HB1184: HB1184 Military; treat retired officers the same as warrant officers and enlisted persons at the same grade as such members earned during their military service

Georgia law currently lets an officer in the state organized militia who serves at least 20 years retire onto the state retired list at a grade one level higher than the highest rank he or she actually held. Warrant officers and enlisted personnel do not get that boost; they are retired at the grade equivalent to their highest rank earned. House Bill 1184 removes the officers-only bonus grade rule from Georgia's militia law (O.C.G.A. § 38-2-9) and folds officers into the same rule that already covers warrant officers and enlisted members. Under the revised law, any officer, warrant officer, or enlisted person who served at least 20 years in the organized militia, or in the militia and the U.S. armed forces combined, would be transferred to the state retired list at a grade equivalent to the highest grade actually held. The bill also renumbers the surrounding subsections but leaves the age-64 retirement rule, recall-to-duty provisions, and time-in-service credit rules unchanged.

• Deletes the current rule letting officers retire onto the state retired list at a grade one level higher than the highest rank they actually held.
• Applies the same 'equivalent grade' retirement rule already used for warrant officers and enlisted members to officers as well.
• Keeps the 20-year service requirement (militia alone or combined with U.S. armed forces service) for eligibility to transfer to the retired list.
• Renumbers the affected subsections of O.C.G.A. § 38-2-9 to reflect the removal of the old officer-specific rule.
• Leaves unchanged the age-64 mandatory retirement provision, the Governor's authority to recall retired members to active duty, and the rule that time on the retired list does not count toward seniority or pay.

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1. 2026-02-12House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-02-06House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-05House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-04House Hopper (House)

• Josh Bonner (R, HD-073)Primary sponsor
• Brad Thomas (R, HD-021)
• Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)

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