HB1385: HB1385 Fire protection and safety; improve government efficiency by updating provisions of office of the Safety Fire Commissioner

Georgia's Safety Fire Division, part of the office of the Commissioner of Insurance, currently operates under a structure built around a state fire marshal. This bill would create a new deputy commissioner of safety fire position to lead the division alongside the state fire marshal, and would update related appointment, expense, and enforcement provisions in Title 25 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The bill also creates an appeals board so that people or local governments unhappy with a local building permit ruling on fire safety standards can appeal to a seven-member board chaired by the state fire marshal. It gives the Commissioner authority to order immediate building evacuations for imminent life safety hazards, requires coroners and medical examiners to immediately report fire or smoke related deaths, raises the fine for a poorly maintained smoke detector from $25 to $100, raises a manufactured home reinspection fee from $15 to $150, and lets probate courts hear certain fire code misdemeanors if a defendant waives a jury trial. The bill would take effect immediately upon the Governor's signature or upon becoming law without signature.

• Creates a new deputy commissioner of safety fire position, appointed by the Commissioner, to help lead the Safety Fire Division alongside the state fire marshal.
• Establishes 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 building evacuation orders when a structure poses an imminent life safety hazard.
• Requires coroners and medical examiners to immediately report to the Safety Fire Division any deaths allegedly caused by fire or smoke.
• Raises the fine for failing to maintain a required smoke detector from $25 to $100 per detector, with a warning for a first offense, and raises the manufactured home reinspection fee from $15 to $150.
• Gives Georgia probate courts jurisdiction to try certain fire code misdemeanors if the defendant waives a jury trial.

The bill affects the Commissioner of Insurance's Safety Fire Division and its staff, local fire marshals and deputized inspectors, local governments handling building permits, building owners and occupants, manufactured home manufacturers, coroners and medical examiners, and residents subject to smoke detector rules and probate court misdemeanor jurisdiction.

Building owners could face immediate evacuation orders during safety emergencies, and disputes over local building permit rulings would go to a new appeals board instead of only the courts. Homeowners with faulty smoke detectors and manufactured home makers needing reinspections would face steeper fines, and some fire code cases could move through probate court.

• Section 1-1 has the Commissioner appoint both a state fire marshal and a new deputy commissioner of safety fire, replacing the prior single fire marshal appointment structure.
• Section 1-2 makes the deputy commissioner of safety fire, rather than the state fire marshal, the head of the Safety Fire Division.
• Section 1-7 creates an appeals board under Code Section 25-2-11 with the state fire marshal as chair and six appointed members, including local government, contractor, and Commissioner appointees, to review local building permit rulings.
• Section 1-9 adds a new subsection to Code Section 25-2-14.2 letting the Commissioner order immediate evacuation of a 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 authorized fire personnel approve.
• Section 1-15 raises the smoke detector maintenance fine from $25.00 to $100.00 per detector, with a first-offense warning requirement.
• Section 1-16 gives probate courts concurrent jurisdiction over certain Title 25 misdemeanors if the defendant waives a jury trial.
• Section 2-1 raises the manufactured home reinspection fee under Code Section 8-2-135.1 from $15.00 to $150.00.

1. 2026-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-02-24House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-20House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-19House Hopper (House)

• Johnny Chastain (R, HD-007)Primary sponsor
• Eddie Lumsden (R, HD-012)
• Brent Cox (R, HD-028)
• Carter Barrett (R, HD-024)
• Stan Gunter (R, HD-008)
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)

• fire safety regulations
• building permits
• smoke detector fines
• manufactured housing fees
• probate court jurisdiction