ATLANTA, GA — In a narrow vote, the Georgia House advanced legislation backed by Governor Kemp to overhaul the state’s civil litigation system.
The final vote was 91 to 82, with three Democrats breaking with the majority of their party and voting in favor of the legislation. A handful of Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the bill, though none spoke in opposition.
“Members of this chamber took another critical step to deliver substantive, meaningful lawsuit reform that will return a much-needed balance to our litigation environment,” said House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) following the vote. “The consensus has been overwhelmingly clear tort reform in Georgia is critical if we are going to maintain our standard as the best place in this nation in which to do business.”
Supporters of the bill say the changes are necessary to protect businesses from frivolous lawsuits costing them millions of dollars to settle. Opponents argue it would limit the ability of abuse victims to sue responsible parties, including businesses and employees.
“I’m disappointed in the loss for our caucus, for the House, but I’m most disappointed for the people of Georgia,” said Rep. Stacey Evans (D-Atlanta). “The court should be a safe, welcoming place for all of us, and we just picked and chose losers today, those that will get access and those that will not.”
Governor Kemp has repeatedly called tort reform legislation his top legislative priority. “Thanks to the hard work of Speaker Jon Burns and his chamber, today we’ve taken another major step towards enacting meaningful tort reform in Georgia,” Kemp wrote on X. “As we keep working for final passage, thank you to all those helping to stabilize runaway costs and return true fairness to our courtrooms.”
The House voted to send the bill immediately to the Senate, where a vote could happen there as early as Friday. If approved, the bill would then go to the Governor’s desk.
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