---
title: SB 592. "One Strike Act"; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb592
cite_as: SB 592, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb592
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb592.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb592/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73653
date: 2026-03-06
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.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb591.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb593.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 235
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb592.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 592
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-25
last_action: Senate Tabled
sponsors:
- Steve Gooch
- Jason Anavitarte
- Carden Summers
- Drew Echols
- Bo Hatchett
- Randy Robertson
- John Albers
- Russ Goodman
- Frank Ginn
- Timothy Bearden
- Clint Dixon
- Shawn Still
- Ricky Williams
- Lee Anderson
- Bill Cowsert
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB592/2025
upstream_id: 2124767
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- criminal sentencing
- violent crime penalties
- child sexual abuse laws
- parole and probation
- aggravated assault law
---
# SB 592. "One Strike Act"; enact
## Text
Senate Bill 592
By: Senators Gooch of the 51st, Anavitarte of the 31st, Summers of the 13th, Echols of the
49th, Hatchett of the 50th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapters 5 and 6 of Title 16 and Chapter 10 of Title 17 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to crimes against the person, sexual offenses, and sentence and
punishment, respectively, so as to provide for increased punishments for certain offenses; to
provide for certain punishment for offenders who have been convicted of the offense of rape,
sexual battery, or aggravated sexual battery of a person under 12 years of age; to designate
certain offenses as serious violent felonies; to remove probation eligibility for certain
offenses committed while serving a sentence; to prohibit probation for certain offenses; to
prohibit early termination of probation for certain offenses; to provide for a short title; to
provide for legislative findings; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date
and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "One Strike Act."
SECTION 2.
The General Assembly finds that:
(1) The safety of Georgia families is paramount and violent predators who commit a single
act of serious violence pose an unacceptable risk to public safety;
(2) While Georgia's 2011–2018 criminal justice reforms successfully reduced recidivism
and incarceration costs for nonviolent offenders, recent national spikes in violent crime
demonstrate the need for targeted, zero tolerance penalties for serious violent felonies and
the most egregious sexual offenses against children;
(3) States such as Florida, Louisiana, and Kentucky have implemented similar enhanced
penalties with documented reductions in violent crime; and
(4) This Act preserves rehabilitation opportunities for nonviolent offenders while ensuring
that one violent act can permanently remove a predator from this state's communities when
warranted.
SECTION 3.
Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to crimes against
the person, is amended by revising Code Section 16-5-21, relating to aggravated assault, as
follows:
"16-5-21.
(a) A person commits the offense of aggravated assault when he or she assaults:
(1) With intent to murder, to rape, or to rob;
(2) With a deadly weapon or with any object, device, or instrument which, when used
offensively against a person, is likely to or actually does result in serious bodily injury;
(3) With any object, device, or instrument which, when used offensively against a
person, is likely to or actually does result in strangulation; or
(4) Without legal justification by discharging a firearm from within a motor vehicle or
after immediately exiting a vehicle toward a person, an occupied motor vehicle, or
occupied building.
(b) Except as provided in subsections (c) through (m) of this Code section, a person
convicted of the offense of aggravated assault shall be punished by imprisonment for not
less than one nor more than 20 years three years and not exceeding imprisonment for life
without parole or imprisonment for life.
(c)(1) A person who knowingly commits the offense of aggravated assault upon a public
safety officer while he or she is engaged in, or on account of the performance of, his or
her official duties shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished as follows:
(A) When such assault occurs by the discharge of a firearm by a person who is at
least 17 years of age, such person shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than
ten nor more than 20 years and not exceeding imprisonment for life without parole or
imprisonment for life and shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum term of
imprisonment of ten 20 years and no portion of the mandatory minimum sentence
imposed shall be suspended, stayed, probated, deferred, or withheld by the sentencing
court; provided, however, that in the court's discretion, the court may depart from such
mandatory minimum sentence when the prosecuting attorney and defendant have
agreed to a sentence that is below such mandatory minimum;
(B) When such assault does not involve the discharge of a firearm by a person who is
at least 17 years of age, and does not involve only the use of the person's body, such
person shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than five nor more than 20 years
ten years and not exceeding imprisonment for life without parole or imprisonment for
life and, for persons who are at least 17 years of age, shall be sentenced to a mandatory
minimum term of imprisonment of three ten years and no portion of the mandatory
minimum sentence imposed shall be suspended, stayed, probated, deferred, or withheld
by the sentencing court; provided, however, that in the court's discretion, the court may
depart from such mandatory minimum sentence when the prosecuting attorney and
defendant have agreed to a sentence that is below such mandatory minimum; or
(C) When such assault occurs only involving the use of the person's body, by
imprisonment for not less than five nor more than 20 years ten years and not exceeding
imprisonment for life without parole or imprisonment for life.
