SB 604 Georgia Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Crimes and Offenses; the Attorney General concurrent jurisdiction with district attorneys to conduct criminal prosecutions of violent crimes, illegal immigration offenses, and fentanyl offenses; provide

Summary

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 the Attorney General concurrent jurisdiction with district attorneys to conduct criminal prosecutions of violent crimes, illegal immigration offenses, and fentanyl offenses; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 25, 2026 Last action Mar 19, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

As Introduced LC 47 4119 → As Passed Senate · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was significantly rewritten during its passage through the Senate, shifting its primary focus from granting the Attorney General broad concurrent jurisdiction over violent crimes and immigration offenses to establishing a specific process for appointing substitute prosecutors when a district attorney is disqualified. The original language requiring the Attorney General to wait 90 days before intervening was removed, replaced with a streamlined notification process where the Attorney General can be offered the opportunity to prosecute before other appointees.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed from a broad grant of concurrent jurisdiction over multiple crime categories to a specific mechanism for filling vacancies when a district attorney is disqualified, while still allowing the Attorney General to request assistance for specific serious offenses.

ENFORCEMENT

Removed the Attorney General's automatic concurrent jurisdiction over violent crimes, illegal immigration, and fentanyl offenses, replacing it with a system where the Attorney General must be notified and given the option to prosecute before other appointees are selected.

Deleted the 90-day waiting period requirement that previously prevented the Attorney General from intervening in a prosecution until at least 90 days after notice was given to the local district attorney.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement that when a district attorney's office is disqualified, they must notify the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council, which then has specific steps to appoint a substitute, with the Attorney General receiving priority consideration before other candidates.

SCOPE

Changed the bill's primary purpose from expanding the Attorney General's jurisdiction to amending provisions about appointing substitute prosecutors when a district attorney is absent or disqualified.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 6, 2026

How they voted

41–2

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 48

Mar 6, 2026

D Democratic19

14 Yea 2 Nay 3

73% Yea

R Republican29

27 Yea 2

93% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

House Committee Favorably Reported

lower

Mar 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute

upper

Mar 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Committee

Senate Read and Referred

upper

Feb 25, 2026

Introduced

Senate Hopper

upper

3 primary · 0 co-sponsors