--- title: HB 105. Public officers and employees; increase indemnification award of certain state public school personnel in the event of death collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb105 cite_as: HB 105, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb105 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb105.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb105/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69463 date: 2025-05-08 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb104.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb106.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 1297 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb105.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 105 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-08 last_action: Effective Date 2025-05-08 sponsors: - Will Wade - Matthew Gambill - Soo Hong - Lauren McDonald - Chris Erwin - Holt Persinger - Bo Hatchett text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB105/2025 upstream_id: 1929412 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - workers compensation - law enforcement benefits - public school personnel - death benefits - peace officer disability --- # HB 105. Public officers and employees; increase indemnification award of certain state public school personnel in the event of death ## Text 25 HB 105/AP House Bill 105 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Wade of the 9th, Gambill of the 15th, Hong of the 103rd, McDonald III of the 26th, Erwin of the 32nd, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 1 of Chapter 9 of Title 34 of the Official Cod e of Georgia Annotated,1 relating to general provisions of workers' compensation, so as to require the State Board of2 Workers' Compensation to notify the Department of Administrative Services when the board3 has reasonable cause to believe that an injured worker is an eligible peace officer; to provide4 for a definition; to amend Chapter 1 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,5 relating to general provisions of law enforcement officers and agencies, so as to require a6 certain notification to certain peace officers who become disabled in the line of duty under7 certain circumstances; to provide for a definition; to amend Co de Section 45-9-78 of the8 Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to payment of inde mnification for death or9 disability generally, designation of method of payment, and procedure for making payments,10 so as to increase the indemnification award of certain state pu blic school personnel in the11 event of death; to provide for a short title; to provide for re lated matters; to provide for an12 effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:14 SECTION 1.15 This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act."16 H. B. 105 - 1 - 25 HB 105/AP SECTION 2.17 Article 1 of Chapter 9 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Geor gia Annotated, relating to18 general provisions of workers' compensation, is amended by adding a new Code section to19 read as follows:20 "34-9-26.21 (a) As used in this Code section, the term 'eligible peace officer' means any individual who22 is employed on a full-time or part-time basis by the state or any municipality, county, or23 other political subdivision thereof; who is required by the ter ms of such employment,24 whether by election or appointment, to maint ain public order or to make arrests for all25 criminal offenses; who is required by the terms of such employm ent to comply with the26 requirements of the 'Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Traini ng Act' contained in27 Chapter 8 of Title 35; and who suffers permanent or temporary disability in the line of duty28 due to a direct interaction with a criminal suspect, arrestee, or inmate.29 (b) In the event that the State Board of Workers' Compensation has reasonable cause to30 believe that an injured employee is an eligible peace officer, the board shall notify the31 Department of Administrative Services. Additionally, the board shall notify the injured32 employee of such belief and such notification shall include suc h appropriate contact33 information of the Georgia State Indemnification Fund and the t emporary disability34 compensation program of Parts 1 and 2, respectively, of Article 5 of Chapter 9 of Title 4535 and other information as shall be determined necessary by the D epartment of36 Administrative Services through the promulgation of rules and regulations."37 SECTION 3.38 Chapter 1 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated , relating to general39 provisions of law enforcement officers and agencies, is amended by adding a new Code40 section to read as follows:41 H. B. 105 - 2 - 25 HB 105/AP "35-1-24.42 (a) As used in this Code section, the term 'eligible peace officer' means any individual who43 is employed on a full-time or part-time basis by the state or any municipality, county, or44 other political subdivision thereof; who is required by the ter ms of such employment,45 whether by election or appointment, to maintain public order or to make arrests for all46 criminal offenses; who is required by the terms of such employm ent to comply with the47 requirements of the 'Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Traini ng Act' contained in48 Chapter 8 of this title; and who suffers permanent or temporary disability in the line of duty49 due to a direct interaction with a criminal suspect, arrestee, or inmate.50 (b) Each law enforcement agency of this state shall notify eve ry employee whom such51 agency has reasonable cause to believe may be an eligible peace officer of the existence52 of the Georgia State Indemnification Fund and the temporary dis ability compensation53 program of Parts 1 and 2, respectively, of Article 5 of Chapter 9 of Title 45. Such54 notification shall be given within ten days of such employee suffering an injury which may55 reasonably cause such employee to suffer a permanent or tempora ry disability. 