HB247: HB247 Motor vehicles; restoration of licenses; authorize written consent for release of certain information to be obtained and transferred electronically

Georgia law currently requires DUI offenders to give written consent before their alcohol or drug program records can be released, though the records are already available to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and the Department of Driver Services. This bill adds language allowing that written consent to be obtained and transferred electronically instead of only on paper. The bill also clarifies that only clinical evaluators licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, with training in alcohol and drug abuse evaluation, may conduct clinical evaluations within DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Programs. It raises the fee for defensive driving courses from $95 to $125, the assessment component fee from $100 to $150, and the intervention component fee from $235 to $350. The bill repeals conflicting laws and does not state a delayed effective date.

• Allows written consent for releasing DUI program records, including assessment results, to be obtained and transferred electronically rather than only on paper.
• Requires that clinical evaluations within DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Programs be performed only by evaluators licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities with training in alcohol and drug abuse evaluation.
• Raises the fee for approved defensive driving courses from $95.00 to $125.00 for people required to attend by court order or department requirement.
• Increases the assessment component fee for certified DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Programs from $100.00 to $150.00.
• Increases the intervention component fee for those same programs from $235.00 to $350.00, a fee that also covers document transfer costs for the assessment.
• Keeps in place the existing rule that program records stay confidential unless released with the offender's written consent, or shared with the two named state departments.

People convicted of DUI who must complete a defensive driving course or an Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program, the driver improvement clinics and certified programs that run these courses, clinical evaluators who assess participants, and the Department of Driver Services and Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, which oversee the programs.

DUI offenders and drivers ordered into defensive driving courses would pay higher fees for required classes, assessments, and interventions. Programs could handle consent forms electronically, which could speed up record sharing, while a stricter training requirement for evaluators could affect who is allowed to conduct clinical evaluations.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-5-82(d) to let written consent for releasing DUI program records be obtained and transferred in electronic format, while keeping records confidential otherwise.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-5-83(a)(1) to raise the defensive driving course fee from $95.00 to $125.00 for court-ordered or department-required enrollees.
• Section 2 also amends O.C.G.A. § 40-5-83(e)(1) to require clinical evaluators to be licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities with training in alcohol and drug abuse evaluation.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-5-83(e)(2) to raise the assessment component fee from $100.00 to $150.00 and the intervention component fee from $235.00 to $350.00.
• Section 3 repeals all laws and parts of laws in conflict with the Act.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-02-11House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
3. 2025-02-06House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-02-05House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-02-04House Hopper (House)

• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)Primary sponsor
• Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-011)
• Jason Ridley (R, HD-006)
• John Corbett (R, HD-174)
• Matt Barton (R, HD-005)

1. FailedSenate voteApril 3, 2026

   21 yea, 32 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

   Motion To Print: Senate Vote #984

• DUI laws
• driver's license restoration
• defensive driving courses
• alcohol and drug programs
• driver services fees