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House committee approves bill to raise indemnification cap for public school personnel
Summary
The House Education Committee approved HB105, a governor-backed bill to raise the indemnification limit for public school personnel from $75,000 to $150,000 and align it with an existing public officers fund; sponsors said the state Department of Administrative Services has sufficient fund balance and no appropriation is requested.
The Georgia House Education Committee voted to approve House Bill 105, a governor-supported measure to raise the indemnification limit for public school personnel from $75,000 to $150,000 and align the public school employee indemnification limit with the Public Officers Indemnification Fund.
Representative Wade presented the bill and described it as a technical correction and equity measure so that public school employees would have the same maximum indemnification amount as other public officers. He told the committee the Georgia Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) is the custodian of the fund under OCGA 45-9-75 and that the DOAS fund balance was reported at about $3,400,000; the sponsor said the bill does not request a new appropriation.
Autumn Cole, general counsel at DOAS, confirmed the statute already provides a permanent-disability benefit for public school employees in certain cases but said that the proposal is intended to update the maximum award amount for the public school personnel indemnification so it matches the $150,000 cap established for officers in 2017 by the "Back the Badge" change to statute.
A motion to approve HB105 was made and seconded in committee. Committee members offered no further substantive amendments on the floor, and the committee approved the bill by voice vote.
The bill text references OCGA provisions governing DOAS as custodian of the fund and would change the statute’s dollar limit for the public school personnel indemnification award; proponents said two applications are pending that would be processed under the updated limit if the change becomes law.
