SB 311: Ride Share Network Services; additional requirements upon transportation referral service providers and ride share network services relative to driver safety; provide

Georgia law currently regulates ride share network services (companies like Uber and Lyft) and transportation referral service providers (other dispatch based transportation businesses) through registration and licensing rules in Title 40 of Georgia's code. This bill adds new safety and privacy duties to both types of businesses. Under the bill, both transportation referral service providers and ride share network services would have to tell drivers whether the location where they are sent to pick up a passenger has a violent crime rate higher than the national average, using FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program statistics. Both types of companies would also have to protect the security and privacy of personal information collected from drivers and passengers, and set up a grievance process drivers can use. The bill does not include an explicit effective date section, and repeals any conflicting laws.

• Requires transportation referral service providers to tell drivers if their assigned pickup location has an above-average violent crime rate, based on FBI crime data.
• Requires ride share network services to give drivers the same crime-rate location warning before they provide services.
• Requires both types of companies to secure and protect the privacy of personal information collected from drivers and passengers.
• Requires both types of companies to create a grievance process that drivers can use.
• Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these new requirements.

Ride share companies such as Uber and Lyft, transportation referral service providers like limo and shuttle dispatch businesses, and the drivers and passengers who use these services in Georgia are all directly affected by the new requirements.

Drivers for ride share and referral services would get advance notice about potentially dangerous pickup areas, giving them more information before accepting a ride. Passengers and drivers would also gain new legal protections for their personal data, and drivers would have a formal way to raise complaints with the company.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-1-192 to add three new paragraphs requiring transportation referral service providers to warn drivers about high crime pickup locations, protect personal data, and provide a driver grievance process.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-1-193 with parallel requirements for ride share network services, adding the same crime-rate notice, data privacy, and grievance process duties.
• Both sections define the crime-rate threshold as a violent crime rate greater than the current national average based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program statistics.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws but does not specify a separate effective date.

1. 2025-02-28Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-02-27Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Randal Mangham (D, SD-55)Primary sponsor
• Harold Jones II (D, SD-22)
• Nan Orrock (D, SD-36)
• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-38)
• Sally Harrell (D, SD-40)
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-39)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-43)
• Gail Davenport (D, SD-17)
• Freddie Powell Sims (D, SD-12)
• David Lucas (D, SD-26)
• Nabilah Parkes (D, SD-7)
• Nikki Merritt (D, SD-9)
• Derek Mallow (D, SD-2)
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-15)
• Michael 'Doc' Rhett (D, SD-33)
• Donzella James (D, SD-28)

• ride share safety
• driver protections
• data privacy
• transportation regulation
• Uber and Lyft