--- title: SB 243. Back the Blue Fund; authorized use of money; revise collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sb243 cite_as: SB 243, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb243 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb243.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb243/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70713 date: 2026-01-12 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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/sb242.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb244.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 254 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb243.md?full=1 bill_number: SB 243 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-02-24 last_action: Senate Recommitted sponsors: - Larry Walker - John Albers - Randy Robertson - Frank Ginn - Bill Cowsert - Chuck Payne - Billy Hickman - Ben Watson - Chuck Hufstetler - Mike Hodges - Marty Harbin - Brian Strickland - Clint Dixon - Shawn Still - Drew Echols text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB243/2025 upstream_id: 1982068 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - law enforcement funding - sheriffs - vehicle registration fees - police pay and retention --- # SB 243. Back the Blue Fund; authorized use of money; revise ## Text 25 LC 46 1196S The Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor offered the following substitute to SB 243: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Cod e of Georgia Annotated,1 relating to registration and licensing generally, so as to revise the authorized use of money2 distributed from the Back the Blue Fund; to revise collection p rocedures; to provide for3 legislative intent; to provide for related matters; to repeal c onflicting laws; and for other4 purposes.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 SECTION 1.7 Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Geor gia Annotated, relating to8 registration and licensing generally, is amended by revising Code Section 40-2-26.1, relating9 to voluntary contributions to Back the Blue Fund, as follows:10 "40-2-26.1.11 (a) This Code section shall be known and may be cited as the 'Back the Blue Act.'12 (b) The General Assembly finds that:13 (1) It is in the best interest of this state to provide a mechanism to support a program that14 encourages the hiring and retaining of law enforcement officers and promotes public15 safety for the benefit of the citizens of Georgia;16 - 1 - 25 LC 46 1196S (2) Hiring and retaining experienced law enforcement officers increases public safety,17 builds stronger communities, and restores trust and goodwill between communities and18 law enforcement officers;19 (3) Evidence shows that supplementing pay and enhancing benefi ts attract better job20 applicants and improve the retention of experienced law enforcement officers; and21 (4) Retaining experienced law enforcement officers means fewer hiring and training22 expenses for law enforcement agencies.23 (c) As used in this Code section, the term:24 (1) 'Back the Blue Fund' means the fund established by this Code section.25 (2) 'Sheriff' means the duly elected or appointed sheriff of each county in this state.26 (d) There is created the Back the Blue Fund for the purpose of providing bonus payments27 to supporting training and retention of certified peace officers employed under a sheriff in28 this state. The state revenue commissioner shall be the custod ian of the Back the Blue29 Fund and shall administer such fund as further provided in this Code section.30 (e) No later than January 1, 2025, the state revenue commissio ner shall include on the31 form provided for in Code Section 40-2-26 a place for an applicant to elect to contribute32 an amount of $5.00 to the Back the Blue Fund. Any such voluntary contribution shall be33 made at the discretion of the applicant at the time of application in addition to the payment34 of any other fees required under this chapter.35 (f) County tag agents shall hold voluntary contributions to th e Back the Blue Fund36 collected pursuant to this Code section in a fiduciary capacity, and such money received37 shall be promptly accounted for, separated from other moneys re ceived, and reasonably38 ascertainable. Such collected voluntary contributions shall be included in the weekly39 reports and remittances provided for in Code Section 40-2-34; provided, however, that any40 funds collected pursuant to this Code section shall not be deposited in the general fund of41 the state treasury.42 - 2 - 25 LC 46 1196S (g) No later than January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the state revenue commissioner43 shall distribute moneys money from the Back the Blue Fund to the Georgia Peace Officer44 Standards and Training Council, Georgia Sheriffs' Association, which shall distribute such45 moneys in equal portions to the sheriff of each county in this state on a per county basis. 