HB 483 is in the HOUSE!!!

Georgia-2025-HB483-Introduced.pdfLegislative Support GA HB 483 (1).pdf

To amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to assault and battery, so as to provide for protections for inspectors of code enforcement; to provide for definitions; to provide for enhanced penalties for simple assault, aggravated assault, simple battery, battery, and aggravated battery committed upon inspectors of code enforcement in certain circumstances; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

MEMBERS!!!

You are being called to action! Let's get the word out!!!

WE Support HB 483!

Thank you, Angel, for the information.

HB 483 has made it to a House Committee (Judiciary Non-Civil)! This is huge, also, GMA has it on their Bill Tracker and have issued their Support of the Bill.

Sponsors

No.Number in list	Name	District
1.	Prince, Brian	132nd
2.	Leverett, Rob	123rd
3.	Smith, Tyler Paul	18th
4.	Reeves, Matt	99th
5.	Roberts, Shea	52nd
6.	Panitch, Esther	51st

Committees

House Committee:

Judiciary Non-Civil

Senate Committee:

N/A

First Reader Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to assault and battery, so as to provide for protections for inspectors of code enforcement; to provide for definitions; to provide for enhanced penalties for simple assault, aggravated assault, simple battery, battery, and aggravated battery committed upon inspectors of code enforcement in certain circumstances; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Status History

Date	Status
02/20/2025	House Second Readers
02/19/2025	House First Readers
02/18/2025	House Hopper

HB 483 and any legislative language that provides greater protections to Code Enforcement officials in the field is greatly needed and long overdue!

Code Enforcement officials face many perils, many encountered are the same or similar to our law enforcement brothers and sisters, but without the protections provided to law enforcement personnel to ensure their protection before, during, and after such encounters.

Serious consequences and accountability are needed for the welfare of both the Code Enforcement Official and their families.

Be supportive as requested and please get involved in any action that helps promote the well being and advancement of the Code Enforcement profession.

Thanks to all, you are appreciated and valued for what each of you do daily!

Thanks for this information!

Members, I am working to send out this request to local Mayors and County Chairs, PLEASE send your requests in it will help me cover the whole state!!! So far I am gaining great support. Thanks to Tybee Island for kicking the support requests off. You guys rock!!

Local Government Leaders,

Good Morning, I hope this email finds you well and that you are ready to tackle the day with positivity on behalf of your City and County. 

I am requesting your letter of support for House Bill 483. As the President of the Georgia Association of Code Enforcement, weDraft letter of support for HB 483 Mayor_Chairman (1).docx, along with our Legislative Judicial Committee, have worked to promote recognition of the great profession. One step has been to ask for increased protections under the law against offenders who assault code enforcement inspectors and officers in the field. 

I've provided a letter of support for you, for example, from Mayor Brian L. West of Tybee Island. I've also included my official legislative request on behalf of GACE and a draft letter for you to consider placing on your letterhead when sending your support of HB 483.

 It is my sincere hope that you both will support HB 483 by sending a letter of support to your State Representatives. Thank you for your time. If you have further questions, I am here to answer them. 

Legislative Support GA HB 483 (8).pdf Legislative Support GA HB 483 (7).pdf

Status

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: Introduced on February 18 2025 - 25% progression
Action: 2025-02-20 - House Second Readers
Pending: House Judiciary - Non-Civil Committee
Hearing: Feb 25 @ 1:30 pm in 132 CAP
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Mayor Gary Jones

City of Grovetown

P.O. Box 120

Grovetown, GA 30813

email: gjones@cityofgrovetown.com

Mark,

I just sent Mayor Jones, an email. copied you.

Thank you, Angel...

It Passed the Committee!!! with only one concern for edits. WOW HB 483 is on it way up up up!!!

-12.18 HB 483

1:36:57 starts HB 483

house-member-directory.pdf

Representative Prince has called for our assistance, to push HB 483.

Please contact your Legislators, let them know you support HB 483, and ask them for their vote and support.

Angel,

Thank you for everything you do for the code enforcement profession. You are greatly appreciated.

Also, I want to thank you for providing updates of the status of HB483. This will definitely be a great accomplishment for all Code Enforcement officers.

Thank you again...

Good Morning, GACE Members,

House Bill 483 has made Crossover and is now officially on the house-first-readers in the Senate on March 10, 2025.

