Sen. Ben Watson

Maddy summarySB 69, the "Georgia Courts Access and Consumer Protection Act," prohibits courts from considering a driver’s failure to wear a seat belt as evidence of negligence or fault in car accident lawsuits. It also prevents insurance companies from canceling coverage or raising rates due to not wearing a seat belt. The law amends Georgia’s seat belt statute (Code Section 40-8-76.1) to explicitly block such evidence and insurance penalties, effective January 1, 2026. This directly affects drivers involved in civil cases related to vehicle accidents and insurers handling those claims. The bill repeals conflicting laws but does not apply to cases already pending before its effective date.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 7 of Title 17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to insanity and mental incapacity, so as to require a hearing before a court orders an evaluation of the mental competency of an accused person to stand trial; to provide for the release of reports of such evaluations; to establish different procedures in cases where the subject has been accused only of one or more nonviolent misdemeanor offenses, including automatic dismissal in some cases, subject to exceptions; to provide for such different procedures and such exceptions; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 20 of the O.C.G.A., relating to education, so as to provide generally for competitively fair and safe student participation in middle school, high school, and college sports; to promote fair and safe competition; to provide for equal athletic opportunities and safety; to provide for specific designations of teams operated or sponsored by local school systems, public schools, participating private schools, and postsecondary educational institutions in this state; to prohibit males from participating in interscholastic and intercollegiate competitions on teams designated as female; to prohibit females from participating in competition on intercollegiate teams designated as male, subject to exceptions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 31-10-14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to issuance of a new birth certificate following adoption and legitimation or paternity determination, so as to provide for the issuance of a copy of the original birth certificate to certain adult persons who were adopted; to provide for a fee; to provide for the form of such copy; to standardize terminology relating to birth certificates; to provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 26-3-22 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to other laws unaffected by the "Georgia Drug and Cosmetic Act," so as to authorize the use of testing equipment to determine whether a controlled substance has been adulterated; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to health, so as to expand medical education funding and the service cancelable loan program; to revise definitions; to provide for medical education funding to certain medical organizations facilities; to provide for a physician in certain residency or fellowship programs to be eligible for the service cancelable loan program; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 29 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to guardian and ward, so as to provide for county conservators generally; to provide for respective rights and responsibilities of county conservators and county guardians; to provide that county administrators shall serve as ex officio county conservators; to make conforming changes; to revise and provide for definitions; to provide for the change of designation of county guardian to county conservator by operation of law under certain circumstances and subject to an exception; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 46 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to certification of private review agents, so as to provide for health insurers to implement and maintain a program that allows for the selective application of reductions in prior authorization requirements under certain circumstances; to provide for an annual filing; to provide for the promulgation of rules and regulations; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend various titles of the O.C.G.A., so as to modernize and update provisions creating certain boards, panels, authorities, centers, commissions, committees, councils, task forces, and other such bodies; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 16 of the O.C.G.A., relating to crimes and offenses, so as to revise threshold amounts of fentanyl and related substances necessary to constitute the offenses of possessing, selling, distributing, and manufacturing of such substances; to revise mandatory minimum departure provisions for defendants convicted of trafficking of substances in violation of Code Section 16-13-31, relating to trafficking in cocaine, illegal drugs, marijuana, or methamphetamine and penalties; to amend various titles of the O.C.G.A., so as to provide for conforming changes; to provide for an effective date; to provide for applicability; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short title; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.