HB 994: Crimes and offenses; riot; provide for a felony penalty

Under current Georgia law, riot (two or more people committing an act of violence or acting in a violent and tumultuous manner) is a misdemeanor, Georgia's lower-level crime category with lighter penalties. This bill would rewrite that law (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-30) so that riot becomes a felony, punishable by one to 20 years in prison. The bill also amends Georgia's bail law (O.C.G.A. § 17-6-1) to add riot to a specific list of offenses that go through a special bail-setting procedure, alongside crimes like certain violations already listed there. This means judges would follow that particular bail schedule process when someone is charged with riot rather than the standard bail process. The bill does not include a stated effective date beyond the standard rule that new laws take effect once signed, and it repeals any conflicting laws.

• Changes the penalty for riot from a misdemeanor to a felony, with a prison sentence of one to 20 years.
• Adds riot as a new listed offense in Georgia's bail statute (O.C.G.A. § 17-6-1), subjecting it to the special bail procedure that applies to certain other listed crimes.
• Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with these changes.

People arrested or charged with riot in Georgia, defense attorneys and prosecutors handling such cases, judges setting bail, and county jails and courts that process riot charges, since the offense would carry felony-level penalties and different bail rules.

Someone charged with riot could now face a felony conviction and up to 20 years in prison instead of the shorter jail time and lighter record tied to a misdemeanor. Adding riot to the special bail list also changes how quickly and under what conditions someone charged could be released before trial.

• Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 16-11-30(b) so that violating the riot statute is a felony punishable by one to 20 years in prison, replacing the current misdemeanor penalty.
• Section 1 keeps the underlying definition of riot unchanged: two or more people committing an unlawful act of violence or acting in a violent and tumultuous manner.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 17-6-1(a) by adding riot as new paragraph (15) to the list of offenses subject to the schedule of bails procedure.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting state laws.

1. 2026-01-27House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-16House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-15House Hopper (House)

• Mike Cheokas (R, HD-151)Primary sponsor
• Emory Dunahoo (R, HD-031)
• Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)
• Lauren McDonald (R, HD-026)
• Eddie Lumsden (R, HD-012)
• Steve Tarvin (R, HD-002)

• riot laws
• criminal penalties
• bail procedures
• Georgia criminal code