---
title: SB 525. Juvenile Code; recording of all proceedings under the juvenile code; require
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb525
cite_as: SB 525, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb525
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb525.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb525/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73373
date: 2026-02-19
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.
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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb524.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb526.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb525.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 525
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-18
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
  - Randy Robertson
  - Clint Dixon
  - John Albers
  - Marty Harbin
  - Billy Hickman
  - Mike Hodges
  - Timothy Bearden
  - Blake Tillery
  - Jason T. Dickerson
  - Lee Anderson
  - Matt Brass
  - Shawn Still
  - Chuck Payne
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB525/2025
upstream_id: 2119497
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - juvenile court
  - court records
  - family law
  - child welfare
  - Department of Human Services
---

# SB 525. Juvenile Code; recording of all proceedings under the juvenile code; require

## Text

Senate Bill 525
By: Senators Robertson of the 29th, Dixon of the 45th, Albers of the 56th, Harbin of the
16th, Hickman of the 4th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 11 of Title 15 the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to general provisions relative to the juvenile code, so as to require the recording of
all proceedings under the juvenile code; to establish the right of parties to obtain a full and
complete record of proceedings under the juvenile code; to establish the right of the
Department of Human Services to obtain a full and complete record of proceedings under the
juvenile code in which it has been permitted to participate by the juvenile court; to provide
for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 1 of Chapter 11 of Title 15 the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions relative to the juvenile code, is amended by revising Code Section
15-11-17, relating to conduct of hearings generally and applicability of Title 24, as follows:
"15-11-17.
(a) All hearings under this chapter shall be conducted by the court without a jury. Any
hearing may be adjourned from time to time within the discretion of the court.
(b) Except as otherwise provided, all hearings shall be conducted in accordance with
Title 24.
(c) <ins>All proceedings under this chapter</ins> <del>Proceedings</del> shall be recorded by stenographic notes
or by electronic, mechanical, or other appropriate means capable of accurately capturing
a full and complete record of all words spoken during the proceedings.
(d) A juvenile court judge, an associate juvenile court judge, a judge pro tempore of the
juvenile court, or any person sitting as a juvenile court judge may conduct hearings in
connection with any proceeding under this chapter in any county within the judicial circuit.
When a superior court judge sits as a juvenile court judge, hearings in connection with any
proceeding under this chapter may be heard before such judge in any county within the
judicial circuit over which the judge presides."
SECTION 2.
Said article is further amended by revising Code Section 15-11-19, relating to rights of
parties to proceedings, as follows:
"15-11-19.
(a) A party has the right to be present, to be heard, to present evidence material to the
proceedings, to cross-examine witnesses, to examine pertinent court files and records, and
to appeal the orders of the court; provided, however, that the court shall retain the
discretion to exclude a child from any part or parts of any proceeding under Article 3 of
this chapter if the court determines that it is not in such child's best interests to be present.
An attorney for an excluded child shall not be excluded from the proceedings.
(b) A person afforded rights under this chapter shall be advised of such rights at that
person's first appearance before the court.
<ins>(c) An individual shall have the right to the full and complete record of any proceeding
under this chapter to which such individual is a party and shall not be required to obtain or
produce a court order to receive any such full and complete record.
</ins>
<ins>(d) The department shall have the right to the full and complete record of any proceeding
under this chapter in which the court has allowed its participation and such department
shall not be required to obtain or produce a court order to receive any such full and
complete record."
</ins> SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

## 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.

Senate Bill 525 would require Georgia's juvenile courts to record every proceeding under the juvenile code and would give parties and the Department of Human Services a guaranteed right to obtain the full record without a court order.

### Plain-language summary

Currently, Georgia law requires recording of juvenile court "proceedings" but the bill clarifies that requirement applies to all proceedings under the juvenile code, closing any ambiguity about which hearings must be recorded by stenographic notes or electronic means.
The bill also adds new rights for people involved in juvenile court cases. Any party to a juvenile proceeding would have the right to get the full and complete record of that proceeding without having to ask a judge for an order allowing it. The Department of Human Services, when a juvenile court has allowed it to take part in a case, would get the same automatic right to the full record. These changes amend Code Sections 15-11-17 and 15-11-19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not state a separate effective date beyond standard enactment.

### What it does

- Expands the recording requirement in O.C.G.A. § 15-11-17 so that all proceedings under the juvenile code, not just some, must be recorded by stenographic notes or electronic means.
- Creates a new right in O.C.G.A. § 15-11-19 letting any party to a juvenile court proceeding obtain the full and complete record without seeking a court order.
- Gives the Department of Human Services the same right to the full record of any juvenile proceeding it has been allowed to participate in, without needing a court order.
- Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with these new recording and record-access rules.

### Who it affects

Juvenile court judges and staff who must ensure recordings are made, children and families involved in juvenile court cases as parties, attorneys representing them, and the Department of Human Services when it participates in juvenile proceedings such as abuse or neglect cases.

### Why it matters

Parents, children, and other parties in juvenile court would no longer need to petition a judge just to get a copy of the record of their own case, and the state's guarantee that all proceedings are recorded would create a clearer paper trail for appeals or later review.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 15-11-17(c) to require recording of 'all proceedings' under the juvenile code, replacing narrower language about 'proceedings.'
- Section 2 adds new subsection 15-11-19(c) giving any party the right to the full and complete record of a proceeding they were part of, with no court order required.
- Section 2 also adds subsection 15-11-19(d) giving the Department of Human Services the same no-order right to the full record when a court has allowed the department to participate.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard clause with no independent substantive effect.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-02-18)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-02-19)
- Sponsors: Randy Robertson, Clint Dixon, John Albers, Marty Harbin, Billy Hickman, Mike Hodges, Timothy Bearden, Blake Tillery, Jason T. Dickerson, Lee Anderson, Matt Brass, Shawn Still, Chuck Payne
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73373

> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb525.md?full=1