---
title: HB 1420. Insurance; original equipment manufacturer repair procedures for repairs under motor vehicle liability insurance policies; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1420
cite_as: HB 1420, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1420
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1420.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1420/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73474
date: 2026-02-25
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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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1420.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1420
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-20
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Lehman Franklin
- Ron Stephens
- Jason Ridley
- Joseph Gullett
- Matthew Gambill
- Matt Barton
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1420/2025
upstream_id: 2121424
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- auto insurance
- car repairs
- insurance regulation
- consumer protection
- claims settlement
---
# HB 1420. Insurance; original equipment manufacturer repair procedures for repairs under motor vehicle liability insurance policies; provide
## Text
House Bill 1420
By: Representatives Franklin of the 160th, Stephens of the 164th, Ridley of the 6th, Gullett of
the 19th, Gambill of the 15th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapters 6 and 34 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to unfair trade practices and motor vehicle accident reparations, respectively, so as to provide
for original equipment manufacturer repair procedures for repairs under motor vehicle
liability insurance policies; to provide for unfair claims settlement practices; to provide for
definitions; to provide for rules and regulations; 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 6 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to unfair trade
practices, is amended by revising paragraphs (15) and (16) in Code Section 33-6-34, relating
to unfair claims settlement practices, as follows:
"(15) Failure to comply with any insurer requirement in Chapter 20E of this title, the
'Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act,' including:
(A) The failure to designate whether the healthcare plan is subject to the exclusive
jurisdiction of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 U.S.C. Sec.
1001, et seq.;
(B) The failure to directly pay the provider or facility within 15 working days for
electronic claims or 30 calendar days for paper claims any moneys due under Code
Section 33-20E-4 or 33-20E-5; or
(C) The failure to pay a resolution organization as required under Code
Section 33-20E-16; and
(16) Failure to comply with any insurer requirement relating to emergency services or
care in Article 4 of Chapter 11 of Title 31, Article 1 of Chapter 20A of this title,
Chapter 20E of this title, Chapter 21A of this title, Code Section 33-24-59.27, and
Chapter 30 of this title; and
(17) Failure to comply with any insurer requirement relating to original equipment
manufacturer repair procedures under motor vehicle liability insurance policies as
provided under Code Section 33-34-10."
SECTION 2.
Chapter 34 of said title, relating to motor vehicle accident reparations, is amended by adding
a new Code section to read as follows:
"33-34-10.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Claimant' means either a first-party claimant or insured or a third-party claimant who
asserts a claim for payment, benefits, reimbursement, or damages under a motor vehicle
liability insurance policy arising out of, based on, or in any way related to a motor vehicle
collision, loss, ownership, maintenance, or use. Such term includes any assignee,
subrogee, or legal representative of a first-party claimant or third-party claimant to the
extent such assignee, subrogee, or legal representative asserts the claim.
(2) 'Motor vehicle liability insurance' means motor vehicle insurance that covers the use
of a motor vehicle and its operating equipment; covers liability, collision, comprehensive,
personal injury protection or medical payments, or uninsured or underinsured motorist
protection; or provides the mandatory minimum limits required under this chapter for the
personal use of a private passenger automobile. Such term includes coverage provided
through an approved plan or certificate of self-insurance to the extent recognized under
state law as satisfying such minimum limits.
(3) 'Original equipment manufacturer repair procedure' means any written, electronic,
or published repair standard, procedure, specification, or directive issued by a motor
vehicle's original equipment manufacturer, including, but not limited to, body, frame,
structural, mechanical, electronic, scanning, calibration, and refinishing operations.
(4) 'Repair facility' means a motor vehicle dealer, garage, body shop, or other
commercial entity which undertakes the repair or replacement of parts of a motor vehicle.
(b) All policies of motor vehicle liability insurance shall provide for all repairs to be made
in accordance with the applicable original equipment manufacturer repair procedures.
(c) No insurer that issues, delivers, issues for delivery, or renews a motor vehicle liability
insurance policy shall require a claimant to deviate from or deny, omit, or disregard
original equipment manufacturer repair procedures.
