[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6322495,"mediaKeyId","2347379-ca6be93787337e86f9d9c3c69001d48b","parentId",2347379,"title","Committee advances several bills: police abolition vote change, federal cooperation, and newborn safety devices","audioSeconds",1117,"startMs",7506000,"endMs",8623000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347379-ca6be93787337e86f9d9c3c69001d48b&start=7506&end=8623","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347379-ca6be93787337e86f9d9c3c69001d48b/thumbnail_7506000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6322495/Georgia/Committee-advances-several-bills-police-abolition-vote-change-federal-cooperation-and-newborn-safety-devices","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322495-3edf59b4fa935585c0ec7b5a0dd048a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771056546&Signature=Zjv-NzqKdgIS4Jfiff4Y2cQYTHSH~UDSrg40C4NvhHlW7Yyva1cAcnf2bKDHWJCIv-VaymtuqKU76iWC7cSn7JGFY2DOCtJHEDE9UX0JrozBXf4isdJHJrzPz-w9e~SHRPKL5UWNIsjiL6I0Wgd-I9-Tuz4Tv-cBp07uwPg-qTiLfwE6cCJy8bFExX6mBnU1Kf9Qy0zKOX~XYguL4ZBwkqPvP4-dR7CovtZnyx9xdJG6Ln0J2~YCN9P6KYiroenptoRyW5yFmfS6IkNc--GS5j85t8b6S1LrFNdktI-r~qGeJcs2QJffSmUh9k8nTf-kxiiY0-KTJ6-li5fOWKrfjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Georgia State Legislature","date","2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","article","The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee moved several bills forward in a sequence of brief presentations and votes.

- House Bill 309: The committee approved a bill that would require the same voter approval process to abolish a county police force that is currently required to create one. A sponsor explained the measure applies to county police departments and noted the change aligns creation and abolition procedures. The committee approved the bill by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

- House Bill 315: Sponsors said the measure provides a statutory basis for federal law enforcement to cooperate with local Georgia law enforcement upon local request — restoring a jurisdictional hook that some other states provide and that federal partners have requested. The committee adopted an amendment substituting the word “officer” for “personnel” on line 16 and then passed the bill as amended. Committee members discussed training equivalencies and definitions for law enforcement and asked sponsors to continue coordination on definitions for peace officers, correctional officers and post-certification procedures.

- House Bill 350: The committee advanced a bill authorizing placement and use of newborn safety devices (sometimes called “safe-haven” boxes) at eligible locations such as ambulance services, hospitals, police stations and fire stations. Testimony included adopters and advocates who described the device’s alarm and chain-of-custody features; witnesses recounted cases in which safe-surrender options saved infants. The committee approved HB 350 by voice vote.

Each of these measures was reported out of committee for the next House step; where applicable, sponsors and witnesses said they would continue working with stakeholders to address drafting and implementation details.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2.19.25 Public Safety & Homeland Security","oneSentenceSummary","After meeting, the committee advanced multiple bills by voice or amended votes: HB 309 (require public vote to abolish county police departments), HB 315 (restore broader federal-local cooperation — amended), and HB 350 (authorize newborn safety devices); HB 315 was amended to replace the word “personnel” with “officer.”","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Georgia , Georgia","taxId",77688,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6322500,"Committee passes bill giving property owners a civil path when local governments decline enforcement; advocates warn it will criminalize homelessness",4718,2774000,7492000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347379-ca6be93787337e86f9d9c3c69001d48b&start=2774&end=7492","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347379-ca6be93787337e86f9d9c3c69001d48b/thumbnail_2774000.jpg","/articles/6322500/Georgia/Committee-passes-bill-giving-property-owners-a-civil-path-when-local-governments-decline-enforcement-advocates-warn-it-will-criminalize-homelessness","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322500-8b17e7e4ecc0f555cf0daccdfd5d2d36/orig.mp4?Expires=1771056546&Signature=kuE5x-1a012zcMsnWr0Z9TWtPpdjXWfLiEp4QBOHVezdWXFrqD-KFRxONUiT-VAA6cCVVn5L9Z7PIK5wJl5jlUcHyhrHoBdVY87msmRcZULlL~RLCUxAOW97EaPvKwgfFa47u7oRrzPGfS1uoXgS6CZQvKT~cjMKmrP6-xGI2v6G8aXIjemlVJ5zxxkokLaj2J0Rz6NqaVeW~m4CEWVY~TLZ1VGXgaH--0qhYYxNHfcvEtZ3b2Ross2Mu0L~hFQEAQl2zT7HsVAKLM9sn-2693bZs7~ulE~P3bW5pWKFYjKTDQzGqoGGWcIMrEkqt7ojxs7L~T0hpxZBQZgig2FKGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee voted Wednesday to advance House Bill 295, a measure that would let owners or renters seek reimbursement or other remedies when a city or county declines to enforce certain local laws or ordinances—such as those addressing illegal camping, loitering, obstructing public ways and related offenses.

