--- title: HB 574. Labor and industrial relations; applicability of workers' compensation to employers and employees; provisions collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb574 cite_as: HB 574, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb574 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb574.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb574/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70657 date: 2026-03-03 status: introduced 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/hb573.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb575.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 235 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb574.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 574 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-02-21 last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted sponsors: - Ron Stephens - Rick Townsend - Bill Hitchens - Jesse Petrea - Buddy DeLoach - Steven Sainz text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB574/2025 upstream_id: 1980059 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - workers' compensation - maritime and dock workers - labor law - employer coverage requirements --- # HB 574. Labor and industrial relations; applicability of workers' compensation to employers and employees; provisions ## Text House Bill 574 By: Representatives Stephens of the 164th, Townsend of the 179th, Hitchens of the 161st, Petrea of the 166th, Gilliard of the 162nd, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Code Section 34-9-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to applicability of workers' compensation to employers and employees generally, so as to provide that the chapter shall not apply to employees of an employer covered by and providing coverage under the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, 33 U.S.C. Section 901, et seq., as amended, and its extensions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. Code Section 34-9-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to applicability of workers' compensation to employers and employees generally, is amended by adding a new subsection to read as follows: "(g) This chapter shall not apply to employees of an employer covered by and providing coverage under the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, 33 U.S.C. Section 901, et seq., as amended, and its extensions." 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. A Georgia House bill would exempt employers already covered by the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act from having to also carry Georgia workers' compensation coverage for those same employees. ### Plain-language summary Georgia's workers' compensation law (O.C.G.A. § 34-9-2) currently sets out which employers and employees the state's workers' compensation system covers. This bill adds a new exception: if an employer is already covered by and providing coverage under the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, a federal law that covers maritime and dockside workers injured on navigable waters or in adjoining areas like piers and docks, then Georgia's workers' compensation chapter would no longer apply to that employer's employees. The bill is short, consisting of one substantive section adding this new subsection (g) to the existing code section, plus a standard clause repealing any conflicting laws. It does not change any other part of Georgia's workers' compensation system, and it does not set a specific effective date beyond the standard process for bills that become law. ### What it does - Adds a new subsection to Georgia's workers' compensation law (O.C.G.A. § 34-9-2) creating an exemption for certain employers. - Exempts employees of an employer already covered by the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act from Georgia's workers' compensation chapter. - Applies specifically to employers providing coverage under that federal law, 33 U.S.C. Section 901 and its extensions. - Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with this new exemption. ### Who it affects This bill affects employers in maritime, dock, and harbor-related industries who already carry federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act coverage, and their employees, who would lose access to Georgia's state workers' compensation system for injuries but would remain covered under the federal system instead. ### Why it matters For workers at covered maritime or harbor employers, injury claims would go through the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act system rather than Georgia's state system, changing which rules, benefits, and procedures apply. Employers covered federally would no longer need to also maintain Georgia workers' compensation coverage for those employees. ### Key provisions - Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 34-9-2 by adding new subsection (g), which states that Georgia's workers' compensation chapter does not apply to employees of an employer covered by and providing coverage under the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. - Section 1 specifically cites 33 U.S.C. Section 901, et seq., including its extensions, as the federal law that triggers the state exemption. - Section 2 repeals any Georgia laws or parts of laws that conflict with this change. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-02-21) - Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2026-03-03) - Sponsors: Ron Stephens, Rick Townsend, Bill Hitchens, Jesse Petrea, Buddy DeLoach, Steven Sainz - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70657 > The history, votes, and amendments (235 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb574.md?full=1