Georgia CommonsHouse · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 1142: Courts; require certain agreements for certain offenses to be eligible for a Pretrial Intervention and Diversion Program
Last action April 2, 2026 · Senate Tabled
House Bill 1142 would create a public registry of repeat domestic violence offenders run by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and would bar anyone charged with domestic violence from entering a pretrial diversion program unless they agree that a future domestic violence conviction can lead to registration.
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
Georgia currently runs Pretrial Intervention and Diversion Programs that let some offenders avoid a conviction by completing certain conditions, and it has no public list specifically tracking people who repeatedly commit domestic violence offenses. This bill changes both things. It bars prosecutors from letting someone into a diversion program for a domestic violence offense unless the person agrees that any later domestic violence conviction could lead to placement on a new registry. The bill creates that new registry inside the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for 'recidivist domestic violence offenders,' people convicted of a domestic violence offense who have at least one prior conviction for such an offense. Courts that convict a repeat offender must order registration, and clerks of court must send conviction records to the GBI within 30 days. People stay on the registry for five years with one prior conviction or ten years with two or more, and the registry excludes personal identifiers like addresses and social security numbers. It also updates Georgia's first offender law so that completing a first offender sentence does not erase this new registration requirement. The changes take effect January 1, 2027 and apply only to offenses committed on or after that date.
What the bill does
- Bars prosecuting attorneys from accepting someone into a Pretrial Intervention and Diversion Program for a domestic violence offense unless the offender agrees a future conviction could trigger registry placement.
- Creates a new public registry of 'recidivist domestic violence offenders' maintained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
- Requires courts that convict a repeat domestic violence offender to order registration and requires clerks of court to send conviction records to the GBI within 30 days.
- Sets registry duration at five years for offenders with one prior domestic violence conviction and ten years for those with two or more.
- Excludes sensitive personal identifiers, such as addresses and social security numbers, from the public version of the registry.
- Amends Georgia's first offender law (O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60) so completing a first offender sentence does not erase the new domestic violence registry requirement, matching how it already treats the sex offender registry.
Who it affects
People charged with domestic violence offenses such as simple assault, battery, or stalking against a dating partner, spouse, co-parent, or family member; prosecuting attorneys; clerks of court; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; and courts handling first offender sentencing and pretrial diversion cases.
Why it matters
Repeat domestic violence offenders convicted after January 1, 2027 could be publicly listed for years, which could affect their reputations and give the public and potential victims a way to check someone's history. People facing a first domestic violence charge would lose the option of diversion unless they accept the registry condition upfront.
Key provisions
- Section 1 adds a new subsection to O.C.G.A. § 15-18-80 requiring offenders to agree to future registry inclusion before being accepted into a diversion program for a domestic violence offense.
- Section 2 creates a new Chapter 13B in Title 19 defining 'domestic violence offense' to include assault, battery, false imprisonment, stalking, and related crimes among family members, spouses, co-parents, or dating partners.
- Section 2 establishes the GBI-run registry, requiring courts to order registration upon a repeat conviction and clerks to forward records within 30 days, and sets removal timelines of 5 or 10 years or upon dismissal or vacated charges.
- Section 2 states the registry provisions apply only to offenses committed on or after January 1, 2027.
- Section 3 revises O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 so that first offender discharge does not exempt someone from the new domestic violence registry requirement, mirroring the existing sex offender registry exception.
- Section 4 sets the overall effective date as January 1, 2027, applying to offenses committed on or after that date.
From the bill
“No prosecuting attorney shall accept any offender into the program for a domestic violence offense if such offender has not agreed that any subsequent domestic violence conviction will be subject to being ordered for inclusion in the domestic violence registry pursuant to Chapter 13B of Title 19.”
“There is created within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation a searchable registry of recidivist domestic violence offenders.”
“'Recidivist domestic violence offender' means a person who has: (A) Been convicted in this state of a domestic violence offense; and (B) At least one prior conviction for a domestic violence offense.”
Discussed in meetings (15)
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 Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, February 17, 2026
From 1:55:17 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute creating a searchable GBI registry for repeat domestic violence offenders, intended to help people assess potential partners. The sponsor said registration would follow a second qualifying offense after January 1, 2027, with removal after five years for a second conviction and 10 years for later convictions. A member clarified, and the sponsor agreed, that no-contest pleas, first-offender treatment and pretrial diversion would count toward eligibility. Members warned that existing family-violence definitions could include former roommates or relatives outside romantic relationships, even with decades between offenses. The sponsor welcomed narrower language. Two shelter directors supported the registry as a safety resource. One said 163 people died from domestic violence the previous year and almost 16,000 victims could not get shelter help because facilities were full. Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers witnesses questioned publicly listing first-offender and diversion records, citing employment and housing consequences. They also requested a removal process for overturned convictions and argued that counting earlier cases raised notice concerns. No amendment or final vote occurred. The chair assigned the vice chair to work with the sponsor and interested groups on another substitute.
House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, February 23, 2026
From 0:13:35 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair postponed HB 1142 until Wednesday, saying the sponsor and others were still working on changes. There was no presentation or debate.