56 Additionally, such notification shall include such appropriate contact and other information57 as shall be determined necessary by the Department of Administrative Services through the58 promulgation of rules and regulations."59 SECTION 4.60 Code Section 45-9-78 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to payment of61 indemnification for death or disability generally, designation of method of payment, and62 procedure for making payments, is amended by revising subsection (b) as follows:63 "(b) For any compensable claim filed under this article, payment shall be made as follows:64 (1) In the case of permanent disability, the eligible disabled person pursuant to this65 article may elect payment of $75,000.00 in equal installments over a period of five years66 H. B. 105 - 3 - 25 HB 105/AP or a payment in lump sum which shall consist of $75,000.00 reduced to its present value67 upon the basis of interest calculated at the rate of 6 percent per annum; and68 (2) In the case of death, payment shall be made to the estate of a person who is eligible69 for indemnification under this article as follows: the executor or administrator may elect70 payment of $75,000.00 $150,000.00 in equal installments over a period of five years or71 a payment in lump sum which shall consist of $75,000.00 $150,000.00 reduced to its72 present value upon the basis of interest calculated at the rate of 6 percent per annum."73 SECTION 5.74 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law75 without such approval.76 SECTION 6.77 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.78 H. B. 105 - 4 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. House Bill 105 raises the state death benefit paid through Georgia's State Indemnification Fund from $75,000 to $150,000 and requires new notices to peace officers hurt on the job about that fund and disability pay. ### Plain-language summary Georgia law pays a benefit from the Georgia State Indemnification Fund to the estate of certain public employees, including some school personnel and peace officers, who die while eligible for coverage under O.C.G.A. § 45-9-78. Currently that death benefit is $75,000, payable either in a lump sum or in installments over five years. House Bill 105, named the 'Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act,' doubles that death benefit to $150,000, while leaving the $75,000 permanent disability benefit unchanged. The bill also adds two new notification duties. The State Board of Workers' Compensation must tell the Department of Administrative Services when it has reason to believe an injured worker is an 'eligible peace officer,' and it must tell the injured worker how to contact the Indemnification Fund and the state's temporary disability compensation program. Separately, every Georgia law enforcement agency must give similar notice to an employee within ten days of an injury that could cause lasting disability. The changes take effect as soon as the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law. ### What it does - Doubles the death indemnification payment under Georgia's State Indemnification Fund (O.C.G.A. § 45-9-78) from $75,000 to $150,000 for eligible workers, paid to the estate in a lump sum or five-year installments. - 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 when it believes an injured worker is an 'eligible peace officer.' - Requires that same board to tell the injured peace officer how to contact the Indemnification Fund and the temporary disability compensation program. - Creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 35-1-24) requiring every Georgia law enforcement agency to notify an employee, within ten days of an injury that could cause disability, about the Indemnification Fund and disability compensation program. - Names the bill the 'Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act' and sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law. ### Who it affects The bill affects peace officers and other public employees (including certain state public school personnel) who become disabled or die in the line of duty, their estates and families, the State Board of Workers' Compensation, the Department of Administrative Services, and every law enforcement agency in Georgia that must issue the new notices. ### Why it matters Families of eligible workers killed in the line of duty would receive twice the current state death benefit, $150,000 instead of $75,000. Injured peace officers would also get faster, mandatory notice about benefits they may not know exist, potentially helping more of them access disability and indemnification payments they are owed. ### Key provisions - Section 1 names the bill 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 worker when it believes someone is an eligible peace officer. - Section 3 adds O.C.G.A. § 35-1-24, requiring law enforcement agencies to notify employees who may be eligible peace officers within ten days of a disabling injury, using the same 'eligible peace officer' definition. - Section 4 revises O.C.G.A. § 45-9-78(b) to raise the death indemnification payment option from $75,000 to $150,000, while keeping the permanent disability payment at $75,000. - Section 5 sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the Act or it otherwise becomes law without approval. - Section 6 repeals conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-08) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-05-08 (2025-05-08) - Sponsors: Will Wade, Matthew Gambill, Soo Hong, Lauren McDonald, Chris Erwin, Holt Persinger, Bo Hatchett - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69463 > The history, votes, and amendments (1,297 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb105.md?full=1