Georgia CommonsHB 57: Crimes and offenses; incest; include step-grandparent and step-grandchild relationship
Last action February 12, 2026 · Senate Read and Referred
A Georgia House bill would expand the state's incest law to cover sexual relations between a step-grandparent and step-grandchild, adding that relationship to the list of family ties already covered.
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 Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia's incest law (O.C.G.A. § 16-6-22) currently lists specific family relationships, including grandparent and grandchild, whose sexual contact is illegal as incest. This bill adds step-grandparent and step-grandchild to that list, meaning sexual relations between someone in that step relationship would now count as incest under Georgia law. The bill makes this change by rewriting one paragraph, paragraph (4) of subsection (a), of the existing statute. It does not create any new crime category or penalty structure; it simply extends the existing incest offense to reach a relationship it did not previously cover. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws, a standard closing provision. No specific effective date is stated beyond the standard process of becoming law once signed.
What the bill does
- Adds step-grandparent and step-grandchild to the list of family relationships covered by Georgia's incest law (O.C.G.A. § 16-6-22).
- Rewrites paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of the incest statute to include this new relationship alongside grandparent and grandchild relationships of whole or half blood.
- Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this change, a standard closing provision in Georgia bills.
Who it affects
The change affects anyone in a step-grandparent or step-grandchild relationship in Georgia, since sexual contact within that relationship would now be prosecutable as incest. It also affects prosecutors, defense attorneys, and courts handling incest cases under this statute.
Why it matters
Currently, Georgia's incest law does not explicitly list step-grandparent and step-grandchild relationships, which could leave a gap in prosecuting sexual contact between people in that specific step-family tie. This bill closes that gap by folding the relationship into the existing incest offense.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 16-6-22 to add 'step-grandparent and step-grandchild' to the relationships covered by the incest statute.
- Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws in conflict with the Act, a standard provision with no substantive effect beyond the amendment itself.
From the bill
“Grandparent and grandchild of the whole blood or of the half blood or step-grandparent and step-grandchild;”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
Show full history (9 actions)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Mike Cameron (R, HD-001)
- Jan Jones (R, HD-047)
- Beth Camp (R, HD-135)
- Karen Mathiak (R, HD-082)
- Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
- Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)
Votes
- House voteFebruary 11, 2026
166 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 7 absent)
Topics
- incest law
- family relationships
- criminal law
- sex crimes