New Laws to Protect Our Communities and Families
Friends,
After the legislative session each year, the Governor has forty days to decide whether to sign a bill, which creates the law included in the bill or to veto the bill. The Governor may also do nothing, neither signing nor vetoing the bill. In that case, the bill automatically becomes law after the forty-day time period expires. Georgia laws go into effect on July 1 of the year they pass the legislature unless the bill specifically states another day for the bill to become law.
As many of the bills passed this year go into effect, you may notice small changes in your daily life. Over the upcoming weeks, I will highlight some of the bills that you should be aware of and the changes they make. The following bills went into effect on July 1, 2021, and will support law enforcement and promote the safety of our communities and families.
House Bill 466 updates the provisions of Joshua’s Law. Under the former version of this law, seventeen-year-old drivers could skip some of the requirements placed on fifteen and sixteen-year-old drivers. The updated law requires seventeen-year-olds to complete the same requirements. For more information on Joshua’s Law, visit the Department of Driver Services website.
House Bill 94 creates the crimes of “theft by possession of stolen mail” and “porch piracy” in Georgia and imposes penalties on those who steal packages or mail from others.
House Bill 286 protects police departments across our state from being “defunded” by activist local governments, prohibiting police department budgets from being reduced by greater than 5% without economic justification.
House Bill 231 provides additional protection for Georgians who are victims of violence or stalking in a dating relationship.
House Bill 255 requires law enforcement to maintain certain physical evidence even if a victim chooses not to report an alleged sexual assault immediately. This bill also creates a tracking system for the location and status of sexual assault kits as they move through the law enforcement process.
Senate Bill 33 allows victims of human trafficking to bring a lawsuit against the individual or individuals involved in their trafficking. Senate Bill 34 allows victims of human trafficking to have their name changed “under seal,” maintaining their privacy throughout the legal process of the name change.
House Bill 154 updates and reforms Georgia’s adoption laws, streamlining the process while ensuring children and families are safe. HB 154 lowers the age requirement for adoption to twenty-one, expanding the pool of adoptive parents available in our state. The bill also creates a criminal punishment and the right to file a lawsuit against those who participate in adoption scams targeting Georgians seeking to adopt a child.
I hope that these updates are informative for you, and I look forward to sharing more legislation that has gone into effect this year in the upcoming weeks. Thank you all for allowing me to represent Georgia House District 159. It is truly an honor to work for you and this great state. If you have any feedback, do not hesitate to call (404.656.5052), e-mail (Jon.Burns@house.ga.gov), or engage on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JonBurnsGA). If you would like to receive email updates, please visit my website to sign up for my newsletter or email me.