Criminal Justice

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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands juvenile court jurisdiction to include 17-year-olds, aligning with rehabilitation-focused reform by keeping youth in juvenile system instead of adult courts.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Georgia · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 967: Criminal Justice Coordinating Council; provide financial assistance to law enforcement agencies to equip certain motor vehicles with bullet-resistant features; establish grant program

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 6A of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, so as to establish a grant program to provide financial assistance to law enforcement agencies to equip certain motor vehicles with bullet-resistant features; to provide a definition; to establish criteria and procedures for such grants; to require reporting from grant recipients; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds bullet-resistant vehicle upgrades for law enforcement, enhancing officer safety and operational capability within criminal justice system.90% 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 · 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 Jul 1, 2025

HB 582: Georgia Survivor Justice Act; enact

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Titles 16, 17, and 24 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to crimes and offenses, criminal procedure, and evidence, respectively, so as to provide for defendants to support a justification defense by offering evidence of family violence, dating violence, or child abuse committed by the alleged victim; to provide a privilege for participation in victim centered programs and victim-offender dialogues; to provide for definitions; to provide for limitations; to provide for civil immunity for facilitators in certain circumstances; to provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEnables defendants to present evidence of victim's prior abuse as justification defense, promotes victim-centered programs, and aligns with criminal justice reform by enhancing due process and reducing wrongful convictions.90% 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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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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill legalizes medical cannabis, reducing criminal penalties for low THC oil and aligning with criminal justice reform by decreasing unnecessary criminalization.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill legalizes medical cannabis access, expanding patient treatment options under healthcare services per its title and summary.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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