GA SB 485
enactedProfessional Counselors; applicants for a license in social work enrolled in a master's degree program to take the master's social work licensing examination in their final semester of the program; authorize
Georgia · 2025_26 · upper
Quick answers
Did GA SB 485 pass?
Yes. GA SB 485 has been enacted into law as of 2026-07-01. Latest recorded action (2026-07-01): Effective Date
What is GA SB 485 about?
A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 10A of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to examination regarding professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists, so as to authorize applicants for a license in social work enrolled in a master's degree program to take the master's social work licensing examination in their final semester of the program; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Who sponsors GA SB 485?
Chuck Payne, Jason Anavitarte, Kay Kirkpatrick and 11 others are the primary sponsors of GA SB 485.
Description
A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 10A of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to examination regarding professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists, so as to authorize applicants for a license in social work enrolled in a master's degree program to take the master's social work licensing examination in their final semester of the program; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
- Introduced
- 2026-02-10
- Latest action
- 2026-07-01 — Effective Date
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Chuck Payneprimary
- Jason Anavitarteprimary
- Kay Kirkpatrickprimary
- Ed Setzlerprimary
- Randy Robertsonprimary
- Billy Hickmanprimary
- Chuck Hufstetlerprimary
- Max Burnsprimary
- Frank Ginnprimary
- Bill Cowsertprimary
- Carden Summersprimary
- Mike Hodgesprimary
- Ben Watsonprimary
- Bo Hatchettprimary
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
2026-02-10
Senate Hopper
introduction
2026-02-11
Senate Read and Referred
referral-committee
2026-02-18
Senate Committee Favorably Reported
committee-passage-favorable
2026-02-19
Senate Read Second Time
reading-2
2026-03-06
Senate Tabled
2026-03-06
Senate Taken from Table
2026-03-06
Senate Third Read
reading-3
2026-03-06
Senate Passed/Adopted
passage
2026-03-09
House First Readers
reading-1
2026-03-10
House Second Readers
reading-2
2026-03-18
House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
committee-passage-favorable
2026-03-23
House Third Readers
reading-3
2026-03-23
House Passed/Adopted By Substitute
passage
2026-03-27
Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub
2026-04-10
Senate Sent to Governor
executive-receipt
2026-05-11
Senate Date Signed by Governor
executive-signature
2026-05-11
Act 514
executive-signature
2026-07-01
Effective Date
Versions
Documents
Votes
Senate Vote #665 - 2025-2026 Regular Session
2026-03-06 · pass · 48-0
Member-level votes (53)
- ALBERS: yes
- ANAVITARTE: yes
- ANDERSON: yes
- BEARDEN: yes
- BRASS: yes
- BURNS: yes
- COWSERT: yes
- DAVENPORT: yes
- DICKERSON: yes
- DIXON: yes
- DOLEZAL: yes
- ECHOLS: yes
- GINN: yes
- GOOCH: other
- GOODMAN: yes
- HALPERN: yes
- HARBIN: yes
- HARBISON: yes
- HARRELL: yes
- HATCHETT: other
- HICKMAN: yes
- HODGES: yes
- HOWARD: yes
- HUFSTETLER: yes
- JACKSON: yes
- JAMES: yes
- JONES: yes
- JONES II: yes
- KEMP: yes
- KIRKPATRICK: yes
- LUCAS: yes
- MALLOW: yes
- MANGHAM: yes
- MCLAURIN: yes
- MCNEEL: yes
- MERRITT: yes
- ORROCK: yes
- PARENT: other
- PARKES: yes
- PAYNE: yes
- RAHMAN: other
- RHETT: yes
- ROBERTSON: yes
- SETZLER: other
- SIMS: yes
- STILL: yes
- STRICKLAND: yes
- SUMMERS: yes
- TILLERY: yes
- WALKER, III: other
- WATSON: yes
- WICKS: yes
- WILLIAMS: yes
House Vote #747 - 2025-2026 Regular Session
