Criminal Justice

signed · Georgia · House May 5, 2026

HB 483: Crimes and offenses; protections for inspectors of code enforcement; provide

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to assault and battery, so as to provide for protections for inspectors of code enforcement; to provide for definitions; to provide for enhanced penalties for simple assault, aggravated assault, simple battery, battery, and aggravated battery committed upon inspectors of code enforcement in certain circumstances; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill enhances penalties for assaults on code enforcement inspectors, directly impacting sentencing within criminal justice system.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Georgia · House May 5, 2026

HB 162: Georgia Bureau of Investigation; restriction and seal of First Offender Act sentences until such status is revoked; provide

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 3 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, so as to provide for the restriction and seal of First Offender Act sentences until such status is revoked; to amend Article 3 of Chapter 8 of Title 42 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to first offenders relative to probation, so as to provide for the restriction and seal of first offender sentences at the time of sentencing; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeSeals First Offender Act sentences to reduce barriers for individuals, aligning with criminal justice reform goals of reducing recidivism and improving rehabilitation access.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Georgia · House May 5, 2026

HB 535: Penal institutions; credit for time served regarding probation revocation sentencing; provide

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 42-8-38 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to arrest or graduated sanctions for probationers violating terms, hearing, disposition of charge, and procedure when probation revoked in county other than that of conviction, so as to provide for credit for time served regarding probation revocation sentencing; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill provides credit for time served during probation revocation, reducing unnecessary incarceration and aligning with criminal justice reform principles of equitable sentencing.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

passed both · Georgia · House Apr 2, 2026

HB 309: Local government; require adoption of a resolution or ordinance and voter approval prior to abolishment of a police force that was created by such method

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 8 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to county police, so as to require adoption of a resolution or ordinance and voter approval prior to abolishment of a police force that was created by such method; to provide for a referendum; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill requires voter approval before abolishing police forces, protecting existing law enforcement structure as a criminal justice policy.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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signed · Georgia · Senate Jul 1, 2025

SB 147: Correctional Institutions of State and Counties; consent for the release of certain criminal history, vocational, and educational information for inmates upon release; provide

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 42 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to conditions of detention generally relative to correctional institutions of state and counties, so as to provide consent for the release of certain criminal history, vocational, and educational information for inmates upon release; to provide for issuance of an identification card and a Program and Treatment Completion Certificate; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProvides consent for release of inmate vocational/educational info and completion certificates to aid post-release reintegration, reducing recidivism through rehabilitation support.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Georgia · Senate Jul 1, 2025

SB 132: Insanity and Mental Incapacity; hearing before a court orders an evaluation of the mental competency of an accused person to stand trial; require

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 7 of Title 17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to insanity and mental incapacity, so as to require a hearing before a court orders an evaluation of the mental competency of an accused person to stand trial; to provide for the release of reports of such evaluations; to establish different procedures in cases where the subject has been accused only of one or more nonviolent misdemeanor offenses, including automatic dismissal in some cases, subject to exceptions; to provide for such different procedures and such exceptions; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires court hearing before mental competency evaluation, protecting defendant rights in criminal proceedings per Georgia bill SB 132.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Georgia · Senate Jul 1, 2025

SB 79: "Fentanyl Eradication and Removal Act"; enact

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 16 of the O.C.G.A., relating to crimes and offenses, so as to revise threshold amounts of fentanyl and related substances necessary to constitute the offenses of possessing, selling, distributing, and manufacturing of such substances; to revise mandatory minimum departure provisions for defendants convicted of trafficking of substances in violation of Code Section 16-13-31, relating to trafficking in cocaine, illegal drugs, marijuana, or methamphetamine and penalties; to amend various titles of the O.C.G.A., so as to provide for conforming changes; to provide for an effective date; to provide for applicability; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short title; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeLowers fentanyl offense thresholds and strengthens mandatory minimums for drug trafficking, increasing criminalization and harsher sentencing without reform elements.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Georgia · House Jul 1, 2025

HB 238: Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council; create and maintain an at-risk adult training course focusing on officer response to individuals with Alzheimer's disease or dementia

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 8 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to employment and training of police officers, so as to require the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council to create and maintain an at-risk adult training course focusing on officer response to individuals with Alzheimer's disease or dementia; to provide for requirements for such course; to provide for collaborative course development with the Division of Aging Services; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires police training on responding to dementia patients, enhancing officer accountability and reducing potential misuse of force during encounters with vulnerable adults.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Georgia · House May 13, 2025

HB 123: Criminal procedure; pretrial proceedings in capital offense cases where the death penalty is sought when the accused has an intellectual disability; provide

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to criminal procedure, so as to provide for pretrial proceedings in capital offense cases where the death penalty is sought when the accused has intellectual disability; to provide for a definition; to provide for notice of intent to claim intellectual disability; to provide for pretrial determination of intellectual disability; to provide for verdicts; to provide for capital case procedures; to provide for reports investigating reversible error; to provide for a standard of review; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates pretrial determination of intellectual disability in capital cases, protecting defendant rights per Atkins v. Virginia standards, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

passed · Georgia · House Mar 10, 2025

HR 128: Watkins, Mr. Joseph Samuel; compensate

This resolution compensates Joseph Samuel Watkins for his wrongful conviction and 22 years of incarceration following his exoneration in 2023. It directs the state to pay $1,688,527.40 total - $535,000 as an initial lump sum and the remainder as a 10-year annuity starting in 2026 - to Watkins for his losses. Watkins must sign a waiver releasing Georgia from all future claims related to his case. The resolution applies solely to Watkins and does not establish a general compensation program for exonerees in Georgia.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCompensates wrongful conviction victim, aligning with civil rights protection and criminal justice reform by addressing systemic failure.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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