HB621: HB621 Georgia Bureau of Investigation; provide for members of the General Assembly to request assistance

Under current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 35-3-8.1), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation can be asked to assist local law enforcement by a narrow list of officials: municipal governing authorities or police chiefs, county sheriffs, certain county police chiefs, superior court judges, or the Governor. The GBI's director generally has discretion over whether to grant these requests, except that a request from the Governor must be honored. House Bill 621 rewrites this section to add "a member of the General Assembly" to that list of people who can ask the GBI to render assistance in a criminal case, in preventing or detecting violations of law, or in detecting or catching people who violate criminal laws of Georgia, another state, or the United States. The director's discretion over whether to act on the request stays the same as for other officials on the list, meaning the director is not required to comply just because a legislator asked. The bill does not change the separate provisions about GBI jurisdiction over terrorism-related cases.

• Adds state senators and representatives to the list of officials who can formally request Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) assistance under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-8.1.
• Leaves the GBI director's discretion over whether to grant such requests unchanged, except that requests from the Governor remain mandatory.
• Keeps the existing list of requesters intact, including sheriffs, certain municipal officials, some county police chiefs, and superior court judges.
• Leaves unchanged the bureau's separate authority to work independently or with other agencies on terrorism-related investigations.

Members of the Georgia General Assembly, who would gain a new formal channel to ask for GBI help; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and its director, who would field these new requests; and local law enforcement agencies and courts already named in the statute.

If enacted, individual state lawmakers could formally ask the GBI to get involved in a criminal matter, something currently limited to certain local officials, judges, and the Governor. The GBI director would still decide whether to act, so the change expands who can ask rather than guaranteeing a response.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 35-3-8.1 by adding 'a member of the General Assembly' to the officials who may request GBI assistance in criminal cases or law enforcement matters.
• Subsection (a) retains the director's discretion to grant such requests in 'unusual circumstances,' except that a request from the Governor must be honored.
• Subsection (b), covering the bureau's authority to work independently or with other agencies on terrorism cases, is carried over unchanged.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard closing provision.

1. 2025-02-28House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-27House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-26House Hopper (House)

• Sylvia Baker (D, HD-064)Primary sponsor
• Sharon Henderson (D, HD-113)
• Terry Cummings (D, HD-039)
• Lydia Glaize (D, HD-067)
• Dewey McClain (D, HD-109)
• L.C. Myles (D, HD-126)

• law enforcement
• Georgia Bureau of Investigation
• criminal justice
• state legislature powers