---
title: HB 984. Crimes and offenses; court order to locate an alleged victim of child or elder abuse; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb984
cite_as: HB 984, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb984
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb984.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb984/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72244
date: 2026-03-06
status: introduced
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.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb983.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb985.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 199
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb984.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 984
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-01-15
last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
sponsors:
- Beth Camp
- Karen Mathiak
- Joseph Gullett
- James Burchett
- Rick Townsend
- Jan Jones
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB984/2025
upstream_id: 2083423
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- child abuse investigations
- elder abuse
- disabled adult protection
- court orders
- criminal law
---
# HB 984. Crimes and offenses; court order to locate an alleged victim of child or elder abuse; provide
## Text
The House Committee on Judiciary, Non Civil offers the following substitute to HB 984:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to crimes
against the person, so as to provide for a court order to locate an alleged victim of child or
elder abuse; 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 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to crimes against
the person, is amended by adding a new subsection to Code Section 16-5-70, relating to
cruelty to children, to read as follows:
"(f) Where there is an open investigation relating to an alleged offense in violation of this
Code section, and the child is moved from a known address to an unknown location, the
superior court for the county of the known address may grant an order to locate the parent
or guardian of record upon a showing by a law enforcement official an inquiry regarding
the welfare and safety of the child is necessary to complete such investigation."
SECTION 2.
Said chapter is further amended by adding a new subsection to Code Section 16-5-102,
relating to exploitation and intimidation of disabled adults, elder persons, and residents, and
obstruction of investigation, to read as follows:
"(d) Where there is an open investigation relating to an alleged offense in violation of this
Code section, and the disabled adult, elder person, or resident is moved from a known
address to an unknown location, the superior court for the county of the known address
may grant an order to locate the guardian of record upon a showing by a law enforcement
official an inquiry regarding the welfare and safety of the disabled adult, elder person, or
resident is necessary to complete such investigation."
SECTION 3.
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.
A Georgia House bill would let superior courts order the location of a parent, guardian, or caretaker when a child or an elder or disabled adult under investigation for abuse is moved to an unknown address.
### Plain-language summary
Under current Georgia law covering cruelty to children and exploitation of disabled adults, elder persons, and residents, investigators can struggle to check on a potential victim's welfare if that person is moved away from the address police have on file. This bill adds new provisions to two sections of Georgia's criminal code (O.C.G.A. §§ 16-5-70 and 16-5-102) letting a superior court in the county of the last known address issue an order to locate the parent, guardian, or other responsible person of record.
To get the order, a law enforcement official must show the court that finding the person is necessary to complete an open investigation into suspected child abuse, or exploitation or intimidation of a disabled adult, elder person, or resident. The bill applies only while an investigation is open and the victim has been moved from a known to an unknown address. It repeals any conflicting laws but does not state a separate effective date beyond standard practice.
### What it does
- Adds a new subsection to Georgia's cruelty to children law (O.C.G.A. § 16-5-70) allowing a superior court to order the location of a parent or guardian when an abused child has been moved to an unknown address.
- Adds a parallel new subsection to Georgia's law on exploitation and intimidation of disabled adults, elder persons, and residents (O.C.G.A. § 16-5-102) allowing the same kind of location order for a guardian of record.
- Limits use of these orders to cases with an open investigation into an alleged violation of the relevant Code section.
- Requires a law enforcement official to show the court that locating the person is necessary to complete the investigation before the order can be granted.
- Assigns jurisdiction for these orders to the superior court of the county tied to the victim's last known address.
- Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these new provisions.
### Who it affects
The bill affects law enforcement officials investigating suspected abuse of children, disabled adults, elder persons, or residents; superior court judges who would issue these location orders; and parents, guardians, or caretakers of record who could be ordered located by the court.
### Why it matters
When a child or a vulnerable adult under investigation disappears from a known address, investigators currently may have no clear legal tool to compel disclosure of a new location. This bill gives law enforcement a specific court process to find the responsible caretaker so welfare checks and abuse investigations can continue.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 16-5-70 (cruelty to children) by adding subsection (f), letting the superior court for the county of the child's known address grant an order to locate the parent or guardian of record during an open investigation.
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 16-5-102 (exploitation and intimidation of disabled adults, elder persons, and residents) by adding subsection (d), creating the same type of order for a guardian of record.
- Both new subsections require a law enforcement official to show the court that locating the person is necessary to complete the investigation.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting state laws, a standard closing provision.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-01-15)
- Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (2026-03-06)
- Sponsors: Beth Camp, Karen Mathiak, Joseph Gullett, James Burchett, Rick Townsend, Jan Jones
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72244
> The history, votes, and amendments (199 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb984.md?full=1