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Read. Follow. Verify.Georgia requires clinic licensure and provider standards for psychedelic-assisted therapy
Last action · May 12, 2026: House Date Signed by GovernorSponsors: Sharon Cooper and 5 others
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What This Bill Does
Georgia House Bill 717 establishes mandatory state licensure for clinics administering psychedelic-assisted treatments like ketamine infusions, sets safety and emergency protocols, and restricts administration to qualified medical professionals starting July 1, 2027.
Medical clinics offering psychedelic therapies must secure state licenses by July 1, 2027, meet equipment and hospital transfer requirements, and limit treatments to specific licensed professionals or face felony criminal penalties.
- The Medical Practice Act of the State of Georgia governs the licensing and professional conduct of physicians and healthcare practitioners in the state. context
- Ketamine infusions and other psychedelic-related therapies have seen increasing clinical utilization for mental health treatment, prompting state-level regulatory frameworks. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Medical clinics offering psychedelic-assisted therapy
Clinics must obtain biennial state licenses, execute hospital transfer agreements, comply with board safety regulations, and restrict ownership to qualified licensed professionals.
Patients receiving psychedelic treatments
Patients benefit from mandated emergency transfer protocols, mandatory prescription drug database checks, and required provider competency standards.
Key Facts
- Beginning July 1, 2027, all clinics offering psychedelic-assisted treatment and therapy must be licensed by the board and renew their licenses biennially.
- By December 31, 2026, the board must establish rules and regulations governing clinic safety, emergency transfer protocols, continuing education, and patient records.
- New clinics must be owned by one or more licensed physicians or certified registered nurse anesthetists who meet competency requirements, though existing operational clinics are exempt from ownership rules while remaining subject to all other provisions.
- Administration of psychedelic-assisted treatments is restricted to licensed physicians, certified registered nurse anesthetists, anesthesiologist assistants, or qualified nurse practitioners and physician assistants with advanced training and board approval.
Show all 8 facts
- Licensed clinics must execute a hospital affiliation agreement or ensure staff have admitting privileges and maintain immediate transfer capabilities for emergency care.
- Prior to treatment, clinics must check the prescription drug monitoring program database and document the review in the patient's medical record.
- Operating a clinic without a required license is classified as a felony punishable by one to five years imprisonment, a fine between $1,000.00 and $5,000.00, or both.
- The law does not apply to clinics affiliated with a hospital, FDA-approved clinical trials, or the administration of FDA-approved drugs for on-label indications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies as psychedelic-assisted treatment and therapy under this law?
Who is authorized to administer psychedelic treatments in a clinic?
What happens if a clinic operates without a license after the deadline?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
22 actions- Jul 1, 2026Georgia General AssemblyEffective Date
- May 12, 2026HouseEnrolledHouse Date Signed by Governor
- May 12, 2026GovernorEnrolledAct 634
- Apr 6, 2026HouseHouse Sent to Governor
- Mar 27, 2026HouseFloorHouse Agreed Senate Amend or Sub
- Mar 23, 2026SenateSenate Third Read
Show 16 earlier actions
- Mar 23, 2026SenateFloorSenate Passed/Adopted By Substitute
- Mar 20, 2026SenateSenate Read Second Time
- Mar 19, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
- Mar 9, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate Read and Referred
- Mar 6, 2026HouseFloorHouse Passed/Adopted By Substitute
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse Reconsidered
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse Withdrawn, Recommitted
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse Third Readers
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse Third Reading Lost
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse Notice to Reconsider
- Feb 4, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
- Apr 4, 2025HouseHouse Withdrawn, Recommitted
- Mar 6, 2025HouseCommitteeHouse Committee Favorably Reported
- Mar 4, 2025HouseHouse Second Readers
- Mar 3, 2025HouseIntroducedHouse Hopper
- Mar 3, 2025HouseIntroducedHouse First Readers
Version history & redline
5 versions on fileLobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 1 more sponsor
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of State Oversight for Psychedelic Therapy
Georgia is instituting specific statutory licensure, safety protocols, and provider restrictions for clinics administering psychedelic-assisted treatments.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.ga.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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