---
title: SB 155. "Georgia Insurance Premium Reduction Act"; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb155
cite_as: SB 155, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb155
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb155.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb155/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70243
date: 2025-02-13
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb155.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 155
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-12
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Derek Mallow
- Ed Harbison
- Nikki Merritt
- Nabilah Islam Parkes
- David Lucas
- Freddie Sims
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB155/2025
upstream_id: 1968125
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- insurance regulation
- auto insurance rates
- insurance premiums
- consumer protection
- insurance discrimination
---
# SB 155. "Georgia Insurance Premium Reduction Act"; enact
## Text
Senate Bill 155
By: Senators Mallow of the 2nd, Harbison of the 15th, Merritt of the 9th, Islam Parkes of the
7th, Lucas of the 26th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 33-9-4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
standards applicable to making and use of rates, so as to add census tract to the categories
upon which insurers may not consider when promulgating standards or rating plans; to
amend Article 1 of Chapter 24 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to general insurance provisions, so as to broadly address insurer premium rate increases; to
require certain disclosures; to establish a new state-run database; to require the submission
of certain data in certain situations; to increase penalties; to provide for a short title; 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 Insurance Premium Reduction
Act."
SECTION 2.
Code Section 33-9-4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to standards
applicable to making and use of rates, is amended by revising paragraph (9) as follows:
"(9) No insurer shall base any standard or rating plan on vehicle insurance, in whole or
in part, directly or indirectly, upon race, creed, or ethnic extraction, or census tract; and"
SECTION 3.
Article 1 of Chapter 24 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general insurance provisions, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"33-24-59.34.
(a) All insurers in this state shall disclose on such insurer's public website all requests
made to the department to increase premium rates by more than 5 percent. All such
disclosures shall be accompanied by a justification report. The term 'justification report'
means a document which describes such insurer's reasoning and the data relied upon which
form the basis for such insurer's request.
(b) The department shall establish a state-run online database where consumers can
compare coverage options and insurance rates of all lines of insurance policies filed with
the department. At the discretion of the department, such database may not contain
information already publicly available on the All-Payer Claims Database.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, all insurers requesting
department approval of premium rate increases of more than 5 percent shall submit detailed
actuarial data to support such request.
(d) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Commissioner shall hold
public hearings in accordance with Code Section 33-2-17 and other relevant law on all
premium rate increase requests of more than 10 percent.
(e) No insurer shall collude with another insurer with regard to premium rates. Any
insurer found by the Commissioner to have violated this subsection and whose actions are
determined by the Commissioner to have contributed toward premium inflation shall also
be found to have committed an unfair trade practice or act in violation of Code
Section 33-6-4.
(f) No insurer shall settle litigation with the primary purpose of manufacturing losses to
justify premium increases. Any insurer determined by the Commissioner to have violated
this subsection shall also be found to have committed an unfair trade practice or act in
violation of Code Section 33-6-4.
(g) No insurance policy may be sold to a consumer in this state without such consumer
being represented by an independent insurance broker."
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 Senate bill would bar auto insurers from using a customer's census tract to set rates, require public disclosure of large premium increase requests, and create a state-run database comparing insurance rates.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law already bars auto insurers from setting rates based on race, creed, or ethnic extraction. This bill adds census tract, the neighborhood-level area used in census data, to that list, closing a way insurers could indirectly price by neighborhood demographics.
The bill also adds new rules for all insurers in the state. Any insurer asking the Georgia Department of Insurance to raise premiums by more than 5 percent would have to post the request and a written justification on its own website, and submit detailed actuarial data backing the request. Increases above 10 percent would trigger a public hearing held by the Insurance Commissioner. The bill bans insurers from colluding on rates or settling lawsuits mainly to justify future premium increases, treating violations as unfair trade practices. It also creates a new state-run online database for consumers to compare insurance rates and requires that no policy be sold without the buyer being represented by an independent insurance broker.
### What it does
- Adds census tract to the list of factors auto insurers may not use, even indirectly, when setting rates or rating plans.
- Requires insurers seeking premium increases above 5 percent to publicly disclose the request and a justification report on their websites.
- Requires insurers to submit detailed actuarial data to the Department of Insurance for any rate increase request above 5 percent.
- Requires the Insurance Commissioner to hold public hearings on any premium increase request above 10 percent.
- Bans insurers from colluding on premium rates or settling lawsuits mainly to manufacture losses that justify rate hikes, treating both as unfair trade practices.
- Creates a state-run online database for comparing insurance coverage and rates, and requires every policy sale to involve an independent insurance broker.
### Who it affects
Auto and other insurers licensed to sell policies in Georgia, the Georgia Department of Insurance and Insurance Commissioner, independent insurance brokers, and Georgia consumers who buy insurance policies or want to compare rates and coverage options.
### Why it matters
Georgians would gain new tools to see why their premiums are rising and to compare options across insurers through a new state database. Insurers would face added disclosure, hearing, and data requirements before raising rates significantly, and could face penalties for collusion or litigation tactics tied to premium increases.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the 'Georgia Insurance Premium Reduction Act.'
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 33-9-4 to add census tract to the banned rating factors alongside race, creed, and ethnic extraction.
- Section 3 adds new O.C.G.A. § 33-24-59.34(a) requiring public website disclosure and a justification report for premium requests over 5 percent.
- Section 3(b) directs the Department of Insurance to build a state-run database letting consumers compare coverage and rates across insurance lines.
- Section 3(c) requires insurers seeking increases over 5 percent to submit detailed actuarial data supporting the request.
- Section 3(d) requires public hearings under O.C.G.A. § 33-2-17 for any premium increase request over 10 percent.
- Section 3(e) and (f) bar insurer collusion on rates and litigation settlements aimed at manufacturing losses, both treated as unfair trade practices under O.C.G.A. § 33-6-4.
- Section 3(g) requires that every insurance policy sold in Georgia involve representation by an independent insurance broker.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-12)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-02-13)
- Sponsors: Derek Mallow, Ed Harbison, Nikki Merritt, Nabilah Islam Parkes, David Lucas, Freddie Sims
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70243
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb155.md?full=1