(2) A person convicted under this subsection shall be punished, in addition to any term
of imprisonment imposed, by a fine as provided by law which shall be at least $2,000.00.
With respect to $2,000.00 of the fine imposed, after distributing the surcharges and
deductions required by Chapter 21 of Title 15, Code Sections 36-15-9 and 42-8-34, and
Title 47, it shall be earmarked for the Georgia State Indemnification Fund for purposes
of payment of indemnification for death or disability as provided for in Part 1 of Article 5
of Chapter 9 of Title 45.
(3) As used in this subsection, the term 'firearm' means any handgun, rifle, shotgun, or
similar device or weapon which will or can be converted to expel a projectile by the
action of an explosive or electrical charge.
(d) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated assault against a person who is 65
years of age or older shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not
less than three nor more than 20 years five years and not exceeding imprisonment for life
without parole or imprisonment for life.
(e) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated assault in a public transit vehicle
or station shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than
three nor more than 20 years five years and not exceeding imprisonment for life without
parole or imprisonment for life.
(f) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated assault upon a person in the course
of violating Code Section 16-8-2 where the property that was the subject of the theft was
a vehicle engaged in commercial transportation of cargo or any appurtenance thereto,
including without limitation any such trailer, semitrailer, container, or other associated
equipment, or the cargo being transported therein or thereon, shall upon conviction be
punished by imprisonment for not less than five nor more than 20 years, a fine ten years
and not exceeding imprisonment for life without parole or imprisonment for life, a fine of
not less than $50,000.00 nor more than $200,000.00, or both such fine and imprisonment.
For purposes of this subsection, the term 'vehicle' includes without limitation any railcar.
(g) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section, a person convicted of an
offense described in paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall be punished
by imprisonment for not less than five nor more than 20 years ten years and not exceeding
imprisonment for life without parole or imprisonment for life.
(h) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated assault involving the use of a
firearm upon a student or teacher or other school personnel within a school safety zone as
defined in Code Section 16-11-127.1 shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by
imprisonment for not less than five nor more than 20 years ten years and not exceeding
imprisonment for life without parole or imprisonment for life.
(i) If the offense of aggravated assault is committed between past or present spouses,
persons who are parents of the same child, parents and children, stepparents and
stepchildren, foster parents and foster children, or other persons excluding siblings living
or formerly living in the same household, the defendant shall be punished by imprisonment
for not less than three nor more than 20 years five years and not exceeding imprisonment
for life without parole or imprisonment for life.
(j)(1) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated assault with intent to rape
against a child under the age of 14 years shall be punished by imprisonment for not less
than 25 nor more than 50 years and not exceeding imprisonment for life without parole
or imprisonment for life.
(2)(A) As used in this paragraph, the term 'sexual felony' shall mean a felony
conviction of:
(i) Aggravated assault with the intent to rape in violation of subsection (a) of this
Code section;
(ii) Kidnapping in violation of Code Section 16-5-40 which involves a victim who
is under 14 years of age, except by a parent;
(iii) Trafficking an individual for sexual servitude in violation of Code
Section 16-5-46;
(iv) Rape in violation of Code Section 16-6-1;
(v) Aggravated sodomy in violation of Code Section 16-6-2;
(vi) Statutory rape in violation of Code Section 16-6-3, if the individual convicted of
the offense is 21 years of age or older;
(vii) Child molestation in violation of Code Section 16-6-4;
(viii) Aggravated child molestation in violation of Code Section 16-6-4;
(ix) Enticing a child for indecent purposes in violation of Code Section 16-6-5;
(x) Improper sexual contact by employee or agent in the first or second degree or
improper sexual contact by a foster parent in the first or second degree in violation of
Code Section 16-6-5.1, unless the punishment imposed was not subject to Code
Section 17-10-6.2;
(xi) Incest in violation of Code Section 16-6-22;
(xii) Aggravated sexual battery in violation of Code Section 16-6-22.2; or
(xiii) Sexual exploitation of children in violation of Code Section 16-12-100.
