Georgia CommonsHB 926: General Assembly; revise oath of office to require that members conduct themselves with civility
Last action January 12, 2026 · House Second Readers
A Georgia House bill would add the word 'civility' to the oath senators and representatives take before serving, requiring them to swear they will conduct themselves with civility on all questions before them.
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 Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia lawmakers currently take an oath, set out in state law (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-4), promising to support the state and federal constitutions and to conduct themselves in a way most conducive to the state's interests and prosperity. This bill would insert the phrase 'with civility' into that oath, so members would swear to conduct themselves with civility as well. The change applies to the oath every Senator and Representative takes before taking their seat in the General Assembly. The bill does not create any enforcement mechanism, penalty, or definition of what civility means; it simply adds the word to the sworn text. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws, a standard closing provision, but does not include a stated effective date beyond the usual process for a bill becoming law.
What the bill does
- Adds the phrase 'with civility' to the oath of office that all Georgia state senators and representatives must swear before taking their seats.
- Amends O.C.G.A. § 28-1-4, the state law that sets the wording and administration of the legislative oath of office.
- Does not define 'civility' or create any penalty, complaint process, or enforcement method tied to the new language.
- Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this change, a standard closing clause.
Who it affects
Every member of the Georgia General Assembly, both the House of Representatives and the Senate, since they are the ones who take this oath before assuming office. It does not directly affect other state officials or the public.
Why it matters
The bill changes the words lawmakers formally swear when they take office, adding a commitment to civility alongside their existing pledge to act in the state's interest. Because no enforcement mechanism accompanies it, the practical effect on lawmakers' conduct is unclear from the text.
Key provisions
- Section 1 amends subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 28-1-4 by inserting 'with civility,' into the existing oath text that members recite before taking their seats.
- The bill leaves the rest of the oath's wording, including the pledge to support the state and federal constitutions, unchanged.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard boilerplate provision with no substantive effect of its own.
From the bill
“I will so conduct myself with civility, as will, in my judgment, be most conducive to the interests and prosperity of this state.”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Lisa Campbell (D, HD-035)
Topics
- General Assembly oath of office
- legislative conduct
- Georgia lawmakers
- civility in government