---
title: HB 1482. Jails; certain municipal corporations make municipal detention facilities or jails available for use by a sheriff under certain conditions; require
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1482
cite_as: HB 1482, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1482
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1482.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1482/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73763
date: 2026-03-06
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 185
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1482.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1482
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-26
last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported
sponsors:
- Charles Martin
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1482/2025
upstream_id: 2125930
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- jails and detention facilities
- county sheriffs
- municipal government
- Capitol Police jurisdiction
---
# HB 1482. Jails; certain municipal corporations make municipal detention facilities or jails available for use by a sheriff under certain conditions; require
## Text
House Bill 1482
By: Representative Martin of the 49th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 4 of Title 42 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to general provisions regarding jails, so as to require that certain municipal
corporations make municipal detention facilities or jails available for use by a sheriff under
certain conditions; to provide for fee and fee cap; to provide for related matters; to provide
for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 1 of Chapter 4 of Title 42 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions regarding jails, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as
follows:
"42-4-17.
(a) Any municipal corporation that owns or operates a municipal detention facility or jail
located within the radius provided for in subsection (a) of Code Section 35-2-122 as the
jurisdiction of the Capitol Police Division of the Department of Public Safety, regardless
of whether or not such municipal detention facility or jail is actively incarcerating inmates,
shall, at the request of the sheriff of the county where such municipal detention facility or
jail is located, and provided that sufficient funding has been appropriated to such sheriff,
place such municipal detention facility or jail at the disposal of such sheriff for use in the
detention of persons placed in the custody of such sheriff.
(b) In the event that a sheriff requests the use of a municipal detention facility or jail
pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section, the municipal corporation may charge such
sheriff a fee for the use of such municipal detention facility or jail; provided, however, that
in no event shall such fee exceed the actual cost incurred by such municipal corporation
in maintaining such municipal detention facility or jail."
SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## 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 certain municipal corporations near the State Capitol to make their detention facilities or jails available to a county sheriff on request, in exchange for a fee capped at actual costs.
### Plain-language summary
Currently, a municipal corporation that owns a jail or detention facility is not required to let a county sheriff use that space, even if the sheriff needs it. This bill adds a new section to Georgia's jail laws (O.C.G.A. Title 42, Chapter 4) that changes that for municipalities located within the area that state law sets as the jurisdiction of the Capitol Police Division of the Department of Public Safety (O.C.G.A. § 35-2-122).
Under the bill, if a sheriff in the county where such a facility sits asks to use it, and the sheriff has enough funding appropriated to pay for it, the municipal corporation must place the facility at the sheriff's disposal, whether or not the facility is currently holding inmates. The municipality may charge the sheriff a fee, but that fee cannot exceed the municipality's actual cost of maintaining the facility. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law without his signature.
### What it does
- Adds a new Code section requiring certain municipal corporations to make their detention facilities or jails available to a county sheriff who requests use of them.
- Limits this requirement to municipal facilities located within the geographic area defined as the Capitol Police Division's jurisdiction under O.C.G.A. § 35-2-122.
- Applies even if the municipal facility is not currently holding any inmates.
- Conditions the requirement on the sheriff having sufficient funding already appropriated to cover the arrangement.
- Allows the municipal corporation to charge the sheriff a fee for use of the facility, capped at the municipality's actual maintenance cost.
- Sets the effective date as immediately upon the Governor's approval, or upon the bill becoming law without his signature.
### Who it affects
County sheriffs seeking additional jail space, municipal corporations that own or operate detention facilities or jails near the State Capitol area, and county governments responsible for funding sheriffs' operations are all directly affected by this bill.
### Why it matters
Sheriffs facing overcrowded county jails could gain access to nearby municipal jail space they might not otherwise be allowed to use, while municipalities would be required to share facilities rather than deciding on their own whether to do so, subject to a fee that cannot exceed their actual costs.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code Section 42-4-17, applying to municipal corporations owning detention facilities or jails within the Capitol Police Division's jurisdictional radius under O.C.G.A. § 35-2-122.
- Subsection (a) requires such a municipality to place its facility at a requesting sheriff's disposal if the sheriff has adequate funding appropriated, regardless of whether the facility currently houses inmates.
- Subsection (b) permits the municipality to charge a fee for the facility's use but caps that fee at the municipality's actual cost of maintaining it.
- Section 2 sets the effective date as upon the Governor's approval or the bill becoming law without approval.
- Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-26)
- Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported (2026-03-06)
- Sponsors: Charles Martin
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73763
> The history, votes, and amendments (185 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1482.md?full=1