2024 Legislative Priorities and Bill Tracker – Southern Center for Human Rights

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The 2023-2024 biennial legislative session in the Georgia General Assembly is underway. The Southern Center for Human Rights is committed to decriminalizing race and poverty in America’s Deep South and our policy priorities this session reflect that commitment. SCHR works to advance proactive and defensive strategies that protect marginalized communities. Every year, we identify discrete issues that will demand most of our attention.

SCHR opposes all legislation that relies on enhancing penalties within and expanding the reach of the criminal legal system. Each session, however, we are forced to prioritize certain bills for our active legislative advocacy. These bills represent those on which our staff are actively engaged with legislators and community stakeholders. Other potentially harmful bills are noted in this updated as “SCHR Opposes & Is Monitoring.”

Our 2024 policy priorities at the legislature will be:

Implementing Death Penalty Intellectual Disability Law Reform

Georgia is a dangerous outlier when it comes to protecting people with intellectual disability from execution. Since 2002, Southern Center has worked to reform Georgia’s statute, which is the only one in the country to set the standard of proof for establishing ID at “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Georgia is also the only state to require juries to deliberate ID while deliberating guilt.

We created this advocacy toolkit for organizations to use when educating their supporters about these important issues and will work with coalition partners to support lawmakers looking to change the standard of proof and remove the ID determination from the guilt phase of trial.

Ending Juvenile Life without Parole

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia sentences more children to die in prison than any other state. This has dire consequences for not only those children, but also the communities who lose them. We will work with our partners to support lawmakers seeking to end the practice of sentencing children to spend their entire lives behind bars.

Improving Conditions of Confinement in Georgia

Ensuring that people in Georgia’s jails and prisons are not subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment. In addition to frequent litigation on this issue, we must promote legislative solutions that hold state actors to their duty to protect incarcerated people.

The Georgia Senate has initiated an investigation into conditions at Fulton County Jail even as some of those legislators continue to propose policies expanding wealth-based detention. We are committed to supporting legislators in understanding the root causes of the dysfunction in Fulton County while addressing the ways lawmakers can reduce harm in local jails.

Mitigating Harms of Wealth-Based Detention

We know that cash bail and excessive monetary obligations disproportionately impact Black, brown and poor people in the criminal legal system. These practices also contribute to deplorable conditions in jails and prisons, including overcrowding and violence. We will work with lawmakers to ensure that Georgia does not yet again expand cash bail.

Improving Data Collection Related to State-Sanctioned Violence

After working on a bi-partisan basis to repeal Citizen’s Arrest in Georgia, we committed to monitoring the impact of data tracking legislation we worked to pass last year.

Protecting the Right to Protest

We will continue to fight proposals like SB 359, which criminalizes protest by expanding Georgia’s RICO statute and creates criminal penalties for constitutionally protected activity.

2024 Bill Tracker

SCHR Actively Supports

Amending the Death Penalty

HB 1014 – Sponsor: Rep. Bill Werkheiser – Provides for Pretrial Proceedings when the Accused has an intellectual disability in capital offense cases where the death penalty is sought.
Final Status: House Committee Tabled.

Fighting Mass Incarceration

HB 126 – Sponsor: Rep. Tyler Paul Smith – Improves procedure related to out-of-time motions for new trial and appeals in criminal cases.
Final Status: Senate Moved to Appoint Conference Committee.

HB 462 – Sponsor: Rep. Mandi Ballinger – Raises the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to include 17-year-olds, pending funding.
Final Status: Assigned to Senate Judiciary.

HB 1054 – Sponsor: Rep. Yasmin Neal – Removes the arrest requirement for people who refuse to sign a traffic citation given by law enforcement for traffic offenses.
Final Status: Passed Senate Judiciary as Introduced.

HR 1416 – Sponsor: Rep. Yasmin Neal – Creates the House Study Committee on Felony Sentencing and Punishment in Georgia.
Final Status: Passed House Judiciary Non-Civil.

Eliminating Juvenile Life without Parole

HB 1214 - Sponsor: Rep. Yasmin Neal - Eliminates Juvenile Life without Parole.
Status: Assigned to House Juvenile Justice.

Eliminating Barriers to Reentry

HB 853 – Sponsor: Rep. Eric Bell – Allows people with drug convictions to be eligible for state financial aid and scholarships for post-secondary education.
Final Status: Assigned to House Higher Education.

