2023 Legislative Session:  A Recap

Greetings EMI Georgia Network,

Thank you for your hard work this legislative session! Our focus this session was to elevate youth justice. In a time of heightened "tough on crime" political campaigns and narratives of youth gangs terrorizing sleepy, bucolic communities across the state, EMI Georgia Network continued to raise the call for restorative and transformative justice for our children. And while we saw legislation being passed that will afflict our youth for years to come, we must stay vigilant in our advocacy and raise the profile of practices, policies and programs that actually create better outcomes for children and their families.

Gang bills like SB 44 and HB 147 were passed by both the House and the Senate and sent to the Governor's office for his signature. The Governor has 40 days to sign into law or veto legislation passed by the legislature. Legislation can also become law through the passage of time--as long as the Governor does not veto it within the 40-day period.

But, be encouraged! The statuesque lady has not sung. The General Assembly's legislative sessions operate in two-year cycles. What does this mean? It means we get another chance to push forward the bills that we supported this year. Therefore, we have to start advocating now for what we want to see happen in 2024. In the words of the character Lupus in the movie, The Bad News Bears, "...just wait 'til next year!" 

Georgia General Assembly 2023 Legislation Recap
Bills passed (opposed)
-  SB 44 Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act (with mandatory minimum penalties for violations) - Passed the Senate; Passed the House; sent to Governor's office
-  HB 147 Safe Schools Act (training educators and other school personnel to be gang identifiers within public schools) - Passed the House; Passed the Senate; sent to Governor's office

Bills not passed (supported)
-  SB 169 Student Tribunal Extension (provides limits on the extension of hearing dates for student tribunals and requires that local schools provide instructional materials to suspended students) - Passed the Senate; Did not receive a hearing by House Education Committee

-  HB 356 Corporal Punishment (disallow corporal punishment within public schools) – Did not receive a hearing by House Education Committee

-  HB 462 Raise the Age (raises the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to 18, to include 17-year-olds; introduced a gang clause as a category of children who automatically would be sent to superior court) - Passed the House; Did not receive a hearing by Senate Judiciary Committee -- NOTE: While we do not agree with the addition of the gang clause, we continue to support raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to include 17-year-olds.

-  HB 520 Mental Health Parity ("expands student loan forgiveness for mental health care providers; creates crisis stabilization centers around the state, and expands the provisions for court-ordered outpatient treatment") - Passed in the House; received a "hearing only" (which means no vote) by Senate Health and Human Services Committee

Certain Legislation as Member of Justice Reform Partnership Reentry
Occupational Licensing & Expungement Reform (supported - did not pass)
-  SB 157 (inclusive of HB 334) - (bill removes barriers to occupational licensing and increases access to expungement) - Passed in the Senate; did not receive a vote on the House floor

Bail Reform - Expanding Cash Bail (opposed - did not pass)
-  SB 63 Cash Bail (criminalizes poverty by expanding mandatory cash bail for additional offenses, many of them misdemeanors) - Passed in the Senate; did not pass on the House floor (after Senate disagreed with House substitute bill, conference committee with members from both chambers was created)