Sen. Sam Watson

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to education, so as to provide that public schools, local education agencies, and public postsecondary institutions shall not promote, support, or maintain any programs or activities that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion; to provide for sanctions; to provide for definitions; 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 Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to ad valorem taxation of property, so as to provide for an extension of preferential assessment periods for certain historic properties; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Titles 2 and 4 of the O.C.G.A., relating to agriculture and animals, respectively, so as to enhance transparency with respect to the marketing of produce and meat in this state; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes

Maddy summarySB 112 (Georgia) requires manufacturers to automatically transfer HVAC system warranties to new homeowners when residential property is sold, without charging fees for the transfer. It prohibits conditioning warranties on product registration, mandating that warranty forms clearly state registration is not required to maintain warranty coverage. The law applies to HVAC systems installed by licensed contractors, with all new warranties issued on or after January 1, 2026, required to comply. This directly affects homeowners purchasing homes with HVAC systems and HVAC manufacturers/distributors selling such systems in Georgia.

Maddy summarySB 199 prevents Georgia's State Ethics Commission from accepting or rejecting complaints against election candidates during the final 60 days before an election. It requires all campaign finance reports for local officials to be filed directly with the commission (instead of local offices), standardizes reporting deadlines across all election levels, and prohibits the commission from publicly releasing home addresses of officials. The bill also updates lobbyist reporting schedules to be more uniform and revises requirements for political action committees. These changes streamline transparency processes while limiting last-minute campaign finance disputes.

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 Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 42 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to conditions of detention generally relative to correctional institutions of state and counties, so as to provide consent for the release of certain criminal history, vocational, and educational information for inmates upon release; to provide for issuance of an identification card and a Program and Treatment Completion Certificate; to provide for related matters; 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 Article 6 of Chapter 7 of Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to liability for use of fertilizers, plant growth regulators, or pesticides, so as to clarify that a manufacturer cannot be held liable for failing to warn consumers of health risks above those required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency with respect to pesticides; to provide for legislative findings; to provide for related matters; to provide for applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.