SB7: SB7 Jails; certain municipal corporations make municipal detention facilities or jails available for use by a sheriff; require

Under current Georgia law, county sheriffs run the county jail system, and municipal governments that operate their own city jails are not required to share that space with the sheriff. This bill adds a new section to Georgia's jail laws (O.C.G.A. § 42-4-17) that changes that for a specific group of cities: those with a detention facility or jail located within the area that the Capitol Police Division of the Department of Public Safety covers around the State Capitol. Under the bill, if the county sheriff asks to use one of these municipal jails, and the sheriff has enough money set aside to pay for it, the city must make the facility available, whether or not the city is currently using it to hold inmates. The city can charge the sheriff a fee, but that fee cannot be more than what it actually costs the city to run the jail. The bill would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without his signature.

• Adds a new Georgia code section requiring certain municipal jails near the State Capitol to be made available to the county sheriff upon request.
• Limits the requirement to municipal detention facilities located within the jurisdiction area used for the Capitol Police Division under O.C.G.A. § 35-2-122.
• Applies the requirement even if the municipal jail is not currently holding any inmates.
• Conditions the sheriff's request on the sheriff having sufficient funding already appropriated to cover the cost.
• Allows the municipal corporation to charge the sheriff a fee for use of the facility, capped at the city's actual maintenance cost.
• Sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill or it becomes law without his signature.

County sheriffs and their offices, municipal governments that own or run detention facilities or jails near the State Capitol, and people held in custody who may be housed in these facilities as a result of the new arrangement.

Sheriffs facing jail overcrowding or capacity problems near the Capitol area could gain access to additional cell space in city-run jails, but only if they already have the money to pay for it. Affected cities would lose some control over how their jail facilities are used and could recover only their actual costs, not extra revenue.

• Section 1 creates new Code Section 42-4-17, requiring covered municipal jails to be placed at a sheriff's disposal upon request.
• Subsection (a) ties the requirement to the geographic jurisdiction defined for the Capitol Police Division in O.C.G.A. § 35-2-122 and requires that funding already be appropriated to the sheriff.
• Subsection (b) permits the municipal corporation to charge a fee, capped at its actual cost of maintaining the facility.
• Section 2 sets the effective date as approval by the Governor or the bill becoming law without his signature.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
2. 2025-02-10Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
3. 2025-02-06Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
4. 2025-01-15Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
5. 2025-01-14Senate Hopper (Senate)

• John Albers (R, SD-056)Primary sponsor
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-021)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)

• jails and detention facilities
• sheriffs
• local government
• Capitol Police
• state capitol security