HB421: HB421 Interstate Sexual Predator Prevention Act; enact

Georgia's existing law on enticing a child for indecent purposes (O.C.G.A. § 16-6-5) makes it a crime to solicit, entice, or take a child under 16 to any place for indecent purposes. This bill rewrites that law's key subsection to also cover someone who travels from another state for the purpose of child molestation or indecent acts. The change means prosecutors would not need to show that a person physically moved a child to a location; simply traveling into Georgia from out of state with that intent could support a charge under this statute. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not add a separate new penalty section, meaning the offense would carry the existing penalties tied to this code section.

• Rewrites subsection (a) of Georgia's child enticement law (O.C.G.A. § 16-6-5) to add a new way the offense can be committed.
• Makes it a crime under this section for a person to travel from another state for the purpose of child molestation or indecent acts.
• Keeps the existing prohibition on soliciting, enticing, or taking a child under 16 to any place for indecent purposes.
• Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this change.

The bill affects people who travel into Georgia from another state with intent to molest a child or commit indecent acts, as well as Georgia prosecutors and courts that would apply this expanded definition, and by extension children under 16 the law is meant to protect.

By covering interstate travel with predatory intent, the bill would let Georgia prosecutors charge someone under this specific child enticement statute even if the person never physically moved a child, potentially closing a gap for out-of-state offenders who cross into Georgia intending to commit these acts.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 16-6-5(a) to add travel from another state for the purpose of child molestation or indecent acts as a way to commit the offense of enticing a child.
• The revised subsection retains the original language covering soliciting, enticing, or taking a child under 16 to any place for indecent purposes.
• Section 2 repeals any laws or parts of laws that conflict with the amended statute.

1. 2026-03-31Senate Tabled (Senate)
2. 2026-03-19Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
3. 2026-03-18Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
4. 2026-03-09Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
5. 2026-03-06House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
6. 2026-03-06House Third Readers (House)
7. 2026-03-04House Postponed (House)
8. 2026-03-03House Postponed (House)

• Darlene Taylor (R, HD-173)Primary sponsor
• Carmen Rice (R, HD-139)
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)
• Mandi Ballinger (R, HD-023)
• Karen Mathiak (R, HD-082)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 6, 2026

   164 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 11 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #675

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Motion To Table Remaining Legislation On The Rules Calendar: Senate Vote #912

• child protection
• sex crimes
• criminal law
• interstate travel offenses