Georgia CommonsSB 285: Emergency Communications Authority; increase in the percentage of all 9-1-1 charges to be remitted to the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund; increase
Last action May 6, 2026 · Effective Date 2026-07-01
A Georgia Senate bill would require counties and cities to send 1.5 percent of certain insurance premium tax funds to the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund, and would let that fund's board raise retiree benefit payments starting in 2027.
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 Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia counties and municipalities currently collect insurance premium tax proceeds under O.C.G.A. §§ 33-8-8.1 and 33-8-8.2, which they use to fund police and fire protection, garbage collection, and other local services, or to reduce property taxes when those services aren't provided. This bill adds a new requirement: by October 30 each year, counties and cities must remit 1.5 percent of those funds to the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund, a pension fund for Georgia peace officers. The bill also creates a new Code section stating that money remitted this way will support pension benefits and won't lapse under the state constitution's normal budget rules. It states the General Assembly's intent, subject to the appropriations process, to send an amount equal to half of one percent of state insurance premium taxes to the fund each year. Finally, starting July 1, 2027, the fund's governing board may raise the monthly retirement benefit multiplier from $30 to as much as $35 per year of service, but only if the increase doesn't push the fund's funded ratio below 90 percent.
What the bill does
- Requires every Georgia county and municipal corporation to remit 1.5 percent of certain insurance premium tax funds to the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund by October 30 each year.
- Creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 47-17-64) directing that these remitted funds go solely toward paying pension benefits to fund members and exempting them from normal budget lapse rules.
- States the General Assembly's intent, subject to the annual appropriations process, to send half of one percent of state insurance premium taxes to the fund each year.
- Gives the fund's board authority, starting July 1, 2027, to raise the monthly retirement benefit multiplier from $30 to up to $35 per year of service.
- Limits any benefit increase to at least $1.00 and bars increases that would drop the fund's funded ratio below 90 percent, as determined by the board's actuary.
Who it affects
Georgia counties and municipal corporations, which must remit a share of insurance premium tax funds; the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund and its board; and current and retired Georgia peace officers who receive pension benefits from the fund.
Why it matters
Local governments would have to redirect a slice of insurance premium tax revenue they currently use for local services or property tax relief toward police retiree pensions, while the pension fund's board would gain new room to raise monthly retirement payments once the fund's finances allow it, starting in 2027.
Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 33-8-8.3 to require counties and municipalities to remit 1.5 percent of funds distributed under Code Sections 33-8-8.1 and 33-8-8.2 to the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund by October 30 each year.
- Section 2 adds O.C.G.A. § 47-17-64, directing the fund to use remitted money solely to support member benefits and exempting those funds from the constitutional budget lapse requirement.
- Section 2 also states the General Assembly's intent, subject to appropriations, to direct one-half of one percent of annual state insurance premium taxes to the fund.
- Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 47-17-80 to let the board raise the monthly benefit multiplier from $30 to as much as $35 per year of creditable service, effective July 1, 2027.
- Section 3 requires any benefit increase to be at least $1.00 and prohibits increases that would drop the fund's funded ratio below 90 percent, based on the board's actuary.
From the bill
“On or before October 30 of each year, each county and municipal corporation shall remit 1.5 percent of all funds distributed to them pursuant to subsection (g) of Code Section 33-8-8.1 and subsection (b) of Code Section 33-8-8.2 to the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund”
“the board is authorized to increase the benefit multiplier in paragraph (1) of this subsection from $30.00 per month up to $35.00 per month, provided that any increase in the benefit multiplier is for an amount not less than $1.00”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2026-07-01
- Act 416
- Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
- Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
- Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
Show full history (20 actions)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Recommitted (Senate)
- Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
- Charles Martin (R, HD-049)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 4, 2026
49 yea, 4 nay (1 not voting, 1 absent)
- House voteMarch 19, 2026
165 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 7 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2026
46 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 7 absent)
Topics
- police pensions
- local government funding
- insurance premium tax
- Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund
- retirement benefits