ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A wide-ranging slate of new Georgia laws takes effect July 1, touching everything from HOA transparency and school-zone speed enforcement to education changes, anti-trafficking training for rental and new criminal penalties.
Here’s a breakdown of several of the measures and what they mean for Georgians.
HB 651: School-zone automated enforcement updates
- Revises how school-zone speed cameras can be used and enforced under state law.
- Allows prosecutors (DAs/solicitors/prosecuting attorneys) to enforce civil monetary penalties tied to recorded images of school-zone speeding.
- Clarifies court/enforcement process for these camera-based citations.
SB 470: “Emergency & Public Safety Signal Protection Act”
- Bans signal jammers (possession/use/sale/manufacture/import), with defined exemptions.
- Authorizes enforcement tools, including Attorney General forfeiture proceedings in certain cases.
SB 406: The Georgia Property Owners’ Bill of Rights Act (aka the HOA law)
- Creates an HOA/POA registration option through the Georgia Secretary of State, with annual registration and required filings.
- Boosts transparency: homeowners get clearer access to governing documents and financial records.
- Adds a complaint path through a state-managed review/referee-style process, aimed at offering recourse short of costly lawsuits.
- Changes collections/foreclosure guardrails tied to assessments and how certain charges can be pursued.
DID YOU KNOW?
State lawmakers credited the award-winning Atlanta News First investigative series, HOA Nightmares, with bringing to light the issues surrounding HOA governance.
But only Section 7 takes effect on July 1. That section requires (except for emergencies) sending an initial written notice by certified mail or statutory overnight delivery to homeowners of any outstanding fines/delinquent fees and gives the owner 30 days from receipt to pay.
The association must provide an itemized list of reasonable attorney’s fees. In bench trials for actions recovering sums against a homeowner, the judge must review and enter an order stating whether they’re reasonable before fees can be awarded.
HB 1020: Judicial Retirement System changes for district attorneys
- Allows monthly retirement benefits at age 65 for creditable service as a district attorney under the Georgia Judicial Retirement System.
- Updates benefit calculations for new members after the law takes effect.
- Adjusts survivor benefit calculations and makes related conforming changes.
HB 974: Georgia’s budget (FY 2027)
- Funds state government operations for the fiscal year running July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
- Impacts agency spending, staffing and program funding across Georgia.
HB 1164: State Board of Education audit committee
- Requires the State Board of Education to appoint an audit committee.
- Intended to strengthen oversight and accountability in education governance.
HB 1193: Georgia Early Literacy Act
- Reworks and expands Georgia’s literacy and reading efforts, including major revisions tied to dyslexia/early literacy initiatives.
- Aims to standardize and strengthen reading supports statewide.
DID YOU KNOW? The award-winning Atlanta News First investigative series, Reading Reset, examined the contributing factors behind Georgia’s historically low literacy rates.
HB 1030: “Math Matters Act”
- Requires advanced math course standards and pushes expanded access to advanced math in middle and high school.
- Updates teacher prep expectations so certification programs ensure math teaching competency.
HB 1302: Education and Workforce Strategy Act
- Reconstitutes the Office of Student Achievement into the Office of Education and Workforce Strategy.
- Aligns workforce planning (including apprenticeships) and designates the Technical College System of Georgia as the state apprenticeship agency.
SB 589: School enrollment age date change (Quality Basic Education Act)
- Revises the deadline date for when a child must turn a certain age to enroll in kindergarten or first grade.
- Creates options for families to choose voluntary Pre-K in certain circumstances.
SB 293: Makes odometer tampering a felony
- Greatly increases the minimum civil payout for victims: If someone tampers “with intent to defraud,” the violator is now liable for triple actual damages or $10,000 (whichever is greater), up from $1,500.
- Expands/keeps broad “tampering” behavior illegal: Still prohibits setting back, disconnecting, failing to connect or otherwise altering an odometer to show lower mileage than actually driven.
- Targets trafficking in tampered cars: Keeps it illegal to bring into Georgia or sell/attempt to sell a vehicle knowing it shows falsely low mileage because of tampering.
- Bans odometer “devices”: Keeps it illegal to advertise, sell, use, install or have installed any device that makes an odometer register mileage other than actual mileage.
- Raises the stakes for title fraud tied to mileage. Separately, it also classifies knowingly falsifying the odometer reading on a certificate of title as a felony offense under the title-fraud statute.
DID YOU KNOW? Lawmakers cited a report from award-winning consumer investigator Harry Samler of Better Call Harry for his investigation on alleged odometer fraud.
SB 195: Pharmacists authorized to dispense PrEP/PEP under conditions
- Allows trained pharmacists to dispense HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) under specified requirements.
- Requires an approved training program through the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy.
SB 570: “Georgia Human Trafficking Prevention Training Act”
- Requires human trafficking training for inns and short-term rental properties.
- Sets training/record-retention expectations and outlines penalties for noncompliance.
SB 547: Pimping and pandering penalties
- Strengthens penalties by making offenses under Georgia’s pimping/pandering statute felony-level offenses.
- Applies updated sentencing structure moving forward.
HB 340: Distraction-Free Education Act
Portions of this law took effect July 1, 2025. Each local school system and public school was required to adopt policies and procedures for the use of personal electronic devices at school and school-sponsored events for grades K-8 by Jan. 1, 2026.
But it also established a deadline for July 1, 2026. It states, “Beginning no later than July 1, 2026, no public school student in kindergarten through grade eight shall be permitted to access personal electronic devices during the school day, except as otherwise provided in this Code section or required by law.”
HB 256: Foster parents bill of rights updates
- Expands and revises protections in Georgia’s foster parents bill of rights.
- Includes relative caregivers and fictive kin and adds required administrative procedures.
HB 945: Financial fraud protections for seniors, cryptocurrency regulations
- Banks can now freeze accounts if they suspect an elderly person (65+) or disabled adult is being financially exploited. The freeze can last up to 30 business days while the bank investigates. Banks are protected from lawsuits for acting in good faith.
- Regulates Bitcoin/crypto ATMs (kiosks) Crypto kiosk operators must:
- Display prominent warnings that transactions are irreversible and losses from fraud may not be recoverable.
- Cap fees at 18% of the transaction amount.
- Limit new customers to $2,500/day and existing customers to $10,000/day.
- Issue refunds to new customers who were scammed (within 72 hours of request).
- Provide live phone support, hire a compliance officer, and screen for high-risk wallets.
- Tightens rules on litigation finance companies: Companies that fund lawsuits in exchange for a cut of winnings must now register annually, undergo background checks and disclose their identity in all contracts. The state can issue cease-and-desist orders to unregistered operators.
HB 483: Protections for code enforcement inspectors
- Creates enhanced penalties for assaults/batteries against code enforcement inspectors under certain circumstances.
- Intended to deter threats or attacks during inspections/enforcement work.
HB 1129: Enterprise zones changes
- Updates rules for local enterprise zones, including limits and criteria.
- Clarifies tax treatment, fees, and bond-related provisions, with an exception process in the law.
HB 1470: New cause of action for abusive website accessibility litigation
- Creates a way to sue over abusive litigation tied to alleged website access violations.
- Establishes evaluation factors and a rebuttable presumption if corrective action is taken after notice, plus potential Attorney General involvement.
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