HB 909 – Sponsor: Rep. Leesa Hagan- Provides for Restriction and Seal of First Offenders Act to the Public.
Final Status: Substituted into SB 512, Passed House Judiciary Non-Civil

HB 926 – Sponsor: Rep. Matt Reeves – Streamlines the process for drivers to reinstate their driver's license after a missed court date and expands the reinstatement fee waiver to fully cover DDS reinstatement fees.
Final Status: On the Governor’s Desk for Signature.

HB 1307 – Sponsor: Rep. El-Mahdi Holly – Establishes payment of market wages for prison labor and GDC tracking of labor and wages.
Final Status: Assigned to House Public Safety & Homeland Security.

SB 157 – Sponsor: Sen. Brian Strickland – Removes barriers in occupational licenses and expands access to record restriction.
Final Status: House Passed by Substitute. Needs Senate Agree.

SB 429 – Sponsor: Sen. Greg Dolezal – Creates the Small Business Protection Act of 2024. Amended to include language from HB 364, which creates a state board to review compensation for the wrongfully convicted.
Final Status: Senate removed wrongful conviction compensation provision. House did not agree.

SB 498 – Sponsor: Sen. Kim Jackson – Establishes the Georgia Interagency Council for Homelessness.
Final Status: Senate Tabled.

SB 512 – Sponsor: Sen. Shawn Still – Creates Victims of Human Trafficking Fund and the Victims of Human Trafficking Fund Commission, and was amended to include language from HB 909, which provides for the Restriction and Seal of First Offenders Act.
Final Status: House Passed by Substitute. Needs Senate Agree.

SCHR Actively Opposes

Expanding Mass Incarceration 

HB 167 – Sponsor: Rep. Martin Momtahan – Provides for the Justice for Victims of Drug-Induced Homicide Act and revises sentencing for violating controlled substance provisions where death or serious body injury results from substance use.
Final Status: Passed Senate Public Safety by Substitute.

HB 1056 – Sponsor: Rep. Kimberly New – Enhances penalties for those who manufacture, deliver, distribute, dispense, administer, sell, or possess with the intent to distribute any controlled substance, counterfeit substance, or marijuana when such violation involves a person 14 years of age or younger.
Final Status: Assigned to Judiciary Non-Civil.

SB 12 – Sponsor: Sen. John Albers – Imposes mandatory minimums for subsequent felonies involving abuse of a disabled adult, or elder person; increases penalties for possession of a firearm by a person with a felony conviction; expands venue options for gang cases; revises various evidence rules.
Final Status: House Passed by Substitute. Needs Senate Agree.

SB 465 – Sponsor: Sen. Russ Goodman – Establishes the offense of felony aggravated involuntary manslaughter.
Final Status: On the Governor’s Desk for Signature.

SB 485 – Sponsor: Sen. Harold Jones II – Allows certain offenses to be charged by accusation of a District Attorney.
Final Status: Senate Committee Tabled.

SB 490 – Sponsor: Sen. Bill Cowsert - Moves the felony aggravation level of felony fleeing and eluding up by one year.
Final Status: Passed House Public Safety & Homeland Security as Introduced.

HB 1283 - Sponsor: Rep. Holt Persinger – Allows for children who are accused of aggravated assault without the presence of a firearm to be tried as adults. This removes the loophole that prevented such prosecution.
Final Status: Passed Senate Judiciary as Introduced.

Criminalizing Poverty

SB 63 – Sponsor: Sen. Randy Robertson – Expands mandatory cash bail for 30 new offenses and criminalizes charitable organizations that post bond.
Status: On the Governor’s Desk for Signature.

SB 159 – Sponsor: Sen. Randy Robertson – Criminalizes bringing a cell phone behind the guard lines of a county or state penal institution.
Status:  On the Governor’s Desk for Signature.

Criminalization of First Amendment Activity & Political Dissent 

HB 500 – Sponsor: Rep. Deborah Silcox – Creates the offense of arson of a law enforcement vehicle.
Final Status: On the Governor’s Desk for Signature.

HB 505 – Sponsor: Mike Cheokas – Creates the felony offense of rioting, legalizes vehicular harm against protestors, and adds language from SB 523 that creates criminal offenses related to material support of terrorism, was heard in Senate Judiciary on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
Final Status: Senate Tabled.

HB 590 – Sponsor: Rep. Mike Cameron – Provide for the offense of Online Menacing of Police Officer.
Final Status: Passed House Judiciary Non-Civil by Substitute.

SB 359 – Sponsor: Sen. John Albers – Amends the definition of the pattern of racketeering activity under the Georgia RICO act to include the following designated misdemeanors, among others: littering, loitering, placement of signs and “harassing communications ... on basis of actual or perceived political affiliation or beliefs”. This conduct is already criminalized under the current Georgia Code section 16. These code articles are broad and not meant to contemplate these activities as serious felonies punishable by lengthy terms of imprisonment.
Final Status: Recommitted to Senate Judiciary.

