--- title: HB 138. Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council; establish basic and in-service training courses on de-escalation techniques and methods collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb138 cite_as: HB 138, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb138 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb138.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb138/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69538 date: 2025-04-04 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb137.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb139.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 249 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb138.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 138 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-01-27 last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted sponsors: - Yasmin Neal - Clint Crowe - Bill Hitchens text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB138/2025 upstream_id: 1943379 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - police training - law enforcement - de-escalation - public safety - POST Council --- # HB 138. Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council; establish basic and in-service training courses on de-escalation techniques and methods ## Text 25 LC 56 0367S The House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security offe rs the following substitute to HB 138: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Code Section 35-8-7 of the Official Code of Georgia An notated, relating to the1 powers and duties of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Tr aining Council, so as2 establish basic and in-service training courses on de-escalation techniques and methods; to3 provide for an effective date; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and4 for other purposes.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 SECTION 1.7 Code Section 35-8-7 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the powers and8 duties of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, is amended by revising9 paragraph (20) as follows:10 "(20) To establish as part of the curriculum for basic and in-service training courses for11 all peace officers training on organized criminal activity, and criminal street gangs, and12 de-escalation techniques and methods that include scenario based training;"13 SECTION 2.14 This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2026.15 H. B. 138 (SUB) - 1 - 25 LC 56 0367S SECTION 3.16 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.17 H. B. 138 (SUB) - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House bill would require the state's peace officer training board to add de-escalation training, including scenario-based exercises, to the basic and in-service courses required for all police officers. ### Plain-language summary Georgia law currently directs the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council to include training on organized criminal activity and criminal street gangs in the basic and continuing education courses required of all peace officers. This bill adds de-escalation techniques and methods to that required curriculum, and specifies that the training must include scenario based exercises, meaning officers would practice de-escalation in simulated situations rather than only through lectures or written material. The change is made by revising paragraph (20) of O.C.G.A. § 35-8-7, which lists the council's powers and duties over officer training. If enacted, the requirement would take effect January 1, 2026, and any existing laws that conflict with the change would be repealed. ### What it does - Adds de-escalation techniques and methods as a required topic in the basic and in-service training curriculum for all Georgia peace officers. - Requires that the de-escalation training include scenario based training, meaning practical, simulated exercises rather than only classroom instruction. - Keeps the existing requirement that training also cover organized criminal activity and criminal street gangs, adding the new topic alongside it. - Sets the effective date for the new training requirement as January 1, 2026. - Repeals any existing state laws or provisions that conflict with the new requirement. ### Who it affects The bill affects all Georgia peace officers, who would receive the new required training, and the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, which sets and administers the curriculum for basic and in-service officer training courses statewide. ### Why it matters If enacted, every peace officer in Georgia, not just new recruits, would need scenario based instruction on de-escalation as part of required training. This could change how officers are prepared to handle tense encounters with the public, potentially affecting police interactions statewide. ### Key provisions - Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 35-8-7(20) to add de-escalation techniques and methods, including scenario based training, to required basic and in-service peace officer training curricula. - Section 2 sets the effective date of the Act as January 1, 2026. - Section 3 repeals any laws or parts of laws that conflict with the new requirement. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-01-27) - Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: Yasmin Neal, Clint Crowe, Bill Hitchens - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69538 > The history, votes, and amendments (249 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb138.md?full=1