Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 369: Motor vehicles; sale of food or beverages; provide vehicle equipment standards
Last action May 12, 2026 · Act 710
House Bill 369 would require certain county offices and some district attorney races to be elected on a nonpartisan basis in counties that have abolished the elected coroner position, starting January 1, 2028.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This bill changes how some local elections work in Georgia. It amends the state election code (O.C.G.A. Title 21) to create a new category called a 'consolidated law enforcement county,' defined as any county that has eliminated the elected office of coroner. In those counties, most elected county offices, such as members of the county governing authority, tax commissioners, clerks of superior court, and solicitor-generals, would be elected without party labels rather than through the usual partisan primary and general election process. The sheriff's office and county governing authorities created under a local constitutional amendment are exempted from this change. The bill also makes district attorney elections nonpartisan in judicial circuits made up entirely of one consolidated law enforcement county, with those races held during the November general election and candidates qualifying with the Secretary of State the same way judicial candidates do. Any existing local law setting up partisan elections for these offices would be overridden. The changes would take effect January 1, 2028.
What the bill does
- Creates a new legal category, 'consolidated law enforcement county,' for any county that has abolished its elected coroner position.
- Requires most elected county offices in those counties, such as tax commissioners and clerks of superior court, to be filled through nonpartisan elections instead of party primaries.
- Exempts the office of county sheriff and governing authorities set up under a local constitutional amendment from the nonpartisan election requirement.
- Makes district attorney races nonpartisan in judicial circuits made up of a single consolidated law enforcement county, held during the November general election.
- Overrides any existing local law that currently sets up partisan elections for these county offices.
- Sets the effective date for all these changes as January 1, 2028.
Who it affects
Voters, candidates, and county officeholders in Georgia counties that have eliminated the elected coroner position, including candidates for tax commissioner, clerk of superior court, solicitor-general, county governing authority seats, and certain district attorneys, along with the Secretary of State's office, which handles candidate qualifying.
Why it matters
Removing party labels from these local races changes how candidates campaign and how voters choose them, since ballots would no longer show party affiliation for the affected offices. It also nullifies existing local laws that set up partisan elections in these counties, standardizing the process statewide for this specific category of county.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 21-2-132 to remove the word 'judicial' from the list of county offices that use the nonpartisan candidacy filing window, broadening which county offices qualify under that process.
- Section 2 adds a new Code Section 21-2-140 defining 'consolidated law enforcement county' as one where the elected coroner office has been abolished.
- Section 2 requires nonpartisan election of county offices such as governing authority members, tax commissioners, clerks of superior court, and solicitor-generals in those counties, unless exempted.
- Section 2 exempts the sheriff's office and governing authorities created by local constitutional amendment from the nonpartisan election rule.
- Section 2 makes district attorney elections nonpartisan for judicial circuits consisting solely of one consolidated law enforcement county, held during the November general election without a prior primary.
- Section 2 repeals conflicting local laws that currently provide for partisan election of these county offices.
- Section 3 sets the effective date as January 1, 2028.
- Section 4 repeals all other laws in conflict with the Act.
From the bill
“'Consolidated law enforcement county' means any county where the elected office of county coroner has been abolished.”
“all candidates to fill elected county offices in a consolidated law enforcement county shall be elected in nonpartisan elections.”
“No candidate for any such office shall be nominated by a political party or by a petition as a candidate of a political body or as an independent candidate.”
Discussed in meetings (7)
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.
Senate floor session, March 16, 2026 (legislative day 32)
From 1:43:54 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Withdrawn & Recommitted)
Summary by Georgia Commons: A senator requested that HB 369 move from the Public Safety Committee to the Ethics Committee. The clerk described the bill as setting equipment standards for vehicles selling food or beverages primarily on roadways. The Senate approved the committee transfer without objection.
Senate Ethics Committee, March 19, 2026
From 0:22:27 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said the substitute would make county-level elected offices, except sheriff, nonpartisan in Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb and Clayton counties. The presenter described it as a technical cleanup of an earlier proposal, including correcting district attorney elections from May to November, and argued it would support public safety and cooperation. One member asked why sheriffs were excluded. The presenter said discussions with the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association led to postponing that issue until next year. Another member questioned whether counties could restore coroner offices and thereby increase the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s workload. The presenter acknowledged restoration was possible but considered it unlikely. Members also questioned limiting the proposal to five counties, consultation with affected officeholders, and evidence that those officials acted in partisan ways. The presenter cited the counties’ law-enforcement demands, discussions with representatives of those communities, and nonpartisan school boards as a model. A motion to table failed. The committee then approved the substitute, with seven in favor and three opposed.
Senate Rules Committee, March 23, 2026
From 0:31:29 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The senator carrying HB 369 described it as a small law enforcement cleanup measure, referring to Tennessee counties. No further details were provided. The chair later added it to the floor calendar package, which the committee approved unanimously.
Senate floor session, March 25, 2026 (legislative day 37)
From 2:39:52 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Engrossed)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The Senate first included HB 369 in a 32-to-19 vote preventing floor amendments. Although the original caption concerned food-selling vehicles, the committee substitute changed certain county officer and district attorney elections to nonpartisan elections. The sponsor said an earlier version's election timing problem had been corrected to keep elections in November, and argued that major events and public safety needs justified the change. One opposing senator argued there was no consistent reason to change only some counties. A second opponent said the proposal targeted five Black women district attorneys, questioned transition time after runoffs and anticipated legal costs. Another member questioned replacing the original sponsor's legislation after that sponsor had resigned. The minority report presenter argued the proposal conflicted with election law and constitutional equal protection requirements. In closing, the sponsor said the substitute also covered county commissioners, tax commissioners and other county officials, not just district attorneys, and said November elections were already standard for district attorneys. The Senate adopted the substitute and passed it 32 to 21.
House floor session, March 27, 2026 (legislative day 38, part 2)
From 2:19:45 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The second signer moved to accept the Senate substitute to HB 369, saying it returned very different from the original bill, but offered no substantive presentation. The chair said the second signer could control the motion because the original sponsor was no longer a House member. During voting, members described the substitute as making district-attorney and certain other local elections nonpartisan in Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton counties. Supporters said it would reduce partisanship and strengthen trust. One supporter said legislative counsel had found it constitutional. Opponents questioned its constitutionality, its restriction to five counties and its replacement of the original food-truck measure. One member said the language had not received House committee review and objected to proceeding without questions or debate. Another warned that removing party qualifying fees would hurt local parties. A supporter said motions to accept or reject Senate changes routinely proceed without debate. Members asked why the policy would not apply statewide and disputed its political purpose. The House agreed to the Senate substitute 93 to 64.
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 710
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Engrossed (Senate)
Show full history (18 actions)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Withdrawn & Recommitted (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Dexter Sharper (D, HD-177)
- Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
- John LaHood (R, HD-175)
- Sylvia Wayfer Baker (D, HD-64)
- Terry Cummings (D, HD-39)
- Eric Bell (D, HD-75)
- John Albers (R, SD-56)
Votes
- House voteMarch 4, 2025
156 yea, 14 nay (5 not voting, 5 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 25, 2026
32 yea, 19 nay (2 not voting, 1 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 25, 2026
32 yea, 21 nay (0 not voting, 1 excused)
- House voteMarch 27, 2026
93 yea, 64 nay (3 not voting, 16 excused)
Topics
- nonpartisan elections
- county government
- district attorney elections
- election law
- local government offices