Sen. Max Burns

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.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 1 of Article 5 of Chapter 9 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to Georgia State Indemnification Fund, so as to authorize the Department of Administrative Services to purchase annuities for the payment of indemnification claims; to provide for qualification standards for indemnification claims relating to certain deaths of public safety officers related to COVID-19; to provide for timing requirements for application of such indemnification claims; to provide for definitions; to provide for conforming changes; 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 Code Section 20-3-411 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to definitions regarding tuition equalization grants at private colleges and universities, so as to revise the definition of approved school; 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.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 10-1-393 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to unfair or deceptive practices in consumer transactions unlawful and examples, so as to provide increased consumer protection for homeowners entering into contracts with contractors following natural disasters; to provide for certain contractual requirements; to provide for notice language; to amend Code Section 33-6-5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices, so as to prohibit the assignment of benefits in certain circumstances; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide for legislative findings; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.