Senate · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB319: SB319 "Dorothy Mae Smith Wright Act"; enact

Last action March 4, 2025 · Senate Read and Referred

A Georgia Senate bill named the "Dorothy Mae Smith Wright Act" would limit when state, county, and local police can chase a fleeing vehicle, allowing pursuits only for certain serious crimes or clear threats to safety.

In plain language

Georgia law already requires law enforcement agencies to have written policies for vehicular pursuits, but current law leaves each agency's rules mostly up to its own discretion. This bill rewrites that section of Georgia's law enforcement code (O.C.G.A. § 35-1-14) to add specific limits on when police may start a car chase. Under the bill, an agency could only authorize a pursuit if the driving rules for police responding to emergencies (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-6) are followed, and if officers have probable cause that the person fleeing committed or is committing murder, aggravated battery, kidnapping or false imprisonment, rape, armed robbery, or another crime that creates an immediate threat of death, serious injury, or a substantial threat to someone's safety. Agencies that do not adopt compliant written pursuit policies remain subject to losing state or state administered federal funding. The bill also keeps the existing requirement that pursuit policies address chases that cross into other jurisdictions.

What the bill does

Restricts when police can start a vehicular pursuit, allowing it only if officers have probable cause tied to specific serious crimes or an immediate safety threat.
Requires that any pursuit also comply with the existing rules for emergency vehicle operation found in Georgia's traffic code (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-6).
Names murder, aggravated battery, kidnapping, false imprisonment, rape, and armed robbery as qualifying offenses for a pursuit, along with any crime creating immediate danger to others.
Keeps in place the existing penalty that agencies without compliant written pursuit policies can lose state funding or state administered federal funding.
Gives the overall change a short title, the "Dorothy Mae Smith Wright Act," for reference.

Who it affects

State, county, and local law enforcement agencies that conduct vehicle pursuits, the officers who make the decision to chase a fleeing vehicle, and members of the public who could be involved in or affected by a police chase, including drivers, passengers, and bystanders on Georgia roads.

Why it matters

Police pursuits can endanger drivers, passengers, and bystanders, and this bill would narrow the situations where a chase is allowed to cases involving specific serious crimes or an immediate danger. That could change how often officers are permitted to pursue fleeing vehicles across Georgia.

Key provisions

Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the "Dorothy Mae Smith Wright Act."
Section 2 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 35-1-14(b) so agencies may only authorize a pursuit if the requirements of O.C.G.A. § 40-6-6 are met and probable cause exists for a listed serious offense or an immediate threat to safety.
Section 2 lists the qualifying offenses: murder, aggravated battery, kidnapping or false imprisonment, rape, and armed robbery, plus any offense creating an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury.
Section 2 retains the existing rule that agencies failing to adopt compliant pursuit policies can lose state funding or state administered federal funding.
Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

From the bill

“any offense that creates an immedi ate threat of death or31 serious bodily inju ry to another person or a substantial threat to the safety of another32 person”
This defines the catch-all category of danger that can justify a pursuit beyond the listed crimes.

SB319: SB319 "Dorothy Mae Smith Wright Act"; enact

In plain language

What the bill does

Who it affects

Why it matters

Key provisions

From the bill

Status timeline

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