This legislation relocates and rewrites the civil procedure by which law enforcement seize and dispose of property or assets involved with illegal activity by state and local law enforcement. For a general summary click here.  This legislation was amended to include the language from H.B. 418 which changes the qualifications for persons serving on the grand jury.

This legislation will require the sheriff to report on a standardized form, the assets and cash seized and forfeited, and submit to the county commission, as well as the Carl Vinson Institute.  Counties should continue to include this form with the budget submission to the Carl Vinson Institute. If the Sheriff fails to comply with reporting requirements their ability to seize assets and forfeitures will be suspended.

This legislation requires all deeds under power to be recorded within 90 days of a foreclosure sale or the holder is required to pay a late filing penalty of $500 to the superior court clerk. The clerk remits these fees to counties for properties in the unincorporated areas and to cities for properties therein. All monies collected must be used for code enforcement, public safety, and community development purposes. Cities must pay the county a 5 percent administrative fee for the clerk collecting and remitting this money.

This legislation now authorizes the use of fireworks on any day of the year between 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. (with the exceptions below). Local governments may adopt ordinances allowing or regulating their usage from 9:00 p.m. until midnight.  On July 3, July 4 and Dec. 31, fireworks may be used statewide from 10:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., and on Jan. 1 fireworks may be used statewide from midnight to 1:00 a.m. and from 10:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. For a more detailed summary of the legislation, please click  here.

This legislation changes the crime of reporting a false public alarm by increasing the punishment of falsely reporting hazardous device or a hazardous substance is at a building, place of assembly, or facility that is necessary for national safety, public security, education, or public safety. It also increases the punishment to falsely reporting an incident that causes a heightened response of law enforcement of emergency services.

The language of this bill was added to SB 270 in the House Public Safety Committee.

 This legislation removes the prohibition against State Defense officers from being entitled to the same benefits as those serving in the National Guard, such as the right to continue to be paid by the county for up to 18 days per yer while performing ordered military duty or up to 30 days during a state of emergency when called to duty by the Governor. 

 This legislation transfers authority under the Fair Business Practices Act of 1975 from the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs to the Attorney General. 

This legislation requires local governments to comply with the Georgia Personal Data Security Act. Because counties maintain electronic and physical copies of personal information, they must provide individuals with notice of any breach of security of the system that houses the personal information as soon as possible after the breach is discovered, but in no case later than 45 days. If the county uses a third party to store the personal information, the third party must notify the county within 72 hours of any data breach, so that the county can meet its notification requirements. If law enforcement determines that notification would impair an ongoing criminal investigation, notification can be delayed. If the county, after investigation and consultation with relevant federal, state or local law enforcement, determines that the breach was not likely to result in identify theft or financial harm to an individual, notification will not be necessary. The county will be required to provide a written certification within 30 days to the attorney general and to maintain a copy of the written certification for at least five years.