The Georgia stem cell law took effect on July 1, 2026, changing how licensed providers advertise, document, and source cell therapies the FDA has not approved. House Bill 1275 became Act 453 on May 11, 2026, creating O.C.G.A. 43-34-49. This guide covers what the statute requires, how it differs from Florida’s law, and where adipose fits.
TLDR: Georgia House Bill 1275 is now Act 453, effective July 1, 2026. It lets a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner under lawful designation perform human stem cell therapies the FDA has not yet approved, if the patient is advised and signs a consent form. The law adds an advertising notice, three consent contents, and facility sourcing standards. It sets no specialty limit and requires no post-thaw viability report. Banking adipose tissue does not make any therapy FDA approved and does not guarantee eligibility, access, or clinical benefit.
Important Disclaimer: Save My Fat is a connector service linking patients and providers to a U.S. tissue bank. Save My Fat does not provide FDA-approved treatments or cures and does not guarantee eligibility, access, or clinical benefit. Adipose tissue and stromal vascular fraction are investigational and not FDA approved. Act 453 governs licensed clinicians, not tissue banks, and this is not legal advice. This content is for educational purposes only, and readers should consult their own licensed healthcare professionals before acting on it.
For years, Georgia clinicians offering cell therapies worked without a state rulebook. No statute told them what to disclose in an advertisement, what a consent form had to contain, or where their product had to be manufactured. Federal law applied, but the state board had no Georgia standard to point to.
That gap closed this summer. Act 453 authorizes a category of practice, attaches consumer protections to it, and sets sourcing standards for the products involved. Providers who read it as broad permission will miss the parts that create exposure, and those who assume Georgia copied Florida will use the wrong checklist.
What the Georgia Stem Cell Law Changes on July 1, 2026
Act 453 permits a physician, a physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner acting under lawful designation to perform human stem cell therapies the FDA has not yet approved, subject to three conditions. The therapy must fall within that provider’s scope of practice, the patient must be advised, and the patient must sign a consent form first.
The statute sets no specialty limitation. Florida confines its equivalent authorization to orthopedics, wound care, and pain management, but Georgia draws no such boundary, so the limit is scope of practice and board oversight. Providers under federal or institutional oversight are exempt, including holders of an FDA investigational new drug or device exemption and physicians contracted with a FACT or AABB accredited institution.
The Advertising Notice and Consent Language Georgia Requires
Georgia now joins the states requiring a patient-facing notice. Any advertisement must carry this exact language: “THIS NOTICE MUST BE PROVIDED TO YOU UNDER GEORGIA LAW. This physician or his or her designee performs one or more human stem cell therapies that have not yet been approved by the FDA. You are encouraged to consult with your primary care provider before undergoing any human stem cell therapy.”
The type size rule is what marketing teams miss. The notice must run in type no smaller than the largest type used anywhere else in the ad, so a 48 point headline forces a 48 point notice. Consent is specific: the form must state, in understandable language, the nature and character of the proposed treatment, that it is not yet FDA approved, and the anticipated results.
Facility Standards and Where the Tissue May Come From
Act 453 gives providers two sourcing routes. The first is a facility registered with the FDA, and that facility may sit in Georgia, in another state, or in another country. An earlier version of the bill would have required a Georgia facility, but that language was removed before passage.
The second route is accreditation by the World Marrow Donor Association, the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies, the American Association of Tissue Banks, or another entity the Department of Public Health deems appropriate. The National Marrow Donor Program is on Florida’s list but not Georgia’s. Accreditation changes require 30-day notice, and good manufacturing practice applies under 21 CFR Part 1271. Suppliers should also document their FDA establishment registration.
Georgia House Bill 1275 Versus Florida SB 1768
Florida moved first. CS/CS/SB 1768 became Chapter 2025-185, took effect July 1, 2025, and created sections 458.3245 and 459.0127. The two statutes rhyme, but the operational differences change what a compliant file looks like. The Florida SB 1768 checklist covers that state’s three cumulative facility conditions.
| Requirement | Georgia, Act 453 | Florida, Chapter 2025-185 |
|---|---|---|
| Effective date | July 1, 2026 | July 1, 2025 |
| Who may perform | Physician, PA, or NP under designation | Physicians only |
| Clinical scope limit | None stated | Orthopedics, wound care, or pain management only |
| Advertising notice | Required, Georgia wording | Required, Florida wording |
| Written consent | Required, three itemized contents | Required |
| Facility sourcing | FDA-registered anywhere, or WMDA, AABB, AATB | FDA-registered plus NMDP, WMDA, AABB, or AATB |
| Post-thaw viability report | Not required | Required for the lot, before use |
| Numeric viability threshold | None | None |
The post-thaw row is the most misreported. Florida requires a post-thaw viability analysis report for the product lot to reach the physician before use. Georgia requires none. Tennessee’s Public Chapter 1016, also effective July 1, 2026, is the only state law with numeric thresholds, above 90 percent viability on a pre-thaw certificate of analysis and no less than 80 percent post-thaw, except for autologous product.
Where Adipose Tissue Banking Fits Under the Georgia Definition
Georgia’s scope covers afterbirth placental perinatal stem cells or human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products, known as HCT/Ps. That second category is the one people miss. Because adipose is not written into any exclusion, adipose-derived HCT/Ps fall inside the definition. The law is not limited to birth tissue derived stem cell therapy in Georgia.
Florida lands in the same place by a different route, since adipose is absent from its exclusion list. For patients, the read is narrower than it sounds: these laws regulate what a clinician may perform, advertise, and document. Preserving adipose tissue is a storage decision, and any future use depends on FDA regulatory status and physician judgment at that time.
What Georgia Does Not Change: The Federal Baseline
State permission is not federal approval
Act 453 is a licensing statute that does not grant FDA approval, and its own notice says so. Federal classification still runs through 21 CFR 1271.10(a), which requires all four criteria to be met for regulation solely as a 361 HCT/P, beginning with minimal manipulation and homologous use. The FDA explains the framework on its tissue product questions and answers page.
Steps before the next advertisement runs
Start with the ad stack, since the type size rule touches every asset in market. Rebuild the consent form against the three statutory contents and the broader informed consent requirements for tissue storage. Then get written proof of registration or accreditation from every supplier. Multi-state practices should work from a current state law map rather than one template. The bill text is published by the Georgia General Assembly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Georgia House Bill 1275 actually allow physicians to do?
It allows a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner under lawful designation to perform human stem cell therapies the FDA has not yet approved, when the therapy is within scope of practice, the patient is advised, and the patient signs a consent form.
Does HB 1275 mean stem cell therapies are FDA approved in Georgia?
No. State law cannot confer federal approval. The statute assumes the opposite, which is why it requires a notice telling patients the therapies are not yet approved by the FDA. Federal classification still depends on 21 CFR Part 1271, and federal enforcement continues regardless.
What disclosure and consent requirements does the law create?
Advertising must carry the exact statutory notice, in type no smaller than the largest type used elsewhere in the ad. Consent must be signed and must state, in understandable language, the nature and character of the proposed treatment, that it is not yet FDA approved, and the anticipated results.
How does Georgia’s law compare to Florida’s SB 1768?
Both require a patient notice and written consent, and both set facility standards. Florida limits the practice to orthopedics, wound care, and pain management, while Georgia sets no specialty limit. Florida requires a post-thaw viability report before use, and Georgia requires none. Neither sets a numeric percentage.
Does this law affect adipose tissue banking specifically?
The statute covers afterbirth placental perinatal stem cells or HCT/Ps, and adipose is not excluded, so adipose-derived HCT/Ps sit inside the definition. The law regulates what clinicians perform and advertise. Preserving your own adipose tissue is a storage decision that connects no one to a therapy.
What facility standards does the law require?
The product must come from a facility registered with the FDA, in Georgia, another state, or another country, or from one certified or accredited by the World Marrow Donor Association, AABB, the American Association of Tissue Banks, or an entity the Department of Public Health deems appropriate.
Key Takeaways
Georgia House Bill 1275, now Act 453, took effect July 1, 2026 and created O.C.G.A. 43-34-49. It authorizes physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners under lawful designation to perform stem cell therapies the FDA has not approved, subject to scope of practice, patient advisement, and signed consent. Georgia imposes no specialty limitation, where Florida confines the practice to orthopedics, wound care, and pain management.
Georgia requires no post-thaw viability report, where Florida requires one before use and Tennessee alone sets numeric percentages. Sourcing may run through an FDA-registered facility anywhere, or an accredited facility on Georgia’s list. Adipose-derived HCT/Ps are inside the definition. None of this changes federal status, since adipose-derived cells remain investigational, the evidence is preliminary, and outcomes cannot be predicted.
Save My Fat operates as a tissue preservation service, not a medical practice or treatment provider. Stem cell and regenerative medicine regulations vary by state, including specific informed-consent and disclosure requirements in Florida, Utah, and Nevada governing tissue and stem cell services. Banking adipose tissue does not connect patients to any treatment pathway, and any future use depends on FDA regulatory status, physician guidance, and the availability of approved or investigational pathways at that time.
Patients weighing adipose tissue banking for potential future use can review current pricing or contact our team with questions about collection logistics.
Save My Fat partners with a U.S.-based tissue bank for laboratory processing and storage.
This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Legal and medical review including neurology and neurosurgery input is required before publication. Please consult your neurologist or neurosurgeon before making any decisions about banking, treatment, or research participation.
About the author: Oscar Tellez is the founder and CEO of Save My Fat. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from Florida Atlantic University. He has spent more than a decade in the regenerative medicine industry across product distribution, laboratory and vendor relationships, and provider training. He is not a licensed clinician, and this article is educational, not medical advice.
Related guide: state stem cell laws.