(B) Any person having been previously convicted of a sexual felony who is convicted
of the offense of aggravated assault with the intent to rape shall be punished by
imprisonment for life or a split sentence that is a term of imprisonment followed by
probation for life. As a condition of probation, the court shall impose the requirement
of electronic monitoring as set forth in paragraph (14) of subsection (a) of Code
Section 42-8-35. Any person convicted under this paragraph shall, in addition, be
subject to the sentencing and punishment provisions of Code Section 17-10-6.2.
(k) A person who knowingly commits the offense of aggravated assault upon an officer
of the court while such officer is engaged in, or on account of the performance of, his or
her official duties shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less
than five nor more than 20 years and not exceeding imprisonment for life without parole
or imprisonment for life.
(l) A person who commits the offense of aggravated assault upon an emergency health
worker or healthcare worker while such worker is on a hospital campus, as such term is
defined in Code Section 31-54-1, to perform official duties shall, upon conviction thereof,
be punished by imprisonment for not less than three nor more than 20 years five years and
not exceeding imprisonment for life without parole or imprisonment for life.
(m) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated assault upon a utility worker while
such worker is acting within the course and scope of his or her employment or is
performing official duties shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for
not less than three nor more than 20 years five years and not exceeding imprisonment for
life without parole or imprisonment for life."
SECTION 4.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 16-5-24, relating to aggravated
battery, as follows:
"16-5-24.
(a) A person commits the offense of aggravated battery when he or she maliciously causes
bodily harm to another by depriving him or her of a member of his or her body, by
rendering a member of his or her body useless, or by seriously disfiguring his or her body
or a member thereof.
(b) Except as provided in subsections (c) through (i) of this Code section, a person
convicted of the offense of aggravated battery shall be punished by imprisonment for not
less than one nor more than 20 years three years and not exceeding imprisonment for life
without parole or imprisonment for life.
(c)(1) A person who knowingly commits the offense of aggravated battery upon a public
safety officer while the public safety officer is engaged in, or on account of the
performance of, his or her official duties shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by
imprisonment for not less than ten nor more than 20 years and not exceeding
imprisonment for life without parole or imprisonment for life; provided, however, that
for persons who are at least 17 years of age, a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment
of three years shall be imposed and no portion of the mandatory minimum sentence shall
be suspended, stayed, probated, deferred, or otherwise withheld by the sentencing court;
provided, however, that in the court's discretion, the court may depart from such
mandatory minimum sentence when the prosecuting attorney and defendant have agreed
to a sentence that is below such mandatory minimum.
(2) A person convicted under this subsection shall be punished, in addition to any term
of imprisonment imposed, by a fine as provided by law which shall be at least $2,000.00.
With respect to $2,000.00 of the fine imposed, after distributing the surcharges and
deductions required by Chapter 21 of Title 15, Code Sections 36-15-9 and 42-8-34, and
Title 47, it shall be earmarked for the Georgia State Indemnification Fund for purposes
of payment of indemnification for death or disability as provided for in Part 1 of Article 5
of Chapter 9 of Title 45.
(d) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated battery against a person who is 65
years of age or older shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not
less than five nor more than 20 years ten years and not exceeding imprisonment for life
without parole or imprisonment for life.
(e) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated battery in a public transit vehicle
or station shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than
five nor more than 20 years ten years and not exceeding imprisonment for life without
parole or imprisonment for life.
(f) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated battery upon a student or teacher
or other school personnel within a school safety zone as defined in Code
Section 16-11-127.1 shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not
less than five nor more than 20 years ten years and not exceeding imprisonment for life
without parole or imprisonment for life.
(g) If the offense of aggravated battery is committed between past or present spouses,
persons who are parents of the same child, parents and children, stepparents and
stepchildren, foster parents and foster children, or other persons excluding siblings living
or formerly living in the same household, the defendant shall be punished by imprisonment
for not less than three nor more than 20 years five years and not exceeding imprisonment
for life without parole or imprisonment for life.
