SB565: SB565 Peace Officers; the definition of law enforcement unit and peace officer to include members of police forces of nonprofit private colleges and universities; revise

Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 35-8-2) defines which agencies count as a 'law enforcement unit' and which employees count as 'peace officers' for purposes of the state's peace officer training and certification requirements. Currently that definition covers state and local government agencies, railroads, and several specific state departments, but not police forces run by private colleges. This bill revises paragraphs (7) and (8) of that code section to add police forces of nonprofit private colleges and universities that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code. Once added, officers on those campus police forces would be treated the same as other peace officers for training, certification, and arrest authority purposes under this chapter. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws, a routine closing provision in Georgia legislation.

• Adds police forces of nonprofit private colleges and universities that are tax-exempt under IRS Section 501(c)(3) to the legal definition of 'law enforcement unit' in Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 35-8-2).
• Adds agents and officers of those same private college and university police forces to the legal definition of 'peace officer' under the same code section.
• Keeps all existing categories in the definitions, including state agencies, railroads, the Department of Corrections, and the Department of Juvenile Justice, unchanged.
• Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this change.

Nonprofit private colleges and universities in Georgia that operate their own police forces, the officers employed by those campus police departments, and students, staff, and visitors on those campuses whose interactions with campus police would now fall under the state's official peace officer framework.

By classifying private college police forces as law enforcement units and their officers as peace officers, those officers would gain the same legal recognition, arrest authority, and certification obligations as municipal or county police, changing how campus policing is regulated and overseen in Georgia.

• 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 agents, operatives, or officers of those same private college police forces to the definition of 'peace officer,' including volunteers.
• The bill leaves intact other existing categories of law enforcement units and peace officers, such as the Department of Transportation's Office of Permits and Enforcement and the Department of Juvenile Justice.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard closing clause with no substantive effect beyond this bill's 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

• campus police
• peace officer certification
• law enforcement definitions
• private colleges and universities