Criminal Justice

introduced · Georgia · House Feb 5, 2026

HB 1175: Crimes; offense of theft by shoplifting of essential items; provide

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 8 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to theft, so as to provide for the offense of theft by shoplifting of essential items; to provide for penalty and for prosecution by citation; to provide for punishment; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new offense for shoplifting essential items, expanding criminalization without reform measures or reduced penalties.90% confidence

Track

in committee · Georgia · Senate Feb 25, 2026

SB 563: "Juvenile Second Chance Record Confidentiality Act"; enact

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 9 of Chapter 11 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to access to hearing and records relative to the juvenile code, so as to provide for the automatic sealing of files and records in certain circumstances; to provide for exceptions; to provide a short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAutomatically seals juvenile records to reduce barriers to rehabilitation and lower recidivism, aligning with criminal justice reform principles.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice

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introduced · Georgia · House Feb 11, 2026

HB 1248: Georgia Cannabis Freedom and Integrity Act; enact

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to crimes and offenses, so as to provide for the regulation, licensure, taxation, and use of cannabis; to authorize counties and municipal corporations to adopt certain ordinances; to amend Code Section 36-1-20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to ordinances for governing and policing of unincorporated areas of county, so as to authorize counties to adopt ordinances governing and punishing the possession of two ounces or less of marijuana; to provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly includes 'taxation' as a core component for cannabis regulation, directly engaging with tax policy under Budget & Taxes.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill legalizes cannabis regulation, removing criminal penalties for possession/use and reducing incarceration - a key criminal justice reform. Directly amends criminal code to eliminate cannabis offenses.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

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in committee · Georgia · Senate Feb 10, 2026

SB 483: Law Enforcement Officers and Agencies; covered immigration officers to wear body cameras during public immigration enforcement functions; require

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding law enforcement officers and agencies, so as to require covered immigration officers to wear body cameras during public immigration enforcement functions; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires body cameras for immigration enforcement, enhancing accountability and transparency in law enforcement interactions per criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Georgia · House Mar 3, 2026

HB 1223: Local government; provide exemption from disclosing audio and video recordings captured by law enforcement when such recordings depict a person's death

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 50-18-72, relating to when public disclosure not required, so as to provide for an exemption from disclosing audio and video recordings captured by law enforcement when such recordings depict a person's death; to provide for exceptions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill exempts law enforcement death recordings from disclosure, reducing transparency and weakening oversight of law enforcement, a core criminal justice reform element.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Georgia · House Feb 19, 2026

HB 1265: Traffic offenses; fleeing or attempting to elude a pursuing vehicle or law enforcement officer performing duties; provisions

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 15 of Chapter 6 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to serious traffic offenses, so as to create an offense for fleeing or attempting to elude a pursuing vehicle or law enforcement officer performing duties on behalf of the Capitol Police Division, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, or Uniform Division of the Department of Public Safety; to provide for penalties based on the distance a person fled or otherwise attempted to elude a pursuing vehicle or law enforcement officer performing duties on behalf of the Department of Public Safety; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new offense with penalties for fleeing police, expanding criminalization of traffic violations without reform indicators.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill creates penalties for fleeing law enforcement during traffic pursuits, enhancing road safety and traffic regulation compliance within transportation policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing Vehicle Registration

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passed · Georgia · Senate Mar 27, 2026

SB 572: Criminal Prosecutions; an additional justification for use of force in defense of self or others; provide

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to justification and excuse in defenses to criminal prosecutions, so as to provide for an additional justification for use of force in defense of self or others; to amend Code Section 51-11-9 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to no duty to retreat and immunity in certain instances of threat or use of force, so as to extend immunity from civil liability in justified use of force cases to legal representatives and heirs of the person against whom force was used; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill expands self-defense justification in criminal prosecutions, enhancing defendant rights and aligning with civil rights protections in defense cases.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

Track

in committee · Georgia · House Feb 26, 2026

HB 1398: Georgia Child Care Alternatives, Resources, and Education Act; Trixtian's Law; enact

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 4 of Title 17 of the O.C.G.A., relating to arrest by law enforcement officers generally, so as to revise provisions relating to the arrests of pregnant women; to provide that women who have been arrested are offered pregnancy testing within a certain time of detention; to provide limitations on the use and disclosure of such information; to provide for bond; to provide for bond limitations; to amend Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 42 of the O.C.G.A., relating to inmate policies, so as to revise provisions relating to the treatment during incarceration of pregnant and postpartum women; to provide for definitions; to establish certain sentencing requirements for pregnant and postpartum women; to provide for related matters; to provide for short titles; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates pregnancy testing for arrested pregnant women with privacy protections, advancing civil rights in criminal justice processing.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Law Enforcement Sentencing

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in committee · Georgia · Senate Feb 25, 2026

SB 558: Controlled Substances; possession of certain quantities of marijuana constitute a misdemeanor; provide

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 13 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to controlled substances, so as to provide that possession of certain quantities of marijuana constitute a misdemeanor; to revise a definition; to change provisions relating to punishment; to amend Title 15, Title 16, Title 17, and Code Section 36-32-6 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to courts, crimes and offenses, criminal procedure, and municipal court jurisdiction in marijuana possession cases, respectively, so as to provide for conforming cross-references; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeReduces marijuana possession penalties from felony to misdemeanor, aligning with criminal justice reform by lowering incarceration rates and reducing criminalization of minor offenses.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Drug Policy

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passed · Georgia · Senate Mar 27, 2026

SB 482: Law Enforcement Officers and Agencies; persons requesting booking photographs to provide the first and last names of the individuals in the photographs; require

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding law enforcement officers and agencies, so as to require persons requesting booking photographs to provide the first and last names of the individuals in the photographs; to require requests for booking photographs to be made as separate requests; 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 names for booking photo requests, enhancing privacy protections in law enforcement data access per Georgia law.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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