Vice Chairman Gaines, the bill sponsor, told the committee the intent is “to make sure that local governments are enforcing the laws on the books” and that financial consequences would “hit them in the pocketbook” to prompt enforcement. Gaines said the bill includes changes made after meetings with the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) and Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG), including clearer language on “policy, practice or pattern” and a provision limiting repeated unsuccessful claims.

Opponents—including legal, housing and homelessness service providers, faith groups and advocacy organizations—told the committee HB 295 would effectively increase criminal enforcement against people experiencing homelessness and make it harder for them to get housing. Testimony included lawyers and service providers describing how arrest records and missed court appearances make it more difficult for people to retain or obtain housing, and how criminalization can lead to higher public costs and worse health outcomes.

\"This bill will kill people,\" Amanda Leppard, a former street outreach worker who testified for a homelessness advocacy organization, said, citing research that forced encampment policies and relocations increase life-threatening infections and deaths over time. Several witnesses described instances in Atlanta and Fulton County in which homelessness, court involvement and fatal outcomes intersected.

Service providers and housing advocates urged the committee to direct resources to proven solutions—expanded housing vouchers, the Georgia Housing Voucher Program, the state housing trust fund and supportive services—instead of imposing litigation-based penalties on local governments. Multiple witnesses said arrests and incarceration are more costly than housing and that enforcement-focused approaches displace people from outreach and care.

Committee members debated narrow technical questions during the hearing, including the bill’s exemptions for district attorneys and solicitors and the meaning of “declining” enforcement in contexts of limited officer availability. Sponsor Gaines said the bill is aimed at systematic failures to enforce—\"not a single call where some one decision is made\"—and that provisions were included to avoid penalizing jurisdictions facing short-term capacity issues.

After several hours of testimony, the committee voted by a hand-counted roll-style signal. The motion to pass HB 295 carried 8–5.

Supporters of the bill argued it is designed to protect property owners and encourage local governments to act, not to criminalize poverty. Opponents said available evidence shows criminalization increases barriers to housing and health care and urged state investment in affordable housing and supportive services instead of litigation remedies.

