House Bill 1234 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Taylor of the 173rd, McDonald III of the 26th, Mathis of the 133rd, Santos
of the 117th, and Stinson of the 150th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 19 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
State Employees' Assurance Department, so as to provide for the assignment of certain group
term life insurance benefits to pay for funeral services of a deceased individual who was a
member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, Georgia Legislative Retirement
System, or Georgia Judicial Retirement System; to provide for a definition; to provide for
related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 19 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the State
Employees' Assurance Department, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as
follows:
<ins>"47-19-11.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'funeral services' means the observances,
services, or ceremonies held for dead human bodies and includes any service relating to the
transportation, embalming, cremation, and interment of a dead human body.
</ins>
<ins>(b) Group term life insurance benefit payments due from the retired and vested inactive
members trust fund or the active members fund established by subsection (b) of Code
Section 47-19-10 to a named beneficiary shall be assignable by such named beneficiary to
a person licensed by the State Board of Funeral Service to practice embalming or funeral
directing solely in order to pay the cost of funeral services for the deceased individual who
granted such right or benefit to such named beneficiary.
(c) To make the assignment authorized by subsection (b) of this Code section, the named
beneficiary shall authorize such assignment in writing on a form to be prescribed by the
board of directors and shall attach to such form a notarized copy of the contract between
said beneficiary and the licensed funeral director or embalmer who is providing the funeral
services and a copy of the former member's death certificate.
(d) The State Employees' Assurance Department shall pay or cause to be paid any sum
assigned in accordance with this Code section in the method or manner provided for in the
contract for funeral services but only to the extent that such sums are owed to the person
who completed the assignment."
</ins> SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.