--- title: SB 6. Controlled Substances; determine whether a controlled substance has been adulterated; authorize the use of testing equipment collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sb6 cite_as: SB 6, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb6 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb6.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb6/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69329 date: 2025-05-12 status: passed 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/sb5.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb7.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 990 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb6.md?full=1 bill_number: SB 6 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-12 last_action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 sponsors: - Kay Kirkpatrick - Brian Strickland - Randy Robertson - Kim Jackson - Matt Brass - Russ Goodman - Sally Harrell - Ben Watson - Sharon Cooper text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB6/2025 upstream_id: 1919249 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - drug testing equipment - fentanyl test strips - controlled substances law - harm reduction - drug paraphernalia laws --- # SB 6. Controlled Substances; determine whether a controlled substance has been adulterated; authorize the use of testing equipment ## Text 25 SB 6/AP Senate Bill 6 By: Senators Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Strickland of the 42nd, Robertson of the 29th, Jackson of the 41st, Brass of the 6th and others AS PASSED A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Code Section 26-3-22 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to other1 laws unaffected by the "Georgia Drug and Cosmetic Act," so as to authorize the use of drug2 analysis equipment and controlled substance packaging to determine whether a controlled3 substance has been adulterated; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and4 for other purposes.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 SECTION 1.7 Code Section 26-3-22 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to other laws8 unaffected by the "Georgia Drug and Cosmetic Act," is amended by revising subsection (a)9 as follows:10 "(a) This chapter shall be cumulative and supplemental to any and all existing laws relating11 to the subject matter of drugs. Specifically, nothing contained in this chapter shall be so12 construed as to relieve any person, firm, or corporation from c omplying with any13 requirements as prescribed by Chapter 4 of this title, Article 3 of Chapter 13 of Title 16,14 the 'Dangerous Drug Act,' Article 2 of Chapter 13 of Title 16, the 'Georgia Controlled15 Substances Act,' or Title 21 C.F.R. 210, the federal 'current good manufacturing practices16 S. B. 6 - 1 - 25 SB 6/AP in manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding of drugs: general'; provided, however,17 that any testing drug analysis equipment used to determine whether a controlled substance18 or its packaging has been adulterated and contains a synthetic opioid shall not be19 considered a drug related object as defined by Article 2 of Chapter 13 of Title 16."20 SECTION 2.21 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.22 S. B. 6 - 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. Senate Bill 6 changes Georgia law so that equipment used to test drugs for contamination with synthetic opioids like fentanyl is no longer treated as illegal drug paraphernalia. ### Plain-language summary Under current Georgia law, testing equipment used to check whether a controlled substance has been contaminated or altered could potentially be classified as a 'drug related object,' which is illegal to possess under the state's Controlled Substances Act (O.C.G.A. § 16-13). Senate Bill 6 amends O.C.G.A. § 26-3-22, part of the Georgia Drug and Cosmetic Act, to clarify that this rule does not apply to drug analysis equipment. The bill states that any equipment used to determine whether a controlled substance or its packaging has been adulterated and contains a synthetic opioid will not count as a drug related object under Georgia law. This effectively allows people to use tools such as fentanyl test strips without risk of that equipment itself being treated as illegal. The bill repeals any conflicting laws and does not list a delayed effective date, so it would take effect once signed into law under the state's standard rules. ### What it does - Amends Georgia's drug and cosmetic law (O.C.G.A. § 26-3-22) to exempt drug testing equipment from the definition of a 'drug related object' under the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. - Applies specifically to equipment used to check whether a controlled substance or its packaging has been adulterated and contains a synthetic opioid, such as fentanyl. - Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with this new exemption. ### Who it affects People who use or carry drug testing equipment such as fentanyl test strips, harm reduction organizations that distribute such supplies, law enforcement officers who decide whether to charge someone for possessing drug paraphernalia, and prosecutors handling related cases. ### Why it matters By removing legal risk from possessing drug testing supplies, the bill changes how police and prosecutors can treat people found with equipment meant to detect dangerous contaminants like fentanyl in street drugs, potentially making such testing tools easier to use without fear of criminal charges. ### Key provisions - Section 1 revises subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 26-3-22 to add a new exception for drug analysis equipment used to detect adulteration. - The exception specifically covers equipment used to determine if a controlled substance or its packaging contains a synthetic opioid. - The bill clarifies that such equipment is not a 'drug related object' as defined under Article 2 of Chapter 13 of Title 16, the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. - Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with the new provision. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-12) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 (2025-05-12) - Sponsors: Kay Kirkpatrick, Brian Strickland, Randy Robertson, Kim Jackson, Matt Brass, Russ Goodman, Sally Harrell, Ben Watson, Sharon Cooper - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69329 > The history, votes, and amendments (990 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb6.md?full=1