---
title: HB 147. Georgia Technology Authority; annual inventory of artificial intelligence usage by state agencies; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb147
cite_as: HB 147, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb147
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb147.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb147/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69569
date: 2026-03-18
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 747
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb147.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 147
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-20
last_action: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
sponsors:
- Brad Thomas
- Todd Jones
- Clint Crowe
- Joseph Gullett
- Rob Clifton
- Don Parsons
- Ed Setzler
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB147/2025
upstream_id: 1945161
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- artificial intelligence
- state government technology
- software contracts
- government transparency
- IT procurement
---
# HB 147. Georgia Technology Authority; annual inventory of artificial intelligence usage by state agencies; provide
## Text
The Senate Committee on Science and Technology offered the following
substitute to HB 147:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to general authority, duties, and procedure of the Department of
Administrative services relative to state purchasing, so as to prohibit a governmental entity
from entering into contracts for the licensing of software applications that limit such
governmental entity's ability to install or run such software applications on certain desktop
or server hardware of such governmental entity's choosing; to amend Chapter 25 of Title 50
of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia Technology Authority,
so as to provide for an annual inventory of artificial intelligence usage by state agencies; to
provide for annual reports of such; to provide for the authority to develop and establish
certain policies; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide for an
effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to general authority, duties, and procedure of the Department of Administrative
Services relative to state purchasing, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as
follows:
"50-5-86.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'governmental entity' means any department,
agency, board, bureau, commission, authority, county, municipal corporation, school
system, or other political subdivision of this state.
(b) A contract procured by a governmental entity for the licensing of software applications
designed to run on generally available desktop or server hardware shall not limit such
governmental entity's ability to install or run such software applications on the desktop or
server hardware of such governmental entity's choosing."
SECTION 2.
Chapter 25 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia
Technology Authority, is amended by revising Code Section 50-25-7.9, which is reserved,
as follows:
"50-25-7.9.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'artificial intelligence' means a machine based
system that can, for a given set of human defined objectives, make predictions,
recommendations, or decisions influencing real or virtual environments. Artificial
intelligence systems use machine based and human based inputs to perceive real and virtual
environments, abstract such perceptions into models through analysis in an automated
manner, and use model inference to formulate options for information or action.
(b) The authority shall:
(1) Not later than December 31, 2026, and annually thereafter, conduct an inventory of
all systems that employ artificial intelligence which are used to inform or materially
support a conclusion, decision, or judgment made by any agency. Each inventory shall
include, but not be limited to, the following information for each such system:
(A) The name of the system and the vendor, if any, that provided such system;
(B) A description of the general capabilities and uses of such system; and
(C) Whether such system underwent an impact assessment prior to implementation;
and
(2) Not later than December 31, 2027, develop and establish policies and procedures
concerning the development, procurement, implementation, utilization, and ongoing
assessment of systems that employ artificial intelligence and are in use by agencies.
(c) The authority shall prepare an annual report on the inventory of artificial intelligence
in use by agencies, as provided for in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of this Code section.
Such report shall be made electronically available to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor,
and members of the House of Representatives and Senate.
(d) All state agencies shall cooperate with the authority in the administration of this Code
section. Reserved."
SECTION 3.
(a) This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming
law without such approval.
(b) This Act shall apply to all contracts for the licensing of software applications entered into
by governmental entities on or after the effective date of this Act and to any renewals,
modifications, or extensions of such agreements entered into on or after such date.
SECTION 4.
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 bar state and local governments from signing software contracts that restrict which computers they can run the software on, and would require the Georgia Technology Authority to inventory and report on artificial intelligence used by state agencies each year.
### Plain-language summary
This bill makes two separate changes to Georgia law. First, it adds a new rule to the state purchasing code (O.C.G.A. § 50-5-86) saying that when a governmental entity, which includes state agencies, counties, cities, school systems, and other political subdivisions, buys a license for software meant to run on ordinary desktop or server computers, the contract cannot limit which hardware the entity chooses to install or run that software on.
Second, it fills in a previously reserved section of the Georgia Technology Authority's chapter of law (O.C.G.A. § 50-25-7.9) to address artificial intelligence. By December 31, 2026, and every year after, the authority must inventory all AI systems that state agencies use to inform decisions, noting the system's name, vendor, capabilities, and whether it went through an impact assessment. By December 31, 2027, the authority must also create policies covering how agencies develop, buy, and use AI systems. The authority must send an annual report on the inventory to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and legislature. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it, and the software contract rule would apply to contracts entered into or renewed after that date.
### What it does
- Prohibits governmental entities from signing software licensing contracts that restrict which desktop or server hardware they can install or run the software on.
- Defines 'governmental entity' broadly to include state agencies, counties, cities, school systems, and other political subdivisions for purposes of this restriction.
- Requires the Georgia Technology Authority to conduct an annual inventory, starting by December 31, 2026, of AI systems used by state agencies to inform decisions.
- Requires the inventory to record each AI system's name, vendor, general capabilities, and whether it underwent an impact assessment before being put into use.
- Requires the authority to develop AI policies and procedures for state agencies by December 31, 2027, and to send agencies' cooperation obligations into law.
- Requires an annual public report on the AI inventory to be sent electronically to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and the General Assembly.
### Who it affects
State agencies, counties, municipalities, school systems, and other political subdivisions that buy software licenses or use AI systems; the Department of Administrative Services and the Georgia Technology Authority, which administer these rules; and software vendors that contract with Georgia governmental entities.
### Why it matters
Governments would gain more flexibility to run purchased software on the hardware of their choosing rather than being locked into a vendor's preferred equipment. The AI inventory and reporting requirement would create the first public, statewide record of which AI tools Georgia agencies use to make decisions and whether those tools were assessed for risk.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code Section 50-5-86 barring software licensing contracts from restricting the hardware a governmental entity can use, and defines 'governmental entity' broadly.
- Section 2 fills in Code Section 50-25-7.9 (previously reserved) with a definition of 'artificial intelligence' as a machine-based system that makes predictions, recommendations, or decisions from human-defined objectives.
- Section 2 requires the Georgia Technology Authority to complete its first AI inventory by December 31, 2026 and annually thereafter, covering system name, vendor, capabilities, and impact assessment status.
- Section 2 requires the authority to establish AI development and procurement policies for agencies by December 31, 2027.
- Section 2 requires an annual electronic report on the AI inventory to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and General Assembly, and requires agencies to cooperate with the authority.
- Section 3 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's signature and applies the software contract rule to contracts and renewals entered into on or after that date.
- Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Engrossed (2025-02-20)
- Last action: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (2026-03-18)
- Sponsors: Brad Thomas, Todd Jones, Clint Crowe, Joseph Gullett, Rob Clifton, Don Parsons, Ed Setzler
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69569
> The history, votes, and amendments (747 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb147.md?full=1