--- title: HB 378. State courts of counties; online publishing of terms; provide collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb378 cite_as: HB 378, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb378 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb378.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb378/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70140 date: 2026-03-25 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb377.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb379.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 668 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb378.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 378 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-03-03 last_action: Senate Committee Favorably Reported sponsors: - Martin Momtahan - Stan Gunter - Matt Reeves - Chuck Efstration - Tyler Smith - Timothy Bearden text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB378/2025 upstream_id: 1964604 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - state courts - court transparency - government websites - court clerks --- # HB 378. State courts of counties; online publishing of terms; provide ## Text House Bill 378 By: Representatives Momtahan of the 17th, Gunter of the 8th, Reeves of the 99th, Efstration of the 104th, and Smith of the 18th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 3 of Chapter 7 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to practice and procedure relative to state courts of counties, so as to provide for the online publishing of terms of state court; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. Article 3 of Chapter 7 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to practice and procedure relative to state courts of counties, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows: "15-7-41.1. Each state court clerk shall be required to publish and maintain information and dates regarding terms of court in a prominent location on its public website." SECTION 2. 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 378 would require every Georgia state court clerk to post the dates of the court's terms in a prominent spot on the court's public website. ### Plain-language summary Georgia's state courts (a type of county-level trial court separate from superior courts) operate on set 'terms,' which are scheduled periods during the year when the court conducts business. Currently there is no specific state law requiring clerks to publish this scheduling information online. This bill adds a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 15-7-41.1, to the law governing state courts of counties. It requires each state court clerk to publish and maintain information about the court's term dates in a prominent location on the court's public website. The bill does not set a specific effective date beyond the standard process, and it repeals any conflicting laws. ### What it does - Adds a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 15-7-41.1, requiring state court clerks to publish court term dates online. - Requires the information to be kept in a 'prominent location' on the court's public website, not buried in an obscure page. - Requires clerks to maintain, not just post once, this term information, implying ongoing updates. - Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new publishing requirement. ### Who it affects State court clerks in Georgia's counties, who must now publish and maintain term date information online, and members of the public, attorneys, and litigants who rely on knowing when a state court is in session. ### Why it matters People who need to file cases, appear in court, or track deadlines tied to a court's term would have an easier, more reliable way to find that information online instead of having to call or visit the courthouse. ### Key provisions - Section 1 adds new Code section 15-7-41.1 to Article 3 of Chapter 7 of Title 15, requiring state court clerks to publish and maintain term of court information on the court's public website in a prominent location. - Section 2 repeals any laws or parts of laws that conflict with this new requirement. ## Status - Status: Engrossed (2025-03-03) - Last action: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (2026-03-25) - Sponsors: Martin Momtahan, Stan Gunter, Matt Reeves, Chuck Efstration, Tyler Smith, Timothy Bearden - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70140 > The history, votes, and amendments (668 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb378.md?full=1