---
type: "Bill"
title: "Professions and businesses; move regulation of various professions from individual boards to Secretary of State"
description: "A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend various titles of the O.C.G.A., so as to move the regulation of various professions from individual boards to the Secretary of State; to amend Chapter 14 of Title 10 of the O.C.G.A., relating to cemetery and funeral services; to amend Title 43 of the O.C.G.A., relating to professions and businesses; to amend Code Section 53-2-27 of the O.C.G.A., relating to DNA testing; to amend Title 43 of the O.C.G.A., relating to professions and businesses; to amend Title 43 and Code Section 12-8-107 of the O.C.G.A., relating to professions and businesses; to amend Title 43 of the O.C.G.A., relating to professions and businesses; to amend Code Section 43-10A-5 of the O.C.G.A., relating to powers and duties; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ga"
legislature: "Georgia General Assembly"
session: "2025_26"
identifier: "HB 1254"
citation: "Georgia HB 1254 (2025_26)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["COMMERCE AND TRADE", "CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES", "PROFESSIONS AND BUSINESSES", "WILLS", "TRUSTS", "AND ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Brian Prince", "Devan Seabaugh", "Matt Hatchett", "Matt Reeves", "Matthew Gambill", "Will Wade"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 21
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2026-02-09"
last_action: "2026-07-01"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/45e0214d-8550-4857-8f3b-9ee46003383f"
source_url: "http://webservices.legis.ga.gov/GGAServices/Legislation/Service.svc?wsdl"
source_hash: "3d46e7dc01910ea5326fc468d89ef3c0171a3228b8e9369d0a176e5b9eef09d4"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ga"]
---

# Georgia HB 1254 (2025_26) — Professions and businesses; move regulation of various professions from individual boards to Secretary of State

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend various titles of the O.C.G.A., so as to move the regulation of various professions from individual boards to the Secretary of State; to amend Chapter 14 of Title 10 of the O.C.G.A., relating to cemetery and funeral services; to amend Title 43 of the O.C.G.A., relating to professions and businesses; to amend Code Section 53-2-27 of the O.C.G.A., relating to DNA testing; to amend Title 43 of the O.C.G.A., relating to professions and businesses; to amend Title 43 and Code Section 12-8-107 of the O.C.G.A., relating to professions and businesses; to amend Title 43 of the O.C.G.A., relating to professions and businesses; to amend Code Section 43-10A-5 of the O.C.G.A., relating to powers and duties; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **HB 1254/AP*** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20252026/248117.pdf)
2. **LC 56 0564/a** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20252026/242026.pdf)
3. **LC 56 0622S/hs** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20252026/243665.pdf)
4. **LC 56 0638S/hs** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20252026/244524.pdf)
5. **LC 56 0646S/hcs** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20252026/245502.pdf)
6. **LC 56 0646S/hs** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20252026/245189.pdf)

## Votes

- Senate Vote #851 - 2025-2026 Regular Session — **49–0** (pass) · upper
- House Vote #679 - 2025-2026 Regular Session — **163–3** (pass) · lower
- Senate Vote #835 - 2025-2026 Regular Session — **26–22** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Brian Prince — primary (person)
- Devan Seabaugh — primary (person)
- Matt Hatchett — primary (person)
- Matt Reeves — primary (person)
- Matthew Gambill — primary (person)
- Will Wade — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-02-09** House Hopper `introduction`
- **2026-02-10** House First Readers `reading-1`
- **2026-02-11** House Second Readers `reading-2`
- **2026-02-24** House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-03** House Withdrawn, Recommitted `referral-committee, withdrawal`
- **2026-03-03** House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-04** House Withdrawn, Recommitted `referral-committee, withdrawal`
- **2026-03-06** House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-06** House Third Readers `reading-3`
- **2026-03-06** House Passed/Adopted By Substitute `passage`
- **2026-03-09** Senate Read and Referred `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-18** Senate Committee Favorably Reported `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-19** Senate Read Second Time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-27** Senate Tabled
- **2026-03-27** Senate Taken from Table
- **2026-03-27** Senate Third Read `reading-3`
- **2026-03-27** Senate Passed/Adopted `passage`
- **2026-04-10** House Sent to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2026-05-11** House Date Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-11** Act 473 `executive-signature`
- **2026-07-01** Effective Date

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/45e0214d-8550-4857-8f3b-9ee46003383f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Georgia legislature records).