Georgia CommonsHouse · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 903: Georgia Administrative Procedure Act shall apply to all executive branch agencies; provide
Last action March 25, 2026 · Senate Read Second Time
A Senate substitute for HB 903 rewrites Georgia's coin operated amusement machine law, allowing billiards and darts tournaments with prizes, setting new redemption limits, requiring progressive discipline for violations, and moving appeals to a specialized Fulton County court division.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Comm Sub version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This bill amends the Georgia Lottery for Education Act (O.C.G.A. Chapter 27 of Title 50), which regulates coin operated amusement machines like pinball, claw machines, and video games found in bars and arcades. It clarifies what counts as a 'bona fide coin operated amusement machine' and a 'Class A machine,' allows the multi-use function of machines, and lets location owners run billiards or darts tournaments on their premises with gift-card prizes, as long as no other licensee helps organize or fund them. The bill sets new noncash redemption caps: up to $50 wholesale value per play for machines that pay out prizes directly, but only $2 per play for machines tied to gift cards or other external redemptions. It restricts who can collect machine proceeds to master licensees, their employees, location owners, and location operators. It requires the Georgia Lottery Corporation to use a progressive discipline system (warning, then fine, then suspension and fine, then suspension or revocation) for violations, mandates a 2027 study on redemption and tampering data, moves appeals of corporation decisions to the Metro Atlanta Business Case Division of the Fulton County Superior Court, and creates a process for resolving disputes between master licensees and location owners, including attorney fee awards for frivolous claims. It takes effect when signed by the Governor.
What the bill does
- Clarifies that a coin operated amusement machine still counts as such even if it performs other unrelated functions, and updates the Class A machine definition.
- Authorizes location owners or operators to hold billiards or darts tournaments on their premises, with prizes limited to gift cards or other noncash redemption.
- Caps noncash redemption value per play at $50 wholesale for direct prizes but only $2 for machines linked to gift cards or external redemption.
- Restricts who may receive proceeds from machine play to master licensees, their employees, location owners, and location operators.
- Requires the Georgia Lottery Corporation to apply progressive discipline (warning, fine, suspension and fine, then suspension/revocation) across multiple violation types.
- Moves appeals from Georgia Lottery Corporation decisions to the Metro Atlanta Business Case Division of the Fulton County Superior Court and creates a dispute-resolution process between master licensees and location owners with possible attorney fee awards.
Who it affects
Businesses and individuals in Georgia's coin operated amusement machine industry, including master licensees, distributors, manufacturers, location owners and operators (bars, arcades, convenience stores), the Georgia Lottery Corporation, and the Fulton County Superior Court, which gains a new specialized docket for these appeals.
Why it matters
The bill changes how much money players can win from arcade-style machines, how licensees can be disciplined for violations, and where legal disputes over machine licenses get resolved. Location owners could host tournaments with prizes, while stricter redemption caps and required progressive discipline could change day-to-day enforcement across the state's amusement machine industry.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises the definitions of 'bona fide coin operated amusement machine' and 'Class A machine' in Code Section 50-27-70, adding multi-function machines and setting differing redemption caps of $50 and $2 depending on redemption type.
- Section 2 adds new subsections to Code Section 50-27-71 authorizing billiards and darts tournaments with gift-card prizes and restricting who may receive machine proceeds to license holders, their employees, location owners, and operators.
- Section 3 amends Code Section 50-27-71.1 to limit legal redemption forms after July 1, 2026 and requires progressive discipline for violations, plus a study due by July 1, 2027 on redemption data and machine tampering.
- Section 4 restructures Code Section 50-27-73's license revocation grounds and adds a progressive discipline requirement, except for unauthorized use of license certificates or permit stickers.
- Section 5 moves appeals of Georgia Lottery Corporation actions from the chief executive officer process to the Metro Atlanta Business Case Division of the Fulton County Superior Court under Code Section 50-27-76.
- Section 6 changes the chief executive officer's authority to delegate hearing duties from optional ('may') to mandatory ('shall') under Code Section 50-27-81.
- Section 9 amends Code Section 50-27-102 to create a formal dispute process between master licensees and location owners, including cost and attorney fee awards against parties found to have acted without substantial justification.
- Section 10 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's signature or upon it becoming law without signature.
From the bill
“A location owner or a location operator shall be authorized to conduct billiards or darts tournaments on the premises for which such licensee has a contract for the installation of bona fide coin operated amusement machines.”
