# Georgia HB 1254: Professions and businesses; move regulation of various professions from individual boards to Secretary of State Georgia HB 1254, Professions and businesses; move regulation of various professions from individual boards to Secretary of State, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Matthew Gambill (Republican), Matt Hatchett (Republican), Brian Prince (Democrat) and 3 others; status signed, last action 2026-07-01 (Effective Date); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1254-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Georgia HB 1254 - State: Georgia - Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session - Title: Professions and businesses; move regulation of various professions from individual boards to Secretary of State - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-02-09 - Last action: 2026-07-01, Effective Date - Sponsors: Matthew Gambill (Republican), Matt Hatchett (Republican), Brian Prince (Democrat), Matt Reeves (Republican), Devan Seabaugh (Republican), Will Wade (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Regulated Industries, Regulated Industries and Utilities, General Bill - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (238 yes, 25 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 25 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Hearing aid buyers get clearer protections: benefit, medium. Prescription hearing aid receipts must identify the seller and device, its condition, warranty terms, total price, and final-sale or return policy. Buyers must acknowledge an offered refund policy, and sellers must keep receipt and acknowledgment records for six years after delivery. Nonresident di… - Stronger state oversight of cemetery funds: benefit, medium. The Secretary of State takes over cemetery rules, fund oversight, investigations, and discipline, replacing the cemeterians board system. Preneed sales agents register with the Secretary. In a covered civil case, courts can order assets seized and sold to fund missing or poorly maintained cemetery… - Auction customers get separate-account money safeguards: benefit, low. Auctioneers handling other people's money must keep an active, separate escrow or trustee account. Proceeds must be deposited within 48 hours or by the next business day, unless settlement occurs within 24 hours. Customer money must stay separate from personal and operating funds until properly pai… - Hearing aid buyers get clearer sale terms: benefit, low. Prescription hearing aid buyers must receive a written receipt with seller details, device information, warranty terms, and total price. It must identify used or reconditioned devices and include purchaser, user, and delivery information. A prominent, all-capital statement must say the sale is fina… - Easier Georgia entry for relocating geologists: benefit, low. The Secretary of State can register qualifying out-of-state geologists without another exam. Their prior licensing standards must be comparable, and verified evidence must show they meet Georgia’s other requirements. Nonresidents without a Georgia business location and recent Georgia residents can… - Stronger safeguards for prepaid funeral money: benefit, low. Trust money for prepaid funeral or burial contracts cannot be invested in or loaned to specified related businesses. These include businesses controlled by dealers, controlling owners of company dealers, or cemeteries and affiliates they control. When a registered cemetery or prepaid-contract deale… - Geologists face training and registration requirements: cost, medium. Georgia geologist applicants must meet the required education or coursework standards. They need at least seven years of qualifying work, including at least three years supervised by a registered professional geologist. Applicants must pass required exams and meet good-standing requirements. They m… - Hearing aid dispensers face licensing checks: cost, medium. Dispensing or advertising prescription hearing aids generally requires a valid Georgia license. Applicants must be at least 18, pay fees, and meet training, testing, and good-standing requirements. They must pass an exam on state and federal rules and provide identity and lawful-presence documents.… - Registration rules shape geology work opportunities: cost, medium. Public geology practice generally requires Georgia registration; only registrants can use the registered title or seal. Exceptions cover authorized licensed professionals, teaching, nonpublic research, government work, and subordinates working solely under a registrant. Covered geology documents mu… - Unlicensed hearing aid sellers face misdemeanors: cost, medium. Dispensing or selling prescription hearing aids without a required license, or otherwise violating the article, is a misdemeanor. The law also classifies the offense as a crime involving moral turpitude. The supplied text does not state a fine or jail term. - Auctioneers face licensing and screening requirements: cost, medium. Auctioneers need a Georgia license to conduct or advertise auctions, including online auctions, unless a statutory exemption applies. Applicants must be at least 18, finish high school or equivalent, complete approved training, and pass an exam. They must maintain an escrow or trustee account, iden… - Auctioneers must renew or lose licenses: cost, medium. Auctioneer licenses renew every two years with an application, fee, and proof of any required continuing education. The Secretary of State can require up to eight education hours per two-year period, with waivers allowed by law. Within one year after expiration, restoring a license requires an appl… - Kinship DNA cases carry burial costs: cost, low. The party requesting DNA testing in a kinship case pays for samples, testing, the report, and any needed disinterment and reinterment. Disinterment costs can include a reasonable cemetery service fee, subject to the existing legal limit. After a hearing, courts can shift costs to parties who acted… - New staffing and screening rules for geologists: cost, low. Firms mainly providing geological services must have a registered geologist as a partner, member, or officer. Other businesses may employ nonregistered geologists for necessary work that is not public geological practice. Geologist applicants must provide fingerprints and other information for Geor… - Cemetery owners must plan for disruptions: cost, low. Registered cemetery owners must create, carry out, and maintain a written plan for business disruptions and changes in leadership. Plans must cover records, notices, relocation, backup duties, and continued service. The detail must fit the cemetery's size, locations, services, and prepaid-sale or o… - Auction victims get capped recovery payments: mixed, high. Eligible auction victims with valid