Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed House Bill 717 into law, which directs the Georgia Composite Medical Board to issue rules and regulations for clinics administering psychedelic-assisted therapies by December 31, 2026.

The Board must create rules addressing patient safety, provider qualifications, and operational standards for licensed clinics. Once the rules are established, these clinics must be licensed by the board by July 1, 2027, which would include maintaining emergency protocols, including hospital affiliation or patient transfer capabilities, and limiting treatment to qualified providers, which the bill lists in detail.

The law also requires Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) review and reporting and imposes criminal penalties for operating without a license.

According to the bill, psychedelic-assisted therapy includes, but is not limited to:

• IV infusions of ketamine
• Any treatment or therapy using psychedelic, dissociative, or other related substances that have the potential to produce hallucinations or rapidly induce suggestibility in the user or profound changes in perceptions of reality or the self

This law reflects growing state oversight of ketamine and other emerging therapies used as potential alternatives for certain mental health and pain-related conditions, which may influence treatment considerations within workers’ comp, and could affect provider requirements and compliance expectations for our customers in Georgia.