The bill includes detailed provisions that (as discussed in committee) would remove repeated unsuccessful claimants’ procedural advantages and exempt certain elected county officials; the text also contemplates a process to avoid cases where one property owner repeatedly files unsuccessful claims. Stakeholders asked for additional clarifications and clean-up language, and several committee members suggested forming a subcommittee or further edits before the bill moves further in the House.","House Bill 295 would allow property owners or renters to seek damages or reimbursement when local governments repeatedly fail to enforce certain ordinances; the committee approved the bill 8–5 after extensive public testimony opposing the measure as likely to increase arrests of unhoused people and shift costs to litigation rather than housing.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6322505,"House committee advances bill to fund statewide NextGen 911 upgrade",1524,1212000,2736000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347379-ca6be93787337e86f9d9c3c69001d48b&start=1212&end=2736","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347379-ca6be93787337e86f9d9c3c69001d48b/thumbnail_1212000.jpg","/articles/6322505/Georgia/House-committee-advances-bill-to-fund-statewide-NextGen-911-upgrade","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322505-1b1550b0aa67f9e84ee50916ab2a969d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771056546&Signature=BXFUQoiGObvatnqWeDne06nuGFr1mifk9FbbPzJbFdrx06yN1C-2laYadaYoCgSBLAYcSQ0rxqxUpZcYno4-tnTfC-1IGh-R4pFyf5Pk49iXPdRKu7mIPH8W5mmrpS58CRIbOcuxVmHMnZv2Y-ODsx1xTSsaK5b75njIfIA2C5WQkw6CiSxS5uagrP6OKUKKrYXbYQl8WOAqgb7XQKPsBbF-x4I2eMMfoeEG7FUre3z-GXGGwb9hj836k1RbGzcskSjKPsILffB1PN~ucN-oTw5paQcW2CfNsMoeISJFliaxH1wTFc~kM3Xjyp1bPgikhROXb20vQGtsn7y-09YMNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House members on the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee advanced legislation Wednesday to direct the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority to lead procurement, implementation and oversight of a statewide Next Generation 911 (NG911) system.

The bill, House Bill 423, would amend GECA’s duties and expand the authority’s board to include representatives from information technology, cybersecurity and geographic information systems so that “these agencies are having crossover communication,” Representative [Wade] said while presenting the measure.

Supporters told the committee that Georgia’s current 911 infrastructure is aging and, if not updated, could leave centers isolated as telecom companies decommission copper lines. “NextGen 911 will increase caller location accuracy reported to the 911 center,” Alicia Rucker Wright, deputy executive director of the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority, told the committee. She said NG911 routes calls, messages and data based on a caller’s GIS location and would allow text, voice-memo and other modern communication types to reach the appropriate center.

The bill would also add an enforcement mechanism for centers that connect to the statewide network so they must comply with industry standards required for interoperability, Rucker Wright said. Committee members repeatedly asked whether enforcement would strip local authority; Rucker Wright said enforcement would apply only to entities that “wish to connect to the statewide network” and must meet “the requirements of that network.”

Representative Wade said the initial first-year state appropriation under discussion in the Legislature is between $5,000,000 and $8,030,000. He and GECA staff said a fee study or other future legislation could be used to help cover ongoing costs as more local centers opt in. GECA told the committee 16 communities already use a NG911 solution and that roughly 80% of another set of 40 counties have signaled commitment or are analyzing adoption.

Committee members asked practical questions about improved routing near jurisdictional borders, vendor choice and whether “NextGen” denotes a single vendor. Rucker Wright and the bill’s sponsor clarified that “Next Generation 911” describes a class of technology rather than a single vendor and that the state would not mandate a single supplier; the state could pursue economies of scale through a competitive procurement.

After questions, a motion to pass the bill was made and seconded; the committee approved the measure by voice vote.

If enacted, HB 423 would expand GECA’s statutory role, require standards-based connectivity for the statewide network, and authorize initial state funding to begin a phased rollout and local opt-in. Supporters included the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG), Georgia 9-1-1 directors, the Georgia Sheriffs Association, the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, according to testimony and sponsor remarks.

The bill will proceed to the next step in the House process.","Lawmakers heard testimony on House Bill 423 to expand the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority's duties to deploy Next Generation 911, including initial state funding estimates of $5 million–$8.03 million and added cybersecurity and GIS representation on GECA's board.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advances several bills: police abolition vote change, federal cooperation, and newborn safety devices

Committee passes bill giving property owners a civil path when local governments decline enforcement; advocates warn it will criminalize homelessness

House committee advances bill to fund statewide NextGen 911 upgrade