---
title: HB 199. Courts; protection of personally identifiable information of judges and their spouses; modify provisions
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb199
cite_as: HB 199, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb199
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb199.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb199/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69715
date: 2025-05-14
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28
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.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb198.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb200.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 1228
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb199.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 199
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-05-14
last_action: Effective Date 2025-07-01
sponsors:
  - Trey Kelley
  - Matt Reeves
  - Joseph Gullett
  - Stan Gunter
  - Samuel Park
  - Tyler Smith
  - Blake Tillery
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB199/2025
upstream_id: 1949665
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - judicial safety
  - personally identifiable information
  - public records law
  - court administration
  - government transparency
---

# HB 199. Courts; protection of personally identifiable information of judges and their spouses; modify provisions

## Text

25 HB 199/AP
House Bill 199 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Kelley of the 16th, Reeves of the 99th, Gullett of the 19th, Gunter of the
8th, Park of the 107th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 5 of Title 15 the Official Code of Georgia Ann otated, relating to1
administration of courts of record generally, so as to modify provisions related to protection2
of personally identifiable information of judges and their spouses; to abolish the requirement3
for the Administrative Office of the Courts to maintain a data base of protected persons and4
information; to provide for a state-wide form to be used by protected persons seeking to have5
information restricted from public disclosure; to require state and local governments to6
restrict from public disclosure personally identifiable informa tion when requested by a7
protected person; to provide procedures for such requests; to revise definitions; to provide8
for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:10
SECTION 1.11
Chapter 5 of Title 15 the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to administration of12
courts of record generally, is amended by revising Article 8, r elating to protection of13
personally identifiable data of judges and spouses, as follows:14
H. B. 199
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25 HB 199/AP
"ARTICLE 815
15-5-110.16
As used in this article, the term:17
(1) 'Personally identifiable information' means any phone numb er or address18
affirmatively identified by a protected person for inclusion in the data base established19
and maintained pursuant to Code Section 15-5-111 personal phone number, home20
address, or property or tax records of a protected person.21
(2) 'Protected person' means any current or former:22
(A) Judge Elected or appointed judge or justice of this state and his or her spouse;23
(B) Judge Elected or appointed judge of any county or municipality of this state and24
his or her spouse; and25
(C) Judge Appointed judge or justice of the United States and his or her spouse.26
(3) 'Public posting or display' means to communicate informati on or otherwise make27
information available to the general public.28
(4)(3) 'Publicly available content' means any written or electronic document or record29
that provides information or that serves as a document or record maintained, controlled,30
or in the possession of a state or local government entity that may be obtained by any31
person from the internet state or local government entity's public website or from such32
state or local government agency upon request whether free of charge or for a fee.33
(5)(4) 'State or local government entity' means any:34
(A) Agency of the executive branch of this state; or35
(B) Any local governing authority of a county or municipality of this state, including,36
but not limited to, any county or municipal court clerk's office, board of elections, board37
of tax assessors, or board of ethics.38
H. B. 199
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25 HB 199/AP
15-5-111.39
The Administrative Office of the Courts shall:40
(1) Establish a method for obtaining information from the Administrative Office of the41
United States Courts as necessary for purposes of this article;42
(2) Develop a form for a protected person to use when requesti ng the restriction from43
public disclosure of personally identifiable information pursua nt to this article. Such44
form may include a process for verification of the election or appointment of such person45
as a judge or justice of this state or the United States or ver ification of such person's46
status as the spouse of a person serving as a judge or justice of this state or the United47
States Establish and maintain a data base of protected persons and personally identifiable48
information;49
(3) Make the form provided for in paragraph (2) of this Code s ection available to50
protected persons on its public website Develop and manage a process to regularly51
identify each state or local government entity that possesses p ersonally identifiable52
information; and53
(4) Establish a procedure for protected persons to submit phone numbers and addresses54
for inclusion in a data base as personally identifiable informa tion to be restricted from55
publicly available content and public posting or display; and56
(5)(4) Coordinate statewide state-wide training and information sharing related to57
security procedure and practices relative to the judicial branch of government.58
15-5-112.59
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50 to the contrary,60
a state or local government entity shall restrict from public d isclosure any personally61
identifiable information that specifically identifies a protected person as a judge, justice,62
or spouse thereof. The provisions of this subsection shall include, but shall not be limited63
to, records or filings in the office of the Secretary of State and the State Ethics64
H. B. 199
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25 HB 199/AP
Commission. Within 30 days of receipt of written notice that a judge or j ustice of the65
United States, this state, or any county or municipality of thi s state has been elected or66
appointed, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall provide written notice to each state67
or local government entity determined by the Administrative Off i c e o f t h e C o u r t s t o68
possess personally identifiable information that directs such entity to restrict access to such69
personally identifiable information pursuant to subsection (c) of this Code section.70
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50 to the contrary,71
a state or local government entity that possesses records, filings, or other publicly available72
content that does not specifically identify a person as a judge, justice, or spouse thereof but73
that includes personally identifiable information of such a pro tected person shall, upon74
request of the protected person, restrict from public disclosure any personally identifiable75
information. A protected person may request that his or her pe rsonally identifiable76
information be restricted from public disclosure pursuant to this subsection by submitting77
a request in writing to the state or local government entity on the form provided for in Code78
Section 15-5-111. A state or local government entity receiving such request shall restrict79
from public disclosure the personally identifiable information within 30 days of receiving80
a valid request. Within 30 days of recei pt of written notice that a judge or j ustice of the81
United States, this state, or any county or municipality of thi s state has resigned, retired,82
or been removed, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall provide written notice to83
each state or local government entity determined by the Administrative Office of the Courts84
to possess personally identifiable information that informs such entity that the restriction85
required pursuant to subsection (c) of this Code section is no longer applicable.86
(c) Notwithstanding Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50 to the contrary, within 30 days of87
receipt of written notice from the Administrative Office of the Courts pursuant to88
subsection (a) of this Code section, a state or local government entity that has received such89
notice shall restrict personally identifiable information from publicly available content and90
public posting or display unless such entity has:91
H. B. 199
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25 HB 199/AP
(1) Obtained written consent from the protected person that his or her phone number and92
address may be made available to the general public; or93
(2) Received notice pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section that a judge or justice94
of the United States, this state, or any county or municipality thereof has resigned, retired,95
or been removed.96
(d)(c) Any protected person may bring an action in a court of compet ent jurisdiction97
against any officer or employee of the state or local governmen t entity in his or her98
individual capacity for failure to comply with subsection (c) (a) or (b) of this Code section. 99
Any relief granted by such action shall be limited to injunctive relief."100
SECTION 2.101
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.102
H. B. 199
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## 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 199 changes how Georgia protects the personal information of judges, justices, and their spouses, replacing a state database with a standard request form that state and local government agencies must honor within 30 days.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia law already lets judges and justices, and their spouses, ask that their personal information be kept out of public records. Current law had the Administrative Office of the Courts keep a database of protected people and their phone numbers and addresses. This bill eliminates that database requirement and instead has the Administrative Office of the Courts create a standard statewide form that judges, justices, and spouses can use to request that their personal phone number, home address, or property and tax records be withheld from public disclosure.
The bill also expands what counts as personally identifiable information and requires any state or local government agency that receives a completed form to restrict the listed information from public records within 30 days. It sets up a notice system so agencies learn when someone becomes or stops being a judge, and it lets a protected person sue a government employee for failing to comply, though only for a court order requiring compliance, not money damages.

