HB 10 Georgia House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia Booking Photo Privacy Protection Act; enact

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 35-1-19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the prohibition of disclosure of arrest booking photographs, so as to strengthen protections for individuals who have not been convicted of crimes; to provide for a short title; to provide for a definition; to provide for removal procedures for remove-for-pay publications and websites; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2025 Last action Apr 4, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

LC 48 1353/a → LC 48 1578S/hs · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to strengthen privacy protections by prohibiting law enforcement from releasing booking photos until an individual is convicted. The changes also introduce stricter rules for news organizations requesting photos, add a civil lawsuit mechanism for individuals to force removal of photos, and ban publications from charging fees to delete these images.

Scope change

The scope of the bill expanded to include a new civil cause of action for individuals and added specific restrictions on how news media organizations can request booking photographs.

REQUIREMENT

Law enforcement agencies are now prohibited from posting or releasing booking photographs to the public or websites unless the individual has been convicted of the offense.

Publications and websites are banned from soliciting or accepting fees to remove booking photographs, and must remove them within ten days of a valid request.

ENFORCEMENT

A new civil cause of action allows individuals to sue for injunctions and daily penalties if a publication fails to remove a booking photo within ten days of a written request.

ELIGIBILITY

Requests for booking photos by news media organizations now require a sworn statement affirming the organization does not profit from publishing these images and complies with the law.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'remove-for-pay publication' was updated to clarify that it includes any entity charging fees for removal or using photos for profit.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 4, 2025

Committee

House Withdrawn, Recommitted

lower

Mar 6, 2025

Lower · Passed

House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

lower

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

House Withdrawn, Recommitted

lower

Jan 13, 2025

Introduced

House Hopper

lower

4 primary · 0 co-sponsors