HB981: HB981 Professions and businesses; expand certain advanced practice registered nurse and physician assistant prescriptive authorizations

Under current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 43-34-25 and § 43-34-103), advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants working under a supervising physician's protocol can, in emergency situations, write initial prescriptions for hydrocodone, oxycodone, and similar drugs, but only for up to a five day supply and only for patients 18 or older. This bill would raise that limit to a 30 day supply for both types of providers, add a formal legal definition of 'stimulant' tied to Georgia's Controlled Substances Act (O.C.G.A. § 16-13-26), and let providers include stimulants among the drugs they can prescribe under these emergency protocols. The bill also removes the requirement that a patient be 18 or older before an advanced practice registered nurse can issue one of these prescriptions. It leaves untouched other requirements, such as the physician's oversight of the nurse protocol agreement, direct patient evaluation, and continuing education. A separate provision streamlines how the state medical board approves nurse protocol agreements when a new agreement closely matches one already approved. The bill takes effect upon passage and repeals any conflicting laws.

• Increases the maximum supply advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants can prescribe under emergency protocols from a five day supply to a 30 day supply of drugs like hydrocodone and oxycodone.
• Adds a legal definition of 'stimulant' tied to Georgia's Controlled Substances Act (O.C.G.A. § 16-13-26) and allows nurses and physician assistants to include stimulants among drugs they can prescribe under emergency protocols.
• Removes the current requirement that a patient be 18 years of age or older before an advanced practice registered nurse can issue certain emergency prescription drug orders.
• Simplifies board approval for nurse protocol agreements that closely match agreements already approved for other providers in the same practice.
• Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with these changes.

Advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants who work under physician-supervised protocols, the physicians who supervise and delegate authority to them, the Georgia Composite Medical Board, and patients, including minors, who may receive prescriptions for stimulants or controlled substances like hydrocodone and oxycodone from these providers.

Patients could receive longer prescriptions without needing a follow-up visit as quickly, which may improve access in emergency situations but also extends how long a patient holds controlled substances. Removing the age restriction means minors could now receive these emergency prescriptions from advanced practice registered nurses, a change from current law.

• Section 1 adds a new definition of 'stimulant' to O.C.G.A. § 43-34-25, tied to the definition in Georgia's Controlled Substances Act (O.C.G.A. § 16-13-26).
• Section 1 revises subsection (d.1) to raise the prescription limit for advanced practice registered nurses from a five day to a 30 day supply for stimulants, hydrocodone, oxycodone, or compounds thereof.
• Section 1 removes the existing requirement that such a prescription order be limited to patients 18 years of age or older.
• Section 1 revises paragraph (10) of subsection (g), covering emergency medical services systems with a physician medical director, addressing drug ordering limits of up to a 14 day supply.
• Section 1 revises subsection (m) so that new nurse protocol agreements matching previously approved agreements for the same practice are automatically deemed approved by the board.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 43-34-103 to let physicians delegate authority to physician assistants to prescribe stimulants and raises their prescription limit from a five day to a 30 day supply.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.

1. 2026-01-27House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-16House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-15House Hopper (House)

• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)Primary sponsor
• Ginny Ehrhart (R, HD-036)
• Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)
• Mack Jackson (D, HD-128)
• Jan Jones (R, HD-047)
• Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)

• nurse practitioners
• physician assistants
• prescription drugs
• controlled substances
• medical licensing