HB524: HB524 Public officers and employees; elected officers or officials shall not have their employment terminated solely as a result of being elected to or holding an elected office; provide

Currently, Georgia law does not clearly protect public or private employees from being fired for holding or being elected to public office. This bill would add a new section to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A. § 45-1-9) that stops employers from ending someone's job solely because that person holds or was elected to an elected office. An employer could still terminate such an employee, but only if it can show that the duties of the elected office prevent the person from doing more than 51 percent of their regular job duties. The bill also gives government workers, appointed officials, or employees who take on an elected role at the state, county, municipal, consolidated government, or school district level the right to unpaid leave from their appointed job while they carry out the duties of the elected office.

• Prohibits public or private employers from firing an elected officer or official just because they hold or were elected to public office.
• Allows termination only if the employer proves the elected office duties stop the person from performing more than 51 percent of their job duties.
• Grants appointed government officers or employees who also serve in elected office the right to unpaid leave while performing elected duties.
• Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with these new protections.

Georgia residents who hold or run for elected office while also working, including public and private sector employees, and appointed government officers or employees at the state, county, municipal, consolidated government, or school district level who also serve in elected positions.

Georgians who want to serve in elected office while keeping their jobs would gain new legal protection against being fired for that service, as long as the office does not consume most of their work time, and would be able to take unpaid leave to fulfill elected duties.

• Section 1 adds a new O.C.G.A. § 45-1-9(a) barring employers from terminating an elected officer or official solely for holding or being elected to office.
• Subsection (a) sets the exception: employers may terminate only if official duties prevent the person from performing more than 51 percent of their assigned job duties.
• Subsection (b) gives appointed officers or employees who serve as elected officials the right to unpaid leave from their appointed position while carrying out elected duties.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard clause clearing away contrary existing statutes.

1. 2025-02-21House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-20House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-19House Hopper (House)

• Eric Bell (D, HD-075)Primary sponsor
• Billy Mitchell (D, HD-088)
• Mekyah McQueen (D, HD-061)
• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)
• Ruwa Romman (D, HD-097)

• public employment
• elected officials
• job protection
• local government
• employment law