SB 523 – Sponsor: Sen. Bo Hatchett – Creates criminal offenses related to material support of terrorism.
Final Status: Passed Senate Judiciary by Substitute.

State Sanctioned Violence

SB 517 – Sponsor: Sen. Randy Robertson – Provides law enforcement with civil immunity and protection from criminal prosecutions for justified or lawful use of force.
Final Status: On the Governor’s Desk.

Establishing the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Qualification Commission

SB 332 – Sponsor: Sen. Randy Robertson – Removes SCOGA from approving standards and rules of the PAQC.
Status: Signed by the Governor.

SCHR is Monitoring

Monitoring

HB 364 – Sponsor: Rep. Scott Holcomb - Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act.
Final Status: Assigned to the Senate Appropriations.

HB 425 – Sponsor: Rep. Joseph Gullett – Revises the state sex offender registry risk assessment classifications.
Final Status: Passed House Judiciary Non-Civil by Substitute.

HB 881 – Sponsor: Rep. Joseph Gullett – Amended to include language from SB 554, which extends the Georgia State Indemnification Fund to include officers who died from COVID-19, and HB 996, which grants POST certified jailers arrest powers.
Final Status: Senate Tabled.

HB 882 – Sponsor: Rep. Roger Bruce – Prohibits law enforcement officers and agencies from posting booking photographs until the individual is convicted.
Final Status: Passed House Judiciary Non-Civil by Substitute.

HB 930 – Sponsor: Rep. Jordan Ridley – Prohibits law enforcement agencies from posting booking photographs until the individual is convicted.
Final Status: Assigned to House Public Safety & Homeland Security.

HB 932 – Sponsor: Rep. Danny Mathis – Establishes the offense of drug-induced homicide.
Final Status: Assigned to House Judiciary Non-Civil.

HB 996 – Sponsor: Rep. Ken Vance – Provides jailers with arrest powers and requires HIV testing for those who have been accused of sexual assault 48 hours after consent or indictment.
Final Status: Passed Senate Judiciary by Substitute.

HB 1033 – Sponsor: Rep. Rob Leverett – Enhances penalties for assault, aggravated assault, battery, and aggravated battery against a utility worker.
Final Status: On the Governor’s Desk for Signature.

HB 1245 – Sponsor: Rep. Terry Cummings – Establishes the use and limitations of law enforcement facial recognition software.
Final Status: Assigned to House Public Safety & Homeland Security.

SB 335 – Sponsor: Sen. John Albers – Adds adopted children to incest offense.
Final Status: On the Governor’s Desk for Signature.

SB 533 – Sponsor: Sen. Brian Stickland – Establishes jail-based competency restoration programs.
Final Status: On the Governor’s Desk for Signature.

SR 570 – Sponsor: Sen. Randy Robertson – Creates the Senate Supporting Safety and Welfare of All Individuals in Department of Corrections Facilities Study Committee.
Final Status: Senate Adopted.

SCHR is Monitoring & Opposes

Monitoring & Opposes

HB 922 – Sponsor: Rep. Ken Vance – Provides that Entrance upon another’s property without consent shall be an offense of criminal trespass.
Final Status: Assigned to House Judiciary Non-Civil.

HB 1383 – Sponsor: Rep. Matt Reeves – Expands the authority of law enforcement officers to arrest without a warrant.
Final Status: Assigned to House Judiciary Non-Civil.

SB 31 – Sponsor: Sen. Brandon Beach – Permits the Attorney General to be reimbursed by a district attorney for expenses associated with prosecutions brought by the AG because the DA failed to prosecute the case.
Final Status: Recommitted to House Judiciary Non-Civil.

SB 36 – Sponsor: Sen. Randy Robertson – Increases penalties for pimping and pandering, allows private parties hosting a ticketed or gated event with alcohol to prohibit firearms, and adds language from HB 1383 to expand the state authority of federal law enforcement officers to arrest and detain without a warrant. Also substitutes HB 1022, Cruelty to Children against a Disabled Minor, HB 327, Incest with a Step-Grandchild, and HB 1361, Artificial Intelligence Child Porn, into SB 36.
Final Status: House Passed by Substitute. Needs Senate Agree.

SB 100 – Sponsor: Sen. Bo Hatchett – Limits unsecured judicial release when the accused has a prior conviction for the offense of bail jumping or failure to appear.
Final Status: Recommitted to Senate Judiciary.