---
title: HB 713. Georgia Legislative Integrity and Representation Act of 2025; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb713
cite_as: HB 713, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb713
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb713.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb713/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71096
date: 2025-03-06
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb713.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 713
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-03-03
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Sandra Scott
- Viola Davis
- Kim Schofield
- Derrick Jackson
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB713/2025
upstream_id: 1990385
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- legislative rules
- General Assembly procedure
- government transparency
- legislative leadership elections
---
# HB 713. Georgia Legislative Integrity and Representation Act of 2025; enact
## Text
House Bill 713
By: Representatives Scott of the 76th, Davis of the 87th, Schofield of the 63rd, and Jackson of
the 68th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 1 of Title 28 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions regarding the General Assembly, so as to provide that no rule or policy
shall be enacted that limits the number of bills or resolutions which a member may file or
introduce in a legislative session; to provide that no rule, policy, or procedure shall be
enacted by the General Assembly that limits or obstructs the ability of members of the
General Assembly to fulfill their duties under the Georgia Constitution; to provide for
physical, recorded votes on certain matters; to provide for a Legislative Constitutional
Counsel; to provide for appointment, qualifications, compensation, and duties; to provide a
short title; to provide for an effective date; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting
laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Georgia Legislative Integrity and
Representation Act of 2025."
SECTION 2.
Chapter 1 of Title 28 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general
provisions regarding the General Assembly, is amended by adding new Code sections to read
as follows:
"28-1-17.
(a) No rule, statute, or executive action shall limit the right of members of the General
Assembly to introduce, file, or advocate for legislation that represents the interests of their
constituents.
(b) Any attempt to place a limit on the number of bills or resolutions which a member of
the General Assembly may file shall be deemed an unconstitutional restriction on the
legislative process which infringes on the right of elected officials to serve the people
without arbitrary limitations.
(c) The General Assembly is the direct voice of the people, and no rule, statute, or
executive action shall diminish the duty of a member of the General Assembly to introduce
policies that address the needs and concerns of his or her constituents.
(d) This Code section reaffirms the constitutional principle of representative democracy
and that elected members of the General Assembly are sent to the General Assembly to
serve the best interests of their districts without restriction or interference that would
suppress the will of the voters.
(e) Therefore, the rights of members of the General Assembly to freely propose, debate,
and pass legislation are critical to ensuring a limited, accountable government that
functions on behalf of its citizens and not bureaucratic control.
(f) Any attempt to suppress a member of the General Assembly's ability to file and
introduce legislation shall be subject to judicial review under both state and federal
constitutional protections, and members of the General Assembly shall have standing to
challenge any such attempt in court, with legal representation to be provided by the
Legislative Constitutional Counsel's Office.
(g) Any procedural attempt by the General Assembly to override this Code section without
a recorded vote shall be deemed null and void.
28-1-18.
(a) To ensure transparency and accountability in the General Assembly, the election of the
following positions shall require a physical, recorded vote of the house of the General
Assembly to which it is applicable:
(1) Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(2) Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives; and
(3) President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(b) In addition, the adoption or amendment of the rules for a house of the General
Assembly shall require open debate and a physical, recorded vote and, to be effective, must
receive approval by at least a two-thirds' majority vote of the body. The vote shall be
conducted publicly, and individual votes shall be entered into the legislative journal to
ensure accountability to constituents. Any rule or policy that eliminates or restricts such
recorded vote on such items shall be void and unenforceable.
28-1-19.
(a) There is established the position of Legislative Constitutional Counsel. The Legislative
Constitutional Counsel shall be a member in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia.
The Legislative Constitutional Counsel shall provide independent legal support to all
members of the General Assembly and shall advise and defend members of the General
Assembly in matters concerning constitutional rights, legislative procedures, and potential
legal violations which would affect the ability of such members to represent their
constituents.
(b) The Legislative Constitutional Counsel shall not be subject to oversight or control by
the executive branch of government or any partisan leadership positions of the General
Assembly but shall instead be accountable only to the General Assembly as a whole.
(c) The Legislative Constitutional Counsel shall be appointed by a two-thirds' majority
vote of the House of Representatives and the Senate and shall not be removed without due
cause and a two-thirds' majority vote of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
(d) The Legislative Constitutional Counsel shall have such compensation and benefits as
may be provided by the General Assembly and shall have such staff and office space as
may be provided by the General Assembly."
SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 4.
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 bar the General Assembly from limiting how many bills a member can introduce, require recorded votes for top leadership elections and rule changes, and create a new independent Legislative Constitutional Counsel office.
### Plain-language summary
Right now Georgia's House and Senate can adopt internal rules that cap how many bills a lawmaker files or that govern how leadership elections and chamber rules are decided. This bill would add new sections to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. Title 28) declaring that no rule, statute, or executive action may limit a legislator's ability to introduce or advocate for legislation, and that any attempt to cap the number of bills a member can file is void.
It would also require physical, recorded votes, entered into the legislative journal, for electing the Speaker of the House, Speaker Pro Tempore, and Senate President Pro Tempore, and for adopting or amending chamber rules, which would need a two-thirds vote. The bill creates a new position, the Legislative Constitutional Counsel, appointed by two-thirds votes of both chambers, to give legislators independent legal advice and defend them in court over these protections. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law.
### What it does
- Declares void any rule, statute, or executive action that limits how many bills or resolutions a General Assembly member may introduce.
- Requires a physical, recorded vote, logged in the legislative journal, to elect the Speaker of the House, Speaker Pro Tempore, and Senate President Pro Tempore.
- Requires open debate, a recorded vote, and a two-thirds majority to adopt or amend either chamber's rules, voiding any rule that removes this requirement.
- Creates a new Legislative Constitutional Counsel position, appointed by two-thirds votes of both chambers, to give lawmakers independent legal advice and courtroom representation.
- States that any attempt to override the new bill-limit protections without a recorded vote is null and void.
### Who it affects
State representatives and senators in the Georgia General Assembly, who would gain new protections against filing limits and access to a dedicated legal counsel; and the chambers' own leadership and rules processes, which would face new recorded-vote requirements for elections and rule changes.
### Why it matters
If enacted, House and Senate leaders would no longer be able to quietly cap how many bills a member files or change chamber rules without a public, recorded, two-thirds vote. Lawmakers could also turn to a dedicated legal counsel to challenge restrictions on their ability to introduce legislation.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 names the bill the 'Georgia Legislative Integrity and Representation Act of 2025.'
- New Code Section 28-1-17 bars any rule, statute, or executive action from limiting a member's right to introduce, file, or advocate for legislation, and voids bill-filing caps.
- Section 28-1-17(f) lets members of the General Assembly sue over any attempt to suppress their ability to file legislation, with legal help from the new Legislative Constitutional Counsel.
- New Code Section 28-1-18 requires recorded, public votes for electing the Speaker, Speaker Pro Tempore, and Senate President Pro Tempore, and a two-thirds recorded vote to adopt or amend chamber rules.
- New Code Section 28-1-19 creates the Legislative Constitutional Counsel, a State Bar member appointed by two-thirds votes of both chambers, who advises and defends lawmakers and answers only to the General Assembly.
- Section 3 sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law without signature.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-03-03)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-03-06)
- Sponsors: Sandra Scott, Viola Davis, Kim Schofield, Derrick Jackson
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71096
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb713.md?full=1