Georgia’s HB 987 (Voluntary Portable Benefits Act) passed the House Workforce and Labor Committee on January 29, 2026. This bill would allow independent contractors to access portable benefits like health insurance, paid time off, retirement savings, and emergency funds without losing their independent status or risking reclassification as employees.
Introduced by Rep. Todd Jones (R), the bill permits voluntary contributions from companies or individuals to worker-controlled accounts. It explicitly clarifies that such contributions do not create an employer-employee relationship, removing current legal barriers in Georgia’s employment security code. The measure is not a mandate—businesses opt in if they choose, potentially using it to attract talent in competitive markets.
Many of Georgia’s 1.1 million independent workers lack affordable benefits, despite strong demand—surveys show up to 80% of self-employed want portable options. Real-world pilots, like DoorDash’s program, show success with approximately 25% voluntary opt-in DoorDashers. Nearly 34% used funds used mainly for emergencies and 31% PTO, with 73% reporting these funds gave them greater financial security and 84% preferring to stay independent with these benefits.
Women often choose freelancing for flexibility to balance raising a family or caregiving. Nearly half of independent workers are women and portable benefits would help them maintain that freedom.
Critics argue that proposals for portable benefits present a false choice between worker flexibility and genuine security by offering only meager, voluntary, account-based perks as a substitute for full employee protections, while serving as a Trojan horse for companies to entrench misclassification, avoid employer obligations, and create a second-tier workforce without addressing underlying exploitation in the gig economy.
In a legislative session focused on affordability and economic opportunity, HB 987 offers Georgia a practical, no-mandate path to modernize worker benefits, boosting financial security for freelancers, reducing reliance on public programs, and helping families thrive without sacrificing the independence that draws so many to self-employment. With strong momentum from successful pilots and growing support across states, the bill now heads to the House Rules Committee, which reviews legislation, sets debate rules, and schedules bills for a full House floor vote. If approved by the House, it would then advance to the Senate for consideration.