--- title: HR 1109. Mental Health Sentencing and Treatment Alternatives Act; commend advancement by General Assembly; recognize urgent need for sentencing alternatives for Georgians with serious mental illness collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1109 cite_as: HR 1109, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1109 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1109.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1109/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72494 date: 2026-02-02 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/hr1108.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1110.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1109.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1109 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-28 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Sandra Scott - Kim Schofield - Viola Davis text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1109/2025 upstream_id: 2100728 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - mental health courts - criminal sentencing - prison and jail conditions - mental illness treatment - criminal justice reform --- # HR 1109. Mental Health Sentencing and Treatment Alternatives Act; commend advancement by General Assembly; recognize urgent need for sentencing alternatives for Georgians with serious mental illness ## Text House Resolution 1109 By: Representatives Scott of the 76th, Schofield of the 63rd, and Davis of the 87th A RESOLUTION Recognizing the urgent need for sentencing alternatives and treatment programs for Georgians with serious mental illness; commending the General Assembly for advancing the "Mental Health Sentencing and Treatment Alternatives Act"; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, thousands of Georgians incarcerated in prisons and jails live with serious mental illness, too often without adequate treatment, leading to cycles of crisis, recidivism, homelessness, and harm to families; and WHEREAS, Georgia has established mental health courts and in-custody treatment requirements, but lacks a uniform statutory framework at the sentencing stage to ensure access to comprehensive mental health alternatives; and WHEREAS, untreated mental illness behind bars increases costs to taxpayers, strains correctional systems, and undermines public safety; and WHEREAS, other states, such as Washington, have adopted mental health sentencing alternatives with proven outcomes in reducing recidivism and improving stability, but Georgia can lead the nation with a more comprehensive model; and WHEREAS, the "Mental Health Sentencing and Treatment Alternatives Act" would ensure continuity of care from sentencing through release, leverage Medicaid and federal funds, and build in transparency and oversight to protect public safety and fiscal responsibility. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and support the passage of the "Mental Health Sentencing and Treatment Alternatives Act" as a landmark step in justice, public safety, and humane treatment. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the Governor, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Community Health, the Administrative Office of the Courts, and other relevant stakeholders. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution would express support for a proposed 'Mental Health Sentencing and Treatment Alternatives Act' and call attention to the need for sentencing alternatives for people with serious mental illness in the state's prisons and jails. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change any Georgia law itself. Instead, it states the House of Representatives' position on an issue: that many Georgians in prisons and jails live with serious mental illness without adequate treatment, and that Georgia currently lacks a uniform statutory framework at sentencing to connect people to mental health alternatives. The resolution recognizes and supports passage of a separate bill called the 'Mental Health Sentencing and Treatment Alternatives Act,' which it describes as aiming to ensure continuity of mental health care from sentencing through release, use Medicaid and federal funding, and include oversight measures. It directs the Clerk of the House to send copies of the resolution to the Governor, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Community Health, and the Administrative Office of the Courts. ### What it does - Formally recognizes what the resolution describes as an urgent need for sentencing alternatives and treatment programs for Georgians with serious mental illness. - States the House's support for passage of a separate bill, the 'Mental Health Sentencing and Treatment Alternatives Act,' without itself creating that framework. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the Governor and several state agencies. - Does not amend any O.C.G.A. section, create penalties, or provide funding; it is a statement of position rather than binding law. ### Who it affects The resolution speaks to Georgians incarcerated with serious mental illness, correctional systems, and courts, and names the Governor, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Community Health, and the Administrative Office of the Courts as recipients of the resolution. ### Why it matters Because a resolution has no legal force, it does not change sentencing law or create treatment programs by itself. Its practical effect is to put the House on record supporting a specific future bill, which could influence whether that separate legislation advances. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe the current lack of a uniform sentencing-stage framework for mental health alternatives in Georgia. - The resolved clause states House support for passage of the 'Mental Health Sentencing and Treatment Alternatives Act,' a separate piece of legislation. - The final clause directs the Clerk of the House to send copies to the Governor, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Community Health, and the Administrative Office of the Courts. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-01-28) - Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-02) - Sponsors: Sandra Scott, Kim Schofield, Viola Davis - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72494 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1109.md?full=1