HB1260: HB1260 Local government; cessation of payment of salary, compensation, and expenses to members of county and municipal governing authorities who fail to certify completion of mandatory training; provide

Georgia law already requires newly elected members of county and municipal governing authorities to complete a training course, generally 18 hours for county officials, covering topics like local finance, taxation, planning, and ethics, and to certify completion to the clerk within a set deadline. Current law does not spell out a direct financial penalty for skipping that training. This bill adds that penalty. It amends O.C.G.A. §§ 36-5-24 and 36-35-4 so that if a county or municipal governing authority member fails to certify completion of the required training, the local government must stop paying that member's salary, compensation, and expenses. Payments would not resume until the member provides the certification. The bill also updates the training statutes, O.C.G.A. §§ 36-20-4 and 36-45-4, describing the required course content and certification deadlines.

• Requires county governing authorities to stop paying salary, compensation, and expenses to any member who fails to certify completion of the mandatory training course (O.C.G.A. § 36-5-24).
• Requires municipal governing authorities to do the same for city council members or similar officials who fail to certify training completion (O.C.G.A. § 36-35-4).
• States that a member who loses pay under these provisions is not entitled to back pay for the period before certification is provided.
• Restates the existing requirement that county elected officials complete at least 18 hours of training on local government topics and certify it to the county clerk (O.C.G.A. § 36-20-4).
• Restates the existing requirement that municipal elected officials complete a similar training course and certify it to the municipal clerk (O.C.G.A. § 36-45-4).

Elected members of county commissions and city councils across Georgia, particularly newly elected officials who have not previously served, along with the county and municipal clerks who track certification and the local governing bodies responsible for administering pay.

Officials who skip the required training course would lose their pay until they complete it and file certification, creating a direct financial consequence tied to a requirement that previously had no explicit enforcement mechanism in these sections of law.

• Section 1 adds new subsection (b.1) to O.C.G.A. § 36-5-24, requiring county governing authorities to cease all pay to a member who fails to certify training completion until certification is provided.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 36-20-4(a), keeping the requirement that county officials complete at least 18 hours of training and certify completion to the county clerk within 30 days.
• Section 3 adds new subsection (a.1) to O.C.G.A. § 36-35-4, applying the same pay-cessation rule to municipal governing authority members who fail to certify training.
• Section 4 revises O.C.G.A. § 36-45-4(a), restating the training and certification requirement for municipal elected officials.
• Section 5 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-03House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-02-11House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-10House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-09House Hopper (House)

• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)Primary sponsor
• James Burchett (R, HD-176)
• Johnny Chastain (R, HD-007)
• Joe Campbell (R, HD-171)
• Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)
• Al Williams (D, HD-168)

• local government
• elected officials training
• county commissioners
• city council pay
• government ethics