SB 501: Office of the Safety Fire Commissioner; update provisions

Georgia's Safety Fire Commissioner currently operates through a state fire marshal with limited formal appeal and enforcement structures. This bill creates a new deputy commissioner of safety fire position to help lead the Safety Fire Division, gives fire marshal investigators subpoena power, and sets up a new appeals board so property owners can challenge local building permit rulings tied to state fire safety standards. It also lets the Commissioner or a designee order immediate evacuations of buildings with imminent life-safety hazards, requires coroners to report fire or smoke deaths right away, and clarifies that appeals of Commissioner decisions go through the state's standard administrative review process in superior court. On penalties, the bill raises the fine for not maintaining a smoke detector from $25 to $100 per detector, raises the manufactured home reinspection fee from $15 to $150, and sets misdemeanor penalties of up to 12 months in jail or a $1,000 fine per violation of fire safety law, with probate courts given power to hear these misdemeanors. It also restructures fireworks law by creating separate categories for permanent and temporary consumer fireworks retail sales facilities, removes a requirement that temporary fireworks stands benefit a nonprofit group, and lets qualifying distributors run more temporary sales locations. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.

• Creates a new deputy commissioner of safety fire position to help oversee the Safety Fire Division and coordinate with the state fire marshal.
• Establishes a seven-member appeals board, chaired by the state fire marshal, to review local governments' building permit rulings on fire safety standards.
• Gives fire marshal investigators subpoena power and lets the Commissioner or a designee order immediate building evacuations during imminent life-safety hazards.
• Raises the fine for failing to maintain a smoke detector from $25 to $100 per detector and the manufactured home reinspection fee from $15 to $150.
• Creates separate legal categories for permanent and temporary consumer fireworks retail sales facilities and lets more distributors operate additional temporary locations.
• Gives probate courts authority to hear and decide misdemeanor violations of Georgia's fire safety laws, with a right to a jury trial elsewhere if the defendant does not waive it.

The bill affects the state fire marshal's office and Safety Fire Division staff, local fire departments and code enforcement officials, property and business owners appealing permit decisions, coroners and medical examiners, manufactured home manufacturers, fireworks distributors and retailers, and probate court judges who would gain new misdemeanor jurisdiction.

Georgians dealing with fire code disputes would gain a formal appeals process, buildings facing imminent hazards could be evacuated faster, and fire or smoke deaths would be reported sooner. Fireworks sellers face new facility rules and possibly more competition, while people who ignore smoke detector or building safety rules would face steeper fines.

• Section 1-1 through 1-3 create the deputy commissioner of safety fire position and place that person in charge of the Safety Fire Division alongside the state fire marshal.
• Section 1-6 changes the appeal process for state fire marshal rulings, routing challenges through petition for judicial review in superior court under Georgia's administrative procedure law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 13 of Title 50).
• Section 1-7 establishes a new appeals board with representatives from county and municipal governments and licensed contractors to review local building permit rulings on fire safety standards.
• Section 1-9 and 1-10 authorize the Commissioner or a designee to order immediate evacuation of any building presenting an imminent life-safety hazard.
• Section 1-13 requires coroners and medical examiners to immediately report fire or smoke related fatalities to the Safety Fire Division and bars moving a body until fire marshal personnel authorize it.
• Section 1-14 sets misdemeanor penalties of up to 12 months in jail or a $1,000 fine per violation and allows probate, state, or other courts to hear these cases.
• Section 1-15 raises the maximum fine for failing to maintain a required smoke detector from $25 to $100 per detector, with a warning for a first offense.
• Sections 1-16 through 1-18 create new categories for permanent and temporary consumer fireworks retail sales facilities and expand how many temporary locations qualifying distributors may operate.

1. 2026-04-02Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub As Amended (Senate)
2. 2026-03-31House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
3. 2026-03-31House Third Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-18House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
5. 2026-03-10House Second Readers (House)
6. 2026-03-09House First Readers (House)
7. 2026-03-06Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
8. 2026-03-06Senate Third Read (Senate)

• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)Primary sponsor
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-001)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Johnny Chastain (R, HD-007)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2026

   51 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #664

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2026

   155 yea, 9 nay (2 not voting, 10 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #802

3. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2026

   51 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)

   Agree To House Substitute As Amended: Senate Vote #961

• fire safety regulation
• fireworks sales
• building permits
• smoke detector fines
• probate court jurisdiction