judgments can recover actual or compensatory damages from the fund: at most $10,000 per transaction or claimant. Total fund payments for one licensee stop at $20,000; auction-company wrongdoing on or after July 1, 2026, is not covered. Claimants must start the la… - Dispenser licenses continue with renewal duties: mixed, high. Beginning July 1, 2026, hearing aid oversight moves to the combined speech-language pathology, audiology, and hearing aid dispensing board. Credentials valid on that date continue in force. Dispenser licenses last two years; renewal requires fees and 20 hours of approved education, with paid restor… - Geologists face renewal deadlines and penalties: mixed, high. Geologists must renew every two years; missed renewals can be restored within one year by paying renewal and restoration fees. After that, registration ends automatically, and a new application may be required. The Secretary of State can deny or discipline registration for conduct harming fitness t… - Auctioneers face state discipline and penalties: mixed, medium. The Secretary of State can deny or discipline auctioneer licenses for listed convictions, material false statements, fraud, mishandled money, and other violations. Discipline and renewal refusals require notice and a hearing opportunity. Initial license refusals require specific written reasons but… - Apprentices and outside dispensers gain licensing paths: mixed, low. Applicants age 18 or older can obtain a one-year, nonrenewable apprentice permit supervised by a licensed dispenser or audiologist. They must pay fees, provide identity and lawful-presence documents, and meet good-standing requirements. Full licensure requires verified apprenticeship completion and… - Out-of-state auctioneers can skip written exams: mixed, low. The Secretary of State can grant qualified out-of-state auctioneers a Georgia license without a written exam. Applicants must hold a current license from a state with similar requirements or qualify through a reciprocal licensing agreement. Approval is discretionary, and required fees still apply.… - Auctioneers face local licensing and notice rules: mixed, low. Licensed auctioneers must report business moves to the Secretary of State in writing within 10 days and receive a new pocket card. Local governments cannot license auctioneers needing state licensure without the Secretary’s approval. The chapter exempts court-appointed representatives, ringpersons,… - Counselor board takes direct regulatory control: mixed, low. Georgia’s board for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists holds the listed licensing, rulemaking, investigation, and enforcement powers. The law removes the provision qualifying those powers through specific delegation to a standards committee. It changes internal regulator… - Auction recovery fund faces closure threshold: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the Auctioneers Commission dissolves, and the Secretary of State takes over fund administration and related duties. These include notices, claims, defense of cases, and court-ordered payments. If the fund balance is below $10,000 on December 31, remaining money goes to the s… - Cemetery care gets income with payout limits: mixed, low. A cemetery owner or receiver receives 95% of care-trust income for maintenance when at least one listed condition applies. The owner has been unregistered to sell burial rights for 90 consecutive days, or the cemetery is under a receiver. The third condition is that less than 50% of available lots… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Matthew Gambill (Republican), House - Sponsor: Matt Hatchett (Republican), House - Sponsor: Brian Prince (Democrat), House - Sponsor: Matt Reeves (Republican), House - Sponsor: Devan Seabaugh (Republican), House - Sponsor: Will Wade (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Bo Hatchett (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-27 | Senate | MOTION TO TABLE REMAINING LEGISLATION ON THE RULES CALENDAR | pass | 26 | 22 | 5 | | 2026-03-27 | Senate | PASSAGE | pass | 49 | 0 | 2 | | 2026-03-06 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 163 | 3 | 5 | ## Actions (21) - 2026-07-01: Effective Date - 2026-05-11: House Date Signed by Governor (House) - 2026-05-11: Act 473 - 2026-04-10: House Sent to Governor (House) - 2026-03-27: Senate Tabled (Senate) - 2026-03-27: Senate Taken from Table (Senate) - 2026-03-27: Senate Third Read (Senate) - 2026-03-27: Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate) - 2026-03-19: Senate Read Second Time (Senate) - 2026-03-18: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Senate Read and Referred (Senate) - 2026-03-06: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House) - 2026-03-06: House Third Readers (House) - 2026-03-06: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House) - 2026-03-04: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House) - 2026-03-03: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House) - 2026-03-03: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House) - 2026-02-24: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House) - 2026-02-11: House Second Readers (House) - 2026-02-10: House First Readers (House) - 2026-02-09: House Hopper (House) ## Bill text - HB 1254/AP* (v11): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/248117) ## Related bills - SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckless stunt driving; replace the forfeiture penalty (signed) - SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation for certain motor vehicles; provide (signed) - SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Service Foundation; establish (signed) - SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact (signed) - HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish (signed) - HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact (signed) ## Sources - [HB 1254/AP* (v11) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/248117) ## Related - [SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckles…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB160-2025-2026) - [SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB384-2025-2026) - [SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Servic…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB76-2025-2026) - [SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB406-2025-2026) - [HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1391-2025-2026) - [HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1344-2025-2026) - [Georgia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/georgia/bills) - [Georgia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/georgia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1254-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).