---
title: SB 279. "Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act"; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb279
cite_as: SB 279, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb279
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb279.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb279/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70922
date: 2026-01-12
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28
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/sb278.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb280.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 240
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb279.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 279
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-26
last_action: Senate Recommitted
sponsors:
  - Brian Strickland
  - Emanuel Jones
  - Randy Robertson
  - John Albers
  - Gail Davenport
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB279/2025
upstream_id: 1985853
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - workers' compensation
  - law enforcement benefits
  - peace officer disability
  - public safety
---

# SB 279. "Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act"; enact

## Text

25 LC 62 0140
Senate Bill 279
By: Senators Strickland of the 42nd, Jones of the 10th, Robertson of the 29th, Albers of the
56th and Davenport of the 17th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 9 of Title 34 of the Official Cod e of Georgia Annotated,1
relating to general provisions of workers' compensation, so as to require the State Board of2
Workers' Compensation to notify the Department of Administrative Services when the board3
has reasonable cause to believe that an injured worker is an eligible peace officer; to provide4
for a definition; to amend Chapter 1 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,5
relating to general provisions of law enforcement officers and agencies, so as to require a6
certain notification to certain peace officers who become disabled in the line of duty under7
certain circumstances; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to provide8
for a short title; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:10
SECTION 1.11
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act."12
S. B. 279
- 1 -
25 LC 62 0140
SECTION 2.13
Article 1 of Chapter 9 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Geor gia Annotated, relating to14
general provisions of workers' compensation, is amended by adding a new Code section to15
read as follows:16
"34-9-26.17
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'eligible peace officer' means any individual who18
is employed on a full-time or part-time basis by the state or any municipality, county, or19
other political subdivision thereof; who is required by the ter ms of such employment,20
whether by election or appointment, to maint ain public order or to make arrests for all21
criminal offenses; who is required by the terms of such employm ent to comply with the22
requirements of the 'Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Traini ng Act' contained in23
Chapter 8 of Title 35; and who suffers permanent or temporary disability in the line of duty24
due to a direct interaction with a criminal suspect, arrestee, or inmate.25
(b) In the event that the State Board of Workers' Compensation has reasonable cause to26
believe that an injured employee is an eligible peace officer, the board shall notify the27
Department of Administrative Services. Additionally, the board shall notify the injured28
employee of such belief and such notification shall include suc h appropriate contact29
information of the Georgia State Indemnification Fund and the t emporary disability30
compensation program of Parts 1 and 2, respectively, of Article 5 of Chapter 9 of Title 4531
and other information as shall be determined necessary by the D epartment of32
Administrative Services through the promulgation of rules and regulations."33
SECTION 3.34
Chapter 1 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated , relating to general35
provisions of law enforcement officers and agencies, is amended by adding a new Code36
section to read as follows:37
S. B. 279
- 2 -
25 LC 62 0140
"35-1-24.38
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'eligible peace officer' means any individual who39
is employed on a full-time or part-time basis by the state or any municipality, county, or40
other political subdivision thereof; who is required by the ter ms of such employment,41
whether by election or appointment, to maintain public order or to make arrests for all42
criminal offenses; who is required by the terms of such employm ent to comply with the43
requirements of the 'Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Traini ng Act' contained in44
Chapter 8 of this title; and who suffers permanent or temporary disability in the line of duty45
due to a direct interaction with a criminal suspect, arrestee, or inmate.46
(b) Each law enforcement agency of this state shall notify eve ry employee whom such47
agency has reasonable cause to believe may be an eligible peace officer of the existence48
of the Georgia State Indemnification Fund and the temporary dis ability compensation49
program of Parts 1 and 2, respectively, of Article 5 of Chapter 9 of Title 45. Such50
notification shall be given within ten days of such employee suffering an injury which may51
reasonably cause such employee to suffer a permanent or tempora ry disability. 52
Additionally, such notification shall include such appropriate contact and other information53
as shall be determined necessary by the Department of Administrative Services through the54
promulgation of rules and regulations."55
SECTION 4.56
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.57
S. B. 279
- 3 -

## 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 named for Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. would require state agencies and law enforcement employers to notify injured peace officers about benefits available through the Georgia State Indemnification Fund and a temporary disability program.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia peace officers who are hurt on the job while directly interacting with a criminal suspect, arrestee, or inmate may be eligible for benefits through the Georgia State Indemnification Fund and a temporary disability compensation program, but they may not always find out about these programs on their own. This bill creates two new notification requirements.
First, it adds a new section to the workers' compensation code (O.C.G.A. § 34-9-26) requiring the State Board of Workers' Compensation to notify the Department of Administrative Services, and the injured worker, when it has reasonable cause to believe an injured employee is an 'eligible peace officer.' Second, it adds a new section to the law enforcement code (O.C.G.A. § 35-1-24) requiring each law enforcement agency to notify an employee it believes may be an eligible peace officer within ten days of an injury that could cause permanent or temporary disability. Both sections define 'eligible peace officer' the same way, and the bill is titled the 'Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act.'

### What it does

- Creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 34-9-26) requiring the State Board of Workers' Compensation to notify the Department of Administrative Services and the injured worker when it believes an injured employee is an eligible peace officer.
- Creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 35-1-24) requiring law enforcement agencies to notify employees they believe may be eligible peace officers within ten days of a disabling injury.
- Defines 'eligible peace officer' as a full-time or part-time officer required to maintain public order or make arrests, comply with Georgia's peace officer training standards, and who is disabled from direct interaction with a suspect, arrestee, or inmate.
- Directs required notifications to include contact information for the Georgia State Indemnification Fund and the temporary disability compensation program under Title 45.
- Authorizes the Department of Administrative Services to determine additional required notification content through rules and regulations.
- Gives the bill the short title 'Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act.'

### Who it affects

Georgia peace officers employed by the state, counties, municipalities, or other political subdivisions who are injured on the job; the State Board of Workers' Compensation; local and state law enforcement agencies; and the Department of Administrative Services, which oversees the notification rules and the indemnification fund.

### Why it matters

Injured officers would be more likely to learn promptly about state benefits, such as the Georgia State Indemnification Fund and temporary disability compensation, that they might otherwise miss. Law enforcement agencies and the workers' compensation board would face new, time-bound notification duties.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the 'Daniel D. Podsiadly, Jr. Act.'
- Section 2 adds O.C.G.A. § 34-9-26, defining 'eligible peace officer' and requiring the State Board of Workers' Compensation to notify the Department of Administrative Services and the injured employee when there is reasonable cause to believe the employee qualifies.
- Section 3 adds O.C.G.A. § 35-1-24, requiring law enforcement agencies to notify employees believed to be eligible peace officers within ten days of a disabling injury, using the same definition as Section 2.
- Section 4 repeals all conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-02-26)
- Last action: Senate Recommitted (2026-01-12)
- Sponsors: Brian Strickland, Emanuel Jones, Randy Robertson, John Albers, Gail Davenport
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70922

> The history, votes, and amendments (240 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb279.md?full=1