House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, February 25, 2026
From 1:42:19 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a revised domestic violence registry proposal. The sponsor said the substitute specified qualifying offenses and relationships, counted first-offender and diversion cases toward registration without publicly displaying those successfully completed cases, and applied only to qualifying offenses committed on or after January 1, 2027. Other changes included removal after overturned convictions, 30 days rather than seven for clerks to report convictions, removal of fees and GBI-requested operating language. The sponsor requested adding aggravated assault and false imprisonment. One member suggested publishing birth year rather than full birth date to reduce identity-theft risks; the sponsor agreed, while another member questioned whether that would adequately identify people. A GBI witness estimated implementation at approximately $4.6 million, including additional staff, but said vendor quotes and ongoing costs remained unsettled. A dating-violence survivor supported the registry as a warning for potential victims. The Georgia Commission on Family Violence's executive director took no position but argued that dating-violence relationships needed recognition in criminal law for the registry to work. One member disputed the need for a new criminal classification, saying courts could apply the bill's offense and relationship definitions. The chair held the bill for revisions and planned to return to it Monday. No amendments or passage vote occurred.
House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, March 2, 2026
From 1:31:40 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair announced that HB 1142 had been removed from the day's agenda at the sponsor's request and would return Thursday. There was no substantive presentation or vote.
House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, March 5, 2026 (AM)
From 0:15:35 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute to HB 1142, explaining that its main change added language treating the repeat domestic violence offender registry similarly to the sex offender registry. The sponsor said the registry would help people considering relationships identify someone with a history of domestic violence convictions. Asked about costs, the sponsor said the GBI estimated $3.5 million to $4 million to build the system and that an appropriation would be needed. The sponsor gave an effective date of January 1, 2027. When the committee returned to the bill, a member proposed replacing full birth dates with birth years to protect personal information. The member withdrew that amendment after noticing that addresses had already been removed from the bill. The committee approved the substitute by voice vote and advanced it to Rules. No vote count was stated.
House floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, PM, part 2)
From 3:46:27 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2236
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented HB 1142 as creating a Georgia Bureau of Investigation registry of repeat domestic violence offenders, intended to help people assess safety before entering relationships. The sponsor said people convicted more than once of qualifying offenses after January 1, 2027, would be listed, with removal provisions based on conviction history and removal if a conviction is overturned. A member supporting the bill asked why it did not address firearm access for convicted abusers. The sponsor said firearm restrictions were outside the bill's purpose and should remain with the existing judicial process, while expressing openness to future discussion. A second supporting member credited research by a survivor serving as an intern and said one in three young women in Georgia experiences dating-partner abuse before age 20. The House adopted the committee substitute and passed the bill 163-0.
House Rules Committee, March 6, 2026
From 0:34:34 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described HB 1142 as creating a public, searchable domestic violence offender registry maintained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The sponsor said its purpose was accountability for repeat offenders and helping people check someone’s history before entering a relationship. One committee member asked whether a fight between siblings would be covered. The sponsor said the language was designed to exclude those relationships. A second member asked whether being listed would prohibit gun possession. The sponsor said registry placement would not, although an underlying conviction might. A third member asked whether the information would inform prosecutions. The sponsor said the registry’s sole purpose was public awareness of repeat domestic violence offenders. No vote was recorded.
House Rules Committee, March 6, 2026
From 1:23:42 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2178
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed a substitute version of HB 1142 on the supplemental floor calendar under modified structured rules. No substantive discussion occurred.
Senate Judiciary Committee, March 23, 2026
From 1:30:48 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1142 would create a GBI-maintained public registry of repeat domestic violence offenders for offenses committed after January 1, 2027. The sponsor described removal after five years for two convictions and longer periods for additional convictions. Asked about eligibility, the sponsor said judges would apply a definition based on specified offenses and relationships. The sponsor said successfully completed first-offender cases and diversion would count only toward registry eligibility. Members questioned victim privacy, the separate domestic violence definition and funding. The sponsor said addresses would be excluded and reported a GBI startup estimate of $3.5 million to $4 million; funding remained to be addressed. A survivor of dating violence supported giving prospective partners warnings. Witnesses for The Haven and The Refuge argued that a registry could reveal patterns across relationships and jurisdictions. The Refuge witness said roughly 16 shelter directors supported it and that survivors consulted did not expect added danger, provided their identities stayed private. One member remained concerned that public identification could expose victims or trigger further violence and requested more discussion. The committee approved the bill unanimously.
Senate Rules Committee, March 30, 2026
From 0:50:48 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1142 would create a repeat domestic violence offender registry maintained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The sponsor described it as complementing a separate animal-abuse database measure. A member selected it, and the committee unanimously approved the calendar containing it.
Senate floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, part 1)
From 7:07:33 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Taken from Table)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1142 would create a registry of repeat domestic-violence offenders and define which offenses and relationships qualified. A committee member asked whether an offender serving five years in prison would spend that time on the registry. The sponsor said registration appeared to begin with conviction and could overlap with incarceration, while acknowledging that some sentencing and implementation details remained unresolved. The member then asked whether an offender could qualify for removal before release, leaving people without a warning when the offender returned to the community. The sponsor agreed that this could happen if the offender qualified for removal. Another senator moved to set the bill aside, and the Senate did so without objection. No passage vote occurred.
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 3, 2026 (legislative day 11), 0:27:42
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 4, 2026 (legislative day 12), 0:29:52
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 9, 2026 (legislative day 29), 0:26:59
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 25, 2026 (legislative day 37), 0:35:01
Status timeline
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
Show full history (13 actions)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
- Soo Hong (R, HD-103)
- Jan Jones (R, HD-47)
- Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
- Matt Reeves (R, HD-99)
- Scott Hilton (R, HD-48)
- Brian Strickland (R, SD-42)
Votes
- House voteMarch 6, 2026
163 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 11 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2026
39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 excused)
Topics
- domestic violence
- pretrial diversion programs
- criminal justice
- first offender law
- Georgia Bureau of Investigation