Please contact your Senators and let them know YOU support HB 483:

Here is a link to the listing of GA Senators https://www.legis.ga.gov/members/senate

I've also attached the House First Readers listing of March 10, 205. (see page 12)

house-first-readers-in-senate-2025-ld29.pdf

HB 483 will be heard tomorrow at 12:00 PM before the Senate Judiciary Committee:

greg.dolezal@senate.ga.gov; steve.gooch@senate.ga.gov; bo.hatchett@senate.ga.gov; elena.parent@senate.ga.gov; john.kennedy@senate.ga.gov; brian.strickland@senate.ga.gov; bill.cowsert@senate.ga.gov; michael.rhett@senate.ga.gov; blake.tillery@senate.ga.gov; ben.watson@senate.ga.gov; harold.jones@senate.ga.gov; shawn.still@senate.ga.gov

Please send emails to the Senators on the committee, let them know you support the Bill and tell them why.

WE CAN DO THIS!!

My City Manager spoke with the Governor personally about this Bill, so once it gets through the Senate, it should be good to go! Thanks to everyone that worked toward this Bill.

AWESOME-SAUCE!! I appreciate each and everyone of our members who are going above and beyond getting this support out. THANKS NASHVILLE!!!

Good afternoon:

 

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed HB 483 out of committee today. It now moves to the Senate Rules Committee. If it is added to the Senate consideration calendar, it will be carried and presented by Sen. Cowsert on the floor. 

ACTIVE MEMBERS!!! We are almost there..... Please write your Senators!!

Emails sent!!!

Senate Status Sheet as of March 18, 2025, the 32 day in Legislative Session. HB 483 has made it through Senate Second Read. senate-daily-status-2025-ld32.pdf

Senate will be in session today.

Thank you, all for supporting this legislation.

Members please contact your Senators!!!

https://www.legis.ga.gov/find-my-legislator

Let them know to support HB 483!!!

I Don't Understand WHY????

The Senate Committee on Rules offered the following substitute to HB 483:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

1 To amend Part 3 of Article 3 of Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia 2 Annotated, relating to sale or distribution of harmful materials to minors, so as to repeal an 3 exemption for libraries and librarians from the provisions of Code Section 16-12-103, 4 relating to selling, loaning, distributing, or exhibiting materials harmful to minors; to provide 5 for penalties; to provide for a defense for librarians who make good faith attempts to identify 6 and remove material harmful to minors; to provide for related matters; to provide for an 7 effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. 8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: 9 SECTION 1. 10 Part 3 of Article 3 of Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 11 relating to sale or distribution of harmful materials to minors, is amended by revising Code 12 Section 16-12-104, relating to library exception, as follows: 13 "16-12-104. 14 The provisions of Code Section 16-12-103 shall not apply to any public library operated 15 by the state or any of its political subdivisions nor to any library operated as a part of any 16 school, college, or university Reserved." - 1 - 25 LC 49 2400S 17 SECTION 2. 18 Said part is further amended in Code Section 16-12-105, relating to penalty, by revising 19 subsection (a) and by adding a new subsection to read as follows: 20 "(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, any person who knowingly 21 violates any provision of Code Section 16-12-103 or 16-12-104 shall be guilty of a 22 misdemeanor for a first offense, and a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature for a 23 second or any subsequent offense." 24 "(c) It shall be an affirmative defense to prosecution under this Code section if the person 25 charged is employed to work in a library operated by the state or any of its political 26 subdivisions or any library operated as a part of any school, college, or university, and such 27 individual can demonstrate that he or she has made a good faith attempt to identify and 28 remove from access to minors all physical or electronic material harmful to minors." 29 SECTION 3. 30 This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025, and shall apply to any motions made or 31 hearings or trials commenced on or after such date. 32 SECTION 4. 33 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

GET this to your senators:

Is it true that HB 483 is now substituted and no longer supports the protection of code enforcement professionals? 

How is it that a Bill that proceeds bipartisan through the House makes it through the coveted Crossover Day and Favorably passes through the Senate Judiciary Committee, moves through the Senate Second Reader, and now resides in a position of Substitute, no longer providing for its original intent? HOW? WHY?

 Isn't this considered a hijacking?  While I completely understand the need for intervention in what children have access to in the Libraries across Georgia, Does it have to come in the form of cloaks and smoke screens and the taking of a Bill that has bipartisan support?

What has happened to our Legislative Process? We, as professionals, take great pride in community awareness and in encouraging a safe and sustainable quality of life for all Georgia residents through the education and enforcement of local and state laws.  WE uphold the Laws you pass. 

I ask you to abandon the current substituted version and stay on the course to pass HB 483 to protect the inspectors of the Code Enforcement Profession. 

Thank you for your time and the work you do for Georgia. 

New Amendment Proposed: The Substitute has been Tabled. Someone is listening:

We are hoping for a vote before the close of business on the Last Day of Capital business.

AM 48 0058.pdf