Bill Commons

GA SB 485

enacted

Professional 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

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Quick answers

Did GA SB 485 pass?

Yes. GA SB 485 has been enacted into law. 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

Newest first

  1. 2026-07-01

    Effective Date

  2. 2026-05-11

    Act 514

    executive-signature

  3. 2026-05-11

    Senate Date Signed by Governor

    executive-signature

  4. 2026-04-10

    Senate Sent to Governor

    executive-receipt

  5. 2026-03-27

    Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub

  6. 2026-03-23

    House Passed/Adopted By Substitute

    passage

  7. 2026-03-23

    House Third Readers

    reading-3

  8. 2026-03-18

    House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

    committee-passage-favorable

  9. 2026-03-10

    House Second Readers

    reading-2

  10. 2026-03-09

    House First Readers

    reading-1

  11. 2026-03-06

    Senate Passed/Adopted

    passage

  12. 2026-03-06

    Senate Third Read

    reading-3

  13. 2026-03-06

    Senate Taken from Table

  14. 2026-03-06

    Senate Tabled

  15. 2026-02-19

    Senate Read Second Time

    reading-2

  16. 2026-02-18

    Senate Committee Favorably Reported

    committee-passage-favorable

  17. 2026-02-11

    Senate Read and Referred

    referral-committee

  18. 2026-02-10

    Senate Hopper

    introduction

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

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73054

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:19:40.450420Z

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