HB 247: Motor vehicles; restoration of licenses; authorize written consent for release of certain information to be obtained and transferred electronically

Georgia law currently requires DUI offenders to give written consent before their alcohol or drug program records can be released, but the law does not say whether that consent can be given electronically. This bill amends Georgia's DUI risk reduction program law (O.C.G.A. § 40-5-82 and § 40-5-83) to specifically allow that written consent to be obtained and transferred in electronic format. The bill also tightens who can perform clinical evaluations, requiring that evaluators licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities have specific training in alcohol and drug abuse evaluation or assessment. It raises several fees: the defensive driving course fee rises from $95 to $125, the DUI program assessment fee rises from $100 to $150, and the intervention component fee rises from $235 to $350, with that higher fee now also covering costs of transferring assessment documents between providers.

• Allows the written consent required to release DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program records to be obtained and transferred electronically instead of only on paper.
• Requires clinical evaluators licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to have specific training in alcohol and drug abuse evaluation or assessment before conducting clinical evaluations.
• Raises the fee driver improvement clinics charge for the six-hour defensive driving course from $95 to $125.
• Raises the fee for the DUI program's risk assessment component from $100 to $150.
• Raises the fee for the DUI program's intervention component from $235 to $350, and specifies this fee now covers costs of transferring assessment-related documents.

People convicted of DUI who must complete a defensive driving course or alcohol/drug risk reduction program, driver improvement clinics and certified DUI programs that charge these fees, clinical evaluators licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, and the Department of Driver Services, which administers these programs.

DUI offenders would be able to submit their record-release consent digitally rather than on paper, which could speed up processing between agencies. Meanwhile, people required to take these courses or programs would pay higher fees, and evaluators would need more specific training before conducting clinical evaluations.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-5-82(d) to allow the written consent for releasing DUI program records to be obtained and transferred electronically, while keeping the records confidential.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-5-83(a)(1) to raise the defensive driving course fee from $95 to $125.
• Section 2 also amends § 40-5-83(e)(1) to require that clinical evaluators licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities have training in alcohol and drug abuse evaluation or assessment.
• Section 2 amends § 40-5-83(e)(2) to raise the assessment component fee from $100 to $150 and the intervention component fee from $235 to $350, with the intervention fee now covering document transfer costs.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-02-11House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
3. 2025-02-06House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-02-05House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-02-04House Hopper (House)

• Alan Powell (R, HD-33)Primary sponsor
• Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-11)
• Jason Ridley (R, HD-6)
• John Corbett (R, HD-174)
• Matt Barton (R, HD-5)

• DUI laws
• driver's license restoration
• defensive driving courses
• alcohol and drug treatment fees