--- title: HB 222. Criminal procedure; inclusion of certain contact information on bonds and recognizances; require collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb222 cite_as: HB 222, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb222 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb222.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb222/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69775 date: 2025-05-14 status: passed 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/hb221.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb223.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 1116 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb222.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 222 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-14 last_action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 sponsors: - Shaw Blackmon - Noel Williams - Bethany Ballard - Anissa Jones - Chuck Efstration - Larry Walker text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB222/2025 upstream_id: 1953019 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - bail bonds - criminal procedure - court records - bond requirements --- # HB 222. Criminal procedure; inclusion of certain contact information on bonds and recognizances; require ## Text 25 LC 48 1345/AP House Bill 222 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Blackmon of the 146th, Williams of the 148th, Ballard of the 147th, Jones of the 143rd, and Efstration of the 104th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 3 of Chapter 6 of Title 17 of the Official Cod e of Georgia Annotated,1 relating to bonds and recognizances in criminal proceedings, so as to require the inclusion2 of certain contact information on such bonds and recognizances; to repeal conflicting laws;3 and for other purposes.4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5 SECTION 1.6 Article 3 of Chapter 6 of Title 17 of the Official Code of Geor gia Annotated, relating to7 bonds and recognizances in criminal proceedings, is amended by revising Code Section8 17-6-73, relating to address of principle and surety on bond or recognizance, as follows:9 "17-6-73.10 Every bond or recognizance given to secure the appearance of any person in any criminal11 proceeding shall have entered thereon the following legible information:12 (a) The full name of the principal and each surety; 13 (b) The mailing address of the principal and each surety;14 (c) The email address of the principal and each surety; and15 (d) The phone number of the principal and each surety."16 H. B. 222 - 1 - 25 LC 48 1345/AP SECTION 2.17 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.18 H. B. 222 - 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. House Bill 222 requires every criminal bail bond in Georgia to list the full name, mailing address, email address, and phone number of the defendant and each person who signs as a surety. ### Plain-language summary Under current Georgia law, bonds and recognizances used to secure a defendant's appearance in criminal court have to show the name and address of the principal (the defendant) and any surety (the person guaranteeing the bond). This bill rewrites that law, found in Georgia's bond and recognizance statute (O.C.G.A. § 17-6-73), to add two new pieces of required contact information: an email address and a phone number for the principal and for each surety. The change applies across Article 3 of Chapter 6 of Title 17 of the Georgia Code, which governs bonds and recognizances in criminal proceedings generally. The bill does not create new penalties or a new agency; it simply expands the list of information that must legibly appear on these bonds. It also repeals any conflicting laws. ### What it does - Rewrites Georgia's bond and recognizance law (O.C.G.A. § 17-6-73) to expand the required information printed on every criminal bond. - Adds a requirement that the email address of the principal (the defendant) and each surety be listed on the bond. - Adds a requirement that the phone number of the principal and each surety be listed on the bond. - Keeps the existing requirements that the bond show the full name and mailing address of the principal and each surety. - Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with these new bond information requirements. ### Who it affects Defendants in criminal cases who post bond, sureties (including bail bond companies and individuals who co-sign bonds), courts and clerks that process bonds and recognizances, and law enforcement or court staff who rely on this contact information. ### Why it matters Courts, bail bond agents, and law enforcement would have an email address and phone number on file for the defendant and any surety on a bond, not just a mailing address. That extra contact information could make it easier to reach people connected to a bond if a court appearance or other follow-up is needed. ### Key provisions - Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 17-6-73 to list four required pieces of legible information on every bond or recognizance: full name, mailing address, email address, and phone number of the principal and each surety. - Section 2 repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with the new requirements, a standard clause with no substantive effect beyond enforcing consistency. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-14) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 (2025-05-14) - Sponsors: Shaw Blackmon, Noel Williams, Bethany Ballard, Anissa Jones, Chuck Efstration, Larry Walker - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69775 > The history, votes, and amendments (1,116 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb222.md?full=1