[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6053813,"mediaKeyId","3352854-69d68ebcdf16e126a24bd1e4786ec68c","parentId",3352854,"title","Panel clears changes to flood-disclosure law and adds penalty/anti-lien language; amendment narrows attorney-fees language","audioSeconds",693,"startMs",3981000,"endMs",4674000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3352854-69d68ebcdf16e126a24bd1e4786ec68c&start=3981&end=4674","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3352854-69d68ebcdf16e126a24bd1e4786ec68c/thumbnail_3981000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6053813/Georgia/Panel-clears-changes-to-flood-disclosure-law-and-adds-penaltyanti-lien-language-amendment-narrows-attorney-fees-language","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053813-baa37344b85eb1eb41bf87eaf08cec1f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771122983&Signature=JuFKKQCF7cPseBGTN3RaT5skGi6Dbn5U-rqc-aMXTrD4ikHcwa0pai2au3HbNU1o3hJZlMZB9lJ4603fJ-5XuefSMH1GWMdDc7rNXPN~50OLz4jknHnQJ9uZ7BuWc1i5Plr6hPQGaA0H~NC6FgEOLrtdIdYiWMJL5PSVwedlREqCElS25gSlFgMqAglKD5XadRCmk6mV7BuMZ4vCejoLBFOtzGb8WuTXKGPWqI25NszIX86uoRTj8u7PjcjIKEE2PPuXT4M9kPVS9VYheY2xAdT0jIx3b1fyIwrd3RZVsTWQj6kwE4LOrTduU0SBxSoX-Jom7wNZ1yDTKKTLdcszvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author"," GA Senate Committee on Judiciary","date","2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced a committee substitute for House Bill 618 after author and stakeholders described narrow edits designed to improve transparency around flood risk and to deter predatory lien filings at or before real-estate closings.

Representative Campbell, the bill’s House author, presented the substitute and introduced coalition witnesses who worked with the author on edits. Anne Brody of the American Flood Coalition Action said the changes narrow the scope of disclosure and clarify that sellers must disclose flood damage only that occurred during their ownership. \"Flood disclosure is a no cost policy that gives buyers crucial information so that they can make informed decisions,\" Brody told senators.

Major changes: the substitute tightens the definition of flooding, removes phrasing such as \"other severe storm or deluge\" and replaces it with \"the unusual and rapid accumulation of standing water resulting from a storm.\" The measure specifies it applies to \"any arm’s-length transaction of any 1-to-4 family residential real property,\" clarifies disclosures are limited to the seller’s knowledge during ownership and removes certain civil-adverse-fact and private-remedy language from the previous version.

To address a separate, related problem, the substitute added a section (derived from an earlier, separate House bill) targeting fraudulent or predatory lien filings that impede sales; the added language allows remedies against bad-faith lien filers intended to extort money prior to closing.

Stakeholder changes and protections: the substitute removed an expansive private-remedy section and instead makes willful failure to disclose a required item an unlawful act; crucially, it also adds a noninvestigation clause making clear that sellers, brokers and advisors are not required to undertake independent investigations where they lack actual knowledge, reducing the risk that brokers or sellers must perform title- or flood-mapping research themselves.

Amendment: the committee accepted an amendment to change the bill’s damages language by inserting the word \"reasonable\" before \"attorney's fees\" so that fee awards are subject to customary reasonableness review by courts.

Vote and next steps: Leader Jones moved the committee substitute; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously by voice vote. The sponsor said he would carry the bill in the Senate (Sen. Ben Watson was identified as the Senate carry in committee comments).

