Subcommittee hears bill to bar firing employees solely for holding elected office; no vote taken

House Bill 524 (as introduced in the subcommittee hearing) would prohibit employers from terminating a person solely because they are an elected official and would require unpaid leave for duties prescribed by the office. The Election Subcommittee heard testimony but did not take final action.

The bill sponsor argued the measure would protect public servants who hold outside employment from losing jobs for performing elected duties. "This simply provides that a person cannot be solely fired or terminated based on their elected status," the sponsor said, noting the bill does not require paid leave but would require leave without pay when a person's elected duties conflict with their employment.

Committee members probed details about scope and enforcement. Questions included whether the protection would apply to public and private employers (the sponsor said it would), how long leave could be requested, and what proof an employer would need to terminate an employee who could not perform at least 51% of their job duties. One member noted Georgia's at-will employment framework and asked how the bill would alter employer practices; the sponsor suggested performance evaluations, timekeeping, or task logs could be used as evidence.

Teacher and candidate Representative McQueen described a personal experience: when she told school leadership she intended to run for office she was told to "find somewhere to do both," testimony that underscored proponents' concerns that employees may face pressure to choose between work and public service.

Representative Adesanya indicated he would move for the bill to be a hearing only for the day. The chair declined to call that procedural motion on the record; no formal subcommittee vote to advance or defeat the bill appears in the transcript. The sponsor said they were open to follow-up conversations with members and legislative counsel to address concerns.