Georgia Senate approves bills on trafficking penalties, newborn screening, health‑workforce data, litigation financing and tax appeals

ATLANTA — The Georgia State Senate passed several bills on Feb. 26 affecting criminal‑penalty language, newborn health screening, public access to health‑workforce data, rules for third‑party litigation financing and tax administration.

Senate Bill 42, sponsored by the first lady’s office and carried on the floor by Senator Hatchett (50th District), passed unanimously. The bill “seeks to remedy a rule of lenity issue currently in law regarding the penalty statutes associated with keeping a place of prostitution, pimping, and pandering, as well as human trafficking,” Hatchett said on the floor. The bill passed 50‑0.

The Senate also approved Senate Bill 101, which would add Duchenne muscular dystrophy to the newborn‑screening panel. Senator Robertson (20th/29th District), sponsor of the bill, told colleagues that earlier detection lets families plan and start therapies sooner: “This disease is 100 percent fatal,” Robertson said, adding that early detection can allow families to pursue gene‑replacement therapy and other treatment options. The bill passed on final vote, the clerk recorded 46 yays and 4 nays.

Senate Bill 131 would create a Georgia Health Care Professionals Data System to publish non‑identifying information about licensed providers and where they practice. Senator Hodges (3rd District) said the measure will aid both planners and consumers by listing providers “by age, by gender, by proficiency in English and other languages, by the location of their practice, and by their license type.” The substitute passed and the clerk recorded 49 yays and 1 nay on final passage by substitute.

Senate Bill 69, described on the floor as a consumer‑protection measure addressing third‑party litigation financing (sometimes called TPLF), drew extended floor discussion before passage. Sponsor Senator Kennedy (18th District) said the bill was not intended to ban litigation financing but to add guardrails and disclosure requirements: “This bill in no way is aimed at removing the ability of plaintiffs to engage in this type litigation financing,” Kennedy said. He described concerns about foreign investment in the industry and cited industry size figures on the floor, noting analysts estimated the U.S. commercial litigation‑finance industry managed roughly $15.2 billion in assets with $2.7 billion committed in 2023. The bill passed 52‑0.

Separately, the Senate acted on Senate Bill 141 (tax administration changes). A motion to engross the bill was approved earlier (29 yays, 21 nays). On final passage the clerk recorded 51 yays and 0 nays; the measure would extend the protest and appeal period for certain tax assessments and clarify language on federal income‑tax adjustments.

What the bills do and next steps

- SB 42 (human‑trafficking/related penalties): Clarifies overlap between human‑trafficking statutes and offenses for keeping a place of prostitution and related statutes; passed 50‑0. Committee: Judiciary.

- SB 101 (newborn screening — Duchenne muscular dystrophy): Adds Duchenne to the newborn heel‑prick panel to allow earlier diagnosis and treatment planning; passed 46‑4. Committee: Health and Human Services.

- SB 131 (Georgia Health Care Professionals Data System): Directs the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce to create a public, non‑identifying directory of licensed providers (the bill lists 28 provider types and references 15 licensing boards); passed by substitute 49‑1. Committee: Regulated Industries and Utilities (substitute adopted).

- SB 69 (third‑party litigation financing): Adds disclosure and consumer‑protection provisions for third‑party funding contracts, requires written terms and limits on funder recovery in some instances, and adds provisions addressing foreign‑adversary concerns; passed 52‑0. Committee: Judiciary.

- SB 141 (tax administration changes): Department of Revenue bill to extend appeal/protest period from 30 to 45 days for some tax assessments and to clarify final‑determination language for federal‑income‑tax adjustments; substitute adopted and passed 51‑0 on final passage. Committee: Finance.

Quotable floor remarks

- “This bill seeks to remedy a rule of lenity issue currently in law,” Senator Hatchett (50th District) on SB 42.

- “This disease is 100 percent fatal,” Senator Robertson (20th/29th District) on the rationale for Duchenne newborn screening (SB 101).

- “The purpose of this bill is basically to provide better healthcare information to Georgia consumers,” Senator Hodges (3rd District) on SB 131.

- “This bill in no way is aimed at removing the ability of plaintiffs to engage in this type litigation financing,” Senator Kennedy (18th District) on SB 69.

Meeting context and immediate effect

Most measures passed the Senate and will proceed to the House of Representatives (or, for Senate‑origin measures, to the enrolling process and then to the governor). Several measures were committee‑substituted on the floor before final passage. Floor debate on SB 69 and SB 101 included multiple senators’ questions; SB 69 prompted the most extended back‑and‑forth, reflecting concerns about consumer protections, access to capital and potential foreign influence in litigation financing. The Senate adjourned at the end of the session and is scheduled to reconvene at 10 a.m. the following business day.