Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 620: State holidays; Blood Plasma Donation Awareness Day; designate
Last action February 11, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
House Bill 620 would create a new Georgia holiday, Blood Plasma Donation Awareness Day, observed each year on February 17 to highlight blood plasma donation and the lack of diversity among plasma center owners in the state.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Comm Sub version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia law currently lists a set of official state holidays and observances in Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. This bill adds a new one: Blood Plasma Donation Awareness Day, to be marked every year on February 17. The bill opens with a long list of legislative findings about blood plasma donation, including that plasma-derived medicines treat conditions like sickle cell disease, that sickle cell disease disproportionately affects people of African descent, and that Black Georgians make up a large share of the nation's plasma donors while, according to the findings, no plasma collection center in the state is owned by someone from that demographic. The bill does not create any new program, funding, or requirement beyond adding the observance day to Georgia's code. It would take effect on July 1, 2026, and repeals any conflicting laws.
What the bill does
- Adds a new Georgia Code section, O.C.G.A. § 1-4-28, designating February 17 as Blood Plasma Donation Awareness Day.
- Inserts legislative findings into the bill about plasma donation, sickle cell disease, and the lack of Black-owned plasma centers in Georgia, though these findings are not codified as law.
- Sets the new observance day's effective date as July 1, 2026.
- Repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new designation.
Who it affects
The designation mainly affects how Georgia's official calendar of observances reads; it does not impose duties on individuals or businesses. It may be of particular interest to blood plasma donation centers, patients relying on plasma-derived therapies, people with sickle cell disease, and advocates for greater diversity among plasma center ownership.
Why it matters
Because this is a designated day rather than a legal holiday with office closures or funding, its main effect is symbolic: it puts a spotlight each February 17 on blood plasma donation and on the findings the legislature recorded about representation gaps in Georgia's plasma industry.
Key provisions
- Section 1 lists legislative findings on the medical importance of plasma-derived products, sickle cell disease's disproportionate impact on Black Americans, and the absence of Black-owned plasma centers in Georgia.
- Section 2 adds new Code section 1-4-28, stating that February 17 of each year is designated 'Blood Plasma Donation Awareness Day' in Georgia.
- Section 3 sets the effective date of the Act as July 1, 2026.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“February 17 of each year is designated as 'Blood Plasma Donation Awareness Day' in Georgia.”
“there are currently no plasma collection centers owned by individuals from this demographic in this state, a glaring disparity that underscores the need for awareness”
Discussed in meetings (3)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Special Rules Committee, February 10, 2026
From 0:18:32 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor brought back HB 620, saying it had passed the committee unanimously the previous year but had not advanced through Rules. The sponsor said the only proposed change was the effective date. In support of donation awareness, the sponsor cited a January 20 American Red Cross alert reporting a severe blood shortage and a roughly 35% decline in the national blood supply over the preceding month. A witness representing CP Plasma, Inc. supported raising community awareness and asked for approval. A committee member proposed changing the effective date from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026. The committee approved that amendment and then approved the amended bill by voice vote, sending it to Rules. The chair briefly called it a resolution during the vote, then corrected the reference.
House Rules Committee, February 17, 2026
From 0:26:37 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would designate February 17 each year as Blood Plasma Donation Awareness Day. No questions or decision followed.
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Noelle Kahaian (R, HD-81)
- David Clark (R, HD-100)
- Joe Campbell (R, HD-171)
- Reynaldo "Rey" Martinez (R, HD-111)
- Matt Reeves (R, HD-99)
- Floyd Griffin (D, HD-149)
Topics
- blood plasma donation
- state holidays and observances
- sickle cell disease
- public health awareness