SB279: SB279 "Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act"; enact

Georgia peace officers who are hurt on the job while directly interacting with a criminal suspect, arrestee, or inmate may be eligible for benefits through the Georgia State Indemnification Fund and a temporary disability compensation program, but they may not always find out about these programs on their own. This bill creates two new notification requirements. First, it adds a new section to the workers' compensation code (O.C.G.A. § 34-9-26) requiring the State Board of Workers' Compensation to notify the Department of Administrative Services, and the injured worker, when it has reasonable cause to believe an injured employee is an 'eligible peace officer.' Second, it adds a new section to the law enforcement code (O.C.G.A. § 35-1-24) requiring each law enforcement agency to notify an employee it believes may be an eligible peace officer within ten days of an injury that could cause permanent or temporary disability. Both sections define 'eligible peace officer' the same way, and the bill is titled the 'Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act.'

• Creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 34-9-26) requiring the State Board of Workers' Compensation to notify the Department of Administrative Services and the injured worker when it believes an injured employee is an eligible peace officer.
• Creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 35-1-24) requiring law enforcement agencies to notify employees they believe may be eligible peace officers within ten days of a disabling injury.
• Defines 'eligible peace officer' as a full-time or part-time officer required to maintain public order or make arrests, comply with Georgia's peace officer training standards, and who is disabled from direct interaction with a suspect, arrestee, or inmate.
• Directs required notifications to include contact information for the Georgia State Indemnification Fund and the temporary disability compensation program under Title 45.
• Authorizes the Department of Administrative Services to determine additional required notification content through rules and regulations.
• Gives the bill the short title 'Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act.'

Georgia peace officers employed by the state, counties, municipalities, or other political subdivisions who are injured on the job; the State Board of Workers' Compensation; local and state law enforcement agencies; and the Department of Administrative Services, which oversees the notification rules and the indemnification fund.

Injured officers would be more likely to learn promptly about state benefits, such as the Georgia State Indemnification Fund and temporary disability compensation, that they might otherwise miss. Law enforcement agencies and the workers' compensation board would face new, time-bound notification duties.

• Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the 'Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act.'
• Section 2 adds O.C.G.A. § 34-9-26, defining 'eligible peace officer' and requiring the State Board of Workers' Compensation to notify the Department of Administrative Services and the injured employee when there is reasonable cause to believe the employee qualifies.
• Section 3 adds O.C.G.A. § 35-1-24, requiring law enforcement agencies to notify employees believed to be eligible peace officers within ten days of a disabling injury, using the same definition as Section 2.
• Section 4 repeals all conflicting laws.

1. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
2. 2025-03-04Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
3. 2025-03-03Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
4. 2025-02-27Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
5. 2025-02-26Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)Primary sponsor
• Emanuel Jones (D, SD-010)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)

• workers' compensation
• law enforcement benefits
• peace officer disability
• public safety