HB 1161: Motor vehicles; proper operation upon approach by an authorized emergency vehicle or by a law enforcement vehicle for purposes of a traffic stop; provide

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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.

1. House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, February 11, 2026

   From 0:59:54 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would explicitly require drivers being pulled over to move to the right-hand curb or parallel to it when safe. The sponsor and a Gwinnett County police witness said appeals court decisions limited existing requirements to emergency vehicles seeking to pass, leaving a gap when drivers stop in traffic lanes during police stops. One member worried that drivers seeking a safe place could be treated as fleeing. The witness distinguished fleeing from failing to pull right, and the sponsor said reported cases largely involved drivers stopping directly in the roadway. A second member raised confusion caused by steady blue police lights. The witness said those lights differed from flashing traffic-stop lights and reported no such experience. Another member questioned whether drivers could continue to a safer location. The sponsor said the safety exception allowed judgment, and the chair said that language already existed elsewhere in law. Another member urged public education, which the sponsor said was planned. Asked why traffic-obstruction law was insufficient, the witness said courts had treated the officer’s stop as causing the obstruction. The committee supported a do-pass motion by voice vote, with no opposition heard.

2. House Rules Committee, February 17, 2026

   From 0:35:13 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would require drivers being stopped by law enforcement to move toward the right-hand curb when safe, so traffic is not obstructed. The sponsor said local police requested the change, the Georgia police chiefs and sheriffs associations supported it, and courts had found that this commonly assumed requirement was not expressly in state law. No questions or decision followed.

3. House Rules Committee, February 19, 2026

   From 0:42:47 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed HB 1161 on Thursday’s floor calendar under modified structured rules after a motion and second. No opposition was voiced, and there was no substantive discussion.

4. House floor session, February 19, 2026 (legislative day 21)

   From 1:42:14 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 728

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1161 would clarify that drivers being stopped by law enforcement should move toward the right-hand curb, away from traffic, when safe. The sponsor said Gwinnett County Police requested the bill and that the Georgia Chiefs of Police and Georgia Sheriffs’ Association supported it. According to the sponsor, court rulings had found that this practice was not expressly required in law, causing confusion and differing treatment. The sponsor said the bill would align traffic-stop instructions with existing instructions for approaching emergency vehicles. A member asked whether the bill would improve safety by allowing drivers to choose a reasonably safe stopping location. The sponsor agreed and stressed that the bill would leave room for judgment rather than impose an absolute rule. The House passed the bill 162-2.

5. Senate Public Safety Committee, March 18, 2026

   From 0:42:02 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1161 would require drivers being stopped by police to pull to the right when safe, addressing court interpretations that existing law covered emergency vehicles passing, not traffic stops. A second presenter explained that the substitute added mandatory jail time for fleeing Department of Public Safety officers: 30 days per mile, with enhanced felony penalties for aggravated circumstances. The presenter described deterrence as the goal and later said a first offense would carry a two-year cap. One member questioned whether drivers would consider mileage-based punishment while fleeing and whether mandatory sentences allowed for misunderstanding or other mitigating circumstances. The presenter argued that publicity would deter fleeing and said the constituent example involving an unmarked vehicle would not apply to State Patrol’s marked vehicles. Asked about local officers and license suspensions, the presenter favored keeping the proposal’s scope unchanged and reviewing its effects after two years. Members also questioned removal of existing safe-stop language, particularly because of police impersonators. The sponsor and chair said replacement language still allowed drivers to signal, obey speed limits and continue to a reasonably safe location. No amendment was adopted. The committee approved the substitute 5–1; the Senate presenter remained unsettled.

6. Senate Rules Committee, March 30, 2026

   From 0:41:16 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1161 would make traffic stops safer by directing motorists to pull right when safe and aligning that requirement with existing emergency-vehicle rules. The sponsor also said added fleeing language would clarify standards involving the Department of Public Safety without changing minimum or maximum penalties. A member selected it, and the committee unanimously approved the calendar containing it.

7. Senate floor session, March 31, 2026 (legislative day 39, part 2)

   From 2:32:19 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The Public Safety chair said the bill clarified how drivers should pull over safely during traffic stops, added penalties for fleeing state or Capitol police, and delayed digital-driver's-license requirements until 2032. The chair said reading equipment could cost up to $1,000 per officer. The chair described three supported amendments: restricting municipal speed-detection enforcement on certain roads, aligning window-tint rules with Florida, and revising fleeing-and-eluding language. One senator questioned whether penalties of 30 days per mile fled could produce a lengthy sentence. The chair said the bill capped that penalty at two years. Another senator asked whether tint would have to be lighter, and the chair emphasized consistency with neighboring states. Asked about partial miles, the chair said rounding had not been contemplated and suggested counting only the full mile. A senator opposed the speed-enforcement restriction, raising pedestrian safety concerns. That amendment passed, 43 to 7. The other two amendments were adopted without objection. The Senate passed the amended substitute, 46 to 3.

8. House floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, PM, part 2)

   From 2:51:09 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub As Amended)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1161 would require drivers being stopped by police to move right when safe, clarify the existing fleeing offense without changing sentencing ranges or offense classifications, and allow darker window tint. The sponsor's House amendment would remove Senate restrictions on speed-detection devices in small cities because of unintended consequences. It would add school-zone camera requirements for real-time speed displays, annual revenue reports, justification for certain locations, and notices explaining registration-renewal consequences of unpaid tickets. The sponsor said the speed-display requirement would begin July 2027. One member said these camera safeguards had previously been removed by the Senate. Another asked whether the changes addressed erroneous tickets and access to court relief. The sponsor said they addressed part of the problem and pointed to a separate camera measure for the remainder. During voting, another member said the cited section did not appear to provide court recourse; no substantive clarification followed. The House adopted the amendment and agreed to the Senate's replacement version as amended, 163 to 6.

9. Senate floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, part 2)

   From 6:02:26 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: Although the clerk read captions about emergency vehicles and traffic stops, the presenter described the House changes to HB 1161 as school speed-camera requirements. The presenter said cameras on four-lane highways would require a crosswalk, flashing lights and signs displaying approaching vehicles’ speeds. A member asked whether the measure allowed school cameras without a referendum, and the chair responded negatively without further explanation. The Senate agreed to the House amendment, 33–19.

• Read aloud: House floor session, February 3, 2026 (legislative day 11), 0:34:07
• Read aloud: House floor session, February 4, 2026 (legislative day 12), 0:33:08
• Read aloud: House floor session, February 12, 2026 (legislative day 18), 1:02:04
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22), 0:39:07
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 19, 2026 (legislative day 34), 0:41:25
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 20, 2026 (legislative day 35), 0:38:55

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