Ending: sponsors said the substitute balances consumer transparency with protections for sellers and brokers and creates a new civil tool to deter fraudulent lien filings at closing.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","03/27/2025 Senate Committee on Judiciary","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a committee substitute for House Bill 618 that tightens flood-disclosure language for 1-to-4 family residential transactions, narrows disclosure to events within a seller's ownership, and adds an anti-fraud lien provision; an amendment inserted \"reasonable\" before attorney-fees awards.","taxTitle","Judiciary, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Georgia","taxId",17672,"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},6053807,"Committee approves expansion of professionals who may perform guardianship evaluations amid sharp opposition from disability advocates and survivors",2979,4576000,7555000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3352854-69d68ebcdf16e126a24bd1e4786ec68c&start=4576&end=7555","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3352854-69d68ebcdf16e126a24bd1e4786ec68c/thumbnail_4576000.jpg","/articles/6053807/Georgia/Committee-approves-expansion-of-professionals-who-may-perform-guardianship-evaluations-amid-sharp-opposition-from-disability-advocates-and-survivors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053807-dec21787492f076978d7cd1c56cbb844/orig.mp4?Expires=1771122983&Signature=OyO3fc-tNa8ctT4~QnujRl2cali9xeBgKmQX07qg0CiB26dYRICtTeQYuQt4TLTJfR4qly2ZFwEFpaUuJkiJ0tuR73kPU0jV~0RfpaFpkcmfyCDH9OqGtK5FSPU1BnUazYibrraKT0pR1oBVOwVkkYTCyQm4luAFsT-U7HAct8D7j2yCI5eZc2oc5RjzXCktbigcIf7Mz9rC0AM36Q4C97rbulZ7yejaPQGi2otRQExIHP~1DjaYCwc8Xsd2n7sYQaOtqUtM9qB~Dtx89tzfeXYVUPH8Rsv1UatiEn2N520h15NqVNKJwn-glhKVf-DHMGTMKN8BPLc36ZWWifqlSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to advance a committee substitute for House Bill 36, a measure that adds several licensed professions to the list of practitioners permitted to conduct the independent evaluations probate courts rely on in guardianship and conservatorship petitions.

Sponsor Representative Leverett and judges who testified told the committee that many probate courts have difficulty securing timely independent evaluations — a problem that causes urgent cases to stall. \"What is happening in reality is a family member is coming in to file a guardianship and there is no qualified individual willing to serve in that jurisdiction,\" Judge Wolk told the committee. She described some circuits that had only a handful of evaluators for very large populations and noted narrow emergency deadlines under existing law.

The substitute expands the pool of qualified evaluators to include additional licensed practitioners such as physician assistants, nurse practitioners and certain clinical specialists, and it also adds licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) and licensed professional counselors (LPCs) to the list. The bill explicitly says the evaluation is a factual report — interview, observation, records review and description of the proposed ward’s social supports and needs — used to determine whether the case should proceed to an adversarial hearing. The final decision, judges emphasized, rests with the court after a hearing.

Opposition and concerns: the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities and other disability-rights advocates opposed adding LMFTs and LPCs, arguing those professions typically practice in therapeutic settings and may lack training or experience assessing long-term cognitive or neuropsychological impairments relevant to permanent guardianship decisions. \"Permanent guardianship should be reserved for professionals with specialized training in long-term capacity assessments,\" the Council’s legislative advocacy director said.

Several public-witness testimonies described serious harms from guardianships gone wrong. Douglas Franks, a longtime opponent of some guardianship practices, described his mother’s case and urged caution. Another opponent told senators about an experience involving alleged misuse of statutes related to abuse and neglect (OCGA §29-9-3) and warned the committee that guardianship proceedings can have severe financial and liberty consequences.

Safeguards in the substitute: sponsor Leverett said the substitute includes explicit language to make clear that the presence of a developmental disability alone is not sufficient to grant guardianship and that proposed wards — who have a right to counsel — can challenge the qualifications and sufficiency of evaluator reports in the hearing. The sponsor said the intent is to ensure judges retain discretion, that the evaluation remains one piece of evidence and that probate courts may appoint counsel and a guardian ad litem as needed.

Vote and next steps: after extended testimony from judges, clinicians and disability advocates, the committee adopted the committee substitute and passed it by unanimous voice vote. Sponsors said the bill will go back to the House for concurrence on amendments.

