Sen. Shawn Still

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to registration and licensing generally, so as to revise the authorized use of money distributed from the Back the Blue Fund; to revise collection procedures; to provide for legislative intent; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 14 of Title 40 of the O.C.G.A., relating to use of speed detection devices and red light cameras, so as to provide for standards for signs warning of a reduced speed limit in a school zone and signs warning of the use of automated traffic enforcement safety devices; to amend Title 15 of the O.C.G.A., relating to courts, so as to authorize district attorneys, solicitors-general, and prosecuting attorneys to enforce civil monetary penalties relative to the enforcement of laws regarding speeding in a school zone using recorded images; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the imposition, rate, computation, exemptions, and credits for state income tax, so as to exclude tips from taxation; to provide for reporting by employers; to provide for a definition; 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 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to imposition, rate, computation, exemptions, and credits relative to state income taxes, so as to require the state revenue commissioner, with regard to military retirement income, to determine and apply a cost-of-living adjustment to the amount of allowable retirement pay excluded from Georgia taxable net income; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Maddy summarySB 291 creates a new "America First" specialty license plate in Georgia, featuring an American flag and the phrase "America First" to promote patriotism. Georgia drivers who choose this plate will pay an additional fee, with all proceeds deposited into the state's general fund. The bill requires 1,000 prepaid applications to continue manufacturing the plate after 2027; if this threshold isn't met by January 1, 2028, production stops. The plate becomes available starting January 1, 2026, and replaces conflicting laws. This is a standard specialty plate with no direct funding for specific organizations.

Maddy summarySB 191 amends Georgia's unemployment benefits law to clarify notice requirements for claimants and the Department of Labor. It defines "issue date" as the date a benefit determination is mailed, delivered, or sent electronically with consent, requiring this date to be printed on all notices. The bill standardizes appeal deadlines to 15 days from the issue date for initial determinations, hearings, and board decisions, while allowing the Commissioner to adjust time limits through administrative rules (with due process). These changes apply to all unemployment benefit claims and appeals under Georgia law, effective January 1, 2026.

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 Titles 20 and 39 of the O.C.G.A, relating to education and minors, respectively, so as to provide for social media platform access by minors; to require local boards of education to adopt, implement, and enforce social media policies; to authorize the Attorney General and the Department of Education to consult with and assist local boards of education in the development and implementation of such policies; to require social medial platforms to provide certain information to parents upon request; to provide for enforcement authority of the Attorney General; to prohibit certain waivers; to provide for definitions; to provide for effective dates; 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 Title 15 of the O.C.G.A., relating to courts, so as to provide for duties of the Administrative Office of the Courts relative to accessibility of certain personal information of state and federal judges, justices, and spouses thereof; to amend Code Section 36-32-40 of the O.C.GA., relating to creation of Council of Municipal Court Judges, membership and organization, purpose, expenses, contracts, assistance to council, and members not ineligible to hold office of judge, so as to require submission of certain information to the Council of Magistrate Court Judges; to provide for and revise definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.