quit Line's operations and
identify trends in service needs and outcomes.
(d) The department shall design appropriate written materials, including signage and
materials for distribution by retailers to individuals who purchase cigarettes, tobacco
products, vapor products, or alternative nicotine products, to inform individuals about the
Quit Line. Such written materials shall include:
(1) Information on the services provided by the Quit Line, including information about
services related to lung cancer screening;
(2) Information on the effectiveness of and eligibility for lung cancer screening; and
(3) Contact information for the Quit Line, such as a telephone number or a public
website.
(e)(1) Any person owning or operating a place of business in which cigarettes, tobacco
products, tobacco related objects, vapor products, or alternative nicotine products are sold
or offered for sale shall post in a conspicuous place signage designed by the department
pursuant to subsection (d) of this Code section.
(2) Any person provided for in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall distribute to
individuals purchasing cigarettes, tobacco products, vapor products, or alternative
nicotine products the written materials designed by the department pursuant to subsection
(d) of this Code section."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would require the Department of Public Health to keep operating the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line, add lung cancer screening referrals, and require tobacco retailers to post and hand out quit line information.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia currently runs a Tobacco Quit Line, but this bill would put that program into state law for the first time. The Department of Public Health would be required to continue operating, maintaining, and making available the Quit Line, though only subject to state funding or other available money. The Quit Line would have to be available around the clock, offer phone, text, and internet based help, serve users 13 and older, support pregnant and postpartum tobacco users, provide multiple languages, give free nicotine replacement supplies to qualified residents 18 and older, and follow national treatment guidelines.
The bill also adds a new function: the Quit Line must give callers information about lung cancer screening, evaluate their eligibility, and refer them to screening services. The department must design signage and handout materials about the Quit Line and lung cancer screening, and any business selling cigarettes, tobacco, vapor, or nicotine products must post that signage and hand out the materials to customers.
### What it does
- Requires the Department of Public Health to continue running the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line, but only if state funding or other money is available.
- Adds a requirement that the Quit Line provide information, eligibility evaluation, and referrals for lung cancer screening.
- Sets specific service standards for the Quit Line, including 24/7 availability, multilingual support, free nicotine replacement supplies for adults 18 and up, and services for pregnant and postpartum tobacco users.
- Requires the department to create signage and handout materials about the Quit Line and lung cancer screening.
- Requires any business that sells cigarettes, tobacco, vapor, or nicotine products to post that signage and distribute the materials to customers.
- Requires the Quit Line to follow privacy laws and use de-identified data to track outcomes and trends.
### Who it affects
The Department of Public Health, which must operate and fund the Quit Line and design materials; Georgians who use tobacco, vapor, or nicotine products, including pregnant and postpartum women and callers as young as 13; and any retailer that sells cigarettes, tobacco products, vapor products, or alternative nicotine products.
### Why it matters
Tobacco users seeking help would have a legally guaranteed, though funding-dependent, quit line offering free nicotine replacement supplies and lung cancer screening referrals. Retailers would face a new, ongoing obligation to post signage and hand out written materials to every customer buying these products.
### Key provisions
- Adds new Code Section 31-2A-21 to Title 31, defining terms like tobacco product and vapor product by reference to O.C.G.A. ยง 16-12-170.
- Subsection (b) requires the department to keep operating the Quit Line but only subject to appropriations or other available funds, and allows contracting out its design and operation.
- Subsection (c) lists eleven required services and standards for the Quit Line, including 24/7 access, multilingual support, free nicotine replacement therapy for those 18 and older, and lung cancer screening referrals.
- Subsection (d) requires the department to design signage and distribution materials covering Quit Line services and lung cancer screening information.
- Subsection (e) requires any business selling cigarettes, tobacco products, tobacco related objects, vapor products, or alternative nicotine products to post the signage and distribute the materials to purchasers.
- Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-24)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-27)
- Sponsors: Marvin Lim, Shea Roberts, Karen Lupton
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70733
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb605.md?full=1