Ending: supporters argued the expansion will reduce dangerous backlogs and allow courts to find independent, locally available evaluators; opponents urged the legislature to remove LMFTs and LPCs and to consider further guardrails to protect vulnerable adults and to ensure evaluations meet the clinical standards required for life-altering decisions.","The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced a committee substitute for House Bill 36 to expand the list of professionals permitted to perform probate-court evaluations in guardianship and conservatorship matters, prompting sharp testimony from disability advocates and survivors.",{"_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},6053818,"Committee unanimously backs bill to let survivors present previously undisclosed evidence of abuse in sentencing and resentencing",261,3628000,3889000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3352854-69d68ebcdf16e126a24bd1e4786ec68c&start=3628&end=3889","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3352854-69d68ebcdf16e126a24bd1e4786ec68c/thumbnail_3628000.jpg","/articles/6053818/Georgia/Committee-unanimously-backs-bill-to-let-survivors-present-previously-undisclosed-evidence-of-abuse-in-sentencing-and-resentencing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053818-8c92130236a0e443c46739805a3c7d59/orig.mp4?Expires=1771122983&Signature=jOF6jwdbzH~FuAESR0Jcy-eZStnudPiqL8-dXz71~boQxFSZIInm4hAegfOM6oKwUwSi8cCpCKyxOtgj~dkCf4KcTFW6IzaNlFJOFZxByK6UuG~lGqCQ7ixuaS4alZcmmOgWQMPlUkQvzdm4xPkdVXdPW-upeP7Iwhb6ND-nfE6HY2xQFzjp5c6mYhjx3xP6n2VQDS-Zv9jkMhuyF8AWn~rvVgq96q2lnnh4e7ZT1nTFblu2AY2HJ1mnFE2CmSgWEfSi42WVkU3KK~mAyFmHE-4qxvpxGtzaP5rfB3lOZhDSNwaIUe4QBOCPxZeNcw4YGrMyH0tqiHKUV2OMzpehbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a committee substitute for House Bill 582, a post-conviction and mitigation measure aimed at allowing survivors of family or dating violence to submit previously undisclosed evidence to courts.

Representative and bill proponents described the measure as a tool to let defendants who were subjected to abuse present relevant evidence that may not have been available at their initial plea or sentencing. \"This is not a get out of jail free card,\" the bill's presenter told the committee, describing the remedy as a potential sentence reduction rather than automatic release.

Why it matters: advocates said many survivors who were convicted — frequently after pleading guilty while unrepresented or unaware of certain evidence — lack a chance to present the context of abuse that shaped the offense. The substitute provides a formal mechanism for courts to consider family-violence evidence for defense, mitigation and resentencing.

Testimony and stakeholders: the Justice for Incarcerated Survivors Program at the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, represented by Ellie Williams (legal director), spoke in favor and described the program’s work representing survivors seeking post-conviction relief. Committee members said they had worked with district attorneys and stakeholders to reach neutral or supportive positions.

Key provision: testimony said the bill permits a defendant to present evidence that the defendant was subjected to family violence, dating violence or child abuse to support a justification defense or mitigation at sentencing, and provides a procedure to present such evidence in appropriate cases when it was not previously provided to the court.

Committee action: Leader Hatchett moved passage; Chairman Kauser seconded and the committee approved the committee substitute by unanimous voice vote. Committee testimony noted the measure is intended to be limited and reviewed by district attorneys beforehand to avoid unintended consequences.

Ending: sponsors described the bill as a narrowly tailored post-conviction and mitigation mechanism to address cases where evidence of abuse was not provided earlier; the committee passed the committee substitute unanimously and sent it on for further consideration.","Senators voted unanimously to advance a committee substitute for House Bill 582, which allows courts to consider evidence that a defendant was subjected to family or dating violence when evaluating justification or mitigation and permits some convicted survivors to seek sentence reduction if they lacked earlier access to that evidence.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6053823,"Senate Judiciary committee advances substitute to school-safety bill after removing student \"threat\" database and mandatory threat teams",2158,1440000,3598000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3352854-69d68ebcdf16e126a24bd1e4786ec68c&start=1440&end=3598","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3352854-69d68ebcdf16e126a24bd1e4786ec68c/thumbnail_1440000.jpg","/articles/6053823/Georgia/Senate-Judiciary-committee-advances-substitute-to-school-safety-bill-after-removing-student-threat-database-and-mandatory-threat-teams","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053823-e3aeeea02a3d253e4cb926ce9dd705db/orig.mp4?Expires=1771122983&Signature=guwDVYhgyqBjmLy66PBB7oJ447e4t8bnwALf4FqMKPlo9fw4T4BHBnPVivCPj0Yf0YLGfyDNvVnA9c4h1MKG3ZDR35ZdYXjMxiYw49GhObDNCY6e4LUPvXL2bBaDwajMCcPuUr9d~5XlLqZRABMYJUMReBdbwWOni~JzME2VYGzGmdwdoReS3gGyzaxDY4UPiFDwq9p4QDPuCfXTpVMwPRMpdPmcTfHydlIkUYXDU8WTvLaTP7LPV2WDrE-OFvGUq5-316Y9oUk6RPlwB1PFxhOBReCdkbGgg3Qp0x6Bvl2vEwtWd2TorfOSyIBkbuOm-GwYAk77VLBk3mQpq4bzfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Judiciary Committee on an unanimous voice vote advanced a committee substitute for House Bill 268, a wide-ranging school-safety measure that its backers described as a compromise worked out between the House and Senate.

