Bill > HB522

This bill amends Georgia state law to prohibit healthcare providers and facilities from discriminating against potential organ transplant recipients based solely on their COVID-19 vaccination status. The legislation expands existing protections for individuals with disabilities in organ transplant processes by adding "vaccine status" as a protected characteristic. Specifically, covered healthcare entities cannot consider an individual ineligible for an organ transplant, deny medical services, refuse referrals, refuse placement on transplant waiting lists, or lower waiting list priority solely because of their COVID-19 vaccination status. The bill defines key terms like "vaccine status" (whether someone has received a COVID-19 vaccination) and "covered entity" (which includes hospitals, healthcare practitioners, and transplant matching organizations). While the law maintains that healthcare providers are not required to perform medically inappropriate transplants, it ensures that vaccination history alone cannot be used as a basis for excluding someone from organ transplant consideration. Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against can pursue civil action to enforce compliance, with the court able to provide injunctive relief and require modifications to discriminatory policies.

Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70502