Georgia General Assembly · Full text

HB 524: Public officers and employees; elected officers or officials shall not have their employment terminated solely as a result of being elected to or holding an elected office; provide

Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action February 21, 2025 · Introduced

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House Bill 524

By: Representatives Bell of the 75th, Mitchell of the 88th, McQueen of the 61st, Berry of the 56th, and Romman of the 97th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

To amend Chapter 1 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding public officers and employees, so as to provide that elected officers or officials shall not have their employment terminated solely as a result of being elected to or holding an elected office; to provide for termination of such employment if holding such office impairs more than half of the elected officer's or official's employment duties; to provide for mandatory leave without pay for certain public employees holding certain elected offices; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 1 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding public officers and employees, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"45-1-9.

(a) Except as otherwise provided or required by the Constitution of this state, an elected officer or official of this state shall not have his or her public or private employment terminated by his or her employer solely on the grounds that such officer or official holds or has been elected to an elected office. No public or private employer shall terminate the employment of an elected officer or official on grounds related to his or her holding of or election to an elected office unless the employer can establish that the official duties of such elected officer or official prevent him or her from performing more than 51 percent of the duties assigned to his or her position of employment.

(b) Any appointed officer or employee of this state or a county, municipality, consolidated government, school district, or other political subdivision of this state, who serves as an elected official of this state or county, municipality, consolidated government, school district, or other political subdivision of this state, is entitled to a leave of absence, without pay, from such appointed office or position of employment while such elected official is fulfilling the duties of his or her elected office."

SECTION 2.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.