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House · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session

HB 232: Interstate Massage Compact Act; enact

Last action March 18, 2026 · Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

A Senate substitute for HB 232 would scrap Georgia's existing boards for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, low voltage, and utility contractors and replace them with one new State Construction Industry Licensing Board, while also raising the required training hours for massage therapist licensure from 500 to 600.

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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 Comm Sub version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.

In plain language

HB 232 started as a bill about an interstate massage therapy compact, but the Senate substitute text supplied here rewrites the bulk of Title 43, Chapter 14 of Georgia law, the chapter that licenses electrical contractors, plumbers, conditioned air (HVAC) contractors, low voltage (alarm, telecom, and general low voltage) contractors, and utility contractors. It repeals the current chapter and enacts a new one that creates a single 27-member State Construction Industry Licensing Board, organized into five divisions, one for each trade, housed under the Secretary of State's office. The new chapter sets out detailed license classes (such as Electrical Contractor Class I and II, Master Plumber Class I and II, Journeyman Plumber, Conditioned Air Contractor Class I and II, four tiers of Low Voltage Contractor, and Utility Contractor, Manager, and Foreman), spelling out experience, exam, affidavit, and background-check requirements for each. It also creates civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation and misdemeanor penalties for unlicensed practice. Separately, the bill increases the minimum training hours to become a licensed massage therapist from 500 to 600 hours, and it redefines 'small business' for a tax deduction statute involving subcontractor payments.

What the bill does

  • Repeals and completely rewrites Chapter 14 of Title 43, replacing separate trade boards with one State Construction Industry Licensing Board made up of five divisions covering electrical, plumbing, conditioned air (HVAC), low voltage, and utility contracting.
  • Creates a 27-member board appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, with members serving four-year terms and specific seats reserved for engineers, inspectors, and licensed tradespeople in each division.
  • Establishes detailed license and certificate classes for each trade (for example Electrical Contractor Class I and II, Master Plumber Class I and II, four Low Voltage Contractor tiers, Utility Manager and Utility Foreman) with exam, experience, affidavit, and criminal background-check requirements.
  • Allows the board to impose civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation and makes unlicensed practice of any covered trade a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both.
  • Raises the minimum hours of massage therapy education required for licensure from 500 to 600 hours under Georgia's massage therapist licensing law (O.C.G.A. § 43-24A-8).
  • Redefines 'small business' for the state's subcontractor tax deduction statute (O.C.G.A. § 48-7-38) using three tiers based on employee count and gross receipts.

Who it affects

Electrical contractors, plumbers, HVAC (conditioned air) contractors, low voltage and alarm system installers, utility contractors and their managers and foremen, prospective massage therapists seeking licensure, and businesses that claim the subcontractor payment tax deduction under O.C.G.A. § 48-7-38.

Why it matters

Tradespeople across five construction-related fields would now be licensed under one consolidated board instead of separate boards, with new classes, experience rules, and background checks that could change how people qualify for and keep their licenses. Massage therapy students would need 100 more training hours before they can be licensed, potentially adding time and cost to entering that profession.

Key provisions

  • Section 1 adds language to O.C.G.A. § 43-1-34 clarifying that state license portability rules for transitioning military members work alongside, not in place of, federal law (50 U.S.C. § 4025a).
  • Section 2 repeals the old Chapter 14 and enacts a new one, creating the State Construction Industry Licensing Board (new Code Section 43-14-3) with 27 members across five divisions plus two public members.
  • New Code Section 43-14-5 gives the board power to set rules, grant reciprocity with other states, and assess civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation.
  • New Code Sections 43-14-8 through 43-14-14 set license requirements, exam scores of at least 70, experience hours, and background checks for each trade's license classes.
  • New Code Section 43-14-17 makes unlicensed practice a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000 or up to six months imprisonment, and allows cease and desist orders with fines up to $1,500 (or $5,000 for utility contracting) per violation.
  • New Code Section 43-14-21 creates an expedited licensing pathway for current or former military members with relevant training, if they apply within two years of discharge.
  • Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 48-7-38 to define 'small business' in three tiers based on employee count and annual gross receipts, rather than cross-referencing another code section.
  • Section 4 amends O.C.G.A. § 43-24A-8 to raise the required massage therapy educational program from 500 to 600 hours of course and clinical work.

From the bill

“This chapter is enacted for the purpose of safeguarding homeowners, other property owners, tenants, and the general public against faulty, inadequate, inefficient, or unsafe electrical, plumbing, low voltage wiring, utility contracting, or conditioned air installations.”

States the stated purpose behind creating the new consolidated licensing chapter.

Discussed in meetings (7)

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.

