Legislative Watch

Budget week at the Georgia State Capitol is a pivotal time when lawmakers hear detailed presentations from state agencies outlining priorities, funding needs, and proposed investments for the coming fiscal years. Through committee hearings and testimony, legislators scrutinize spending plans, weigh one-time versus ongoing funding, and assess how budget decisions impact core issues like housing, workforce development, healthcare, disaster recovery, and economic growth. These discussions set the framework for negotiations that ultimately shape the state’s final budget and policy direction. Here are some key insights to the budget hearings... (Read More Here)

Executive Snapshot 

This Week at a Glance 

• Georgia legislative session is underway; early committee activity has begun 
• Issues impacting workforce, innovation, and healthcare are emerging priorities.
• Detailed bill tracking is included in this week’s Legislative Report
• Calling small companies! Georgia Life Sciences Day at the Capitol is Feb. 26th; we need your voice.

Georgia Legislative Update 

GLS has just published Week One of the Georgia Life Sciences Legislative Watch, which provides a detailed overview of bills and budget items being monitored during the 2026 Legislative Session, including issues related to: 

• Life sciences innovation and research 
• Workforce development and education 
• Healthcare and public health 
• Economic development and competitiveness 

View the full GLS Legislative Watch (PDF)

Looking Ahead

• Committee hearings and early bill movement are expected in the coming weeks
• Budget discussions will accelerate as legislative milestones approach

Federal Policy Watch

In addition to our work at the state level, Georgia Life Sciences continues to monitor and engage on federal policy issues impacting the life sciences sector, including research funding, innovation incentives, and regulatory priorities. We share regular federal updates and context each Friday in BioBeat, our weekly newsletter, highlighting developments from Washington, DC and how they may impact Georgia’s life sciences community. 

Last week, President Donald Trump unveiled The Great Healthcare Plan, a broad federal proposal aimed at lowering healthcare costs and delivering savings directly to patients. 

The plan places a strong emphasis on healthcare affordability, including increased scrutiny of insurance practices and proposals that could significantly reshape how drug pricing and payment models operate in the U.S. market. Among the policies outlined is a renewed focus on Most Favored Nation (MFN) pricing concepts, which continue to raise concerns across the life sciences ecosystem due to their potential impact on innovation, investment, and patient access. 

At the same time, federal discussions continue around SBIR/STTR reauthorization, a critical priority for early-stage life sciences companies and academic innovators. These programs play a key role in advancing translational research, company formation, and commercialization pathways—particularly for small and emerging companies. Learn how you can Take Action below. 

Georgia Life Sciences continues to closely coordinate with Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), AdvaMed, the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA), and others national advocacy groups, on key federal policy priorities impacting the life sciences sector. 

Additional Updates: 

• FY 2026 Appropriations: Congress has advanced six of twelve funding bills, maintaining support for key science and innovation programs, including National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and rejecting deeper proposed cuts. Negotiations continue on HHS funding, including multi-year NIH grant authority. 
• Healthcare Affordability: Healthcare costs remain a top congressional focus, with continued debate around insurance practices and Most Favored Nation (MFN) pricing concepts that could have significant implications for innovation and patient access.
• SBIR/STTR Reauthorization: Bipartisan progress is underway toward reauthorizing SBIR/STTR, with emerging consensus on strengthening Phase III commercialization pathways, creating larger “Strategic Breakthrough” awards, and expanding technical and business assistance. 
• Rare Disease & Genomics: Bipartisan legislation has been introduced to ensure children with rare diseases or genetic disorders enrolled in Medicaid can access genomic sequencing, reinforcing federal attention on rare disease innovation.
• Biomedical & Public Health Legislation: Congress is advancing bipartisan measures related to lung cancer screening, opioid exposure, patient data protection, and infant formula safety. 
• Emerging Biotechnology & Competitiveness: The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) released a major set of policy recommendations aimed at modernizing biotechnology regulation and strengthening U.S. competitiveness. 

Watch for more federal updates in Friday’s BioBeat newsletter. 

Take Action – GLS Action Center 

We’ve launched a new GLS Action Center to make it easy for members and partners to engage on critical policy issues affecting our industry. 

Current action opportunities include: 

• Supporting the reauthorization of SBIR/STTR 
• Showing support for NIH funding and biomedical research 
• Protecting and strengthening the Orphan Drug Credit, a key incentive supporting the development of therapies for rare diseases 

Your voice matters—and engagement takes just minutes.  

Visit the GLS Action Center

Additional Calls to Action From Our Partners: 

Seeking Patient Stories for Two Critical Hearings! The House Energy & Commerce Committee (E&C) -Morning, Ways & Means Committee (W&M) - Afternoon; Thursday, January 22, 2026. If you, or anyone you know, has been denied Medications or Medical Treatments/Procedures from their Insurance Company, PLEASE, share their story, the outcome of the denial, and the Congressmen below to include PBM Reform in the hearing’s discussions. Contact: Committee members below who serve on E&C Committee. 

• Rep. Rick Allen: tre.lind@mail.house.gov
• Rep. Buddy Carter: jack.ganter@mail.house.gov 
• And please forward to dlg@arxc.org ASAP so we can send to the committee chairs.   

From We Work for Health - Read & Share: A new report from @biotech_gov finds that China’s biopharma industry is growing even faster than anticipated, heightening the urgency for U.S. lawmakers to respond. View the assessment recap from @weworkforhealth.

GLS Legislative Watch is provided for informational purposes and reflects ongoing monitoring of state and federal policy developments impacting Georgia’s life sciences ecosystem. 

Questions or feedback? Contact us at admin@galifesciences.org.