Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 1395: Drivers licenses; require intervention component for DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Programs be conducted in person
Last action February 24, 2026 · House Second Readers
House Bill 1395 would require the 20-hour intervention class in Georgia's DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program to be taught in person, banning online or remote versions of that class.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia drivers convicted of DUI must complete a Risk Reduction Program that includes a risk assessment and a 20-hour intervention component covering education and peer counseling about alcohol and drug use. Under current law, the Department of Driver Services sets rules for how that program is delivered, and some programs have offered the intervention portion online or through remote platforms. This bill changes the legal definition of 'intervention component' in O.C.G.A. § 40-5-1 to specify that it must deliver in-person therapeutic education and counseling. It also amends O.C.G.A. § 40-5-83 to explicitly require that intervention components be conducted in person and to prohibit online courses or remote participation platforms for that portion of the program. The risk assessment and clinical evaluation components are not changed by this bill. No specific effective date is stated beyond the standard process, and all conflicting laws would be repealed.
What the bill does
- Rewrites the legal definition of 'intervention component' (O.C.G.A. § 40-5-1) to require that the required therapeutic education and counseling be delivered in person.
- Amends O.C.G.A. § 40-5-83 to require that intervention components of DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Programs be conducted in person.
- Bans online courses or remote participation platforms from being used to deliver the intervention component of these programs.
- Repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new in-person requirement.
Who it affects
People convicted of DUI in Georgia who must complete a DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program, the certified providers who run these 20-hour intervention classes, and the Department of Driver Services, which sets program rules and certifies instructors.
Why it matters
Drivers required to complete DUI intervention classes would no longer be able to satisfy that requirement online or remotely; they would have to attend in person. This could affect scheduling, travel, and access for people in rural areas or without easy transportation, while providers offering remote classes would need to change how they operate.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises the definition of 'intervention component' in O.C.G.A. § 40-5-1 to add that the therapeutic education and peer counseling must be delivered in-person.
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-5-83(e)(1) to state that intervention components 'shall be conducted in person' and that online courses or remote participation platforms 'shall be prohibited.'
- Section 2 leaves unchanged the requirement that a risk assessment component precede the intervention component and that clinical evaluations be conducted only by licensed evaluators.
- Section 3 repeals all laws and parts of laws in conflict with the Act.
From the bill
“intervention components of such courses shall be conducted in person and online courses or remote participation platforms which provide in-person instruction shall be prohibited.”
“'Intervention component' means a program which delivers in-person therapeutic education about alcohol and drug use and driving and peer group counseling concerning alcohol and drug use over a period of 20 hours”
Discussed in meetings (4)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, March 2, 2026
From 0:18:37 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1395 would require the intervention component of DUI alcohol or drug risk-reduction courses to be in person. Drawing on experience responding to fatal crashes, the sponsor argued that attendance would reinforce accountability and rehabilitation. Members questioned access for rural residents, workers and military personnel, and asked for evidence comparing repeat offenses after online and in-person instruction. The sponsor supplied no comparative statistics and expressed openness to military exceptions and in-person courses outside Georgia, but no amendments were adopted. A Georgia Driving School Association witness opposed the proposal, citing a University of Georgia research review that found instructor-led online courses comparable to in-person courses. That witness estimated attendance was split evenly between the two formats and argued that online courses improve rural access and regulatory oversight. A second driving-school operator cited classroom safety concerns and said 17% of that business came from outside Georgia. Another longtime instructor supported the proposal after correcting an earlier statement of opposition, describing the curriculum, assessment and classroom interaction. The chair said the committee would return to the proposal. No vote appears in the transcript.
House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, March 6, 2026
From 0:20:37 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1395 would require the intervention component of DUI alcohol and drug risk-reduction programs to take place in person rather than online. The sponsor argued that face-to-face interaction would reinforce the seriousness of DUI and support rehabilitation, and reported support from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. A supporting witness said online instructors had reported participants using alcohol or drugs during classes and described online groups of as many as 40 participants. The witness argued that classrooms allow better enforcement of attendance and behavior rules. A committee member with probation and prosecution experience supported the requirement, saying in-person participation encourages attention and accountability. No substantive questions or amendments were offered. The chair announced that the bill failed after a voice vote, without a numerical tally.
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Danny Mathis (R, HD-133)
- Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
- Dale Washburn (R, HD-144)
- Carter Barrett (R, HD-24)
- Alan Powell (R, HD-33)
- Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
Topics
- DUI laws
- drivers licenses
- substance abuse programs
- road safety