All Roll Calls
Yes: 316 • No: 299
GeorgiaSB 682025-2026 Regular SessionSenate
Civil Practice; substantive and comprehensive revision of provisions regarding civil practice, evidentiary matters, damages, and liability in tort actions; provide
Sponsored By: John Albers (Republican), Jason Anavitarte (Republican), Lee Anderson (Republican), Brandon Beach (Republican), Matt Brass (Republican), Max Burns (Republican), Bill Cowsert (Republican), Clint Dixon (Republican), Greg Dolezal (Republican), Drew Echols (Republican), Frank Ginn (Republican), Steve Gooch (Republican), Russ Goodman (Republican), Marty Harbin (Republican), Mike Hodges (Republican), John F. Kennedy (Republican), Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Chuck Payne (Republican), Randy Robertson (Republican), Ed Setzler (Republican), Shawn Still (Republican), Larry Walker (Republican), Ben Watson (Republican), Sam Watson (Republican), Rick Williams (Republican)
Signed by Governor
RulesJudiciaryGeneral Bill
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
8 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 6 mixed.
New limits on injury medical awards
In injury and death cases, medical expense awards cover only the reasonable value of medically necessary care. Judges or juries can consider billed charges and amounts needed to settle bills under public or private insurance, including workers’ compensation. This applies even when the injured person does not use that coverage, overriding rules that otherwise keep such payments out. Agreements to pay providers from lawsuit proceeds must be disclosed, along with itemized, coded charges and referral details. For below-invoice sales of unpaid bills, disclosure includes the buyer and sale price; these rules create no new patient debt.
Seat belts affect awards, not premiums
In motor vehicle lawsuits, courts can consider an occupant’s failure to wear an available seat belt when deciding fault and damages. This includes whether nonuse contributed to the injury and how fault is shared. Evidence rules still allow courts to exclude this information. Insurers cannot use seat-belt nonuse to cancel coverage or raise insurance rates.
Security claims face tighter liability rules
Security contractors that undertake to protect lawful visitors face the same liability limits as property owners or occupiers. Their liability cannot exceed the owner’s or occupier’s liability. In negligent-security cases, lawyers cannot discuss criminal punishment, anyone’s financial resources, or how fault sharing affects the injured person’s damages. Courts must order a new trial on liability and damages when juries assign unreasonable fault to third-party wrongdoers. Fault sharing is presumed unreasonable when wrongdoers’ combined share is smaller than the share assigned to others, but that presumption can be challenged.
Injury lawyers face pain award limits
In injury and wrongful-death trials, lawyers cannot suggest dollar amounts for pain, suffering, or other noneconomic losses before evidence closes. They also cannot elicit testimony or references to specific amounts or ranges during the evidence stage. At their first chance to argue damages afterward, lawyers can suggest an amount tied to the evidence. Lawyers with opening and concluding arguments cannot switch amounts in the concluding argument. Supported jury-selection questions about no damages or more than an unspecified amount remain allowed. Courts must address prohibited testimony or arguments, including excusing affected prospective jurors when needed.
Limits on lawsuit fee awards
Parties cannot recover the same lawyer fees, court costs, or case expenses more than once under statutes authorizing awards. This applies to both compensatory and punitive awards, unless the statutes expressly allow duplicate recovery. Contract rights to recover these costs remain unchanged. A contingent-fee agreement cannot prove that lawyer fees requested under a reasonable-fee statute are reasonable. The law does not set a fee amount.
Plaintiffs face a lawsuit dismissal deadline
Plaintiffs can dismiss a case without a court order through the 60th day after the opposing party serves an answer. They can also dismiss by agreement signed by every party who has appeared. Dismissal usually leaves the claim eligible to be filed again. But a prior state or federal dismissal involving the same claim makes the new dismissal a final decision on that claim. These rules are subject to exceptions for class actions, receivership proceedings under Georgia Code Section 9-11-66, and other statutes.
Dismissal motions pause lawsuit evidence gathering
A dismissal motion filed before an answer generally pauses discovery—the exchange of case evidence—and extends deadlines by the pause’s length. Courts must decide the motion within 90 days after briefing ends. After that, a party can ask to change or end the pause for good cause. Limited discovery remains allowed for specified defenses, identifying proper parties, or establishing the court’s authority to hear the case. A defendant’s answer ends the pause for that defendant. Unless the court sets another deadline, an answer is due 15 days after notice that the motion was denied or postponed until trial. If the court orders a clearer statement, the answer is due 15 days after that statement is served.
Injury cases can separate fault and damages
In injury and wrongful-death cases, any party can demand separate fault and compensatory-damages phases before the pretrial order. The demand must be written, and the same judge and jury hear both phases. On an opposing party’s request, courts can reject separation if the amount at stake is less than $150,000. Courts can also reject it when repeat testimony about an alleged sexual offense would likely cause serious psychological or emotional distress to the plaintiff, including a minor represented by a guardian. If compensatory damages are awarded, the court can immediately consider punitive damages and lawyer fees.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
John Albers
Republican • Senate
Jason Anavitarte
Republican • Senate
Lee Anderson
Republican • Senate
Brandon Beach
Republican • Senate
Matt Brass
Republican • Senate
Max Burns
Republican • Senate
Bill Cowsert
Republican • Senate
Clint Dixon
Republican • Senate
Greg Dolezal
Republican • Senate
Drew Echols
Republican • Senate
Frank Ginn
Republican • Senate
Steve Gooch
Republican • Senate
Russ Goodman
Republican • Senate
Marty Harbin
Republican • Senate
Mike Hodges
Republican • Senate
John F. Kennedy
Republican • Senate
Kay Kirkpatrick
Republican • Senate
Chuck Payne
Republican • Senate
Randy Robertson
Republican • Senate
Ed Setzler
Republican • Senate
Shawn Still
Republican • Senate
Larry Walker
Republican • Senate
Ben Watson
Republican • Senate
Sam Watson
Republican • Senate
Rick Williams
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
James Burchett
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 3/21/2025
AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE AS AMENDED
Yes: 22 • No: 32 • Other: 1
Senate vote • 3/21/2025
AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE
Yes: 34 • No: 21
House vote • 3/20/2025
PASSAGE
Yes: 91 • No: 82 • Other: 1
House vote • 3/20/2025
Immediately Transmit
Yes: 94 • No: 77 • Other: 3
Senate vote • 2/21/2025
PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE
Yes: 33 • No: 21
Senate vote • 2/21/2025
ADOPTION OF AMEND #2A BY SEN FROM THE 7TH TO AMEND #2 BY SEN FROM THE 7TH
Yes: 21 • No: 33
Senate vote • 2/21/2025
ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #2 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 7TH
Yes: 21 • No: 33
Actions Timeline
Senate Date Signed by Governor
4/21/2025SenateAct 9
4/21/2025Effective Date
4/21/2025Senate Sent to Governor
4/7/2025SenateSenate Agreed House Amend or Sub
3/21/2025SenateHouse Third Readers
3/20/2025HouseHouse Passed/Adopted By Substitute
3/20/2025HouseHouse Immediately Transmitted to Senate
3/20/2025HouseHouse Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
3/18/2025HouseHouse Second Readers
2/26/2025HouseHouse First Readers
2/24/2025HouseSenate Third Read
2/21/2025SenateSenate Passed/Adopted By Substitute
2/21/2025SenateSenate Read Second Time
2/12/2025SenateSenate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
2/11/2025SenateSenate Read and Referred
2/3/2025SenateSenate Hopper
1/30/2025Senate
Bill Text
SB 68/AP* (v15)
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