State Rep. Yasmin Neal has introduced new legislation in the Georgia House to broaden protective laws for adults facing cognitive decline, according to the Georgia State House.
Filed as HB1081 on Wednesday, Jan. 28, during the 2026 regular session of the 158th General Assembly, the bill’s formal description is: ’Handicapped persons; adults with cognitive decline to be considered disabled adults; provide’.
The following summary, based on the actual bill text, may use interpretive language to clarify its terms.
This bill proposes to extend state protections for disabled adults and elder persons by adding adults who experience cognitive decline to the statutory definition of “disabled adult.” Cognitive decline would be newly defined as a lasting and irreversible loss of cognitive function, distinct from normal aging, that interferes with daily activities and includes symptoms such as considerable memory impairment, significant difficulty with complex activities, disorientation to time or place, impairments in communication, reduced judgment, changes in behavior, or social withdrawal. Adults age 18 and older showing these signs would be regarded as disabled adults under current protective laws, and any conflicting statutes would be repealed.
Rep. Katie Dempsey (Republican-13th), Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (Democrat-84th), and Rep. Todd Jones (Republican-25th) co-sponsored the bill.
Since the start of the session, Neal has submitted 10 other bills, with one signed into law.
Neal holds a bachelor’s degree from American Military University.
Neal, a Democrat, was elected in 2023 to the Georgia State House for the 79th House District, succeeding Michael Wilensky.
In Georgia, the legislative process commences when a legislator—frequently following a constituent’s suggestion—collaborates with the Office of Legislative Counsel to draft a bill. Once filed with the Clerk of the House or Senate Secretary, the bill has a first reading and is assigned to committee for most of the deliberation. If passed by committee, it moves to the floor for a third reading, debate, and then a vote. To become law, it must pass both chambers—occasionally requiring a conference committee to resolve differences—before heading to the governor. The governor then has six days during session, or 40 days after adjournment (Sine Die), to sign, veto, or let the bill become law without signature. The General Assembly meets every year for a 40-day regular session starting on the second Monday in January.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB1080 | 01/28/2026 | Georgia Public Safety Support Fund Act; enact |
| HB870 | 03/27/2025 | Clayton County; ad valorem tax for county purposes; provide homestead exemption |
| HB779 | 03/18/2025 | Property; require landlords and managers of apartment buildings or complexes to provide local police and fire departments certain information |
| HB364 | 02/10/2025 | Income tax; allow a noncustodial parent to claim a tax credit based upon the federal qualified child and dependent care tax credit |
| HB286 | 02/05/2025 | Seed-Capital Fund; create a subfund to provide startup capital to certain small businesses; provisions |
| HB283 | 02/05/2025 | Motor vehicles; issuance of a refusal to sign citation; provide |
| HB231 | 02/04/2025 | Insurance; coverage of complementary and alternative therapies under certain conditions; provide |
| HB230 | 02/04/2025 | Income tax; tax credit for certain expenses incurred by taxpayers that sell new construction homes to certain individuals for up to a certain price; provide |
| HB229 | 02/04/2025 | Sales and use tax; exempt materials used in construction of capital outlay projects for educational purposes; provisions |
| HB138 | 01/27/2025 | Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council; establish basic and in-service training courses on de-escalation techniques and methods |
Information for this report was obtained from the Georgia State House. Access the source data here.
