---
title: SB 503. Insurance; rental home marketplace guarantees from the definition of property insurance; exempt
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb503
cite_as: SB 503, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb503
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb503.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb503/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73184
date: 2026-05-11
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 1522
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb503.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 503
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-11
last_action: Act 516
sponsors:
- Marty Harbin
- Larry Walker
- Jason Anavitarte
- Randy Robertson
- Shawn Still
- RaShaun Kemp
- Chuck Hufstetler
- Ricky Williams
- Matt Reeves
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB503/2025
upstream_id: 2116201
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- health insurance mandates
- state employee benefits
- prosthetic and orthotic coverage
- teacher health benefits
- Medicaid
---
# SB 503. Insurance; rental home marketplace guarantees from the definition of property insurance; exempt
## Text
Senate Bill 503
By: Senators Harbin of the 16th, Walker III of the 20th, Anavitarte of the 31st, Robertson of
the 29th, Still of the 48th and others
AS PASSED
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 24 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
insurance generally, so as to require health benefit plans, policies, or contracts executed by
the state to cover medically necessary orthotic devices and prosthetic devices and their
materials and components; to revise a definition; to provide for related matters; to provide
for contingent effectiveness upon appropriation of funds; to repeal conflicting laws; and for
other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 24 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to insurance
generally, is amended in Code Section 33-24-59.35, relating to required coverage orthotic
devices and prosthetic devices, reporting, and regulation, by revising paragraph (3) of
subsection (a) as follows:
"(3) 'Health benefit policy' means any individual or group plan, policy, or contract for
healthcare services issued, delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state by an
insurer that provides major medical benefits. On or after January 1, 2027, such Such term
shall not include any plans, policies, or contracts executed by the state to provide
healthcare coverage on behalf of state employees, public school teachers and employees,
and members and employees of the Board of Regents and their retirees and dependents
under Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45, and shall not apply to the provision of
healthcare services pursuant to a contract entered into by an insurer and the Department
of Community Health for recipients of Medicaid. Such term shall not include
self-funded, employer sponsored health insurance plans subject to the exclusive
jurisdiction of the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as codified
and amended at 29 U.S.C. Section 1001, et seq."
SECTION 2.
(a) This Act shall become effective only if funds are specifically appropriated for purposes
of this Act in an appropriations Act enacted by the General Assembly.
(b) If funds are so appropriated, then this Act shall become effective on the later of:
(1) The date on which such appropriations Act becomes effective; or
(2) The beginning date of the fiscal year for which such appropriations are made.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## 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.
Senate Bill 503 would require Georgia's health plans for state employees, public school teachers and University System employees to cover medically necessary orthotic and prosthetic devices starting in 2027, but only if lawmakers set aside money to pay for it.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law already requires many health insurance plans to cover medically necessary orthotic devices (braces and other supportive equipment) and prosthetic devices (artificial limbs and similar equipment) along with their parts. But the current law specifically excludes health plans covering state employees and Medicaid managed care contracts from that coverage mandate.
Senate Bill 503 rewrites that definition in Georgia's insurance code (O.C.G.A. § 33-24-59.35). Starting January 1, 2027, the orthotic and prosthetic device coverage requirement would extend to health plans covering state employees, public school teachers and employees, and members, employees, and retirees of the University System's Board of Regents. The old carve-out for Medicaid contracts is removed from the law entirely. The change would only take effect if the General Assembly specifically appropriates funding for it in a budget bill, and it would start on the later of that budget law's effective date or the start of the funded fiscal year.
### What it does
- Rewrites the definition of 'health benefit policy' in Georgia's orthotic and prosthetic device coverage law (O.C.G.A. § 33-24-59.35) to add state employee, teacher, and Board of Regents health plans starting January 1, 2027.
- Removes the current exclusion that keeps the State Health Benefit Plan and similar state-run plans outside the mandatory device coverage requirement.
- Removes the separate exclusion for healthcare services provided under Medicaid managed care contracts with the Department of Community Health.
- Keeps an exclusion for self-funded, employer-sponsored health plans governed by the federal ERISA law.
- Makes the whole change contingent: it only takes effect if the General Assembly appropriates specific funding for it in a budget act.
### Who it affects
State employees, public school teachers and staff, and University System of Georgia (Board of Regents) employees and retirees who get health coverage through state-run plans, along with people who use medically necessary orthotic or prosthetic devices. The Department of Community Health and Georgia's health insurers are also affected.
### Why it matters
If funded, state employees, teachers, and university system workers would gain a guaranteed right to insurance coverage for braces, artificial limbs, and similar medically necessary devices, coverage they currently are not guaranteed under this specific state law. Whether it happens at all depends on a future budget appropriation.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 33-24-59.35(a)(3), changing when the orthotic and prosthetic device coverage mandate does and does not apply to state-run health plans.
- Section 1 adds state employees, public school teachers and employees, and Board of Regents members, employees, retirees, and dependents to the plans covered starting January 1, 2027.
- Section 1 deletes the prior exclusion for Medicaid managed care contracts with the Department of Community Health, removing that carve-out from the law.
- Section 1 preserves the exclusion for self-funded, employer-sponsored plans regulated exclusively under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
- Section 2 makes the entire Act effective only if the General Assembly specifically appropriates funds for it, starting on the later of the appropriations act's effective date or the start of the funded fiscal year.
## Status
- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Act 516 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Marty Harbin, Larry Walker, Jason Anavitarte, Randy Robertson, Shawn Still, RaShaun Kemp, Chuck Hufstetler, Ricky Williams, Matt Reeves
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73184
> The history, votes, and amendments (1,522 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb503.md?full=1