(h) A person who commits the offense of aggravated battery upon an emergency health
worker or healthcare worker while such worker is on a hospital campus, as such term is
defined in Code Section 31-54-1, to perform official duties shall, upon conviction thereof,
be punished by imprisonment for not less than three nor more than 20 years five years and
not exceeding imprisonment for life without parole or imprisonment for life.
(i) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated battery upon a utility worker while
such worker is acting within the course and scope of his or her employment or is
performing official duties at the time of the offense shall, upon conviction thereof, be
punished by imprisonment for not less than three nor more than 20 years five years and not
exceeding imprisonment for life without parole or imprisonment for life."
SECTION 5.
Said chapter is further amended by revising paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of Code
Section 16-5-40, relating to kidnapping, as follows:
"(1) Imprisonment for not less than ten nor more than 20 years and not exceeding
imprisonment for life without parole or imprisonment for life if the kidnapping involved
a victim who was 14 years of age or older;"
SECTION 6.
Chapter 6 of said title, relating to sexual offenses, is amended by adding a new subsection
to Code Section 16-6-1, relating to rape, to read as follows:
"(e) A person convicted of the offense of rape when the victim was under 12 years of age
and the defendant was 18 years of age or older at the time of the offense shall be guilty of
a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for life without parole or by imprisonment
for life."
SECTION 7.
Said chapter is further amended by adding a new subsection to Code Section 16-6-22.1,
relating to sexual battery and consent, to read as follows:
"(e.1) A person convicted of the offense of sexual battery when the victim was under 12
years of age and the defendant was 18 years of age or older at the time of the offense shall
be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for life without parole or by
imprisonment for life."
SECTION 8.
Said chapter is further amended by adding a new subsection to Code Section 16-6-22.2,
relating to aggravated sexual battery and consent, to read as follows:
"(d.1) A person convicted of the offense of aggravated sexual battery when the victim was
under 12 years of age and the defendant was 18 years of age or older at the time of the
offense shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for life without
parole or by imprisonment for life."
SECTION 9.
Chapter 10 of Title 17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to sentence and
punishment, is amended by revising subsection (a) of Code Section 17-10-6.1, relating to
punishment for serious violent offenders and authorization for reduction in mandatory
minimum sentencing, as follows:
"(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'serious violent felony' means:
(1) Murder or felony murder, as defined in Code Section 16-5-1;
(2) Armed robbery, as defined in Code Section 16-8-41;
(3) Kidnapping, as defined in Code Section 16-5-40;
(4) Rape, as defined in Code Section 16-6-1;
(5) Aggravated child molestation, as defined in subsection (c) of Code Section 16-6-4,
unless subject to the provisions of paragraph (2) of subsection (d) of Code
Section 16-6-4;
(6) Aggravated sodomy, as defined in Code Section 16-6-2; or
(7) Sexual battery, as defined in Code Section 16-6-22.1;
(7)(8) Aggravated sexual battery, as defined in Code Section 16-6-22.2;
(9) Aggravated assault, as defined in Code Section 16-5-21;
(10) Aggravated battery, as defined in Code Section 16-5-24;
(11) Home invasion in the first degree, as defined in Code Section 16-7-5; or
(12) Any felony involving the use or possession of a firearm during the commission of
the offense."
SECTION 10.
Said chapter is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"17-10-6.4.
(a) Any offender currently serving a sentence shall have eligibility for parole removed
from his or her current sentence or, if serving consecutive sentences, next sentence if he
or she committed any of the following offenses:
(1) Murder or felony murder, as defined in Code Section 16-5-1;
(2) Simple assault or aggravated assault, as defined in Code Sections 16-5-20 and
16-5-21, respectively;
(3) Rape, as defined in Code Section 16-6-1; or
(4) Distribution of controlled substances, as defined in Code Section 16-13-30.
(b) Any offender currently serving a sentence shall have eligibility for parole removed
from his or her current sentence or, if serving consecutive sentences, next sentence if he
or she participated in, managed, or was in some way part of an organization whose primary
purpose involved the trafficking of controlled substances in violation of Code Section
16-13-31.
(c) There shall be no parole for validated gang members or offenders who commit gang
related crimes pursuant to Code Section 16-15-4.
