SB153: SB153 Official Code of Georgia Annotated; revise, modernize, correct errors or omissions in, and reenact the statutory portion of said Code

Each year the Code Revision Commission reviews the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (the state's official book of laws) and proposes a bill to fix small drafting problems: outdated cross-references to other Code sections, inconsistent punctuation, misspelled words, obsolete terms, and sections that are listed as repealed but never formally marked that way. SB 153 works through nearly every title of the Code, from agriculture to torts, making hundreds of these small corrections section by section. Most changes are grammatical, such as replacing 'For purposes of' with 'As used in,' fixing 'their' to 'his or her,' updating 'U.S.C.A.' to 'U.S.C.,' or renumbering paragraphs after a repeal. The bill also formally reenacts the entire statutory text of the Code so it continues to have the force of law, while making clear that annotations, case notes, and indexes published alongside the Code are not themselves law. A handful of sections, like the unlawful squatting law and voter residency rules, get light rewording for clarity but not a change in policy.

• Corrects hundreds of small drafting errors across nearly every title of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, including typos, punctuation, and outdated cross-references to renumbered Code sections.
• Formally reenacts the statutory text of the Code so that its numbering and arrangement continue to carry the force of law, while excluding case annotations, editorial notes, and indexes from that legal effect.
• Designates several Code sections that were left blank or marked 'reserved' as officially repealed, and vice versa, to clean up inconsistent labeling.
• Rewords sections such as the unlawful squatting law (O.C.G.A. § 16-7-21.1) and the voter residency rules (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-217) for grammar and clarity without changing the substantive rule.
• Updates outdated terminology throughout the Code, such as changing 'Internet' to 'internet,' 'U.S.C.A.' to 'U.S.C.,' and 'associate degree' to 'associate's degree.'
• Clarifies that if another 2025 bill conflicts with this one, the other bill controls.

Because the bill touches dozens of Code titles, it technically affects anyone who relies on Georgia statutes: lawyers, judges, state agencies, county governments, licensing boards, schools, hospitals, and everyday Georgians. But since the changes are almost entirely technical corrections, the practical effect on any specific group is minimal.

For most Georgians, this bill will not change how any law works day to day. Its importance is mainly to lawyers, judges, and state officials who depend on accurate, consistent statutory text, since fixing wrong cross-references and inconsistent wording helps prevent confusion when applying the law.

• Sections 2 through 51 amend individual titles of the Code (Title 2 through Title 51), each listing specific Code sections corrected for wording, punctuation, or cross-reference errors.
• Section 16 revises the unlawful squatting statute (O.C.G.A. § 16-7-21.1) for grammar, keeping the same offense definition, citation procedure, and misdemeanor penalty.
• Section 21 rewords the voter residency determination statute (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-217) for clarity, listing the same factors registrars may consider without adding or removing any factor.
• Section 54 formally reenacts the statutory text, numbering, and arrangement of the 2024-supplemented Official Code of Georgia Annotated as having the force of law, while excluding annotations, notes, and indexes from that status.
• Section 54 also states that this reenactment does not override any other 2024 or 2025 Act that conflicts with it, and that other 2025 Acts control over this bill in case of conflict.
• Section 55 repeals any other laws that conflict with this Act.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-05-14Act 371
3. 2025-05-14Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2025-04-07Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2025-03-27Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
6. 2025-03-20House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
7. 2025-03-20House Third Readers (House)
8. 2025-03-18House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)

• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)Primary sponsor
• John Kennedy (R, SD-018)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
• Bill Yearta (R, HD-152)

1. PassedSenate voteFebruary 28, 2025

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

   Passage: Senate Vote #110

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 20, 2025

   169 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 6 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #288

3. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2025

   50 yea, 1 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Agree To House Substitute: Senate Vote #310

• Georgia Code revision
• technical corrections bill
• statutory housekeeping
• Code Revision Commission
• legal drafting cleanup