---
title: HB 1281. Education; require child care learning centers to carry certain amounts of liability insurance coverage and to provide proof of such coverage
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1281
cite_as: HB 1281, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1281
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1281.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1281/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73130
date: 2026-02-17
status: introduced
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.
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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1280.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1282.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1281.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1281
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-11
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Martin Momtahan
  - Leesa Hagan
  - Danny Mathis
  - Joseph Gullett
  - Johnny Chastain
  - Angie O'Steen
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1281/2025
upstream_id: 2114632
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - child care regulation
  - liability insurance
  - early childhood education
  - consumer protection
  - civil penalties
---

# HB 1281. Education; require child care learning centers to carry certain amounts of liability insurance coverage and to provide proof of such coverage

## Text

House Bill 1281
By: Representatives Momtahan of the 17th, Hagan of the 156th, Mathis of the 133rd, Gullett
of the 19th, Chastain of the 7th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 1A of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to general provisions relative to the Department of Early Care and Learning, so as
to require child care learning centers to carry certain amounts of liability insurance coverage
and to provide proof of such coverage; to provide for penalties; to provide for related
matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 1 of Chapter 1A of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions relative to the Department of Early Care and Learning, is amended in
Code Section 20-1A-4, relating to powers and duties of the Department of Early Care and
Learning, by revising paragraph (9) as follows:
"(9) To recommend in writing to the owner of any early care and education program
licensed by the department that such program carry liability insurance coverage sufficient
to protect its clients. Any such program which after receiving such recommendation is
not covered by liability insurance shall post that fact in a conspicuous place in the
program and shall notify the parent or guardian of each child under the care of the
program in writing. Such notice shall be in at least 1/2 inch letters. Each such parent or
guardian must acknowledge receipt of such notice in writing, and a copy of such
acknowledgment shall be maintained on file at the program at all times while the child
attends the program and for 12 months after the child's last date of attendance. Failure
to <del>do so may</del> <ins>post the required notice, provide the required written notification to parents
or guardians, or maintain required copies shall</ins> subject the owner of the program to a civil
fine <del>of</del> <ins>not to exceed</ins> $1,000.00 for each such infraction;"
SECTION 2.
Said article is further amended in Code Section 20-1A-10, relating to regulation of early care
and education programs, by adding a new subsection to read as follows:
<ins>"(w) Each child care learning center shall carry liability insurance coverage purchased
from an insurer authorized to do business in this state in the amount of not less
than $50,000.00 per person and $1 million per occurrence. The owner of a child care
learning center that fails to carry such coverage shall be subject to a civil fine of $1,000.00
for each day that such child care learning center operates without such coverage. Each
child care learning center shall provide proof of such coverage, including the name of the
insurer and policy number, to the department and to each client of such child care learning
center and have such proof of coverage available at the location of such child care learning
center."
</ins> SECTION 3.
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 child care learning centers to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance and prove they have it, with daily fines for centers that don't comply.

### Plain-language summary

Right now, Georgia's Department of Early Care and Learning can only recommend that early care and education programs carry liability insurance; it cannot require it. If a program is told to get coverage and still doesn't have it, current law requires the program to post a notice, tell parents in writing, and keep signed acknowledgments on file, with a penalty that currently 'may' apply.
This bill tightens that penalty so the fine (up to $1,000 per infraction) definitely applies when a program skips the notice, parent notification, or recordkeeping steps. More significantly, it adds a brand new requirement specifically for child care learning centers: they must carry liability insurance of at least $50,000 per person and $1 million per occurrence, bought from an insurer licensed in Georgia. Centers that go without this coverage face a $1,000 fine for every day they operate uninsured, and must show proof of coverage, including insurer name and policy number, to the state and to parents.

### What it does

- Changes the penalty for early care programs that fail to post insurance notices or keep parent acknowledgments from a discretionary fine ('may' apply) to a mandatory fine of up to $1,000 per infraction.
- Creates a new legal requirement that child care learning centers actually carry liability insurance, rather than just being encouraged to.
- Sets a minimum coverage amount of $50,000 per person and $1 million per occurrence, purchased from an insurer authorized to do business in Georgia.
- Imposes a civil fine of $1,000 for each day a child care learning center operates without the required insurance coverage.
- Requires centers to provide proof of coverage, including the insurer's name and policy number, to the Department of Early Care and Learning and to parents, and to keep that proof on site.

### Who it affects

Owners and operators of Georgia child care learning centers, who must buy insurance and pay fines if they don't; parents and guardians of children in these centers, who gain a right to see proof of coverage; and the Department of Early Care and Learning, which enforces the new rules.

### Why it matters

Families placing children in care would gain a guaranteed financial backstop if something goes wrong at a center, since coverage would no longer be optional. Center owners would face new insurance costs and daily fines for noncompliance, changing the financial calculus of running a child care learning center in Georgia.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-1A-4 so that failing to post the insurance notice, notify parents in writing, or keep signed acknowledgments 'shall' (not 'may') subject the owner to a civil fine not to exceed $1,000 per infraction.
- Section 2 adds a new subsection (w) to O.C.G.A. § 20-1A-10 requiring every child care learning center to carry liability insurance of at least $50,000 per person and $1 million per occurrence from a Georgia-authorized insurer.
- Section 2 sets a $1,000 per day civil fine for a child care learning center that operates without the required insurance coverage.
- Section 2 requires centers to provide proof of coverage, including insurer name and policy number, to the department and to clients, and to keep that proof available on site.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-02-11)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-17)
- Sponsors: Martin Momtahan, Leesa Hagan, Danny Mathis, Joseph Gullett, Johnny Chastain, Angie O'Steen
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73130

> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1281.md?full=1