---
title: SB 156. "Georgia Insurance Premium Reduction Act"; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb156
cite_as: SB 156, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb156
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb156.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb156/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70244
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.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb155.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb157.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb156.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 156
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/SB156/2025
upstream_id: 1968189
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- insurance rates
- insurance regulation
- consumer protection
- auto insurance
- premium increases
---
# SB 156. "Georgia Insurance Premium Reduction Act"; enact
## Text
Senate Bill 156
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 minium number of
days of notice for nonrenewals across all lines of insurance; 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 in Code Section 33-24-45, relating to cancellation
or nonrenewal of automobile or motorcycle policies and procedure for review by
Commissioner, by revising subparagraph (e)(5)(B) as follows:
"(B) In addition to other requirements, a notice of nonrenewal shall contain the
provisions of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, in substantially the form which
follows:
'NOTICE
Code Section 33-24-45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated provides that this
insurer must, upon request, furnish you with the reasons for the failure to renew this
policy. If you wish to assert that the nonrenewal is unlawful, you must shall file a
written notice with this insurer before the time at which the nonrenewal becomes
effective. The notice must specify the manner in which the failure to renew is alleged
to be unlawful.
If you do not file the written notice, you may not later assert a claim or action against
this insurer based upon an unlawful nonrenewal."
SECTION 4.
Said article is further 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 5.
Said article is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"33-24-47.2.
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, no insurance policy in this state shall
be nonrenewed unless the insured is provided at least 60 days' written notice of such
nonrenewal. Such notice of nonrenewal shall be delivered either in person or by depositing
the notice in the United States mail to be dispatched by at least first-class mail to the last
address of record of the insured with return receipt requested as provided by the United
States Postal Service, or such other evidence of mailing as prescribed or accepted by the
United States Postal Service."
SECTION 6.
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.
Senate Bill 156 would add new consumer protections to Georgia insurance law, including public disclosure of large premium hikes, a state rate-comparison database, a 60-day nonrenewal notice rule, and a ban on rating by census tract.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law already bars insurers from setting auto insurance rates based on race, creed, or ethnic background. This bill adds census tract to that list, meaning insurers could not use a policyholder's neighborhood location as a factor in vehicle insurance rating plans.
The bill also creates several new requirements for insurers across lines of insurance. Insurers requesting premium increases of more than 5 percent would have to post the request and a justification report on their websites and submit detailed actuarial data to the Department of Insurance. Increases above 10 percent would trigger public hearings held by the Commissioner. The bill bans insurer collusion on rates and lawsuit settlements designed to justify premium increases, treating violations as unfair trade practices. It also requires the department to build a public database for comparing insurance rates and coverage, extends the minimum nonrenewal notice period to 60 days for all insurance policies, and requires that no policy be sold without the consumer being represented by an independent insurance broker.
### What it does
- Adds census tract to the list of factors insurers may not use, along with race, creed, and ethnic background, when setting vehicle insurance rating plans.
- Requires insurers to publicly disclose on their websites any request to raise premiums by more than 5 percent, along with a justification report explaining the reasoning and data behind it.
- Requires insurers seeking rate increases above 5 percent to submit detailed actuarial data to the Department of Insurance, and triggers public hearings for increases above 10 percent.
- Bans insurers from colluding on premium rates or settling lawsuits mainly to manufacture losses that justify rate increases, treating violations as unfair trade practices under O.C.G.A. § 33-6-4.
- Creates a state-run online database for consumers to compare insurance rates and coverage options across all policy lines filed with the department.
- Extends the minimum written notice required before any insurance policy can be nonrenewed to at least 60 days, and requires every policy sale to involve an independent insurance broker.
### Who it affects
Insurance companies operating in Georgia, especially those selling auto and other policy lines; the Department of Insurance and the Commissioner, who gain new oversight and hearing duties; and Georgia consumers and policyholders, who would get new disclosures, a comparison database, longer nonrenewal notice, and mandatory broker representation.
### Why it matters
Georgians would gain more visibility into why their premiums rise, a tool to compare rates before buying insurance, and more time to find new coverage before a policy is nonrenewed. Insurers would face new reporting burdens, public hearings for large rate hikes, and restrictions on how they price and sell policies.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 names the bill the 'Georgia Insurance Premium Reduction Act.'
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 33-9-4 to add census tract to the factors insurers cannot use in vehicle insurance rating plans.
- Section 3 updates the required nonrenewal notice language in O.C.G.A. § 33-24-45, changing 'must' to 'shall' file a written objection.
- Section 4 creates new O.C.G.A. § 33-24-59.34, requiring public disclosure and justification reports for rate increases over 5 percent, actuarial data submissions, public hearings for increases over 10 percent, bans on collusion and litigation manipulation, a state rate-comparison database, and mandatory independent broker representation for all policy sales.
- Section 5 creates new O.C.G.A. § 33-24-47.2, setting a 60-day minimum written notice requirement before any insurance policy can be nonrenewed, delivered in person or by mail with return receipt.
- Section 6 repeals conflicting laws.
## 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/70244
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb156.md?full=1