Week 10 Legislative Session Recap 2025

On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, my legislative colleagues and I returned to the Gold Dome for Legislative Day 32, ready to resume our work on behalf of the people we serve. With only a few legislative days remaining in this year’s session, we are fully focused on advancing meaningful legislation that will deliver real results for our communities and our state, and every moment counts as we work diligently until the last second. With just two weeks remaining until Sine Die on Friday, April 4th, I want to highlight some important measures we addressed during the 10th week of the 2025 legislative session.

This week, the House passed Senate Bill 68, a measure that would revise several areas of civil law, including motor vehicle and tort laws. Under SB 68, the recovery of attorney’s fees would be restricted, and the admissibility of seatbelt evidence would be updated. The bill would create a new framework for claims related to negligent security, limiting property owners’ liability in certain situations. SB 68 would also change how medical expense damages are calculated and allow for bifurcated trials. First, SB 68 would limit arguments on noneconomic damages—such as non-monetary losses resulting from an accident or harm—by prohibiting attorneys from discussing these damages in the closing argument unless they were already addressed in the opening argument. Additionally, attorneys would not be permitted to discuss a different value for noneconomic damages in the closing argument than what was presented in the opening argument. However, the bill would not prevent attorneys from asking potential jurors during voir dire— the process of questioning jurors to determine their suitability for a case—whether they could return a verdict that either does not award damages or awards an amount greater than a specified limit, as long as these questions would be supported by evidence. SB 68 would also require courts to rule on a motion to dismiss within 90 days after the conclusion of the briefings on that motion. If the court does not issue a ruling within this 90-day period, a party would be able to file a motion to terminate or modify the case. However, this remedy would not prevent the use of other available options to address the court’s inability to rule in a timely manner, including, but not limited to, filing a writ of mandamus—a court order which directs a lower court or government official to perform a certain public duty or legal obligation. 

Further, SB 68 would amend current state law to allow a party to file a written notice of dismissal at any time before the 60th day after the opposing party serves an answer. SB 68 would also specify that a property owner or occupier could be held liable for poor security if the plaintiff proves, by clear and convincing evidence, that prior incidents of similar wrongful conduct by a third person led to an injury. This liability would only apply if the property owner or occupier knew, or had reason to know, that the third person was or would be on the premises and if the owner or occupier had actual knowledge of the prior wrongful conduct. Also, SB 68 would include provisions for cases where the plaintiff has been injured by an alleged sexual offense. These provisions would allow a court to reject a decision made by any party to divide the plaintiff’s case into two phases for liability and damages, also known as a bifurcated proceeding, if the plaintiff is likely to experience psychological or emotional distress from testifying twice in a bifurcated proceeding. The provisions would also apply if the amount in controversy is less than $150,000. On Friday, the Senate accepted the House’s changes to SB 68, and the bill now heads to the governor’s desk for signature.

On Tuesday, the House passed the Dignity and Pay Act, bipartisan legislation which would prohibit the Georgia Department of Labor from offering exemptions to minimum wage laws for individuals with disabilities. Senate Bill 55 would further prohibit employers from utilizing certificates issued by the U.S. Department of Labor that allow companies to pay individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities below the minimum wage. Under current federal law, there are eight organizations in the state that have a federal waiver that allows them to pay workers below the federal minimum wage. If a Georgia company currently utilizes a federal certificate, SB 55 would require the company to pay individuals with disabilities at least half of the minimum wage between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. Starting on July 1, 2027, employers would not be able to utilize these certificates to pay individuals with disabilities subminimum wages. The goal of this would be to phase out less than minimum wage payment to these employees. As we promote workforce development and job creation in Georgia, it is important that we also ensure equal opportunity and compensation to employees with disabilities – individuals who contribute in meaningful and vital ways to our state’s industries. With the bill’s final passage, it now awaits the governor’s signature to be enacted into law. 

Senate Bill 109 also passed the House this week with bipartisan support. This bill, which mirrors House Bill 182 that we passed in the House earlier this session, would provide much needed protections for Georgia’s active-duty service members and their families. Specifically, SB 109 would prevent group life insurance policies in our state from excluding or limiting liability for the death of an insured active-duty service member, unless the death is directly or indirectly caused by war or a related act or hazard. Currently, many life insurance policies include exclusions that specify that certain causes of death are not covered under the policy, often using the term “act of war” to describe these exclusions. However, in group life insurance policies, the term “active duty” is typically used. SB 109 would clarify that being on active duty alone would not be a reason to deny a claim. For example, if an active-duty service member is injured in a car accident while at home, on leave or stationed within the United States, their life insurance claim should not be denied simply because they are on active duty but not in active combat. SB 109 would guarantee that Georgia’s dedicated service members and their families are protected, no matter where the injury or death occurs, ensuring they receive the support and benefits they deserve for the sacrifices they make in service to our state and nation. The House’s unanimous vote on SB 109 gave the bill final passage where it now goes to the governor’s desk for approval. 

