The Georgia Senate has approved HB 972, legislation designed to halt the rapid increase of illicit pill mills in Georgia, by a vote of 49-3. The bill, sponsored by Representative Tom Weldon, will provide the Georgia Composite Medical Board the authority to license and regulate pain management clinics.

Attorney General Sam Olens commended the Senate for addressing the growing crisis of prescription drug abuse in Georgia by approving HB 972. “Prescription drug abuse in Georgia has increased at an alarming rate in recent years, wreaking havoc in communities across the state,” said Olens. “In order to tackle the problem, it is imperative that we address one of the main sources driving the abuse – pill mills which often operate under the façade of pain management clinics and illegally supply massive amounts of prescription drugs. By giving the Composite Medical Board the authority to license and regulate pain management clinics, HB 972 will expose and punish narcotic traffickers who operate rogue pill mills, while ensuring that Georgia’s great doctors can continue to provide high-quality healthcare to their patients.”

“I appreciate Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, President Pro Tempore Tommie Williams, Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, Senate Rules Committee Chairman Don Balfour and Senate Health and Human Services Vice Chairman Renee Unterman ensuring that HB 972 received a vote in Senate. I also appreciate Senator Buddy Carter’s leadership in advancing the bill through the Senate.”