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HB246 • 2025

Courts; office of sheriff and training of peace officers; revise qualification requirements

Courts; office of sheriff and training of peace officers; revise qualification requirements

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Gaines, Houston
Last action
2025-04-04
Official status
House Withdrawn, Recommitted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official status shows the bill was recommitted to committee, meaning it has not yet passed both chambers in its final form and may change or fail.

HB246: New Rules for Sheriff Candidates and Peace Officer Training

This bill requires that anyone running to be a sheriff in Georgia must currently hold an active peace officer license not under suspension or revocation by the state training council.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires candidates for sheriff to be peace officers who are not under suspension or revocation by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.
  • Amends existing laws regarding qualification requirements for sheriffs and employment rules for peace officers.
  • Sets up a process where the executive director of the training council must submit a specific form about candidate status.
  • Establishes penalties for breaking these new qualification rules, though details are not listed in this summary.
  • Repeals older state laws that conflict with this bill.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who want to run as candidates for sheriff in Georgia
  • The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (GPOST)
  • Current peace officers whose status determines eligibility

Terms To Know

Peace Officer
A person who is legally trained and certified to enforce laws, such as a police officer or sheriff's deputy.
Revocation or Suspension
When the state training council takes away (revokes) or temporarily stops (suspends) an officer's license to work.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill text does not list specific dates for when these rules will start.
  • The exact details of the penalty for breaking this rule are mentioned but not described in detail here.
  • This summary is based on a version that was sent back to committee, so it may change before becoming law.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-04 Georgia General Assembly

    House Withdrawn, Recommitted

Official Summary Text

Courts; office of sheriff and training of peace officers; revise qualification requirements