A measure introduced in the Georgia House by State Rep. Rob Leverett aims to define who holds the authority to manage public benefit applications following a person’s death, the Georgia State House said.
Filed as HB1475 on Thursday, Feb. 26 during the 2026 session of the 158th General Assembly, the legislation’s formal description reads: ’Commerce and trade; benefits from governmental programs or civil or military service; provisions’.
Below is a summary based on the language of the bill, and includes analysis for clarity.
The proposed bill would grant certain personal representatives limited continuing authority after an individual’s death to process that person’s public benefit applications. Specifically, the new rule allows those already given power of attorney, health care agents, or similar authorized parties to delegate an individual to finish applications, attend hearings, and pursue related appeals for a deceased person. This limited authority concludes when either another representative is appointed for those benefits or a court names an estate administrator or similar official. The bill is set for implementation on July 1, 2026.
Additional sponsors include Rep. Stacey Evans (Democrat-57th), Rep. Kasey Carpenter (Republican-4th), and two others.
Since session commencement, Leverett has introduced another 20 bills, with seven becoming law.
Leverett holds a BA from Dartmouth College (1986) and a JD from the University of Georgia.
The Republican legislator took office in 2023 representing Georgia’s 123rd House District, succeeding former state Rep. Mark Newton.
In Georgia, the legislative process typically starts with a legislator, occasionally responding to a constituent’s concern, collaborating with the Office of Legislative Counsel on bill drafting. Once filed with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate, it receives a first reading before being assigned to committee for primary analysis. If moved forward, it proceeds to the chamber floor for comprehensive reading, debate, and voting. Both General Assembly chambers must approve the bill, sometimes reconciling differing versions via a conference committee, before it reaches the governor for final consideration. During session, the governor has six days, or 40 days after adjournment (Sine Die), to act by signature, veto, or allowing the measure to become law without signing. The Georgia General Assembly’s legislative session spans 40 days each year beginning the second Monday of January.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB1446 | 02/24/2026 | Health; transfer responsibility for oversight of emergency medical services from Department of Public Health to Georgia Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Council |
| HB1407 | 02/20/2026 | Civil Practice Act; scheduling of civil trials; provide |
| HB1364 | 02/18/2026 | Property; nonjudicial foreclosures on time-share estates; provisions |
| HB1195 | 02/04/2026 | Veterinarians; practice and provision of veterinary teletriage and veterinary telemedicine; revise provisions |
| HB1194 | 02/04/2026 | Insurance; clarify periods of time for transportation network company services |
| HB1111 | 01/29/2026 | Sales and use tax; new special purpose local option sales tax dedicated to certain healthcare purposes; provide |
| HB1084 | 01/29/2026 | Madison County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee |
| HB1083 | 01/29/2026 | Madison County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee |
| HB999 | 01/15/2026 | Magistrate courts; collecting sums and fees authorized by law; revise provisions |
| HB998 | 01/15/2026 | Public utilities; authorize certain Tier 2 local exchange companies to elect to become subject to rate of return regulation |
| HB997 | 01/15/2026 | Penal institutions; limit time that Department of Community Supervision can hold certain inmates in a county facility |
| HB530 | 02/19/2025 | Courts; authorization for electronic filing of pleadings in probate court; provide |
| HB406 | 02/11/2025 | Judicial Retirement System; increase retirement age of superior court judges first taking office on or after July 1, 2026 |
| HB377 | 02/10/2025 | Buildings and housing; manufactured homes; provisions |
| HB339 | 02/06/2025 | Motor vehicles; exempt ride share drivers or ride share network services from definition of motor carrier |
| HB327 | 02/06/2025 | Official Code of Georgia Annotated; amend various titles |
| HB86 | 01/16/2025 | Public officers and employees; calculating and setting the salaries of certain state officials; revise provisions |
| HB85 | 01/16/2025 | Superior Court Judicial Compensation Reform Act; enact |
| HB37 | 01/14/2025 | Education; require local school systems to notify employees regarding social security withholdings and eligibility for certain benefits |
| HB36 | 01/14/2025 | Guardian and ward; revise list of providers who are authorized to participate in the processes for appointment of a guardian for an adult |
Details for this article were sourced from the Georgia State House. Source documentation can be found here.
