SB285: SB285 Emergency Communications Authority; increase in the percentage of all 9-1-1 charges to be remitted to the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund; increase

Georgia counties currently keep insurance premium tax proceeds distributed to them under existing law (O.C.G.A. § 33-8-8.1 and § 33-8-8.2) to fund local police and fire protection or to lower property taxes. This bill adds a new requirement: each year by October 30, counties and municipal corporations must send 1.5 percent of those distributed funds to the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund, a pension fund for Georgia peace officers. The bill also adds a new code section stating that money remitted this way must be used only to support benefit payments to fund members and cannot lapse back to the state under Georgia's constitutional lapsing rule. It states the General Assembly's intent, subject to the state budget process, to also appropriate an amount equal to half of one percent of the state's insurance premium taxes to the fund each year. Finally, starting July 1, 2027, the fund's board may raise the monthly retirement benefit multiplier from $30 to as much as $35 per month for each year of service, as long as the fund's financial health, measured by a funded ratio, stays above 90 percent.

• Requires counties and municipal corporations to remit 1.5 percent of certain insurance premium tax proceeds they receive to the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund each year by October 30.
• Creates a new code section (O.C.G.A. § 47-17-64) directing that remitted money go only toward paying benefits to fund members and exempting it from the state's normal fund-lapsing rule.
• States the General Assembly's intent, subject to the appropriations process, to give the fund an amount equal to half of one percent of state insurance premium taxes collected each year.
• Lets the fund's governing board raise the monthly retirement benefit multiplier for peace officers from $30 to up to $35 per year of service, starting July 1, 2027.
• Limits any benefit increase to a minimum $1.00 raise and bars increases that would push the fund's funded ratio below 90 percent.

Georgia counties and municipal corporations, which must remit part of their insurance premium tax proceeds; the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund and its governing board; and current and retired Georgia peace officers who receive or will receive monthly retirement benefits from the fund.

The change gives the peace officers' pension fund a new, dedicated revenue stream from local governments and opens the door to higher monthly retirement checks for eligible officers, while local governments would have slightly less of their premium tax proceeds available for police, fire, and other local services.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 33-8-8.3 to require counties and municipal corporations to remit 1.5 percent of funds distributed to them under §§ 33-8-8.1(g) and 33-8-8.2(b) to the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund by October 30 each year.
• Section 2 adds O.C.G.A. § 47-17-64, directing the fund to use remitted money solely to support member benefits and exempting those funds from the constitutional lapsing requirement.
• Section 2 also states legislative intent to appropriate an amount equal to 0.5 percent of annual state insurance premium tax collections to the fund each year, subject to the budget process.
• Section 3 revises O.C.G.A. § 47-17-80(b) to let the board raise the monthly benefit multiplier from $30 to up to $35 starting July 1, 2027, based on the fund's actuary's recommendation.
• Section 3 caps any single increase at no less than $1.00 and bars increases that would drop the fund's funded ratio below 90 percent.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-06Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-06Act 416
3. 2026-05-06Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2026-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2026-03-27Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
6. 2026-03-19House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
7. 2026-03-19House Third Readers (House)
8. 2026-03-18House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)

• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)Primary sponsor
• Charles Martin (R, HD-049)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 4, 2026

   49 yea, 4 nay (1 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #635

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 19, 2026

   165 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 7 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #725

3. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2026

   46 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 7 absent)

   Agree To House Substitute: Senate Vote #855

• police pensions
• peace officers benefits
• insurance premium taxes
• local government funding