--- title: HB 872. Health; right to contraception for individuals; provide collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb872 cite_as: HB 872, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb872 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb872.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb872/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71805 date: 2025-03-31 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb871.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb873.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb872.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 872 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-03-27 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Sharon Cooper - Deborah Silcox - Beth Camp - Bethany Ballard - Jan Jones - Darlene Taylor text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB872/2025 upstream_id: 2016174 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - contraception - reproductive health - women's health - Georgia health code --- # HB 872. Health; right to contraception for individuals; provide ## Text 25 LC 33 9791 House Bill 872 By: Representatives Cooper of the 45th, Silcox of the 53rd, Camp of the 135th, Ballard of the 147th, Jones of the 47th, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 1 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 general provisions regarding health, so as to provide for the r ight to contraception for2 individuals; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting3 laws; and for other purposes.4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5 SECTION 1.6 Chapter 1 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated , relating to general7 provisions regarding health, is amended by revising Code Section 31-1-20, which is reserved,8 as follows:9 "31-1-20.10 (a) As used in this Code section, the term:11 (1) 'Conception' means the process of combining the male sperm with the female ovum,12 resulting in a fertilized ovum or zygote.13 (2) 'Contraception' means a method of inhibiting the development of a human pregnancy14 at any stage prior to conception.15 (b) Females have the right to the use of any means of contraception. Reserved."16 H. B. 872 - 1 - 25 LC 33 9791 SECTION 2.17 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.18 H. B. 872 - 2 - ## 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. House Bill 872 would create a new section in Georgia's health code declaring that women have the right to use any method of contraception, and would define what counts as conception and contraception. ### Plain-language summary Currently, Georgia Code Section 31-1-20 is officially reserved, meaning it holds no active text. This bill would fill that section with new language addressing contraception rights. It defines 'conception' as the process of a male sperm combining with a female egg to form a fertilized egg, and defines 'contraception' as any method that prevents pregnancy from developing before that point. With those definitions in place, the bill states that females have the right to use any means of contraception. The bill also repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with this new provision. The bill does not list an effective date beyond the standard process for bills signed into law. ### What it does - Fills in Georgia Code Section 31-1-20, previously an empty placeholder, with new language on contraception rights. - Defines 'conception' in Georgia law as the combination of sperm and egg resulting in a fertilized egg or zygote. - Defines 'contraception' as any method that stops a pregnancy from developing before conception occurs. - States that females have the right to use any means of contraception. - Repeals any existing Georgia laws or parts of laws that conflict with this new provision. ### Who it affects The bill's text most directly affects women and girls in Georgia who use or seek access to contraception, as well as any existing state laws or regulations that might restrict contraception access, which would be repealed if they conflict with this provision. ### Why it matters By writing a right to contraception directly into Georgia's health code, the bill would create a specific legal basis for access to contraceptive methods and would override any current state laws that conflict with that right, though the text does not spell out enforcement mechanisms. ### Key provisions - Section 1 amends Chapter 1 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated by revising Code Section 31-1-20, which was previously reserved (blank). - Subsection (a) defines 'conception' as the combining of male sperm and female ovum resulting in a fertilized ovum or zygote. - Subsection (a) also defines 'contraception' as a method of inhibiting the development of a pregnancy at any stage before conception. - Subsection (b) states that females have the right to the use of any means of contraception. - Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with the new provision. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-03-27) - Last action: House Second Readers (2025-03-31) - Sponsors: Sharon Cooper, Deborah Silcox, Beth Camp, Bethany Ballard, Jan Jones, Darlene Taylor - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71805 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb872.md?full=1