PBA of Georgia Legislative Alert

Georgia Division

Feb 6, 2018

PBA of Georgia Members,

On February 5, 2018, the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee passed HB 703 by unanimous vote. This bill was championed by Representative Jodi Lott of Evans and Representative Bill Hitchens of Rincon.

HB 703 amends the language in OCGA 24-5-510 to change "law enforcement officer" to "public safety officer" as defined in OCGA 45-25-1 and the public safety officers' immediate family. This will centralize, expand, enhance, and strengthen the peer counselor program enacted in 2013.

This bill further creates a new chapter 25 of Title 45 creating OCGA 45-21-1 through 45-21-5 which officially defines the staffing, housing, supplies, materials, duties, and responsibilities of the Governor's Office of Public Safety Support.

The hearing had a cross section of public safety professionals testify before the House Committee including firefighters and police officers, but I would like to especially commend David James, CSRA Chapter PAC Chair and PBA Staff Representative Patrick Cullinan for their moving testimony.

HB 703 now goes to the House Rules Committee and the House Floor for passage before the bill can be transmitted to the Senate. This is a very important bill and every member is urged to make personal contact with your state representative to professionally ask them to support and vote for HB 703.

Joe Stiles, Georgia Executive Director
Southern States Police Benevolent Association

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