This legislation increases the maximum alternative dispute resolution fee that courts can charge from $7.50 to $10.00 per civil case filed in superior, state, magistrate or probate court.

This is omnibus gun carry legislation that lifts several current prohibitions on where concealed firearms may be carried.  It authorizes the carrying of weapons, by those with permits, in bars, churches and, importantly, in county government buildings that do not have security guards. ACCG is opposed to this provision in the bill. Please contact your Senators immediately to let them know any concerns you have.  

This legislation authorizes counties, after consulting with the Probate Court Judge, to waive their concealed weapons license fees for honorably discharged veterans and active military service personnel who have served for at least three years to obtain a carry permit free of charge.  Locals could not waive the state's current $43 fee.      

In traffic cases where a fine is imposed that includes costs, courts may charge an additional $5 fee, known as the electronic citation fee, if the "governing authority of the court" has adopted a resolution imposing the fee. The fee must be placed in the Electronic Citation Fund. Each year, the court clerk must provide an annual report and accounting of the fund to the Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority and to each governing authority that approved the resolution imposing the electronic citation fee. The resolution sunsets at the end of each fiscal year and governing authority must adopt a resolution on an annual basis to impose the fee. The Sunset was changed from 5 years from 2019 to 2023.

This legislation allows probate courts to have jurisdiction over traffic cases, even if the county has a state court. Under current law, probate courts do not have jurisdiction over traffic cases if the county has a state court.

This legislation expands probate courts' jurisdiction to include misdemeanors related to alcoholic beverages and under age persons; to livestock running at large, to criminal trespass; to littering, to illegal dumping, to shopfliting ($500 or less); to theft ($1,500 or less); to fourth degree forgery; to obstructing or hindering a law enforcement officer, firefighter, EMT or other emergency medical professional; to obstructing or hindering a person making an emergency call; to giving false name or date of birth; to affray; to disorderly conduct; to harassing phone calls; to unlawful conduct during a 9-1-1 call; to public drunkenness; to possession of marijuana (one ounce or less); to possession or use of drug related objects; and to mandatory education for children between the ages of six and 16. The probate court would only have the ability to hear these cases if the defendant waives their right to a jury trial in writing.

This legislation authorizes counties, in consultation with the Probate judge, to provide free gun carry licenses to military personnel who are serving in good standing for at least the last three years and military veterans who were honorably discharged to obtain a weapons carry permit free of charge. The county would not be able to waive the GBI's fee (currently $44).

This legislation clarifies the General Assembly's intent regarding the use and provision of probation services by courts for misdemeanor and ordinance violations. It clarifies the ability of judges to toll warrants of probationers who abscond during their probationary period without meeting the conditions of their sentence.

This is the omnibus gun carry bill of 2014. It was enhanced in the Senate Judiciary Non-Civil Committee to successfully address ACCG's three objections to the original bill. Specifically the substitute:

- allows local governments to determine whether or not guns are allowed in their government buildings, regardless of whether metal detectors or security screening is provided; 

- removes the provision prohibiting law enforcement from detaining persons illegally carrying guns without licenses; and

-removes the "private right of action" provision allowing any special interest group or individual (whether or not aggrieved) to sue counties and county officials statewide.

ACCG urges you to encourage your legislators to adopt the Senate version of HB 875 or adopt no version at all. 

This legislation allows a commissioner who is appointed as a temporary replacement for another elected official who is suspended by the Governor to appoint someone to represent his or her district.

This legislation allows for the creation of veterans court divisions dedicated to address the specialized treatment needs of veterans and to facilitate a veteran's re-entry into society.  The passage of this legislation will enable local jurisdictions to access federal grant funds for the operation of the veterans courts.

This legislation allows the chief clerk of the probate court or other clerk, if the probate judge has not appointed a chief clerk, to serve as probate judge in uncontested cases so long as the chief clerk has served as probate court clerk for at least five years or has been an attorney for three years.  This bill also includes a provision that a county is not required to pay a local supplement to a probate judge beyond the term of office for which the supplement was approved.

This legislation creates a court technology fee to be assessed on criminal fines, ordinance violations and civil filings with the passage of a local resolution. The chief judge will control the fund and appoint members of the technology fund board. This legislation also repeals any local technology fee in place on July 1, 2014.