§ 50-21-26 — Notice of claim against state; time for commencement of action; examination of records to facilitate investigation of claims; confidential nature of documents and information furnished

(a) No person, firm, or corporation having a tort claim against the state under this article shall bring any action against the state upon such claim without first giving notice of the claim as follows: (1) Notice of a claim shall be given in writing within 12 months of the date the loss was discovered or should have been discovered; provided, however, that for tort claims and causes of action which accrued between January 1, 1991, and July 1, 1992, notice of claim shall be given in writing within 12 months after July 1, 1992; (2) Notice of a claim shall be given in writing and shall be mailed by certified mail or statutory overnight delivery, return receipt requested, or delivered personally to and a receipt obtained from the Risk Management Division of the Department of Administrative Services. In addition, a copy shall be delivered personally to or mailed by first-class mail to the state government entity, the act or omissions of which are asserted as the basis of the claim. Each state government entity may designate an office or officer within that state government entity to whom a notice of claim is to be delivered or mailed; (3) No action against the state under this article shall be commenced and the courts shall have no jurisdiction thereof unless and until a written notice of claim has been timely presented to the state as provided in this subsection; (4) Any complaint filed pursuant to this article must have a copy of the notice of claim presented to the Department of Administrative Services together with the certified mail or statutory overnight delivery receipt or receipt for other delivery attached as exhibits. If failure to attach such exhibits to the complaint is not cured within 30 days after the state raises such issue by motion, then the complaint shall be dismissed without prejudice; and (5) A notice of claim under this Code section shall state, to the extent of the claimant's knowledge and belief and as may be practicable under the circumstances, the following: (A) The name of the state government entity, the acts or omissions of which are asserted as the basis of the claim; (B) The time of the transaction or occurrence out of which the loss arose; (C) The place of the transaction or occurrence; (D) The nature of the loss suffered; (E) The amount of the loss claimed; and (F) The acts or omissions which caused the loss. (b) No action may be commenced under this article following presentation of a notice of claim until either the Department of Administrative Services has denied the claim or more than 90 days have elapsed after the presentation of the notice of claim without action by the Department of Administrative Services, whichever occurs first. (c) The Department of Administrative Services shall have the authority to examine and copy any records of any state government entity to facilitate the investigation of a claim. Each state government entity shall make available to the Department of Administrative Services, incidental to any investigation of a claim, all such records notwithstanding any other provision of law which designates such records as confidential or which prohibits disclosure of such records; provided, however, that the Department of Administrative Services shall be bound by such provision of law and shall not make further disclosure of such records except as permitted by such provision of law. The Department of Administrative Services may enforce the authority granted under this subsection by subpoena which may be enforced, upon application by the department, by the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia, in the same manner as subpoenas issued under Chapter 13 of this title, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act," may be enforced. (d) Any document or information gathered or prepared by the Department of Administrative Services in connection with the investigation undertaken as a result of the notice of claim shall be considered privileged and confidential and shall not be subject to discovery by any claimant in any proceeding under this article except as otherwise provided by law.