Senate Bill 483
By: Senators Parent of the 44th, Mangham of the 55th, Jones II of the 22nd, Jackson of the
41st, Merritt of the 9th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 1 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions regarding law enforcement officers and agencies, so as to require covered
immigration officers to wear body cameras during public immigration enforcement
functions; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws;
and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 1 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general
provisions regarding law enforcement officers and agencies, is amended by adding a new
Code section to read as follows:
<ins>"35-1-17.1.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Body camera' means a wearable device designed to be attached to the body of an
individual and which is capable of documenting and recording activities from the point
of view in front of or in the line of sight of the individual wearing such device.
</ins>
<ins>(2) 'Covered immigration officer' means an individual who is authorized to perform
immigration enforcement functions and who is an officer or employee of United States
Immigration and Custom Enforcement.
(3) 'Public immigration enforcement function' means any activity that involves the direct
exercise of federal immigration authority through public-facing operations, including, but
not limited to, patrol, stops, arrests, searches, interviews to determine immigration status,
raids, checkpoint inspections, and service of judicial or administrative warrants.
(b) A covered immigration officer who directly engages in a public immigration
enforcement function within this state shall wear a body camera that is fully operational
and activated to record audio and video at all times during such function."
</ins> SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.