HB1332: HB1332 Georgia Buy American Medicine Act; enact

Georgia hospitals and other healthcare providers that receive state funds currently have no requirement to prefer American-made prescription drugs over foreign-made ones. This bill, called the Georgia Buy American Medicine Act, would add a new section to Georgia law requiring these providers to give preference to prescription drugs manufactured, processed, and finished in the United States when procuring drugs for patient care, as long as such drugs are reasonably available. The preference applies only to spending of state funds, not federal funds. Providers can still buy foreign-made drugs if the American version is not reasonably available, would risk patient safety, is needed during a public health emergency or shortage, or costs substantially more (over 20 percent higher) or would limit patient access. Providers must document any exception and keep records for three years. The Department of Community Health would write enforcement rules, and repeated violations could lead to loss of eligibility for state funds. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.

• Requires hospitals, health systems, clinics, and medical facilities that receive Georgia state funds to prefer American-made prescription drugs when procuring medications for patient care.
• Defines 'American manufactured pharmaceutical' as a drug made, processed, and finished at a U.S. facility registered with the federal Food and Drug Administration.
• Limits the preference requirement to spending of state funds only, exempting federal funds and federally regulated procurement.
• Allows exceptions when an American drug isn't reasonably available, would harm patient safety, is needed in an emergency or shortage, or costs more than 20 percent more.
• Requires providers to document and retain records of any exception for at least three years.
• Directs the Department of Community Health to create enforcement rules and allows corrective action plans or loss of state funding eligibility for repeated violations.

Hospitals, health systems, clinics, and medical facilities in Georgia that receive state funds; the Department of Community Health, which must write and enforce the new rules; physicians, whose independent medical judgment is protected; and patients whose access to certain medications could be affected.

Hospitals receiving state money would need new purchasing processes to track drug origin and document exceptions, which could affect which medications are stocked and how quickly providers can respond to shortages or cost differences, while patient-specific treatment decisions remain protected.

• Section 1 gives the Act its short title, the 'Georgia Buy American Medicine Act.'
• Section 2 lists legislative findings citing FDA inspection differences and drug quality concerns as reasons for the preference.
• Section 3 adds new Code Section 31-2-20, defining key terms including 'American manufactured pharmaceutical,' 'reasonably available,' and 'substantially higher' (over 20 percent).
• Subsection (b) requires the preference for American-made drugs when procuring with state funds; subsection (c) limits this to state funds only.
• Subsection (d) lists four exceptions allowing purchase of non-U.S. drugs, including safety risk, unavailability, emergencies, and substantially higher cost.
• Subsection (e) requires documentation of exceptions kept for three years; subsection (f) tasks the Department of Community Health with enforcement rules.
• Subsection (g) allows corrective action plans or loss of state fund eligibility for repeated or willful violations.
• Section 4 sets the effective date as the date of the Governor's approval or when it becomes law without approval.

1. 2026-03-03House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-02-19House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-18House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-17House Hopper (House)

• David Clark (R, HD-100)Primary sponsor
• Steven Sainz (R, HD-180)
• Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
• Tim Fleming (R, HD-114)
• Johnny Chastain (R, HD-007)
• Karen Mathiak (R, HD-082)

• hospital regulation
• prescription drugs
• state funding rules
• public health policy
• drug manufacturing