(d) No offender who has committed a serious violent felony, as defined in Code
Section 17-10-6.1, shall be eligible for early termination of probation regardless of
condition satisfaction.
(e) No offender who has committed a serious violent felony, as defined in Code
Section 17-10-6.1, shall utilize a probation reporting contact center or other similar center
to report to probation officers."
SECTION 11.
This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2026, and shall apply to all offenses committed
on or after such date.
SECTION 12.
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 592, the 'One Strike Act,' would raise prison sentences for aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and kidnapping in Georgia, impose life sentences for rape, sexual battery, or aggravated sexual battery of a child under 12, and limit parole and probation for violent offenders.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law currently sets maximum sentences of around 20 years for aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and many kidnapping cases. This bill raises the minimum sentences for those crimes and removes the 20-year cap, allowing courts to impose sentences up to life without parole or life imprisonment. It also adds new provisions making rape, sexual battery, or aggravated sexual battery of a victim under 12 years old (by an adult 18 or older) punishable by life without parole or life in prison.
The bill expands the list of 'serious violent felonies' under Georgia law to include sexual battery, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, first-degree home invasion, and firearm-related felonies. It creates a new Code section removing parole eligibility for people serving sentences for murder, assault, rape, or drug trafficking, and bars anyone convicted of a serious violent felony from early termination of probation or from reporting to probation through call-in centers. The changes would take effect July 1, 2026, and apply only to offenses committed on or after that date.
### What it does
- Removes the 20-year maximum sentence for aggravated assault and aggravated battery, allowing courts to sentence offenders up to life without parole.
- Raises mandatory minimum sentences for aggravated assault or battery against public safety officers, people 65 or older, hospital and utility workers, and family members.
- Creates mandatory life without parole or life imprisonment for rape, sexual battery, or aggravated sexual battery when the victim was under 12 and the offender was 18 or older.
- Adds sexual battery, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, first-degree home invasion, and firearm-related felonies to the legal definition of 'serious violent felony.'
- Removes parole eligibility for people currently serving sentences for murder, certain assaults, rape, or drug trafficking, and bars parole for validated gang members.
- Prohibits early termination of probation and use of probation reporting call centers for anyone convicted of a serious violent felony.
### Who it affects
People convicted of aggravated assault, aggravated battery, kidnapping, rape, sexual battery, or aggravated sexual battery in Georgia, especially offenses against children under 12, the elderly, public safety officers, and healthcare or utility workers. It also affects people currently on parole or probation for violent or drug trafficking offenses, and courts and the Department of Community Supervision.
### Why it matters
Georgians convicted of certain violent or child sexual offenses would face much longer prison terms, including life without parole, instead of sentences capped around 20 years. Some current inmates would lose parole eligibility, and people on probation for serious violent felonies could no longer get early release or report by phone or kiosk.
### Key provisions
- Section 3 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 16-5-21 (aggravated assault) to remove the 20-year cap on sentences, replacing fixed ranges with minimums that can extend to life without parole.
- Section 4 makes similar changes to O.C.G.A. § 16-5-24 (aggravated battery), raising minimum sentences and removing the maximum cap.
- Section 5 raises the kidnapping sentence for victims 14 or older from a maximum of 20 years to a range extending up to life without parole.
- Section 6 through 8 add new provisions to the rape, sexual battery, and aggravated sexual battery statutes mandating life without parole or life imprisonment when the victim was under 12 and the offender was 18 or older.
- Section 9 expands the definition of 'serious violent felony' in O.C.G.A. § 17-10-6.1 to include sexual battery, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, first-degree home invasion, and firearm-related felonies.
- Section 10 creates a new O.C.G.A. § 17-10-6.4 removing parole eligibility for certain offenders and banning early termination of probation or use of reporting call centers for serious violent felons.
- Section 11 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, applying only to offenses committed on or after that date.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-25)
- Last action: Senate Tabled (2026-03-06)
- Sponsors: Steve Gooch, Jason Anavitarte, Carden Summers, Drew Echols, Bo Hatchett, Randy Robertson, John Albers, Russ Goodman, Frank Ginn, Timothy Bearden, Clint Dixon, Shawn Still, Ricky Williams, Lee Anderson, Bill Cowsert
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73653
> The history, votes, and amendments (235 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb592.md?full=1