--- title: HB 1201. Fire protection; compliance with safety standards for smoke detectors; provide collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb1201 cite_as: HB 1201, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1201 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1201.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1201/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72877 date: 2026-03-04 status: engrossed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 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/hb1200.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1202.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 472 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1201.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 1201 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2026-03-03 last_action: Senate Read and Referred sponsors: - Joseph Gullett - Eddie Lumsden text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1201/2025 upstream_id: 2109955 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - fire safety - smoke detectors - home construction rules - building codes --- # HB 1201. Fire protection; compliance with safety standards for smoke detectors; provide ## Text House Bill 1201 By: Representatives Gullett of the 19th and Lumsden of the 12th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Code Section 25-2-40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to smoke detectors required in new dwellings and dwelling units and exceptions, so as to provide for compliance with safety standards for smoke detectors; to provide for staggered compliance; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. Code Section 25-2-40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to smoke detectors required in new dwellings and dwelling units and exceptions, is amended by adding a new paragraph to subsection (a) to read as follows: "(4) On and after January 1, 2027, every installed or replaced smoke detector provided for in this subsection and, on and after January 1, 2028, every smoke detector provided for in this subsection shall be compliant with UL 217, the Standard for Smoke Alarms, ninth edition, or a later edition as provided by rule or regulation." SECTION 2. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. ## 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. A Georgia House bill would require smoke detectors in covered dwellings to meet a specific national safety standard, with newly installed or replaced detectors required to comply starting January 1, 2027 and all existing detectors by January 1, 2028. ### Plain-language summary Georgia law already requires smoke detectors in certain new dwellings and dwelling units (O.C.G.A. § 25-2-40). This bill adds a new requirement about the technical standard those smoke detectors must meet. Starting January 1, 2027, any smoke detector that is newly installed or replaced under this law must comply with UL 217, the Standard for Smoke Alarms, ninth edition (a widely used industry safety standard for smoke alarms), or a later edition adopted by rule or regulation. Then, starting January 1, 2028, every smoke detector covered by this law, not just newly installed or replaced ones, must meet that same standard. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but makes no other changes to the existing smoke detector requirements. ### What it does - Adds a new requirement to Georgia's smoke detector law (O.C.G.A. § 25-2-40) that detectors must meet the UL 217 ninth edition safety standard or a later approved edition. - Sets January 1, 2027 as the deadline for newly installed or replaced smoke detectors to meet the standard. - Sets a later deadline of January 1, 2028 for all smoke detectors covered by the law to meet the standard, giving a staggered compliance period. - Allows the compliance standard to be updated in the future through rule or regulation without needing a new law, since later editions of UL 217 are automatically included. - Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with this new requirement. ### Who it affects The bill affects owners and builders of new dwellings and dwelling units covered by Georgia's smoke detector law, as well as anyone who installs or replaces smoke detectors in those properties after the effective dates. It also affects manufacturers and sellers of smoke detectors sold for use in Georgia. ### Why it matters Georgians covered by this law would need to make sure any smoke detectors installed or replaced after January 1, 2027 meet a specific safety standard, and that all covered detectors meet it by 2028. This could affect which products are available or required for compliance in new construction. ### Key provisions - Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 25-2-40 by adding paragraph (4) to subsection (a), creating the new compliance requirement. - The new rule applies to smoke detectors 'provided for in this subsection,' meaning it is tied to the existing categories of new dwellings and dwelling units already covered by the law. - Compliance is phased in two steps: newly installed or replaced detectors must comply starting January 1, 2027, and all covered detectors must comply starting January 1, 2028. - The standard referenced is UL 217, the Standard for Smoke Alarms, ninth edition, with future editions allowed if adopted by rule or regulation. - Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard provision that does not itself change specific existing statutes. ## Status - Status: Engrossed (2026-03-03) - Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-03-04) - Sponsors: Joseph Gullett, Eddie Lumsden - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72877 > The history, votes, and amendments (472 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1201.md?full=1