Georgia CommonsSB 173: Pleadings and Motions; movants to file notices of uncontested motions in superior courts and state courts; authorize
Last action April 2, 2026 · Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub As Amended
A Georgia Senate bill would let parties in superior and state court cases force a ruling on a stalled motion by filing an uncontested motion notice, after which the motion is deemed granted if the judge still doesn't rule within seven days.
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 LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Currently Georgia law does not set a firm deadline forcing judges to rule on pretrial motions that no one has objected to. This bill creates a process for that. If a judge sits on an unopposed pretrial motion for 60 days without ruling, the party who filed it can file a 'notice of uncontested motion.' If the judge still does not rule within seven days after that notice, the motion is automatically considered granted and entered into the record. That deadline pauses if a hearing on the motion gets scheduled, resuming the day after the hearing. The bill also creates oversight: if a judge racks up two or more of these automatically granted motions within two years, the chief judge of that court can review the judge's docket management and issue findings. Separately, the bill requires parties filing any motion or notice to also send a copy directly to the assigned judge, and requires judges to issue instructions (such as a standing order) on how to receive those copies.
What the bill does
- Lets a party file a notice of uncontested motion when a superior or state court judge has not ruled on an unopposed pretrial motion within 60 days of filing.
- Automatically deems the motion granted and entered if the judge still fails to rule within seven days after the notice is filed.
- Pauses (tolls) these deadlines while a hearing on the motion is scheduled, resuming the count the day after the hearing.
- Authorizes the chief judge of a court to review a judge's docket management practices and issue a findings report if that judge has two or more motions automatically granted within a two-year span.
- Requires parties filing any motion or notice under this chapter to send a copy directly to the judge assigned to the case, and requires judges to set instructions for how that copy should be delivered.
Who it affects
Superior court and state court judges in Georgia, along with attorneys and parties involved in civil litigation who file pretrial motions. Chief judges of these courts gain new oversight authority over colleagues whose motions repeatedly go unaddressed.
Why it matters
Litigants who file unopposed motions could get a faster resolution instead of waiting indefinitely for a ruling, since inaction after the notice period results in automatic approval. The bill also creates a mechanism for chief judges to check on judges whose dockets show repeated delays.
Key provisions
- New Code Section 9-11-16.1(a) allows a moving party to file a notice of uncontested motion after 60 days pass without a ruling on an unopposed pretrial motion.
- Subsection (b) states the motion is deemed granted and entered if the judge still has not ruled seven days after the notice is filed.
- Subsection (c) tolls (pauses) these time limits while a hearing on the motion is scheduled, restarting the day after the hearing occurs.
- Subsection (d) lets the chief judge of the court review a judge's docket practices and issue a findings report if that judge has two or more motions deemed granted within two years.
- Subsection (e) clarifies the new law does not stop a court from reviewing its own operations on its own initiative.
- New Code Section 9-11-16.2 requires parties to send a copy of any filed motion or notice to the assigned judge and requires judges to instruct parties on how to do so.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“Should a judge continue to fail to rule upon a motion before him or her within seven days of the filing of a notice of uncontested motion pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section, such motion shall thereafter be deemed granted and entered.”
“the moving party may file a notice of uncontested motion with such judge”
Status timeline
- Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub As Amended (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
Show full history (14 actions)
- Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Josh McLaurin (D, SD-014)
- Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
- Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
- Jason Esteves (D, SD-035)
- Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
- Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
- Stan Gunter (R, HD-008)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 6, 2025
49 yea, 5 nay (2 not voting, 0 absent)
- House voteApril 2, 2025
168 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 9 absent)
- Senate voteApril 2, 2026
41 yea, 8 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)
Topics
- civil court procedure
- judicial delays
- court reform
- pretrial motions
- superior courts