2026-03-23 · pass · 121-46
Member-level votes (161)
- ADESANYA: yes
- ADEYINA: no
- ALEXANDER: no
- ALI: no
- ANDERSON: yes
- AU: other
- BAKER: no
- BALLARD: yes
- BARNES: no
- BARRETT: yes
- BARTON: yes
- BAZEMORE: no
- BECKLES: no
- BELL: no
- BERRY: no
- BLACKMON: yes
- BONNER: yes
- BUCKNER: yes
- BURCHETT: yes
- BURNOUGH: no
- BURNS: other
- BYRD: no
- CAMERON: yes
- CAMP: yes
- CAMPBELL: no
- CANNON: other
- CARPENTER: yes
- CARSON: yes
- CARTER: no
- CHASTAIN: yes
- CHEOKAS: yes
- CLARK: yes
- CLIFTON: yes
- COOPER: yes
- CORBETT: yes
- COX: yes
- CRAWFORD: no
- CROWE: yes
- CUMMINGS: no
- DAVIS: no
- DAWSON: no
- DELOACH: yes
- DEMPSEY: yes
- DICKEY: yes
- DONATUCCI: yes
- DOUGLAS: no
- DRAPER: yes
- DRENNER: yes
- DUBNIK: yes
- DUNAHOO: yes
- EFSTRATION: yes
- EHRHART: yes
- ERWIN: yes
- EVANS: yes
- FINCHER: yes
- FLEMING: yes
- FLOURNOY: no
- FORD: yes
- FRANKLIN: yes
- FRYE: no
- GAINES: yes
- GAMBILL: yes
- GILLIARD: other
- GISLER: yes
- GLAIZE: yes
- GREENE: yes
- GRIFFIN: no
- GULLETT: yes
- GUNTER: yes
- HAGAN: yes
- HATCHETT: yes
- HAWKINS: yes
- HERRING: yes
- HILTON: yes
- HITCHENS: yes
- HOLCOMB: yes
- HOLLAND: yes
- HOLLY: no
- HONG: yes
- HORNER: yes
- HOWARD: yes
- HUDDLESTON: yes
- HUGLEY: other
- JACKSON: yes
- JASPERSE: yes
- JENKINS: yes
- JONES: yes
- KAHAIAN: no
- KELLEY: yes
- KENDRICK: no
- LAHOOD: yes
- LEVERETT: yes
- LEWIS-WARD: no
- LIM: no
- LUMSDEN: yes
- LUPTON: no
- MARTIN: yes
- MARTINEZ: yes
- MATHIAK: yes
- MATHIS: yes
- MCCLAIN: no
- MCCOLLUM: yes
- MCDONALD III: yes
- MCQUEEN: no
- MEEKS: yes
- MILLER: yes
- MITCHELL: yes
- MOMTAHAN: yes
- MOORE: yes
- MYLES: no
- NEAL: yes
- NEW: yes
- NEWTON: yes
- OKOYE: yes
- OLALEYE: no
- OLIVER: yes
- O'STEEN: yes
- PANITCH: yes
- PARIS: no
- PARK: no
- PARRISH: yes
- PARSONS: yes
- PERSINGER: yes
- PETREA: yes
- POWELL: yes
- PRINCE: yes
- REESE: yes
- REEVES: yes
- RHODES: yes
- RICE: yes
- RICHARDSON: yes
- RIDLEY: yes
- ROBERTS: no
- ROMMAN: yes
- SAINZ: yes
- SAMPSON: no
- SANCHEZ: no
- SANTOS: yes
- SCHOFIELD: no
- SCOGGINS: yes
- SCOTT: no
- SEABAUGH: yes
- SILCOX: yes
- SMITH: yes
- STEPHENS: yes
- STINSON: yes
- TARVIN: yes
- TAYLOR: no
- THOMAS: yes
- TOWNSEND: yes
- TRAN: yes
- WADE: yes
- WASHBURN: other
- WERKHEISER: yes
- WESTBROOK: no
- WILKERSON: no
- WILLIAMS: no
- WILLIAMS, JR.: yes
- WILLIAMSON: other
- WILLIS: no
- YEARTA: yes
Senate Vote #856 - 2025-2026 Regular Session
2026-03-27 · pass · 46-0
Member-level votes (52)
- ALBERS: yes
- ANAVITARTE: yes
- ANDERSON: yes
- BEARDEN: yes
- BRASS: yes
- BURNS: yes
- COWSERT: yes
- DAVENPORT: yes
- DICKERSON: yes
- DIXON: yes
- DOLEZAL: yes
- ECHOLS: yes
- GINN: yes
- GOOCH: yes
- GOODMAN: yes
- HALPERN: other
- HARBIN: yes
- HARBISON: other
- HARRELL: yes
- HATCHETT: yes
- HICKMAN: yes
- HODGES: yes
- HOWARD: other
- HUFSTETLER: yes
- JACKSON: other
- JAMES: yes
- JONES: yes
- JONES II: yes
- KEMP: yes
- KIRKPATRICK: yes
- LUCAS: yes
- MALLOW: other
- MANGHAM: yes
- MCLAURIN: yes
- MCNEEL: yes
- MERRITT: yes
- ORROCK: yes
- PARENT: yes
- PAYNE: yes
- RAHMAN: yes
- RHETT: other
- ROBERTSON: yes
- SETZLER: yes
- SIMS: other
- STILL: yes
- STRICKLAND: yes
- SUMMERS: yes
- TILLERY: yes
- WALKER, III: yes
- WATSON: yes
- WICKS: other
- WILLIAMS: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:19:40.450420Z
Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:
Use this data
Every field on this page is available from the free public API — no key or licence required. Fetch this bill as JSON: GET /api/v1/bills?jurisdiction=GA&identifier=SB 485. See the API docs or the MCP server for AI assistants.
Known limitations
- Sponsor party and chamber affiliation are not yet captured by this API.
- Committee referrals are not yet captured.
See the methodology page for data sources and limitations.