State Sen. Marty Harbin has introduced new legislation in the Georgia Senate designed to clarify how rental home marketplace guarantees are regulated, according to the Georgia State Senate.
The proposal, known as SB503, was filed Thursday, Feb. 12 in the 2026 regular session of the 158th General Assembly and is formally titled: ’Insurance; rental home marketplace guarantees from the definition of property insurance; exempt’.
The following breakdown is based on the bill’s official text and incorporates interpretation to help explain its details.
This legislation would update Georgia insurance statutes by stating that select rental home marketplace guarantees are not classified as property insurance if they satisfy prescribed criteria. These providers must secure a reimbursement insurance policy from either an authorized or surplus lines insurer, add a clear notice that the agreement is not an insurance contract, transparently disclose all terms, limits and exclusions, and follow registration mandates from the insurance commissioner. The proposal provides definitions for “rental home marketplace,” “rental home marketplace guarantee” and “provider,” specifying the scope of covered platforms and agreements.
Co-sponsors include Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (Republican-52nd), Sen. Larry Walker, III (Republican-20th), Sen. Rick Williams (Republican-25th), and five additional senators.
Since this session began, Harbin has introduced 11 other bills, with one having been enacted.
Harbin earned a BA from Georgia State University in 1977.
A Republican, Harbin was first elected in 2015 to represent Georgia’s 16th Senate District, succeeding former state senator Ronnie Chance.
In Georgia, the legislative process begins with a lawmaker, often at the request of a constituent, collaborating with the Office of Legislative Counsel to draft a bill. Once filed with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate, the draft receives its first reading and is sent to committee for in-depth consideration. If the committee approves, it proceeds to the chamber floor for a third reading, debate, and vote. Legislation must pass both chambers—sometimes requiring a conference committee if there are version 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 Georgia General Assembly meets annually for a 40-day session starting on the second Monday in January.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| SB441 | 01/29/2026 | Local Government Investment Pool; certain pooled investments to be approved by the State Depository Board; require |
| SB426 | 01/27/2026 | Education; high school students seeking a high school diploma to achieve a minimum score of 70 percent on the United States Citizenship Civics Test; require |
| SB425 | 01/27/2026 | Education; all schools that receive state funding with students in any of grades three through five to provide instruction in cursive handwriting to all students by no later than third grade; require |
| SB424 | 01/27/2026 | “Transactional Gold and Silver Act”; enact |
| SB399 | 01/14/2026 | “Mason Sells AED Coordination Act”; enact |
| SB325 | 03/05/2025 | Education; local school systems and public schools to employ or accept as volunteers school chaplains; authorize |
| SB324 | 03/05/2025 | Life Insurance; certain protections for life insurance policyholders and beneficiaries; provide |
| SB261 | 02/26/2025 | Magistrates Retirement Fund; early retirement benefit; provide |
| SB120 | 02/06/2025 | Education; public schools, local education agencies, and public postsecondary institutions shall not promote, support, or maintain any programs or activities that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion |
| SB121 | 02/06/2025 | Uninsured Motorist Coverage; minimum required under motor vehicle liability policies for a individual convicted of driving under the influence or reckless driving; increase |
| SB46 | 01/28/2025 | “Government Serves the People Act”; enact |
Information for this article comes from the Georgia State Senate. Source data is available here.