### What it does

- Removes the requirement that the Administrative Office of the Courts build and maintain a statewide database of judges', justices', and spouses' personal information.
- Creates a standard statewide form for judges, justices, and their spouses to request that their personal information be withheld from public records.
- Requires state and local government agencies to restrict a protected person's personal information from public disclosure within 30 days of a valid request.
- Expands the definition of protected personal information to include home address, personal phone number, and property or tax records, not just information already submitted to a database.
- Requires the Administrative Office of the Courts to notify agencies within 30 days when someone becomes a judge or justice, and again when they leave office, so protections can start or end.
- Allows a protected person to sue a government officer or employee individually for failing to restrict their information, limited to a court order rather than money damages.

### Who it affects

Current and former elected or appointed judges and justices in Georgia, federal judges and justices, and their spouses. It also affects state agencies, county and municipal governments, court clerks, boards of elections, tax assessors, boards of ethics, and the Administrative Office of the Courts, which must manage the new request process.

### Why it matters

Judges and their spouses would get a clearer, faster path to keep their home addresses, phone numbers, and property records out of public view, which can matter for personal safety. Government offices would face new 30 day deadlines to act on these requests, and could face lawsuits if they fail to comply.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 15-5-110's definitions, expanding 'personally identifiable information' to cover phone numbers, home addresses, and property or tax records, and updating who counts as a 'protected person.'
- O.C.G.A. § 15-5-111 replaces the Administrative Office of the Courts' database duty with a duty to develop a standard request form and identify which government entities hold protected persons' information.
- O.C.G.A. § 15-5-112(a) requires agencies to restrict personally identifiable information that identifies someone as a judge or spouse, including records held by the Secretary of State and the State Ethics Commission.
- O.C.G.A. § 15-5-112(b) requires agencies to restrict other records containing a protected person's information within 30 days of receiving a written request on the official form.
- O.C.G.A. § 15-5-112(c) sets conditions under which an agency must restrict information after receiving notice from the Administrative Office of the Courts, unless the protected person consented to disclosure or has left judicial office.
- O.C.G.A. § 15-5-112(d) allows a protected person to sue a noncompliant government officer or employee individually, but limits any relief to injunctive relief (a court order to comply), not damages.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2025-05-14)
- Last action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 (2025-05-14)
- Sponsors: Trey Kelley, Matt Reeves, Joseph Gullett, Stan Gunter, Samuel Park, Tyler Smith, Blake Tillery
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69715

> The history, votes, and amendments (1,228 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb199.md?full=1