(d) An insurer that issues, delivers, issues for delivery, or renews a motor vehicle liability
insurance policy shall:
(1) Approve any original equipment manufacturer repair procedure that is documented
in a written estimate or supplemental estimate from a repair facility or in a written request
from a repair facility or claimant when the applicable original equipment manufacturer
service publication, position statement, or procedure is identified; and
(2) Only deny reimbursement for a documented original equipment manufacturer repair
procedure if, within three business days of receipt of the written estimate, supplemental
estimate, or written request provided for in paragraph (1) of this subsection, such insurer
provides to the claimant:
(A) A written itemized explanation for such denial, including, but not limited to, policy
coverage limitations, prior payment, duplication, or unrelated to loss, specific to the
original equipment manufacturer repair procedure; and
(B) Notice that such denial might constitute an unfair claims settlement practice under
state law.
(e) A violation of this Code section that occurs with such frequency as to constitute a
general business practice shall be a violation of Article 2 of Chapter 6 of this title, the
'Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act.'
(f) The Commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement this
Code section."
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.
House Bill 1420 would require Georgia motor vehicle liability insurance policies to cover repairs done according to a car's original manufacturer repair standards, limiting insurers' ability to deny those repair methods.
### Plain-language summary
Right now, insurers handling motor vehicle liability claims in Georgia can approve or deny specific repair methods without being required to follow the vehicle manufacturer's own repair specifications. This bill would change that by adding a new section to Georgia's motor vehicle accident reparations law (O.C.G.A. § 33-34-10).
Under the bill, all motor vehicle liability insurance policies would have to provide for repairs made according to the applicable original equipment manufacturer repair procedures, meaning the written or published repair standards issued by the car's maker. Insurers could not require claimants to skip or ignore those procedures. If an insurer wants to deny paying for a manufacturer-recommended repair method, it would have three business days to send the claimant a written, itemized explanation and a notice that the denial could count as an unfair claims settlement practice. The bill also adds this new requirement to the list of unfair claims settlement practices under O.C.G.A. § 33-6-34, and directs the Insurance Commissioner to write implementing rules.
### What it does
- Requires all Georgia motor vehicle liability insurance policies to provide for repairs to be made according to the vehicle manufacturer's official repair procedures.
- Bars insurers from requiring claimants to deviate from, deny, omit, or disregard those manufacturer repair procedures.
- Requires insurers to approve a documented manufacturer repair procedure once it appears in a written estimate or request from a repair facility or claimant.
- Gives insurers only three business days to deny a documented repair procedure, and requires a written itemized explanation plus a notice about unfair claims settlement practices.
- Adds failure to follow these manufacturer repair procedure rules to the list of unfair claims settlement practices under O.C.G.A. § 33-6-34.
- Directs the Insurance Commissioner to create rules and regulations to carry out the new law.
### Who it affects
Drivers and other claimants filing motor vehicle liability insurance claims in Georgia, auto insurers that issue or renew those policies, and repair facilities such as body shops, garages, and dealers that submit repair estimates and requests to insurers.
### Why it matters
If enacted, insurers would no longer be able to unilaterally reject manufacturer-recommended repair methods without a fast, written justification. This could change how quickly and thoroughly vehicles are repaired after crashes, and gives claimants and repair shops a clearer path to challenge denied repairs.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends the unfair claims settlement practices list in O.C.G.A. § 33-6-34, adding failure to follow original equipment manufacturer repair procedures as a new unfair practice (new paragraph 17).
- Section 2 creates new Code Section 33-34-10, defining terms including 'claimant,' 'motor vehicle liability insurance,' 'original equipment manufacturer repair procedure,' and 'repair facility.'
- Subsection (b) requires all motor vehicle liability policies to provide for repairs made according to applicable manufacturer repair procedures.
- Subsection (c) prohibits insurers from requiring claimants to deviate from, deny, omit, or disregard those procedures.
- Subsection (d) requires insurers to approve documented manufacturer repair procedures and, if denying reimbursement, to respond within three business days with a written itemized explanation and a notice about possible unfair claims settlement violations.
- Subsection (e) states that a pattern of violations constituting a general business practice violates the state's Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act.
- Subsection (f) directs the Insurance Commissioner to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the new Code section.
- Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-20)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-25)
- Sponsors: Lehman Franklin, Ron Stephens, Jason Ridley, Joseph Gullett, Matthew Gambill, Matt Barton
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73474
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1420.md?full=1