SB586: SB586 "K-9 Law Enforcement Heroes Act of 2026"; enact

This bill's title still refers to a "K-9 Law Enforcement Heroes Act," but the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security replaced the original Senate text with a substitute that has nothing to do with police dogs. Instead, it amends Georgia's livestock impoundment law (O.C.G.A. Title 4, Chapter 3). Under current law, when a sheriff impounds livestock running loose, the owner gets three days to redeem the animals before they are sold at public auction or, if unsold, killed. This bill adds a new option: the sheriff may instead donate the livestock to a nonprofit organization, an individual, or another entity the sheriff believes has the facilities and resources to properly and humanely care for the animals. This donation option applies before the redemption deadline, at the point of sale if no bidder appears, and in the required notices sent to owners and published in newspapers. Owners still keep the right to redeem their livestock before it is sold or donated by paying impounding costs.

• Lets a sheriff donate impounded livestock to a nonprofit, individual, or entity found capable of humane care, instead of only selling or killing the animals.
• Requires the sheriff's written notice to the livestock owner to mention that unredeemed livestock may be donated, not just sold at auction.
• Preserves the owner's right to redeem livestock by paying impounding costs any time before it is donated or sold.
• Changes what happens when no one bids at the livestock auction: the sheriff can now donate the animals rather than only having them killed and the carcass disposed of.
• Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these changes.

County sheriffs and their deputies who handle stray livestock, owners of livestock that gets impounded, and nonprofit organizations or individuals who might receive donated animals. Despite the bill's title referencing police dogs, the substitute text does not address K-9 units or law enforcement dogs.

Sheriffs currently must sell or kill unclaimed stray livestock; this bill gives them a humane alternative of donating animals to capable caretakers. It could reduce euthanasia of unsold livestock, though it depends on sheriffs finding willing, qualified nonprofits or individuals in each case.

• Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 4-3-5 so the notice to a livestock owner states the animal may be sold or donated to a nonprofit, individual, or entity deemed capable of humane care if not redeemed within three days.
• Section 1 also updates the required public notice-of-sale language to reference the donation option alongside the existing sale process.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 4-3-6 to confirm an owner may redeem livestock any time before it is donated or sold, by paying impounding costs and fees.
• Section 3 revises O.C.G.A. § 4-3-7 so that if no one bids at the livestock auction, the sheriff may donate the animals to a qualified nonprofit, individual, or entity instead of only having them killed.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting state laws.

1. 2026-04-02Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub As Amended (Senate)
2. 2026-03-31House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
3. 2026-03-31House Third Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-27House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
5. 2026-03-10House Second Readers (House)
6. 2026-03-09House First Readers (House)
7. 2026-03-06Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
8. 2026-03-06Senate Third Read (Senate)

• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)Primary sponsor
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Martin Momtahan (R, HD-017)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2026

   51 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 4 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #666

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2026

   166 yea, 1 nay (2 not voting, 7 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #820

3. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2026

   49 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 2 absent)

   Agree To House Substitute As Amended: Senate Vote #942

• livestock impoundment
• sheriffs
• animal welfare
• county government
• nonprofit donations