---
title: HB 1534. Chatham County; State Court; provide additional judge
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1534
cite_as: HB 1534, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1534
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1534.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1534/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73996
date: 2026-05-12
status: passed
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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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1533.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1535.md
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 1181
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1534.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1534
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-12
last_action: Effective Date 2026-05-12
sponsors:
  - Ron Stephens
  - Jesse Petrea
  - Edna Jackson
  - Bill Hitchens
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1534/2025
upstream_id: 2131399
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Chatham County courts
  - state court judges
  - local government law
  - judicial appointments
  - Georgia elections
---

# HB 1534. Chatham County; State Court; provide additional judge

## Text

House Bill 1534 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Stephens of the 164th, Petrea of the 166th, Jackson of the 165th, and
Hitchens of the 161st
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend an Act creating the State Court of Chatham County, approved December 18, 1819
(Ga. L. 1819, p. 16), as amended, particularly by an Act approved May 30, 2003 (Ga. L.
2003, p. 3667), so as to provide for an additional judge of the State Court of Chatham
County; to provide for the election, powers, duties, jurisdiction, privileges, immunities, and
compensation of said additional judge; to authorize the governing authority of Chatham
County to provide facilities, office space, supplies, equipment, and personnel for said judge;
to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
An Act creating the State Court of Chatham County, approved December 18, 1819 (Ga. L.
1819, p. 16), as amended, particularly by an Act approved May 30, 2003 (Ga. L. 2003, p.
3667) is amended by revising Section 2A as follows:
"SECTION 2A.
(a) Until January 1, 2027, there shall be three judges of the State Court of Chatham
County, as provided by existing law. The judges of said court in office prior to January 1,
2027, shall continue to serve the terms of office to which they were elected or appointed
and until their successors are elected and qualified.
(b) Effective January 1, 2027, there shall be four judges of the State Court of Chatham
County. The fourth judge added effective January 1, 2027, shall be appointed by the
Governor for an initial term of office ending on December 31, 2028, and until his or her
successor is elected and qualified. The successor to said judge shall be elected by the
qualified voters of Chatham County at an election to be held and conducted jointly with the
general primary in 2028. The judge so elected shall serve a four-year term and until such
judge's successor is elected and qualified.
(c) The fourth judge of the State Court of Chatham County shall have and may exercise
all powers, duties, jurisdictions, privileges, and immunities of the present judges of the
State Court of Chatham County. Any of the judges of said court may preside over any
cause and perform any official act as judge thereof. The compensation of the additional
judge shall be the same as that provided for other judges of the State Court of Chatham
County. Upon request of the additional judge, the governing authority of Chatham County
is authorized to furnish the additional judge with suitable courtroom space and facilities,
office space, office equipment, supplies, and such personnel as may be considered
necessary by the court to the proper function of the court. All of the expenditures
authorized herein are declared to be an expense of court and payable out of the county
treasury as such."
SECTION 2.
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.

House Bill 1534 would add a fourth judge to the State Court of Chatham County starting January 1, 2027, with the new judge first appointed by the Governor and later elected by county voters.

### Plain-language summary

The State Court of Chatham County currently has three judges under a law that dates back to 1819 and was last revised in 2003. This bill amends that law to add a fourth judgeship.
Until January 1, 2027, the court keeps its current three judges, who continue serving the terms they were elected or appointed to. Starting January 1, 2027, a fourth judge position is created. The Governor appoints that first fourth judge to a term running through December 31, 2028. After that, Chatham County voters elect the fourth judge's successor at the 2028 general primary, and that elected judge serves a four-year term. The new judge has the same powers, duties, and pay as the other State Court judges, and any judge may handle any case. Chatham County's governing authority is authorized, at the new judge's request, to provide courtroom space, office space, equipment, supplies, and staff, with those costs paid from the county treasury.

### What it does

- Adds a fourth judgeship to the State Court of Chatham County, effective January 1, 2027, increasing the court from three judges to four.
- Has the Governor appoint the first fourth judge to serve an initial term through December 31, 2028.
- Requires Chatham County voters to elect the fourth judge's permanent successor at the 2028 general primary, for a four-year term.
- Gives the fourth judge the same powers, jurisdiction, and pay as the court's existing judges.
- Authorizes Chatham County's governing authority to provide courtroom space, offices, equipment, supplies, and personnel for the new judge, funded from the county treasury.

### Who it affects

Residents and litigants in Chatham County who use the State Court, the current and future judges of that court, the Governor's office (which makes the initial appointment), Chatham County voters (who elect the judge's successor in 2028), and Chatham County's governing authority, which must fund facilities and staff for the new judge.

### Why it matters

Adding a fourth judge could help the State Court of Chatham County handle its caseload more quickly, since more judges can share the workload. It also means Chatham County taxpayers cover the cost of an additional judge's courtroom, staff, and equipment starting in 2027.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 revises Section 2A of the original 1819 Act creating the State Court of Chatham County, as amended in 2003.
- Subsection (a) keeps three judges in place until January 1, 2027, with current judges serving out their existing terms.
- Subsection (b) creates a fourth judgeship effective January 1, 2027, appointed by the Governor through December 31, 2028, with a successor elected by Chatham County voters at the 2028 general primary for a four-year term.
- Subsection (c) gives the fourth judge equal powers, duties, jurisdiction, and compensation, and authorizes county-funded courtroom space, equipment, supplies, and personnel.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-05-12)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-12 (2026-05-12)
- Sponsors: Ron Stephens, Jesse Petrea, Edna Jackson, Bill Hitchens
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73996

> The history, votes, and amendments (1,181 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1534.md?full=1