HB 390: HALO Act; enact

Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 17-6-12) lists certain serious charges for which a person cannot simply be released on an unsecured judicial bond without a judge weighing in, rather than being released automatically by a magistrate or jailer using a bail schedule. This bill adds three new categories to that list: felony obstruction or hindering of law enforcement officers, felony obstruction or hindering of firefighters, and felony obstruction or hindering of emergency medical technicians or other emergency medical professionals. The bill does this by amending subsection (a) of the code section, tacking on three new subparagraphs referencing the existing felony obstruction statutes for police, firefighters, and EMS personnel. It also gives the act a short title, the "HALO Act." The bill does not create any new crimes; it only changes which existing felony charges trigger the requirement for a judge's decision on release conditions.

• Adds felony obstruction or hindering of law enforcement officers (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-24) to the list of charges requiring judicial involvement before unsecured bond release.
• Adds felony obstruction or hindering of firefighters (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-24.1) to that same list.
• Adds felony obstruction or hindering of emergency medical technicians or emergency medical professionals (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-24.2) to that list.
• Gives the act the short title 'HALO Act' so it can be cited by that name.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with these changes.

People charged with felony obstruction of police officers, firefighters, or EMS workers in Georgia; magistrates, judges, and jailers who decide on bond and release conditions; and first responders whose work is protected by the underlying obstruction statutes.

People facing these specific felony obstruction charges would no longer be eligible for automatic release on an unsecured bond set by a bail schedule; a judge would have to make that decision instead, which could mean longer time in custody before release for those charged.

• Section 1 names the act the 'HALO Act' for short-title purposes.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 17-6-12(a) by adding three new subparagraphs, (FFF), (GGG), and (HHH), covering felony obstruction of law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS personnel respectively.
• Section 2 also makes a technical punctuation change, replacing 'or' with a semicolon structure to fit the new subparagraphs into the existing list.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard closing provision.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-03-04House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
3. 2025-02-13House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-02-12House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-02-11House Hopper (House)

• Tim Fleming (R, HD-114)Primary sponsor
• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
• Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
• Mitchell Scoggins (R, HD-14)
• Lauren McDonald III (R, HD-26)
• Lehman Franklin (R, HD-160)

• bail and bond reform
• first responder protections
• criminal justice
• law enforcement
• public safety