The substitute removes two provisions that drew the most public opposition — an S3-style central threats database and a mandate for threat-management teams in every school — and keeps a mix of infrastructure, training and records reforms intended to help identify and respond to students at risk of violence.

Sponsor and House presenter Rep. Holt Persinger and committee lead Chairman Kauser told senators the substitute reflects work across chambers and stakeholders. \"We believe that this final product is an agreed upon, solution from both bodies,\" Kauser said during his summary.

Why it matters: supporters said the bill combines physical safety steps with mental-health and information-sharing practices that aim to give first responders and school staff timely, usable information while addressing parents' privacy concerns.

What the substitute does: the bill requires standardized digital school mapping developed under GEMA (the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency) so first responders can locate entries, classrooms, stairwells and critical equipment quickly during an incident. It also authorizes an emergency notification system for schools and requires quicker transfer of education records when a student enrolls in a new school: the bill requires the prior school to transfer a student's education record and any Individualized Education Program (IEP) \"within five business days\" of notice.

The substitute specifies the contents of those transferred records, including academic transcripts, attendance, disciplinary records (suspensions, expulsions), notices of criminal actions or adjudications for serious delinquent conduct, chronic disciplinary problems, behavioral-correction plans and psychological evaluations where applicable. The bill also directs that records subject to federal protections (for example, education and health records governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and federal privacy law) be handled consistent with those laws and requires a chief privacy officer to advise on compliance.

Mental-health and training measures include a state-funded student advocacy specialist for each school system (staffing scaled: one specialist for systems under 18,000 students; two for 18,000–36,000; three or more for systems above 36,000 students, with local boards permitted to fund additional positions). The substitute requires two hours of student behavioral-health awareness training for school personnel and two hours per student annually: one hour of suicide awareness and prevention and one hour of youth-based violence prevention, including instruction on observable signs and how to report concerns.

The bill also requires local boards to operate a 24/7 anonymous reporting system that can be accessed via a mobile app or crisis center staffing; anonymous reports must be forwarded promptly to the appropriate school-based team. A separate provision directs law-enforcement officers to submit written reports to school officials of official encounters with school-age youth that may occur off campus so schools can be aware of off-campus incidents that may signal risk; the bill text in committee did not state a single, precise age range for that requirement.

The substitute retains tougher penalties for terroristic threats directed at schools. The presentation described threat-making that causes evacuations or seeks to terrorize school populations as punishable at enhanced levels; the sponsor’s summary said such conduct can be a felony with penalties that can include fines of up to $1,000 and imprisonment of one to five years in the circumstances described in committee testimony.

Dissent and changes: committee members and the sponsor said the S3-style database and mandatory behavioral-threat-assessment teams were removed after parents and other testifiers raised privacy and due-process concerns, including whether records would be permanent or rotatable. Several senators said they supported retaining voluntary threat-assessment practice and GEMA training but opposed a compulsory statewide database that would track students’ prior noncriminal behavior.

Procedure and next steps: Senator Steele moved the committee substitute; the pro tempore seconded. \"All those in favor of the motion, please raise your hand. It is unanimous,\" the chair said after the vote. The bill now moves on for consideration by the full Senate.

Ending: supporters said the substitute is designed to strike a balance between protecting student privacy and giving schools and first responders better tools; opponents who raised privacy and process concerns argued the removed database and mandatory threat teams deserved more careful study before becoming law.","The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to pass a committee substitute for House Bill 268 that trims contested provisions from the House version and adds a package of safety, training and records-transfer requirements intended to speed law-enforcement response and early intervention in potential school violence.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Panel clears changes to flood-disclosure law and adds penalty/anti-lien language; amendment narrows attorney-fees language

Committee approves expansion of professionals who may perform guardianship evaluations amid sharp opposition from disability advocates and survivors

Committee unanimously backs bill to let survivors present previously undisclosed evidence of abuse in sentencing and resentencing

Senate Judiciary committee advances substitute to school-safety bill after removing student "threat" database and mandatory threat teams