HB868: HB868 Public officers and employees; certain retiring county officers and their spouses and dependents be included in certain county health plans; provide

Right now, Georgia law (O.C.G.A. Title 45, Chapter 18) covers state employees' health insurance but does not spell out a special path for long-serving county officers to keep county health coverage after they retire early. This bill adds a new provision letting an 'eligible county officer' who is between 55 and 65 years old and has served at least 16 years as probate judge, sheriff, tax commissioner or tax collector, clerk of superior court, or county commissioner choose to stay, along with a spouse and dependents, on the county's health plan. Starting December 31, 2026, the county government would have to pay 75 percent of the premiums for that officer and family until the officer turns 65. But that payment cannot exceed the money the county actually saves by paying a new officer's first-year salary instead of the retiring officer's final-year salary, calculated using specific salary code sections. The bill repeals any conflicting laws.

• Creates a new legal category called 'eligible county officer' for people aged 55 to 65 retiring after at least 16 years in specific county roles like sheriff, probate judge, or county commissioner.
• Allows these retiring officers to enroll themselves, their spouse, and dependents in the county's existing health insurance plan after they leave office.
• Requires the county government to pay 75 percent of the premiums for that coverage until the retired officer turns 65.
• Caps the county's premium payment at whatever salary savings the county gets from paying a new officer less than the retiring officer's final salary.
• Sets the start date for this option as December 31, 2026.

Retiring county officers such as sheriffs, probate judges, tax commissioners or tax collectors, clerks of superior court, and county commissioners, along with their spouses and dependents, are directly affected. County governing authorities and their health plans and budgets are also affected because they must administer and partly fund the coverage.

Eligible retiring county officers could keep employer-sponsored health coverage for themselves and their families for years before qualifying for Medicare, easing a coverage gap common for people who retire before 65. Counties would take on a new, though capped, cost tied to salary savings from hiring a successor.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 45-18-5 by adding subsection (b.1), defining 'county health plan' as any health plan a county offers its officers, spouses, and dependents.
• Section 1 defines 'eligible county officer' as someone age 55 to 65 retiring after at least 16 years as probate judge, sheriff, tax commissioner or tax collector, clerk of superior court, or county commissioner.
• Section 1 allows eligible officers to elect, starting December 31, 2026, to include themselves, their spouse, and dependents in the county health plan after retirement.
• Section 1 requires the county to pay 75 percent of premiums for that coverage until the officer turns 65.
• Section 1 caps the county's premium payments at the salary savings from the difference between the retiring officer's final 12 months' salary and a new officer's first 12 months' salary, calculated under listed salary code sections (O.C.G.A. §§ 15-6-88 through 15-6-91, 15-9-63 through 15-9-66, 15-16-20, 36-5-25, and 48-5-183).
• Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-02-10House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
3. 2025-03-31House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-03-28House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-03-27House Hopper (House)

• Eddie Lumsden (R, HD-012)Primary sponsor
• Mitchell Scoggins (R, HD-014)
• Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)
• Stan Gunter (R, HD-008)
• Darlene Taylor (R, HD-173)
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)

• county government
• health insurance benefits
• public employee retirement
• local officials