HB 1004: Public Safety, Department of; security guards to leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives and their families; provisions

Under current Georgia law, the Department of Public Safety's security guard division protects the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House, along with their immediate families, and can transport those families at state expense when traveling with them on state business. This bill expands that protection to the majority and minority leaders of both the Senate and the House of Representatives and their immediate families, covering them the same way. The bill also adds a new provision covering any member of the General Assembly, not just leadership, if the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determines that member faces a credible threat to his or her safety or security. In that case, the commissioner of public safety could assign guards to protect the member and their immediate family using the same rules that apply to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without a signature.

• Extends state security guard protection currently given to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House to also cover the Senate and House majority and minority leaders.
• Extends that same protection to the immediate families of the Senate and House majority and minority leaders.
• Allows state-funded transportation for the leaders' families when traveling with them on state business, matching the existing rule for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor's families.
• Creates a new option for the commissioner of public safety to assign security guards to any legislator, and that legislator's immediate family, once the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirms a credible threat.
• Applies the same protection rules used for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker to these newly covered legislators and threatened members.

The bill directly affects the Senate and House majority and minority leaders and their immediate families, who would gain access to state security guards. It also affects any individual member of the General Assembly who is found to face a credible threat, along with the Department of Public Safety and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which would help determine such threats.

If enacted, more of Georgia's top legislative leaders and their families would receive state-funded security protection and transportation, and any lawmaker facing a documented threat could also get guards. This could increase demands on the Department of Public Safety's security guard division and its budget.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 35-2-73(a) to add the Senate and House majority and minority leaders and their immediate families to the list of people the commissioner may assign security guards to protect.
• Section 1 revises subsection (b) so the families of these leaders can be transported by state vehicles or, when impractical, by private carrier at state expense while traveling with the leaders on state business.
• Section 1 adds a new subsection (c) letting the commissioner protect any General Assembly member and their immediate family if the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determines the member faces a credible threat to safety or security.
• Section 2 sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law without a signature.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting state laws.

1. 2026-01-28House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-27House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-16House Hopper (House)

• David Wilkerson (D, HD-038)Primary sponsor
• Lisa Campbell (D, HD-035)
• Esther Panitch (D, HD-051)
• Dar'shun Kendrick (D, HD-095)
• Ruwa Romman (D, HD-097)
• Karen Lupton (D, HD-083)

• legislative security
• public safety
• state government
• Georgia General Assembly
• threat protection