“Discipline shall be progressive in nature to include a warning on the first offense; a fine on the second offense; a suspension and fine on the third offense; and a suspension, revocation, fine, or combination thereof on the fourth and subsequent offenses.”
Discussed in meetings (10)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Governmental Affairs Committee, January 28, 2026
From 0:30:44 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would bring state agencies, boards and authorities under the Administrative Procedure Act so legislators could review rules and challenge those that exceed the laws the legislature passed. The sponsor said the judiciary and governor’s office itself would remain outside its scope. One member questioned why the text removed the governor’s exemption and requested an opportunity to offer an amendment preserving it. The sponsor said the intent was to cover executive agencies and deferred to legislative counsel’s drafting. No amendment was formally offered. The sponsor also questioned the fairness of Labor and Revenue using their own employees to hear cases. An attorney supporting the bill said they had not observed inherent unfairness in those departments, but said moving hearings to independent officers could raise cost and timing questions. The attorney also questioned the treatment of rules issued directly by the governor’s office. A witness for Eternal Vigilance Action supported uniform review, saying agencies should not exercise lawmaking authority reserved for legislators. The committee approved the bill by voice vote, with no vote count stated.
House Rules Committee, February 2, 2026
From 0:57:35 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 903 would place all executive agencies under the Administrative Procedure Act so the legislature could review agency rules that have the effect of law. The sponsor described a process in which rules go through the secretary of state and legislative counsel to relevant House and Senate committees, which could object and hold rules for review. The sponsor argued that lawmakers should retain oversight rather than delegate their authority. No questions or calendar action followed.
House Rules Committee, February 10, 2026
From 0:32:40 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 523
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed HB 903 on the next day's calendar. The motion received a second, and no opposition was stated. No discussion of the bill's contents was shown.
House floor session, February 11, 2026 (legislative day 17)
From 2:19:35 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 546
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 903 subjects all executive agencies, boards and authorities to the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act, giving legislators oversight of rules that may have the effect of law. The sponsor described public hearings and review by House and Senate committees to check whether rules match legislative intent, and said the judiciary is excluded. Several members supported stronger legislative oversight, saying agencies should answer to elected lawmakers. Asked what would happen if the governor vetoed the bill after the session, the sponsor said the legislature could pursue it again and discussed the practical difficulty of overriding vetoes after adjournment. The sponsor suggested future consideration of a constitutional change allowing a separate veto-review session, citing South Carolina's approach. No amendment was offered during the discussion. The House passed the bill, 168 to 3.
Senate Judiciary Committee, March 23, 2026
From 0:34:15 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor replaced HB 903's administrative procedure provisions with regulations for coin-operated amusement machines, saying the original proposal would receive further study after discussions with the governor's office. The sponsor said the substitute would prohibit hybrid machines that could bypass redemption-machine limits, allow noncash prizes in coin-operated billiard and dart tournaments, bar manufacturer and distributor revenue sharing, require graduated penalties and prompt violation notices, change appeals and address frivolous contract litigation. The sponsor said the lottery receives 15% of proceeds, exceeding $200 million in the previous fiscal year, while location owners and master license holders each receive 42.5%. A Georgia Amusement and Music Operators Association witness supported the changes as protecting education revenue and streamlining disputes. Asked about graduated penalties, the witness described warnings, fines, suspension and revocation, and said some businesses previously received accumulated charges without earlier notice. Asked who enforces the rules, the witness identified lottery inspectors, the GBI and local law enforcement, saying the substitute would not reduce their authority. The committee unanimously approved the substitute.
Senate Rules Committee, March 30, 2026
From 1:28:49 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: A member asked whether HB 903 had reached the consideration calendar. The chair said it had not. No provisions were discussed, and it was not selected.
- Read aloud: House floor session, January 12, 2026 (legislative day 1), 1:10:21
- Read aloud: House floor session, January 29, 2026 (legislative day 9), 1:03:08
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 12, 2026 (legislative day 18), 0:24:40
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 25, 2026 (legislative day 37), 0:34:51
Status timeline
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
Show full history (9 actions)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Alan Powell (R, HD-33)
- Bill Werkheiser (R, HD-157)
- Steve Tarvin (R, HD-2)
- Rick Jasperse (R, HD-11)
- Lauren McDonald III (R, HD-26)
- Bill Cowsert (R, SD-46)
Votes
- House voteFebruary 11, 2026
168 yea, 3 nay (1 not voting, 5 excused)
Topics
- coin operated amusement machines
- Georgia Lottery Corporation
- gambling regulation
- licensing disputes
- arcade games