HB 1475 Georgia House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Commerce and trade; benefits from governmental programs or civil or military service; provisions

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Sections 10-6B-53, 31-32-7, and 50-13-13 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to benefits from governmental programs or civil or military service, duties and responsibilities of health care agents, and opportunity for hearing in contested cases, notice, counsel, subpoenas, record, enforcement powers, and revenue cases, respectively, so as to provide limited authority for the appointment of an authorized representative for the purposes of completing an application for public benefits on behalf of a deceased individual and attending any hearing thereon or litigating any appeal related thereto; to provide for the termination of such authority; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Issues: ✓ Veterans

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 26, 2026 Last action Mar 4, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

LC 49 2758/a → LC 49 2773S/hs · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was replaced with a substitute version that clarifies the rules for who can act on behalf of a deceased person when applying for government benefits. The changes shift the focus from a health care agent's ability to 'appoint' a representative to a broader list of existing legal authorities (like power of attorneys or guardians) who can directly 'serve' as that representative after the person dies.

Scope change

The scope of authority is expanded and clarified to include various legal roles (power of attorney, conservator, guardian) rather than just health care agents, and the mechanism for appointing a representative is streamlined.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed the language to allow existing legal representatives (such as those with a power of attorney or guardianship) to continue serving as authorized representatives after the principal's death, rather than requiring a health care agent to appoint a new one.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the specific 12-month time limit for health care agents to appoint a representative, replacing it with a general rule that authority ends when a court appoints an estate administrator or another authorized representative is appointed.

DEFINITION

Added a new subsection explicitly listing the types of legal authorities (power of attorney, healthcare agent, conservator, guardian) that can continue to act on behalf of a deceased individual for benefit applications.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header to indicate this is a substitute version and adjusted the page numbering and formatting to reflect the committee's changes.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

lower

Feb 26, 2026

Introduced

House Hopper

lower

5 primary · 0 co-sponsors