SB 565: Peace Officers; the definition of law enforcement unit and peace officer to include members of police forces of nonprofit private colleges and universities; revise

Under current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 35-8-2), the definitions of 'law enforcement unit' and 'peace officer' cover state and local government agencies and railroads, but not police departments at private colleges. This bill adds a new category: police forces of nonprofit private colleges and universities that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. By adding this category to both definitions, the bill would let officers employed by these private college police departments be treated the same as other peace officers for purposes of state training and certification requirements under this chapter. The change appears in two places in the code: the definition of 'law enforcement unit' and the definition of 'peace officer,' both amended the same way. The rest of the existing definitions, covering state agencies, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and corrections agencies, stay the same.

• Adds police forces of nonprofit, tax-exempt private colleges and universities to the definition of 'law enforcement unit' in O.C.G.A. § 35-8-2.
• Adds officers of those same private college police forces to the definition of 'peace officer' under the same code section.
• Makes these additions apply specifically to institutions exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Leaves all other existing categories of law enforcement units and peace officers, such as state agencies, railroads, and corrections departments, unchanged.

Nonprofit private colleges and universities in Georgia that operate their own police forces, the officers employed by those forces, and the state agency that oversees peace officer training and certification. Students, faculty, and staff at these campuses could also be affected since their campus police would gain formal peace officer status.

If enacted, campus police officers at qualifying private colleges would be formally recognized as peace officers under Georgia law, meaning they could be certified and trained through the same state process as municipal or county police. This could affect their legal authority to make arrests and enforce laws on campus.

• Section 1 revises paragraph (7) of O.C.G.A. § 35-8-2 to add 'a police force of a nonprofit private college or university' exempt under IRS Section 501(c)(3) to the definition of 'law enforcement unit.'
• Section 1 also revises paragraph (8) to add the same category of private college police forces to the definition of 'peace officer.'
• Section 2 repeals any existing laws that conflict with these changes.

1. 2026-03-19House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-03-09House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-06House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-04Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
5. 2026-03-04Senate Third Read (Senate)
6. 2026-03-03Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
7. 2026-02-26Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
8. 2026-02-25Senate Read and Referred (Senate)

• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)Primary sponsor
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 4, 2026

   53 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #624

• peace officer certification
• campus police
• law enforcement definitions
• private colleges
• public safety