Later this week, the House gave final passage to Senate Bill 58, the Georgia Transporting Life-Saving Organs and Personnel Act, which would allow for the licensing and operation of emergency organ transport vehicles as ambulance services to transport necessary personnel, organs, tissue or medical supplies to a time-critical organ transplant procedure. For example, if a donor is deceased, the organ may need to be transported from another region of the state, across state lines or by air transport, necessitating the need for specialized personnel and specialized emergency transport. These specialized vehicles have been used for years to transport organs, but they are not explicitly designated as emergency vehicles in state law. SB 58 would eliminate any potential concern about their status as a critical emergency vehicle by codifying it in Georgia law. Under this legislation, these vehicles would be eligible to apply for licenses designating them as emergency organ transplant vehicles and would also be required to have insurance coverage, as other vehicles do under state law. The Department of Public Safety would be authorized to designate each vehicle by issuing a permit to operate flashing or revolving emergency lights. By allowing emergency organ transport vehicles to operate under ambulance service regulations, SB 58 – now headed to the governor’s desk – would help ensure that organs, medical personnel and critical supplies reach their destinations faster, with the goal of saving more lives. In a similar effort to promote organ donation, the House also passed Senate Bill 84, which would create a special license plate recognizing the importance of organ donation. The license plate would read ‘Organ Donors Save Lives,’ and the funds raised by the sale of the license plate would be deposited into the state’s general fund. These two initiatives underscore the House’s dedication to supporting both organ donors and recipients, reinforcing the importance of saving lives and improving healthcare outcomes across our state. 

We also passed the following Senate bills during the 10th week of session:

• Senate Bill 6, which would allow for drug analysis equipment to be used to determine whether a controlled substance or its packaging have been altered;

• Senate Bill 13, which would allow the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to provide loans for the supply, distribution and storage of natural gas. The bill would provide for the transition from electrical lines aboveground to underground;

• Senate Bill 35, which would extend the required notice period for the nonrenewal of certain property insurance policies from 30 days to 60 days;

• Senate Bill 88, which would increase the number of superior court judges in the Douglas Judicial Circuit from three to four. The fourth judge would be appointed for a term beginning January 1, 2026, continuing through December 31, 2028. Their successor would be elected at the nonpartisan judicial election in 2028;

• Senate Bill 96, which would make modifications with respect to particular boards, advisory councils, commissions and other similar bodies. Certain bodies would be abolished, with liabilities and obligations of those bodies assumed by the state. The composition, appointment procedures, member terms and requirements of particular bodies would be revised;

• Senate Bill 98, which would change various references in state law to reflect “county conservators” rather than “county guardians” and add references to “county conservators” to other sections of state law. After July 1, 2025, when an individual designated as a county guardian is serving as a county conservator, that individual would be titled ‘county conservator;’

• Senate Bill 145, which would increase the number of superior court judges in the Augusta Judicial Circuit from five to six. The sixth judge would be appointed for a term beginning January 1, 2026, continuing through December 31, 2028. Their successor would be elected at the nonpartisan judicial election in 2028; 

• Senate Bill 153, which is the annual Code revision bill that would revise, modernize and correct errors or omissions to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The bill reflects the work of the Code Revision Commission that would repeal portions of the Code that are obsolete, declared unconstitutional or preempted or superseded by subsequent laws. Lastly, the bill would provide for other matters relating to revision, reenactment and publication of the Code;

• Senate Bill 154, which would amend state law by adding the words “or its successor” across Georgia Code after references to the U.S. Department of Education. The bill would update dated language by replacing a reference to student aid reports with Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in state law;

• Senate Bill 252, which would allow municipalities with a population 300,000 or higher to lease out, grant easements over or convey property to an independent school system within its boundaries. Property conveyed would be replaced with other property(s) that the governing authority deems to be of equivalent or greater value;

• Senate Bill 276, which would introduce new obligations for third-party health insurance payers regarding medical assistance claims. The bill would prohibit third-party payers from withholding payment for healthcare services that have already been rendered, preventing them from denying payment solely due to a lack of prior authorization. The bill would also require insurers to respond to inquiries from the state regarding the status of claims within 60 days;

My House colleagues and I will return to the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 25th for the 11th week of the 2025 legislative session. We are in the final stages of advancing legislation that could soon become law. I encourage you to stay engaged and keep track of the legislation that affects our community and your family. You can access committee schedules, livestreams and the status of bills on the Georgia General Assembly’s website, linked here.

I encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns regarding the bills being considered by visiting my Capitol office, calling 404-656-0213, or emailing karen.mathiak@house.ga.gov. As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative.