SB501: SB501 Office of the Safety Fire Commissioner; update provisions

This bill rewrites parts of Georgia's fire safety law (Title 25) and building law (Title 8). It replaces the state fire marshal as head of the Safety Fire Division with a new deputy commissioner of safety fire, who appoints a deputy state fire marshal and other staff. It creates a new appeals board, made up of the state fire marshal and six appointees, to review disputes when local governments deny or restrict building permits based on state fire safety standards. It gives the Commissioner power to order immediate building evacuations when there is an imminent life-safety hazard, and lets the Commissioner petition courts to enforce compliance orders. The bill also raises the fine for failing to maintain a smoke detector from $25 to $100 per detector, raises the manufactured home reinspection fee from $15 to $150, creates categories for permanent and temporary consumer fireworks sales facilities, and lets certain distributors operate more temporary fireworks stands. It gives probate courts jurisdiction over Title 25 misdemeanors when a defendant waives a jury trial. The changes take effect when the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law.

• Replaces the state fire marshal with a new deputy commissioner of safety fire as head of the Safety Fire Division, who appoints a deputy state fire marshal and staff.
• Creates a seven-member appeals board, chaired by the state fire marshal, to review local governments' final rulings on building permits tied to state fire safety standards.
• Authorizes the Commissioner or a designee to issue immediate evacuation orders for buildings posing an imminent life-safety hazard, regardless of occupancy certificate status.
• Raises the penalty for failing to maintain a required smoke detector from $25 to $100 per detector, with a warning for a first offense.
• Raises the manufactured home reinspection fee from $15 to $150 and creates new categories for permanent and temporary consumer fireworks retail sales facilities.
• Gives Georgia probate courts jurisdiction to try Title 25 (fire safety) misdemeanors when the defendant waives a jury trial.

The bill affects state fire marshal's office staff and leadership, local fire departments and governing authorities that issue building permits and fireworks licenses, building owners and occupants subject to evacuation orders, manufactured home manufacturers, consumer fireworks distributors and sellers, and probate court judges who would gain new misdemeanor jurisdiction.

Building owners could face faster, court-reviewable evacuation orders during safety emergencies, while local permit disputes get a formal appeals process. Homeowners face steeper fines for broken smoke detectors, manufactured home makers pay higher reinspection fees, and fireworks sellers gain more flexibility to expand temporary sales locations.

• Section 1-1 through 1-4 restructure Safety Fire Division leadership, replacing the state fire marshal's role atop the division with a new deputy commissioner of safety fire.
• Section 1-7 establishes the appeals board for local building permit disputes involving state fire safety standards, with members serving one-year terms without pay beyond standard state travel allowances.
• Section 1-9 and 1-10 authorize the Commissioner or a designee to order immediate building evacuations for imminent life-safety hazards, effective until the hazard is mitigated.
• Section 1-13 requires coroners and medical examiners to immediately report fire or smoke fatalities to the Safety Fire Division and bars moving a body without authorization from fire marshal personnel.
• Section 1-15 raises the smoke detector maintenance fine from $25 to $100 per detector, with a first-offense warning.
• Sections 1-16 through 1-19 revise fireworks definitions, create permanent and temporary consumer fireworks retail sales facility categories, expand how many temporary stands a distributor may run, and set fireworks violation penalties up to $2,500 (or $5,000 for tent/canopy sales).
• Section 1-21 gives Georgia probate courts jurisdiction over Title 25 misdemeanors if the defendant waives a jury trial.
• Section 2-1 raises the manufactured home reinspection fee under O.C.G.A. § 8-2-135.1 from $15 to $150.

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
• building permits
• fireworks sales
• smoke detector fines
• probate court jurisdiction