--- title: SR 634. Lung Cancer; recognize burden in the United States and State of Georgia; support prevention, early detection, and timely intervention to improve patient outcomes collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr634 cite_as: SR 634, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr634 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr634.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr634/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72499 date: 2026-01-29 status: passed 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr633.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr635.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr634.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 634 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-29 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Chuck Hufstetler - Bo Hatchett - Max Burns - Ben Watson - Carden Summers - John Albers - Larry Walker - Shawn Still - Jason Anavitarte - Blake Tillery - Frank Ginn - Clint Dixon - Steve Gooch - Kay Kirkpatrick - Lee Anderson - Billy Hickman - Marty Harbin - Bill Cowsert - Chuck Payne - Matt Brass - Timothy Bearden - Russ Goodman text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR634/2025 upstream_id: 2100308 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - lung cancer - public health - cancer disparities - veterans health - medical technology --- # SR 634. Lung Cancer; recognize burden in the United States and State of Georgia; support prevention, early detection, and timely intervention to improve patient outcomes ## Text Senate Resolution 634 By: Senators Hufstetler of the 52nd, Hatchett of the 50th, Burns of the 23rd, Watson of the 1st, Summers of the 13th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing the burden of lung cancer in the United States and the State of Georgia; supporting prevention, early detection, and timely intervention to improve patient outcomes; addressing disparities in care; and commending Intuitive for its leadership in advancing lung cancer care through innovations such as the Ion robotic endoluminal system; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, taking the lives of nearly 361 Americans each day and accounting for approximately 125,070 deaths annually-nearly as many deaths as colorectal (53,010), breast (42,780), and prostate (32,520) cancers combined; and WHEREAS, about every two minutes someone in the United States is diagnosed with lung cancer, and close to 227,000 people were expected to be diagnosed in 2024; and WHEREAS, there are a variety of risk factors associated with lung cancer, including smoking, exposure to radon gas, air pollution, secondhand smoke and military service-related exposure; and WHEREAS, even non-tobacco users get lung cancer, with approximately 20 percent of new cases occurring in people who have never smoked; and WHEREAS, veterans have a higher rate of lung cancer and are 25 percent more likely to receive a lung cancer diagnosis compared to the general population; and WHEREAS, the burden of lung cancer is not distributed equally: people of color, particularly Black and Indigenous Americans, are less likely to be diagnosed early, less likely to receive surgical treatment, and face significantly lower survival rates compared to white Americans; and WHEREAS, lung cancer has one of the lowest five-year survival rates of all major cancers, largely because cases are frequently diagnosed at later stages, when effective treatment options are limited; and WHEREAS, the national five-year survival rate after a lung cancer diagnosis is only 29.7 percent, and in Georgia is 26.2 percent-ranking Georgia 30th among 39 states with available data and placing it in the below average tier; and WHEREAS, only 28.1 percent of lung cancer cases nationally are diagnosed at an early stage, when the five-year survival rate rises to 65 percent; unfortunately, 43.1 percent of cases are diagnosed at a late stage, when survival drops to just 10 percent; and WHEREAS, in Georgia, only 26.9 percent of lung cancer cases are diagnosed early, which is lower than the national rate and ranks Georgia 38th among the 50 states, placing it in the average tier for early diagnosis; and WHEREAS, the rate of new lung cancer cases in Georgia is 55.7 per 100,000, higher than the national rate of 52.8 per 100,000 and placing Georgia 29th among all states; and WHEREAS, surgery is the most effective treatment for early-stage lung cancer that has not spread, yet only about 20.7 percent of cases nationally undergo surgery, with rates similarly low in Georgia, partly due to late diagnosis; and WHEREAS, early-stage lung cancers present unique clinical challenges, with over 70 percent located in the outer third of the lung, 64 percent in the upper lobes, and 51 percent lacking a leading airway, making them very difficult to reach and biopsy using traditional technology; and WHEREAS, Intuitive's Ion robotic endoluminal system is designed with the smallest outer diameter in its class, maximizing physician reach into the lung periphery and enabling minimally invasive biopsies of small, hard-to-reach nodules, thereby empowering clinicians to overcome anatomical challenges and achieve more accurate, earlier diagnoses; and WHEREAS, Ion has the potential to improve survival rates and reduce overall healthcare costs by increasing the number of patients who can be diagnosed at an early and treatable stage; and WHEREAS, expanding access to cutting-edge technology like Ion and the da Vinci surgical system supports Georgia healthcare teams, including those serving active military and veterans, in their fight against lung cancer, benefits patients regardless of risk factors, and aligns with statewide commitments to elevate patient care and address health disparities. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize lung cancer as a critical public health concern and support efforts to improve prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and intervention, while addressing disparities in care and outcomes. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members commend Intuitive for its leadership and innovation in advancing lung cancer diagnostic care through the Ion robotic endoluminal system and surgical care through the da Vinci surgical system. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Intuitive. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution recognizes the toll of lung cancer nationally and in Georgia, calls for better prevention and early detection, and praises the medical device company Intuitive for its lung cancer diagnostic technology. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change Georgia law. It is a formal statement from the Georgia Senate acknowledging that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and that Georgia's survival and early-detection rates lag behind the national average. It cites statistics on smoking and non-smoking cases, veterans' higher diagnosis rates, and racial disparities in diagnosis and treatment. The resolution states the Senate's support for improving prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer while addressing disparities in care. It also commends Intuitive, a medical technology company, for its Ion robotic endoluminal system and da Vinci surgical system, which are used to biopsy hard-to-reach lung nodules. The Secretary of the Senate is directed to send a copy of the resolution to Intuitive. ### What it does - Formally recognizes lung cancer as a critical public health concern in the United States and Georgia, citing mortality and diagnosis statistics. - States Senate support for improved prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer. - States Senate support for addressing racial and other disparities in lung cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survival. - Commends the company Intuitive for its Ion robotic endoluminal system and da Vinci surgical system used in lung cancer care. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to Intuitive. - Creates no new law, funding, or requirement; it is a statement of the Senate's position rather than a binding rule. ### Who it affects The resolution speaks to lung cancer patients in Georgia, including veterans and people of color who face documented disparities in diagnosis and survival, Georgia healthcare providers, and the medical technology company Intuitive, which is publicly commended by name. ### Why it matters Because this is a resolution rather than a law, it does not require any agency to act, fund any program, or change any patient's care. Its practical effect is a public statement of concern about lung cancer outcomes in Georgia and recognition of a specific company's technology. ### Key provisions - The preamble cites national and Georgia-specific statistics on lung cancer deaths, diagnosis rates, survival rates, and disparities by race and veteran status. - The first resolving clause states the Senate's recognition of lung cancer as a public health concern and support for prevention and early detection efforts. - The second resolving clause commends Intuitive specifically for the Ion robotic endoluminal system and da Vinci surgical system. - The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute a copy of the resolution to Intuitive. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-01-29) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-01-29) - Sponsors: Chuck Hufstetler, Bo Hatchett, Max Burns, Ben Watson, Carden Summers, John Albers, Larry Walker, Shawn Still, Jason Anavitarte, Blake Tillery, Frank Ginn, Clint Dixon, Steve Gooch, Kay Kirkpatrick, Lee Anderson, Billy Hickman, Marty Harbin, Bill Cowsert, Chuck Payne, Matt Brass, Timothy Bearden, Russ Goodman - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72499 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr634.md?full=1