HB304: HB304 Local government; Georgia Municipal Court Clerks' Council; create

This bill changes part of Georgia's law on municipal courts (O.C.G.A. Chapter 32 of Title 36). It creates an office of senior municipal court judge, letting former municipal court judges with at least ten years of service apply to hold that status after they stop serving. The president of the existing Council of Municipal Court Judges reviews and decides on applications within 30 days, and approved senior judges get the same amenities and privileges as other judges without having to actually sit on a court. The bill also creates a brand new body, the Georgia Municipal Court Clerks' Council, made up of the staff who run municipal courts across the state. That council can organize itself, adopt bylaws, elect officers, and receive state funding. It is officially recognized as a state agency with the power to contract, own property, and accept grants and gifts to support training and improvement of municipal court administration.

• Creates the office of senior municipal court judge for former judges with at least ten years of prior service, subject to review and approval.
• Requires senior judges to keep up required training and stay licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia, with some exceptions for judges not licensed to practice law.
• Exempts senior judges from paying support or registration fees for mandatory training, though they must cover other training costs themselves.
• Creates the Georgia Municipal Court Clerks' Council, made up of municipal court staff statewide, and lets it organize, elect officers, and set up advisory committees.
• Declares the new council a legal state agency that can contract, own property, accept grants and gifts, and use state funding to cover its administrative expenses.
• Preserves any existing local laws or ordinances that already established a senior judge position for a particular municipal court.

Former and current municipal court judges in Georgia, the existing Council of Municipal Court Judges, and municipal court clerks and administrative staff across the state's cities and towns, who would gain a new statewide council representing their interests.

Retired municipal court judges with long service records would get a formal path to continued recognition and privileges without having to sit on a bench, while municipal court clerks and staff would gain their own statewide organization to coordinate training and improve court administration.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 36-32-40 to fold senior municipal court judges into the existing Council of Municipal Court Judges of Georgia.
• Section 2 adds new O.C.G.A. § 36-32-42, creating the senior municipal court judge office, setting a ten-year service requirement, and a 30-day application review deadline.
• Section 2 also states senior judges are not required to sit as judges or complete all listed requirements to keep their amenities and privileges, and protects existing local laws creating senior judge positions.
• Section 3 adds a new Article 4 to Chapter 32, creating the Georgia Municipal Court Clerks' Council under new O.C.G.A. § 36-32-50 and defining 'council' and 'municipal court staff.'
• Section 3 gives the new council authority to organize, set bylaws, elect officers, accept funding and gifts, and act as a state agency with perpetual existence.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-12Act 637
3. 2026-05-12House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-27House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
6. 2026-03-25Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2026-03-25Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2026-03-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)

• Bill Yearta (R, HD-152)Primary sponsor
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)
• Stan Gunter (R, HD-008)
• Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)
• Matt Barton (R, HD-005)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2025

   171 yea, 2 nay (3 not voting, 4 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #161

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 25, 2026

   51 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #801

3. PassedHouse voteMarch 27, 2026

   159 yea, 2 nay (4 not voting, 11 absent)

   Agree To Senate Substitute: House Vote #782

• municipal courts
• court administration
• judges
• local government
• court clerks