Georgia Senate Amends Nursing Bill to Add Transgender Care Restrictions

Republican lawmakers in the Georgia Senate have advanced a bill that began as a measure to expand access to home health and nursing services and is now focused on restricting certain forms of transgender-related medical care.

What the Original Bill Covered

House Bill 54 was originally written to address several caregiving and nursing-related issues, including home health services and support for family caregivers. Earlier versions of the bill focused on home health care services, education related to death certificates, and tax credits for qualified caregiving expenses, including provisions that would affect advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants. The measure drew bipartisan interest when it was framed as a way to improve access to care in the home and expand who could be recognized and supported as a caregiver.

How the Senate Changed the Bill

During Senate consideration in early February, Republican senators added last‑minute amendments that significantly changed the scope of HB 54. According to news reports, the amendments were introduced and approved during Senate floor debate after the bill had previously advanced as a home-health measure. The amended bill passed the Senate largely along party lines.

One amendment, sponsored by Sen. Ben Watson (R–Savannah), would prohibit physicians from prescribing puberty blockers to minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Watson said the restriction is aimed at patients under 18 and would not apply to adults. 

A separate amendment, sponsored by Sen. Blake Tillery (R–Vidalia), would prevent the State Health Benefit Plan from covering gender‑affirming care for state employees and their dependents and would bar state‑owned hospitals from providing that care. 

Similar proposals restricting transgender medical care have been introduced in prior sessions.

How This Fits Into Georgia’s Existing Law

Georgia law already restricts some forms of gender‑affirming care for minors. A 2023 statute bans most gender‑affirming surgeries and hormone therapy for minors while allowing the use of puberty blockers under certain conditions. 

In 2025, lawmakers also approved a separate law restricting gender‑affirming care for transgender people in state custody; that measure is currently being challenged after a federal judge found it likely unconstitutional. 

The newly added language in HB 54 would go further by banning puberty blockers for minors with gender dysphoria and limiting coverage and provision of gender‑affirming care for people insured through or treated in state‑run systems.

Reactions From Lawmakers and Advocacy Groups

Republican leaders in the Senate have framed the amendments as a way to limit or pause certain treatments for minors while the state evaluates their safety and long‑term impact. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and other GOP officials have publicly praised the bill’s passage in the Senate.

Democratic senators criticized the decision to attach the amendments to a nursing and home‑health bill, arguing that it shifted attention away from broader economic and health system concerns. Sen. Elena Parent (D–Atlanta) and other Democrats described the changes as part of a broader pattern of “culture war” legislation that targets vulnerable groups.

LGBTQ+ and civil rights organizations, including Georgia Equality and the Human Rights Campaign, have urged voters to contact their representatives to oppose the Senate changes, citing concerns about access to medically recommended care and the process used to advance the amendments. Georgia Equality described HB 54, prior to the amendments, as a “previously good bill” focused on home health and caregiver support and said the new language would allow the state to intervene in private medical decisions.

National medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Psychological Association (APA), continue to state that gender‑affirming care such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy can be appropriate and effective for treating gender dysphoria when provided under established clinical guidelines.

What This Could Mean for Georgia Nurses

For nurses and APRNs, the most immediate change is that a bill initially tied to home health, caregiving supports, and recognition of advanced practice roles is now transformed to restrictions on transgender care. If the amended bill becomes law, nurses working in pediatrics, primary care, endocrinology, behavioral health, school health, and state‑run facilities may see new limits on what services can be provided, ordered, or covered for transgender patients—especially minors and those insured by the State Health Benefit Plan.

Nurses involved in care coordination for state employees and their dependents, or those practicing in state‑owned hospitals and clinics, could encounter new coverage rules and institutional policies governing gender‑affirming treatments. The bill does not change existing licensure or scope‑of‑practice requirements for nurses, but it could affect how interdisciplinary teams manage treatment plans that previously included puberty blockers or other gender‑affirming interventions for eligible patients.

What Happens Next

Because the Senate significantly amended HB 54, the measure now returns to the Georgia House of Representatives for further consideration. House leadership will decide whether to accept the Senate changes, negotiate a compromise version, or decline to take up the amended bill. According to local reporting, some House leaders have signaled limited interest in revisiting the issue, but no final decision has been announced.

If the House approves the Senate version or a conference committee agrees on final language, the bill would then go to the governor’s desk for signature or veto. Nurses and other healthcare professionals in Georgia can follow updates through the Georgia General Assembly’s bill tracking system. Nurse.org will continue to update this article as well.

 

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