Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 1080: Georgia Public Safety Support Fund Act; enact
Last action February 19, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
A House bill would create the Georgia Public Safety Support Grant Program, letting the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council accept private and public donations to fund equipment, training, and technology for local police, sheriffs, and courts.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Comm Sub version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Currently there is no dedicated state grant program letting the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council pool private and public contributions to support local law enforcement and courts. This bill, called the Georgia Public Safety Support Grant Program Act, adds a new section to Georgia's law on the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (O.C.G.A. Chapter 6A of Title 35) creating such a program. The council could accept voluntary gifts, grants, and donations from individuals, corporations, nonprofits, or foundations, as long as no donor gets special treatment. Grant money could pay for equipment, technology, and infrastructure for city and county police, sheriff's offices, and courts, as well as hiring, training, and data-sharing systems. The bill bars using the funds for direct cash payments to individuals, lobbying, political activity, or forgiving debts. The council must set eligibility rules, report annually to the Governor and legislative leaders, and make grant program records available under Georgia's open records law (O.C.G.A. Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50).
What the bill does
- Creates a new grant program inside the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to fund local police, sheriff's offices, and courts.
- Allows the council to accept voluntary donations from private individuals, corporations, nonprofits, and foundations, but bars donors from getting special privileges.
- Permits grant money to cover equipment, technology, infrastructure, hiring, training, and data-sharing systems for law enforcement and courts.
- Prohibits grant funds from being used for direct cash payments to individuals, lobbying, political activity, or forgiving past obligations.
- Requires the council to set eligibility criteria, application procedures, and monitoring rules, and to file an annual report on contributions and results.
- Makes grant program records subject to public inspection under Georgia's open records law.
Who it affects
County and city police departments, sheriff's offices, and Georgia's trial courts (superior, juvenile, state, magistrate, probate, municipal, and others) that could apply for grants; the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, which would administer the program; and private donors such as corporations, nonprofits, and foundations that could contribute funds.
Why it matters
Local law enforcement agencies and courts could gain a new funding channel for equipment, training, and technology beyond their regular budgets. Because the program relies partly on private donations with strict rules against special favors or political use, it changes how outside money can legally flow into Georgia's public safety and court systems.
Key provisions
- Section 1 names the law the 'Georgia Public Safety Support Grant Program Act.'
- Section 3 adds new O.C.G.A. § 35-6A-18, defining 'court' broadly to include superior, juvenile, state, magistrate, probate, municipal, and other trial courts.
- Subsection (b) authorizes the grant program to fund equipment, hiring, training, interoperable data systems, and other activities benefiting public safety and judicial efficiency.
- Subsection (c) lets the council accept voluntary private and public contributions but forbids giving contributors special privileges.
- Subsection (d) requires the council to set eligibility criteria, application procedures, and monitoring rules, and lists prohibited uses like direct cash payments, lobbying, and retroactive compensation.
- Subsection (e) requires an annual report to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House on contributions, expenditures, and public benefits achieved.
- Subsection (f) makes the grant program's records subject to public records requests under O.C.G.A. Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“The council shall establish a grant program for the provision of funds to support and enhance public safety and the administration of justice in this state.”
“No contributor to the grant program receives any special privilege, consideration, or benefit not available to the public generally.”
“Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to replace any other source of funding for local law enforcement agencies and courts.”
Discussed in meetings (5)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, February 18, 2026
From 0:43:34 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a committee substitute establishing the Georgia Public Safety Support Fund under the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. The sponsor said it would use the council’s existing grant process to help local public safety entities obtain support without waiting for the annual legislative funding process. Examples included court technology upgrades and bulletproof vests. The sponsor said legislative appropriations, private donations or both could fund it, giving agencies without foundations a way to receive support. Asked who would award grants, the sponsor said the council’s existing board and process would remain in place. Asked whether donors could direct money to a particular recipient, the sponsor said donors could communicate their intent, the intended recipient would need to apply, and the council would consider those circumstances rather than permit strict earmarking. The sponsor did not know how many agencies have foundations. The chair said creating foundations can burden smaller departments and highlighted restrictions against direct cash payments to individuals, prohibited extra compensation, lobbying and political activities. The committee approved the substitute by voice vote, with no opposition heard.
House Rules Committee, February 23, 2026
From 0:30:57 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1080 would create a public safety grant fund within the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, using the council's existing grant process rather than creating a new administrative structure. The sponsor said public money and private donations could support local courts and law enforcement, including technology upgrades, without requiring a separate appropriations effort for each initiative. There were no questions.
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Yasmin Neal (D, HD-79)
- Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
- Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
- Mike Cheokas (R, HD-151)
Topics
- public safety funding
- law enforcement grants
- court funding
- criminal justice policy
- open records