46 The state revenue commissioner shall determine a reasonable amo unt, not to exceed 147 percent of the fund annually, that may be retained for actual administrative costs.48 (h) Money distributed from the Back the Blue Fund shall only be used for bonus payments49 to certified peace officers employed under a sheriff and shall be distributed equitably and50 fairly. Such fund shall not be used to supplement a sheriff's salary nor to supplant or51 replace funding by the county governing authority for the operation of the office of sheriff52 for training or retention of certified peace officers employed by county sheriffs or any other53 costs incurred by county sheriffs' offices relating to such training.54 (i) It is the intent of the General Assembly that when the she riff of any county utilizes55 money from the Back the Blue Fund pursuant to this Code section for training of certified56 peace officers, any money otherwise allocated to such sheriff b y the county governing57 authority for training purposes be used to increase salaries of certified peace officers58 employed by such sheriff. Money distributed from the Back the Blue Fund shall not be59 used to supplement the salary of a sheriff nor supplant or repl ace funding by a county60 governing authority for the operation of the office of sheriff. Each sheriff shall have sole61 discretion in determining the allocation of bonus payments to c ertified peace officers62 employed under such sheriff in accordance with this Code section.63 (j) The state revenue commissioner is authorized and directed to establish procedures and64 promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this Code section.65 (k) This Code section shall stand repealed by operation of law on July 1, 2029."66 SECTION 2.67 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.68 - 3 - ## 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 Senate bill would broaden how the Back the Blue Fund, a voluntary $5 donation collected with vehicle registration fees, can be spent by law enforcement, and would change how the money is distributed to sheriffs statewide. ### Plain-language summary Georgia's Back the Blue Fund lets drivers voluntarily add a $5 contribution when registering their vehicles, with the money meant to help sheriffs' offices support certified peace officers. This bill rewrites the Code section that governs the fund (O.C.G.A. § 40-2-26.1). It expands the stated purpose of the fund from just bonus payments to also supporting training and retention of officers employed under a sheriff, while keeping a rule that the money can only fund bonus payments and cannot be used to supplement a sheriff's own salary or replace county funding for the sheriff's office. The bill also changes how money moves: instead of being distributed straight to sheriffs, the state revenue commissioner would send the funds to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and the Georgia Sheriffs' Association, which would then split the money equally among each county's sheriff. It adds a statement of legislative intent encouraging counties to redirect freed-up training dollars toward officer salary increases, and sets the fund to automatically expire on July 1, 2029. ### What it does - Broadens the stated purpose of the Back the Blue Fund to cover supporting training and retention of certified peace officers, in addition to bonus payments. - Routes the fund's annual distribution through the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and the Georgia Sheriffs' Association before money reaches individual county sheriffs, instead of going straight to sheriffs. - Adds legislative intent language encouraging counties to use training money freed up by the fund to raise certified peace officers' salaries. - Confirms each sheriff has sole discretion over how bonus payments are allocated among officers under their command. - Sets the Back the Blue Fund and its governing law to automatically expire (sunset) on July 1, 2029. - Keeps the rule that fund money cannot be used to supplement a sheriff's own salary or replace county funding for the sheriff's office. ### Who it affects County sheriffs and the certified peace officers who work under them across Georgia, county governing authorities that fund sheriffs' offices, the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, the Georgia Sheriffs' Association, and the state revenue commissioner's office, which administers the fund and vehicle registration forms. ### Why it matters How the fund's money flows and what it can pay for affects whether sheriffs' offices can use the voluntary contributions for officer bonuses, training, or retention efforts, and whether county officials feel encouraged to raise deputy pay with any training money the fund frees up. ### Key provisions - Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 40-2-26.1, expanding the fund's purpose to supporting training and retention of certified peace officers employed under a sheriff, not just bonus payments. - Subsection (g) changes the distribution path so the state revenue commissioner sends money to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and Georgia Sheriffs' Association, which split it equally among each county's sheriff, with up to 1 percent retained for administrative costs. - Subsection (h) restricts fund money to bonus payments for certified peace officers under a sheriff, distributed equitably, and bars using it to supplement a sheriff's salary or replace county funding. - Subsection (i) adds legislative intent that county training money freed up by fund use be redirected toward raising certified peace officers' salaries, and confirms sheriffs have sole discretion over bonus allocation. - Subsection (k) sets the entire Code section to repeal automatically on July 1, 2029. - Section 2 repeals all conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-02-24) - Last action: Senate Recommitted (2026-01-12) - Sponsors: Larry Walker, John Albers, Randy Robertson, Frank Ginn, Bill Cowsert, Chuck Payne, Billy Hickman, Ben Watson, Chuck Hufstetler, Mike Hodges, Marty Harbin, Brian Strickland, Clint Dixon, Shawn Still, Drew Echols - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70713 > The history, votes, and amendments (254 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb243.md?full=1