Georgia House Bill HB114

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/17/25
• Report Pass: 2/4/25
• Engrossed: 2/11/25
• Refer: 2/12/25
• Report Pass: 3/20/25
• Enrolled: 4/7/25
• Chaptered: 5/8/25
• Passed: 5/8/25

Caption

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

Summary

House Bill 114 updates Georgia’s motor carrier safety law by changing the reference date used for the federal regulations that govern the safe operation of motor carriers, commercial motor vehicles, drivers, and the transportation of hazardous materials. Under current law, the state incorporates federal regulations in effect on January 1, 2024; this bill advances that incorporation date to January 1, 2025. The bill also makes a minor definitional revision within Code Section 40-1-8, which is the section that sets out terms used for these safety and hazardous materials provisions. No new regulatory program is created, and the bill does not appear to alter the underlying state enforcement structure; instead, it keeps Georgia’s law aligned with the most current federal motor carrier safety standards by updating the incorporated federal rule set.

Impact

HB114 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-1-8, affecting the state’s statutory reference to federal motor carrier safety regulations and the definition of “present regulations.” The practical effect is to ensure that Georgia’s safety requirements for commercial motor vehicles and hazardous materials transportation track the federal rules in force as of January 1, 2025, rather than the prior 2024 date. This primarily affects motor carriers, commercial drivers, hazardous materials transporters, and the Department of Public Safety, which administers and enforces the statute.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the House 165-0 and the Senate 52-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The absence of committee transcript discussion suggests the measure was viewed as a routine technical update rather than a substantive policy change.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention around HB114. Because the bill is a technical conformity measure updating a federal reference date, the main issue is administrative alignment with federal motor carrier regulations rather than a policy dispute. Any potential concern would likely center on the automatic incorporation of federal rules and whether state law should track future federal changes, but no opposition is reflected in the available votes or discussion record.