State Rep. Sharon Cooper has introduced new legislation in the Georgia House designed to update procedures and protections for sexual assault victims within medical and legal systems, according to the Georgia State House.
Labeled HB1397, the bill was presented Thursday, Feb. 19, during the 2026 regular session of the 158th General Assembly. The measure is formally described as: ‘Criminal procedure; implied consent to a drug facilitated sexual assault examination for unconscious victims of alleged sexual assault; provide.’
Below is our analysis, based on the bill’s text, which includes explanation for clarification of its content.
The legislation aims to revise Georgia law concerning sexual assault investigations by adding a definition for “drug facilitated sexual assault examination.” It specifies the right of victims to access such exams—and forensic medical exams—free of charge and without needing to cooperate with law enforcement. The bill would grant licensed hospitals and health care practitioners authority to conduct drug facilitated sexual assault exams if the suspected victim is unconscious or under urgent medical circumstances, granting implied consent until the victim regains consciousness to make decisions about law enforcement use of evidence. Further, it protects those seeking medical help after a sexual assault in good faith from criminal arrest, charges, or prosecution based solely on evidence resulting from that assistance.
Rep. Spencer Frye (Democrat-122nd) and Rep. Shea Roberts (Democrat-52nd) also co-sponsored the bill, with two additional lawmakers joining as co-sponsors.
Since the session began, Cooper has introduced 12 more bills, with two passing into law so far.
Cooper graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1968 with a BS and earned another BS from the Medical College of Georgia in 1975.
The Republican legislator was elected to the Georgia State House in 2023 as the representative for the 45th House District, filling the seat that was previously occupied by Mitchell Kaye.
Georgia’s legislative process starts when a member of the General Assembly, sometimes at a constituent’s request, collaboratively drafts a bill with the Office of Legislative Counsel. Once filed with the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate, it undergoes a first reading and is assigned to a committee where most discussion and review occurs. If it receives committee approval, it proceeds to the legislative floor for third reading, debate, and a vote. Bills must pass both chambers—resolving differences in conference committee when needed—before heading to the governor, who has six days during session, or 40 days post-session (Sine Die), to sign, veto, or allow a bill to become law without a signature. The General Assembly convenes yearly for a 40-day session, beginning the second Monday of January.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB1368 | 02/18/2026 | Mental health; re-creation of community service boards; provide |
| HB1295 | 02/12/2026 | Physician Assistant Licensure Compact; enter into an interstate compact |
| HB1149 | 02/02/2026 | Insurance; offer a preenrollment option for anticipated newly born or adopted children; require certain health insurers |
| HB872 | 03/27/2025 | Health; right to contraception for individuals; provide |
| HB717 | 03/03/2025 | Medical Practice Act; regulation of the administration of psychedelic-assisted treatment and therapy; provide |
| HB500 | 02/18/2025 | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act; increase access to and amount of benefits |
| HB393 | 02/11/2025 | Safer Cycling in Georgia Act; enact |
| HB178 | 01/29/2025 | Social services; treatment services under Medicaid to persons with HIV; provisions |
| HB177 | 01/29/2025 | Domestic relations; protection for household pets in both family violence and dating violence protective orders; provide |
| HB102 | 01/17/2025 | Community Health, Department of; Georgia Quality Reporting Project; establish |
| HB91 | 01/16/2025 | Professions and businesses; licensure for graduates of foreign colleges or schools of veterinary medicine who are board certified in a specialty; provide |
| HB89 | 01/16/2025 | Public Health, Department of; require healthcare providers, facilities, and pharmacies to provide the Maternal Mortality Review Committee with psychiatric or other clinical records |
Information in this article was gathered from the Georgia State House. To view source data, click here.
