HR 449: House Study Committee on Modernization of the Traffic Violations Bureau; create

Georgia's Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB), created in 1966, lets drivers accused of certain traffic offenses pay fines by mail or online instead of appearing before a judge. This resolution says that system may let dangerous drivers avoid prosecutorial and judicial oversight, may deny crime victims the chance to make impact statements, and may raise constitutional concerns because it doesn't require advising defendants of their rights. The resolution creates the House Study Committee on Modernization of the Traffic Violations Bureau, made up of legislators, prosecutors, defense lawyers, police chiefs, sheriffs, and several categories of judges. The committee would study the TVB system and recommend legislation. It sets rules for meetings, member expense reimbursement, and reporting, and the committee would be abolished on December 1, 2025, unless it files an approved report before then.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Modernization of the Traffic Violations Bureau, made up of 11 members.
• Assigns specific seats to two appointed House members, the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee chair, and leaders of prosecutor, defense lawyer, police, sheriff, and judicial associations.
• Directs the committee to study problems with the TVB system, including lack of rights advisement and loss of victim impact statements, and recommend legislation.
• Sets expense and mileage allowances for legislative, state employee, and other committee members under existing state reimbursement rules (O.C.G.A. §§ 28-1-8 and 45-7-21).
• Limits paid allowances to five days of committee work unless additional days are approved.
• Abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025, requiring any findings or recommendations to be filed before that date.

Georgia drivers who use the Traffic Violations Bureau to pay fines by mail or online, crime victims in traffic cases, state legislators and judiciary committee leaders appointed to the study group, and leaders of prosecutor, defense lawyer, police chief, sheriff, and judicial associations who serve on it.

If the study committee's work leads to future legislation, it could change how drivers accused of traffic violations are advised of their rights, how victims participate, and how courts oversee the TVB payment system, though this resolution itself only creates a committee and does not change any current law.

• Paragraph (1) creates the House Study Committee on Modernization of the Traffic Violations Bureau.
• Paragraph (2) sets the 11-member composition, including legislators and representatives of prosecutor, defense, police, sheriff, and judicial groups.
• Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying TVB problems and recommending action or legislation.
• Paragraph (5) establishes expense allowance rules for different categories of members and caps paid days at five unless extended.
• Paragraph (6) requires any approved findings or recommendations to be filed with the Clerk of the House before the committee is abolished, and allows a minority report.
• Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-03-11House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
3. 2025-03-04House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-03-03House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-02-28House Hopper (House)

• Tyler Paul Smith (R, HD-18)Primary sponsor
• Stan Gunter (R, HD-8)
• Trey Kelley (R, HD-16)
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-99)
• Shea Roberts (D, HD-52)

• traffic violations bureau
• traffic court reform
• victim rights
• legislative study committee