---
title: O.C.G.A. § 45-9-22. Payment of claims or judgment against members of municipal, county, or other public body.
collection: code
id: 45-9-22
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 45-9-22 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/45-9-22
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/45-9-22.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/45-9-22/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t45-(v33)-2016-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=cde47f8a_0#page=201
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/45-9.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES / INSURING AND INDEMNIFICATION OF PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES / MEMBERS OF GOVERNING BODIES OF MUNICIPALITIES, COUNTIES, AND OTHER PUBLIC BODIES
---

# O.C.G.A. § 45-9-22. Payment of claims or judgment against members of municipal, county, or other public body.

(a) Any municipality, county, or other public body may, in its discretion, adopt a policy establishing the terms and conditions under which it may pay part or all of any claim or civil judgment rendered against any person whose defense such municipality, county, or other public body is authorized to undertake under Code Section 45-9-21. Any such disbursement shall be deemed to be for public purposes and may be paid from state, federal, or local funds. No attempt shall be made at the trial of any action brought against a person covered under this Code section to suggest the fact that the municipality, county, or public body will be responsible for any judgment therein.

(b) The failure to adopt a policy as provided in this Code section prior to making any payments authorized by this Code section shall not invalidate any such payments if the governing authority of the municipality, county, or public body shall, within a reasonable time after the fact of such failure has been brought to its attention, adopt a policy as provided in this Code section.

## History

Ga. L. 1978, p. 1380, § 1.