  1. Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee, January 29, 2026

    From 0:25:03 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair said the sponsor requested no action while interested groups negotiated changes. A Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards witness supported the bill’s training-hours increase and interstate licensing compact without further amendments. The witness said five states had adopted the compact and warned that changing its language would require those states to revise their laws. Asked about training, the witness said increasing Georgia’s requirement from 500 to 625 hours was not necessary to join, but would make students eligible for federal aid. On disputed exam provisions, the witness favored leaving eligibility rules to the compact commission. The witness also said Georgia would retain authority over state licenses while recognizing compact licenses. An American Massage Therapy Association, Georgia chapter, witness favored amendments to let more experienced therapists qualify through prior exams and training. That witness supported increased training hours but could not explain the qualitative difference. Members questioned whether additional hours would improve safety or create employment barriers and primarily benefit schools receiving federal aid. Neither witness provided a confirmed answer about Georgia’s continuing education requirements. No amendments were adopted and no vote was taken. The chair asked the groups to negotiate and submit agreed changes for a possible new committee substitute.

  2. Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee, March 10, 2026

    From 0:39:52 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the compact would create a multistate massage license, help military spouses, combat trafficking and licensing fraud, and raise required training from 500 to 625 hours. The sponsor said seven states were needed to activate it and five had adopted it. A Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards witness supported the original language, saying higher standards would deter trafficking and rules could accommodate experienced therapists. An American Massage Therapy Association witness opposed this version, saying existing therapists could face extra training costs or exclusion because of an older licensing exam. That witness favored alternative language requiring home-state licensure and a national exam, and disputed that it would increase trafficking. Asked about exempting existing therapists, the opposition witness said states must adopt matching compact language. Members questioned additional training, military-spouse access and Pell Grant claims. The federation witness said federal aid required programs of at least 600 hours and raising Georgia’s minimum would expand eligibility. One member said increased requirements conflicted with efforts to ease licensing burdens. The federation witness reported an upcoming meeting with the Department of War about the competing language. Members unanimously tabled the bill for more discussion. The chair said it would likely return the following Thursday and urged the groups to reach agreement.

  3. Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee, March 17, 2026

    From 1:42:27 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor explained that two national massage organizations had not resolved their disagreement, so the substitute removed most massage compact provisions and incorporated construction licensing provisions from SB 553. The sponsor said the substitute would put objective licensing requirements into law for electrical, low-voltage, plumbing, utility and conditioned-air contractors, rather than relying on broad agency rulemaking. The sponsor said the incorporated provisions had only stylistic changes. The remaining massage provision would set training at 600 hours rather than 625. Asked why 600 hours were needed, the sponsor said that was the minimum needed to preserve students’ Pell Grant eligibility. The chair said the construction provisions had previously passed the committee and Senate, but the administration wanted another route because of changes in the House. No witnesses spoke, and no additional amendments were offered. The committee unanimously approved the substitute.

  4. Senate Rules Committee, March 19, 2026

    From 0:22:37 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter identified this measure after explaining that the original massage therapy compact proposal had been replaced because the parties had not reached agreement. The presenter said the replacement concerned licensing standards for five professions, including electrical contractors and plumbers, following a Georgia Supreme Court decision. Discussion included uncertainty about the bill's number and its absence from the scheduling sheet. The chair said request letters were still being reviewed. No scheduling decision was recorded.

  5. Senate Rules Committee, March 20, 2026

    From 0:40:04 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair briefly reviewed the bill as an interstate compact measure. No explanation of its provisions, questions or calendar decision followed.

  6. Senate Rules Committee, March 23, 2026

    From 0:35:39 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair identified HB 232 as the interstate massage compact measure. No further explanation or vote was shown.

Status timeline

  1. 2026-03-18Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
  2. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
  3. 2025-03-21Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
  4. 2025-03-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
  5. 2025-02-26Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
  6. 2025-02-24House Passed/Adopted (House)
  7. 2025-02-24House Third Readers (House)
  8. 2025-02-11House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
Show full history (11 actions)
  1. 2025-02-06House Second Readers (House)
  2. 2025-02-05House First Readers (House)
  3. 2025-02-04House Hopper (House)

Sponsors

  • Deborah Silcox (R, HD-53)Primary sponsor
  • Lee Hawkins (R, HD-27)
  • Alan Powell (R, HD-33)
  • Bo Hatchett (R, SD-50)

Votes

  1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 24, 2025

    165 yea, 5 nay (3 not voting, 7 excused)

    PASSAGE: House Vote #73

Topics

  • contractor licensing
  • massage therapy licensing
  • construction trades
  • occupational licensing boards
  • small business tax deduction

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