House Bill 483 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Prince of the 132nd, Leverett of the 123rd, Smith of the 18th, Reeves of
the 99th, Roberts of the 52nd, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to assault and battery, so as to provide for protections for code enforcement officials;
to provide for a definition; to provide for enhanced penalties for simple assault, aggravated
assault, simple battery, battery, and aggravated battery committed upon code enforcement
officials in certain circumstances; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective
date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
assault and battery, is amended by revising Code Section 16-5-19, relating to definitions, as
follows:
"16-5-19.
As used in this article, the term:
<ins>"(1) 'Code enforcement official' means any person with a high school diploma or
equivalent who has completed Level 1 code enforcement training under a professional
program and is employed by or under contract with a municipality, city, county, or
</ins>
<ins>consolidated government who performs safety inspections of buildings, structures,
businesses, or real property to ensure they are operated in accordance with the law.
</ins> <del>(1)(2)</del> 'Correctional officer' means any person who is authorized to exercise the power
of arrest and who is employed or appointed by the Department of Corrections or the State
Board of Pardons and Paroles.
<del>(2)(3)</del> 'Emergency health worker' means hospital emergency department personnel and
emergency medical services personnel.
<del>(3)(4)</del> 'Firefighter' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 25-4-2.
<del>(3.1)(5)</del> 'Healthcare worker' means any employee or independent contractor of a hospital
or other healthcare facility licensed pursuant to Chapter 7 of Title 31.
<del>(4)(6)</del> 'Highway emergency response operator' means <del>an individual</del> <ins>a person</ins> employed
by the Department of Transportation who operates a towing or recovery vehicle or
highway maintenance vehicle.
<del>(5)(7)</del> 'Jail officer' means any person who is employed or appointed by a county or a
municipality and who has the responsibility of supervising inmates who are confined in
a municipal or county detention facility.
<ins>(6)(8)</ins> 'Juvenile correctional officer' means any person employed or appointed by the
Department of Juvenile Justice who has the primary responsibility for the supervision and
control of youth confined in its programs and facilities.
<del>(7)(9)</del> 'Officer of the court' means a judge, attorney, clerk of court, deputy clerk of court,
court reporter, or court interpreter.
<ins>(8)(10)</ins> 'Probation officer' means a community supervision officer, county or Department
of Juvenile Justice juvenile probation officer, or probation officer serving pursuant to
Article 6 of Chapter 8 of Title 42.
<ins>(9)(11)</ins> 'Public safety officer' means peace officer, correctional officer, emergency health
worker, firefighter, highway emergency response operator, jail officer, juvenile
correctional officer, or probation officer.
<del>(10)(12)</del> 'Public transit vehicle' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code
Section 16-5-20.
<del>(11)(13)</del> 'Strangulation' means impeding the normal breathing or circulation of blood of
another person by applying pressure to the throat or neck of such person or by obstructing
the nose and mouth of such person.
<del>(12)(14)</del> 'Utility worker' means any employee of, including any person employed by or
under contract with, an organization, entity, or company, whether a state created authority
or privately, municipally, county, or cooperatively owned, that provides gas, heat,
electricity, water, telecommunications services, sewer services, cable or video services,
internet services, or railroad services."
SECTION 2.
Said article is further amended by revising subsection (i) of Code Section 16-5-20, relating
to simple assault, as follows:
"(i) Any person who commits the offense of simple assault upon a utility worker <ins>or code
enforcement official</ins> while such worker <ins>or official</ins> is acting within the course and scope of
his or her employment or is performing official duties at the time of the offense shall, upon
conviction thereof, be punished for a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature."
SECTION 3.
Said article is further amended by revising subsection (m) of Code Section 16-5-21, relating
to aggravated assault, as follows:
"(m) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated assault upon a utility worker <ins>or
code enforcement official</ins> while such worker <ins>or official</ins> is acting within the course and
scope of his or her employment or is performing official duties shall, upon conviction
thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than three nor more than 20 years."
SECTION 4.
Said article is further amended by revising subsection (j) of Code Section 16-5-23, relating
to simple battery, as follows:
"(j) Any person who commits the offense of simple battery upon a utility worker <ins>or code
enforcement official</ins> while such worker <ins>or official</ins> is acting within the course and scope of
his or her employment or is performing official duties at the time of the offense shall, upon
conviction thereof, be punished for a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature."
SECTION 5.
Said article is further amended by revising subsection (l) of Code Section 16-5-23.1, relating
to battery, as follows:
"(l) Any person who commits the offense of battery upon a utility worker <ins>or code
enforcement official</ins> while such worker <ins>or official</ins> is acting within the course and scope of
his or her employment or is performing official duties at the time of the offense shall, upon
conviction thereof, be punished for a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature."
SECTION 6.
Said article is further amended by revising subsection (i) of Code Section 16-5-24, relating
to aggravated battery, as follows:
"(i) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated battery upon a utility worker <ins>or
code enforcement official</ins> while such worker <ins>or official</ins> is acting within the course and
scope of his or her employment or is performing official duties at the time of the offense
shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than three nor
more than 20 years."
SECTION 7.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval and shall apply to all offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026.
SECTION 8.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.