HB 944: Motor vehicles; federal regulations regarding safe operation of commercial motor carriers and commercial vehicles; update reference date

Georgia law incorporates federal regulations on the safe operation of commercial motor carriers and commercial vehicles by referencing a specific date, so the state's rules stay tied to a fixed snapshot of the federal rulebook (49 C.F.R.) rather than shifting automatically with every federal change. This bill amends O.C.G.A. § 40-1-8 to move that reference date forward from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026. The change means Georgia's definition of 'present regulations' for trucking and hazardous materials transport safety will now point to the federal rules as they stood at the start of 2026. No other substantive changes are made to the code section, which also defines the Commissioner of Public Safety and the Department of Public Safety for purposes of this law. The bill repeals any conflicting laws.

• Changes the reference date in Georgia's commercial motor carrier safety law from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026, updating which version of federal trucking safety rules Georgia follows.
• Leaves unchanged the definitions of 'Commissioner' (the commissioner of public safety) and 'Department' (the Department of Public Safety) in the same code section.
• Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with this updated reference date.

Commercial truck and bus companies operating in Georgia, their drivers, and companies that transport hazardous materials, all of whom must comply with the federal safety regulations Georgia adopts by reference. The Georgia Department of Public Safety, which enforces these rules, is also affected.

By updating the reference date, Georgia ensures its trucking and hazardous materials safety standards match the most recent version of federal regulations rather than an outdated one, which affects what safety practices commercial drivers and carriers must follow to remain in compliance with state law.

• Section 1 revises subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 40-1-8 to change the date defining 'present regulations' from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026.
• Section 1 keeps the existing definitions of 'Commissioner' and 'Department' unchanged.
• Section 2 repeals any laws in conflict with the updated reference date.

1. 2026-05-06Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-06Act 420
3. 2026-05-06House Date Signed by Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2026-03-23Senate Passed/Adopted (Senado)
6. 2026-03-23Senate Third Read (Senado)
7. 2026-03-20Senate Read Second Time (Senado)
8. 2026-03-19Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senado)

• Lauren McDonald (R, HD-026)Patrocinador principal
• Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
• Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
• Eddie Lumsden (R, HD-012)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)

1. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes10 de febrero de 2026

   160 a favor, 4 en contra (5 sin votar, 6 ausentes)

   Passage: House Vote #494

2. AprobadaVotación: Senado23 de marzo de 2026

   50 a favor, 0 en contra (3 sin votar, 1 ausentes)

   Passage: Senate Vote #786

• commercial trucking
• motor carrier safety
• hazardous materials transport
• Department of Public Safety