Issue · Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice

Every criminal justice bill, vote, and legislator stance in Georgia, automatically classified by Maddy, our AI policy reader.

Total bills
19
2025-2026 Regular Session
Top supporter
Michael Smith
100% support rate
Top opponent
Tim Bearden
24% support rate
Ranked legislators
10
5 support · 5 oppose
Key legislators

Who's moving criminal justice in Georgia

Legislators moving criminal justice in Georgia
Legislator Party Stance Support rate Decisive votes
Michael Smith
Michael Smith House · District 41
D
Strong +
100% 8
Scott Holcomb
Scott Holcomb House · District 101
D
Strong +
100% 8
Steven McNeel
Steven McNeel Senate · District 18
R
Strong +
100% 7
Yasmin Neal
Yasmin Neal House · District 79
D
Strong +
100% 5
Debbie Buckner
Debbie Buckner House · District 137
D
Strong +
88% 8
Tim Bearden
Tim Bearden Senate · District 30
R
Oppose
24% 17
Emory Dunahoo
Emory Dunahoo House · District 31
R
Oppose
25% 8
Gary Richardson
Gary Richardson House · District 125
R
Oppose
25% 8
Johnny Chastain
Johnny Chastain House · District 7
R
Oppose
25% 8
Josh Bonner
Josh Bonner House · District 73
R
Oppose
25% 8
Showing 11–19 of 19 bills

All criminal justice bills

passed · Georgia · House Apr 2, 2026

HB 1142: Courts; require certain agreements for certain offenses to be eligible for a Pretrial Intervention and Diversion Program

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Titles 15 and 19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to courts and domestic relations, respectively, so as to require certain agreements for certain offenses to be eligible for a Pretrial Intervention and Diversion Program; provide for the creation of a registry of recidivist domestic violence offenders; to provide for the maintenance of such registry; to provide for clerks of court to provide certain information to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; to provide for the registration of recidivist domestic violence offenders; to provide for the assessment of fees on recidivist domestic violence offenders; to provide for the removal of recidivist domestic violence offenders after a period of time; to provide for definitions; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
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.
passed both · Georgia · Senate Mar 31, 2026

SB 398: Wiretapping, Eavesdropping, Surveillance, and Related Offenses; criminal offenses of virtual peeping; establish

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to wiretapping, eavesdropping, surveillance, and related offenses, so as to establish criminal offenses of virtual peeping; to prohibit the use of a generative artificial intelligence system to generate images of individuals with the knowledge that such generation was without authorization or consent; to provide for penalties; to provide for an exception; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
passed · Georgia · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 1061: Mandi Ballinger Act; enact

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 11 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Juvenile Code, so as to enact the "Mandi Ballinger Act"; to provide for an implementation committee; to provide for the powers, composition, and appointment of such committee; to change the jurisdiction of the juvenile court to include certain children who are 17 years of age; to amend Titles 15, 16, 17, 27, 37, 42, and 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to courts, crimes and offenses, criminal procedure, game and fish, mental health, penal institutions, and social services, respectively, so as to make conforming cross-references; to provide for effective dates and automatic repeal under certain circumstances; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
passed · Georgia · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 1076: Crimes and offenses; create felony offense of obstruction of a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 10 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to obstruction of public administration and related offenses, so as to create the felony offense of obstruction of a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle; to provide for punishment; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
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.
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.
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.
passed · Georgia · House Feb 28, 2025

HB 227: Putting Georgia's Patients First Act; enact

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend various provisions of the O.C.G.A., so as to rename low THC oil as medical cannabis; to amend Chapter 12 of Title 16, Article 2 of Chapter 13 of Title 16, and Article 1 of Chapter 2A of Title 31 of the O.C.G.A., relating to offenses against the public health and morals, regulation of controlled substances, and general provisions relative to the Department of Public Health, respectively, so as to clarify and revise criminal penalties; to clarify and revise exemptions to criminal penalties; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Showing 11 to 19 of 19 bills