---
title: SB 375. State Government; consider the definition of hinduphobia provided for in this Act to apply to laws and regulations; require certain agencies
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb375
cite_as: SB 375, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb375
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb375.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb375/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72067
date: 2025-04-04
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb375.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 375
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-04-04
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
  - Shawn Still
  - Emanuel Jones
  - Clint Dixon
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB375/2025
upstream_id: 2020893
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - hate crimes
  - religious discrimination
  - Hindu community
  - state agency enforcement
  - civil rights law
---

# SB 375. State Government; consider the definition of hinduphobia provided for in this Act to apply to laws and regulations; require certain agencies

## Text

25 LC 49 2418
Senate Bill 375
By: Senators Still of the 48th, Jones of the 10th, Esteves of the 35th and Dixon of the 45th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 1 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1
general provisions relative to state government, so as to require certain agencies to consider2
the definition of hinduphobia provided for in this Act to apply to laws and regulations3
prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin; to authorize4
fact finders in certain criminal cases to consider hinduphobia when determining whether a5
defendant intentionally selected any victim or group of victims or any property as the object6
of the offense; to provide for limitations and construction; to provide for definitions; to7
provide for nonseverability; to provide for an effective date; to provide for related matters;8
to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:10
SECTION 1.11
Chapter 1 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated , relating to general12
provisions relative to state government, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as13
follows:14
"50-1-12.1.15
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:16
S. B. 375
- 1 -
25 LC 49 2418
(1) 'Agency' means any agency, authority, department, board, b ureau, commission,17
council, corporation, entity, or instrumentality of state government and all local political18
subdivisions of this state.19
(2) 'Definition of hinduphobia' means a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory20
attitudes and behaviors towards Hinduism.21
(b) An agency authorized or required to enforce any criminal o r noncriminal law or22
regulation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, or national23
origin shall consider the definition of hinduphobia in the course of such enforcement.24
(c) In determining whether to seek the enhanced penalty or penalties authorized by Code25
Section 17-10-17, the state shall consider the definition of hinduphobia for the purpose of26
determining whether such penalty enhancement is authorized.27
(d) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right28
protected under the First Amendment to the United States Consti tution or the Georgia29
Constitution. Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to diminish or infringe upon30
an individual's right to engage in legally protected conduct or expressive activity pertaining31
to any matter of United States foreign policy or international affairs. Nothing in this Code32
section shall be construed to conflict with local, federal, or state discrimination laws.33
(e) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to alter the evidentiary requirements34
pursuant to which an agency makes a determination that conduct, including harassment,35
amounts to actionable discrimination, or to diminish or infringe upon the rights protected36
under any other provision of law.37
(f) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to impair or o t h e r w i s e a f f e c t t h e38
authority granted by law to an agency.39
(g) This Code section shall not create any right or benefit, s ubstantive or procedural, or40
any cause of action, enforceable at law or in equity, by any party against the state or any41
agency."42
S. B. 375
- 2 -
25 LC 49 2418
SECTION 2.43
In the event any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, item, sentence, clause, phrase,44
or word of this Act is declared or adjudged to be invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining45
portions of this Act shall automatically be repealed upon the e ntry of such declaration or46
adjudication and shall not remain of full force and effect afte r such declaration or47
adjudication. The General Assembly declares that it would not have enacted the remaining48
parts of this Act if it had known that such portion of this Act would be declared or adjudged49
invalid or unconstitutional.50
SECTION 3.51
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law52
without such approval.53
SECTION 4.54
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.55
S. B. 375
- 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 Georgia Senate bill would require state and local agencies enforcing discrimination laws to consider a new legal definition of 'hinduphobia,' and would let courts weigh it when deciding hate crime penalty enhancements.

### Plain-language summary

This bill adds a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 50-1-12.1) defining 'hinduphobia' as antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviors toward Hinduism. It requires any state or local government agency that enforces criminal or noncriminal anti-discrimination laws based on race, color, religion, or national origin to consider this definition while enforcing those laws.
The bill also directs the state to consider the hinduphobia definition when deciding whether to seek Georgia's hate crime penalty enhancement (O.C.G.A. § 17-10-17) in a criminal case. It includes several limits: nothing in the section overrides First Amendment or Georgia constitutional rights, foreign policy speech, or existing discrimination laws, and it does not create any new right to sue the state. If any part of the Act is found unconstitutional, the entire Act is automatically repealed. It would take effect immediately upon the Governor's signature or becoming law without signature.

### What it does

- Adds a new Code section defining 'hinduphobia' as antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviors toward Hinduism, to be used by government agencies.
- Requires any agency enforcing discrimination laws based on race, color, religion, or national origin to consider this hinduphobia definition during enforcement.
- Directs the state to weigh the hinduphobia definition when deciding whether to pursue Georgia's hate crime sentencing enhancement (O.C.G.A. § 17-10-17) in a case.
- Clarifies the new provision cannot override First Amendment rights, foreign policy speech, or existing discrimination laws, and creates no new right to sue the state or an agency.
- Makes the entire Act nonseverable, meaning if any part is ruled unconstitutional, the whole Act is automatically repealed.
- Sets the effective date as immediately upon the Governor's signature or upon becoming law without signature.

### Who it affects

State and local government agencies that enforce anti-discrimination laws, prosecutors and courts handling hate crime penalty decisions under Georgia's hate crime law, and members of the Hindu community whose treatment under discrimination and hate crime laws could be assessed using this new definition.

### Why it matters

Agencies investigating discrimination complaints and prosecutors deciding whether to seek harsher hate crime sentences would have to factor in a specific definition of anti-Hindu bias, which could shape how such cases are evaluated and charged, though the bill limits it from creating new lawsuits or overriding constitutional rights.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 creates new Code Section 50-1-12.1 defining 'agency' broadly to include state and local government bodies and defining 'hinduphobia.'
- Subsection (b) requires agencies enforcing discrimination laws based on race, color, religion, or national origin to consider the hinduphobia definition.
- Subsection (c) requires the state to consider the hinduphobia definition when deciding whether to seek the penalty enhancement under O.C.G.A. § 17-10-17.
- Subsections (d) through (g) limit the section's effect, protecting First Amendment rights, foreign policy speech, existing discrimination law, and agency authority, and barring new private lawsuits.
- Section 2 makes the Act nonseverable, automatically repealing the whole Act if any part is found unconstitutional.
- Section 3 sets the effective date as upon the Governor's approval or upon becoming law without approval.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-04-04)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-04-04)
- Sponsors: Shawn Still, Emanuel Jones, Clint Dixon
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72067

> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb375.md?full=1