Georgia Senate Bill SB117

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25
• Refer: 2/10/25
• Report Pass: 2/27/25

Caption

Public Officers and Employees; a misdemeanor offense for violations regarding complaints by public employees; provide

Summary

SB 117 amends Georgia law governing complaints by public employees about fraud, waste, abuse, and other legal violations in state and local government operations. The bill expands and clarifies protections for public employees who report suspected violations to a supervisor or government agency, including a prohibition on employer policies that block such disclosures and a ban on retaliation for reporting, objecting to, or refusing to participate in unlawful conduct. It also limits disclosure of a reporting employee’s identity during investigations unless disclosure is necessary and unavoidable, with advance written notice required. The bill creates an enforcement framework for employees who experience retaliation. Affected employees may bring a civil action in superior court within specified time limits and seek injunctive relief, reinstatement, restoration of benefits and seniority, lost wages and other damages, and attorney’s fees, court costs, and expenses. In addition, any agent of a public employer who violates the anti-retaliation provisions would commit a misdemeanor offense.

Impact

The bill would amend Code Section 45-1-4 in Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, strengthening whistleblower-style protections for public employees across state, local, and regional governmental entities that receive state funds. It broadens the scope of covered employees and employers, restricts retaliation and confidentiality breaches, authorizes civil remedies in superior court, and adds criminal liability for individual agents of public employers who violate the anti-retaliation rules. The measure would therefore affect public-sector employment practices, internal complaint procedures, and litigation exposure for government employers.

Sentiment

The available record does not include committee debate or recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or support from discussion transcripts. Based on the bill’s text, the measure appears to be framed as a worker-protection and government-accountability bill, suggesting a generally favorable policy posture toward whistleblower protections and anti-retaliation enforcement. Because no floor or committee remarks are provided, sentiment cannot be assessed beyond the bill’s protective intent.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are the bill’s expansion of liability and enforcement against public employers, including the new misdemeanor penalty for agents who retaliate and the mandatory award of attorney’s fees and costs to prevailing employees. Public employers may also view the limits on confidentiality and the prohibition on policies restricting disclosures as burdensome or difficult to administer, while employee advocates would likely support those provisions as necessary to protect whistleblowers. Another possible area of dispute is the bill’s exception for privilege and confidentiality obligations, which may raise questions about how broadly those exceptions apply.