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HB915 • 2025

Law enforcement officers and agencies; authorize county and municipal law enforcement agencies to employ civilian personnel to assist in certain investigations

Law enforcement officers and agencies; authorize county and municipal law enforcement agencies to employ civilian personnel to assist in certain investigations

Labor
Active

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

Sponsor
Lupton, Karen
Last action
2026-01-12
Official status
House Second Readers
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms the creation of definitions, training programs, and specific powers regarding investigations and traffic, but does not detail the scope of 'certain investigations' or the specifics of the penalties mentioned.

Allowing Civilian Staff to Help Law Enforcement with Investigations and Traffic

This bill authorizes county and city law enforcement agencies in Georgia to hire civilian staff to assist with certain investigations, define their role as 'civilian community responders,' require training for them, allow them to direct traffic under specific rules, and mandate the use of standard accident reports.

What This Bill Does

  • Authorizes county and municipal law enforcement agencies to employ civilian personnel to assist in certain investigations.
  • Provides a legal definition for 'civilian community responder'.
  • Requires the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council to establish a training program for these responders.
  • Amends traffic laws to authorize civilian community responders to help direct and regulate the flow of traffic.
  • Mandates that civilian community responders use uniform motor vehicle accident reports and reporting procedures.

Who It Names or Affects

  • County law enforcement agencies
  • Municipal (city) law enforcement agencies
  • Civilian personnel hired to assist in investigations or traffic control
  • The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council

Terms To Know

Civilian community responder
A non-sworn employee authorized by this law to help with certain police tasks like investigations or traffic control.
Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council
The state agency responsible for creating the training program required for civilian community responders.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The text does not specify which exact types of investigations civilians can assist with, only that it is 'certain' investigations.
  • The bill mentions violations and penalties but does not list the specific punishments in this summary.
  • No effective date is provided in the source material to show when these rules begin.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-12 Georgia General Assembly

    House Second Readers

Official Summary Text

Law enforcement officers and agencies; authorize county and municipal law enforcement agencies to employ civilian personnel to assist in certain investigations