HB1395: HB1395 Drivers licenses; require intervention component for DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Programs be conducted in person

Georgia drivers convicted of DUI often must complete a Risk Reduction Program, which includes an 'intervention component' of therapeutic education and peer counseling about alcohol and drug use over 20 hours. Under current law, the definition of this component does not specify how it must be delivered. This bill amends Georgia's drivers' license law (O.C.G.A. Title 40, Chapter 5) to add the words 'in-person' to the definition of the intervention component, and it directly bans online courses or remote participation platforms from being used to deliver this instruction. It also directs the Department of Driver Services to keep setting rules for course content, instructor qualifications, and program evaluation, but requires that the intervention piece specifically happen face to face. The bill repeals any conflicting laws and does not state a separate delayed effective date beyond the standard process.

• Rewrites the definition of 'intervention component' in O.C.G.A. § 40-5-1 to specify it must deliver in-person therapeutic education and peer counseling.
• Adds a requirement in O.C.G.A. § 40-5-83 that intervention components of DUI Risk Reduction Programs be conducted in person.
• Explicitly bans online courses or remote participation platforms from being used for the intervention component of these programs.
• Keeps in place the existing requirement that a risk assessment happen before the intervention component and that only Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities licensed evaluators conduct clinical evaluations.
• Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with the new in-person requirement.

People convicted of DUI in Georgia who must complete a Risk Reduction Program, the certified programs and instructors who deliver the intervention component, and the Department of Driver Services, which sets and enforces the certification rules for these courses.

Drivers ordered into these programs would no longer be able to satisfy the intervention requirement through an online class, meaning they would need to attend in-person sessions, which could affect scheduling, travel, and cost for people completing court-ordered DUI education.

• Section 1 revises the definition of 'intervention component' in O.C.G.A. § 40-5-1 to specify it delivers in-person therapeutic education and peer group counseling over 20 hours.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-5-83(e)(1) to require that intervention components of DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Programs be conducted in person.
• Section 2 also states that online courses or remote participation platforms providing instruction are prohibited for the intervention component.
• Section 2 preserves the existing rule that a risk assessment must occur before the intervention component and that clinical evaluations require a licensed evaluator from the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
• Section 3 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with the Act.

1. 2026-02-24House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-20House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-19House Hopper (House)

• Danny Mathis (R, HD-133)Primary sponsor
• Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
• Dale Washburn (R, HD-144)
• Carter Barrett (R, HD-024)
• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)
• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)

• DUI programs
• drivers licenses
• alcohol and drug education
• traffic safety