Rural access, maternal health expected to dominate Georgia’s 2026 agenda

The 2025 legislative session was filled with bills related to health care, and it looks like the 2026 session will follow suit with several bills rolling over from the previous session.

A focus for lawmakers in the 2026 legislative session is expected to be on affordability and access for rural communities as well as maternal and infant health care. Two study committees recommended improving incentives and support for physicians who practice in rural areas.

The House study committee on improving access to internal medicine for underserved areas recommended building on current efforts to expand healthcare to underserved areas through the pending Rural Health Transformation Program application as well as other measures and incentives to support healthcare professionals working in rural areas.

The committee also recommended support for HB 154, which designates ambulance services as an essential service, as well as additional legislation requiring counties to maintain enough ambulances to meet the needs of their communities.

The House study committee on cancer care access also recommended simplifying access to Medicaid and encouraging the use of mobile screening units to benefit rural areas. 

After the close of the 2025 session, the Georgia Hospital Association outlined several bills that are still viable for 2026. Visit gha.org to view the full list, but here are some highlights.

• HB 262: This bill would establish a grant program that would provide funding for small rural hospitals with under 100 beds in a county of less than 50,000 residents. The Georgia Department of Community Health would work with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to determine criteria and amounts. Hospitals without backup generators would have priority.
• HB 471: This bill would require licensed general hospitals and birthing centers in Georgia to present a water safety video to parents or guardians before being discharged from the facility.
• SB 142: This bill would facilitate licensure for qualifying international medical graduates. 

Other bills that were introduced before the close of the 2025 session include the following.

• HB 925: Also known as the Georgia Maternal Health Momnibus Act, this bill would establish several programs and protections to address maternal health challenges in Georgia.
• HB 927: This bill would expand mammogram coverage to make preventative care more accessible to families with histories of breast cancer.
• HB 929: This bill would establish a three-year pilot program through the Georgia Department of Public Health to offer dietitian services at federally qualified health centers to public school students in elementary and secondary school.