---
title: HB 967. Criminal Justice Coordinating Council; provide financial assistance to law enforcement agencies to equip certain motor vehicles with bullet-resistant features; establish grant program
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb967
cite_as: HB 967, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb967
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb967.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb967/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72216
date: 2026-03-06
status: engrossed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 465
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb967.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 967
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-03-04
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Jordan Ridley
- Jason Ridley
- Mitchell Horner
- Tim Fleming
- Johnny Chastain
- Demetrius Douglas
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB967/2025
upstream_id: 2080470
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- police funding
- law enforcement equipment
- public safety grants
- vehicle safety
- Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
---
# HB 967. Criminal Justice Coordinating Council; provide financial assistance to law enforcement agencies to equip certain motor vehicles with bullet-resistant features; establish grant program
## Text
House Bill 967
By: Representatives Ridley of the 22nd, Ridley of the 6th, Horner of the 3rd, Fleming of the
114th, Chastain of the 7th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 6A of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, so as to establish a grant program to provide financial
assistance to law enforcement agencies to equip certain motor vehicles with bullet-resistant
features; to provide a definition; to establish criteria and procedures for such grants; to
require reporting from grant recipients; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting
laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 6A of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Criminal
Justice Coordinating Council, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"35-6A-18.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'peace officer' shall have the same meaning as
set forth in Code Section 35-8-2.
(b) The council shall be authorized to establish a grant program to provide financial
assistance to law enforcement agencies to equip motor vehicles used by peace officers with
certain bullet-resistant components. The grant program shall include funding, subject to
appropriations by the General Assembly, for grants to law enforcement agencies to
purchase and install bullet-resistant windshields, side windows, rear windows, and door
panels on such law enforcement agencies' motor vehicles used by peace officers in the
discharge of official duties.
(c) The council shall establish and administer:
(1) Eligibility and selection criteria for grant applicants;
(2) Grant application procedures;
(3) Guidelines relating to grant amounts;
(4) Procedures for evaluating grant applications; and
(5) Procedures for monitoring the use of a grant awarded under the program and ensuring
compliance with any conditions of a grant.
(d) A law enforcement agency receiving a grant under this Code section shall, as soon as
practicable after spending the grant money, provide to the council proof of purchase and
installation, as applicable, of bullet-resistant windshields, side windows, rear windows, or
door panels paid for in whole or in part using grant funds."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## 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 967 would let Georgia's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council run a grant program that helps local law enforcement agencies pay to add bullet-resistant windows and door panels to patrol vehicles.
### Plain-language summary
Currently, Georgia law does not set up a dedicated state grant program for outfitting police vehicles with bullet-resistant features. This bill adds a new section to the law governing the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (O.C.G.A. § 35-6A-18) authorizing the council to create such a program.
Under the bill, the council could award grants to law enforcement agencies to purchase and install bullet-resistant windshields, side windows, rear windows, and door panels on vehicles used by peace officers on duty. Funding would depend on the General Assembly actually appropriating money for it. The council would have to set up rules covering who can apply, how to apply, how much grants can be, and how applications are reviewed and monitored. Agencies that receive grant money would have to show the council proof of purchase and installation once they spend the funds.
### What it does
- Creates a new state grant program letting the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council fund bullet-resistant upgrades to police vehicles.
- Limits eligible upgrades to bullet-resistant windshields, side windows, rear windows, and door panels installed on vehicles used by peace officers.
- Requires the council to establish eligibility criteria, application procedures, grant amount guidelines, evaluation procedures, and compliance monitoring.
- Requires grant recipients to submit proof of purchase and installation to the council after spending the funds.
- Makes the whole program dependent on the General Assembly separately appropriating money for it, meaning the program could exist in law without receiving funding.
### Who it affects
Local law enforcement agencies across Georgia and the peace officers who drive patrol vehicles would be eligible to apply for and benefit from the grants. The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council would take on new administrative duties to run the program.
### Why it matters
If funded, the program could give police departments a new state funding source to armor patrol cars, potentially improving officer protection during shootings or ambushes. But because funding depends on future budget appropriations, the practical effect hinges on whether lawmakers actually allocate money to it.
### Key provisions
- Adds new Code Section 35-6A-18 to Chapter 6A of Title 35, governing the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
- Subsection (a) defines 'peace officer' by reference to the existing definition in O.C.G.A. § 35-8-2.
- Subsection (b) authorizes the council to create the grant program, explicitly conditioned on funding through General Assembly appropriations.
- Subsection (c) requires the council to set eligibility criteria, application procedures, grant amount guidelines, evaluation procedures, and monitoring rules.
- Subsection (d) requires grant recipients to provide proof of purchase and installation to the council after spending grant funds.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Engrossed (2026-03-04)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-03-06)
- Sponsors: Jordan Ridley, Jason Ridley, Mitchell Horner, Tim Fleming, Johnny Chastain, Demetrius Douglas
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72216
> The history, votes, and amendments (465 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb967.md?full=1