SB587: SB587 Offenses Against Public Health and Morals; the establishment of an animal cruelty database; provide

This bill makes two separate changes to Georgia law. First, it amends the state's child cruelty law (O.C.G.A. § 16-5-70) and its law on abuse of disabled adults and elder persons (O.C.G.A. § 16-5-102) to let a superior court issue an order to locate a parent or guardian when a child, disabled adult, elder person, or resident is moved from a known address to an unknown location during an open abuse investigation. Law enforcement must show the search is necessary to check on the person's welfare. Second, the bill directs the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of the State of Georgia to build a free, publicly searchable online database of people convicted of animal cruelty and related crimes, by January 1, 2027, depending on funding from the General Assembly. Court clerks must send conviction and sentencing records to the council within 60 days, and the database must be updated at least monthly.

• Allows a superior court to grant an order to locate a parent or guardian when a child in an open cruelty investigation is moved to an unknown address.
• Allows the same type of location order for disabled adults, elder persons, or residents in open exploitation or abuse investigations.
• Requires the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of the State of Georgia to create and maintain a free, public, searchable animal cruelty database by January 1, 2027, subject to funding.
• Requires court clerks to electronically send conviction and sentencing records for animal cruelty and related offenses to the council within 60 days.
• Requires state law enforcement, prosecution, and corrections agencies to cooperate with the council and share information for the database.
• Authorizes the council to create a uniform reporting form for agencies to use when submitting information for the database.

The bill affects law enforcement agencies investigating child or elder abuse, superior courts, parents and guardians involved in such investigations, court clerks, the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of the State of Georgia, animal shelters and animal control agencies, and people convicted of animal cruelty or related crimes.

Investigators would gain a faster legal tool to locate at-risk children or elder abuse victims who disappear during an open case. Separately, animal shelters, rescue groups, and the public would be able to check a free online list of convicted animal abusers before placing animals with prospective owners, starting in 2027 if funding is provided.

• Section 1 adds a subsection to the child cruelty law (O.C.G.A. § 16-5-70) letting a superior court order a search for a parent or guardian when a child moves to an unknown location during an open investigation.
• Section 2 adds a similar subsection to O.C.G.A. § 16-5-102 covering disabled adults, elder persons, and residents in exploitation or abuse investigations.
• Section 3 adds subsection (i) to the animal cruelty law (O.C.G.A. § 16-12-4), requiring the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council to build a public animal cruelty database by January 1, 2027, subject to appropriations.
• The database must list people convicted of or pleading guilty or no contest to animal cruelty and related offenses under Code Sections 16-6-6, 16-7-21.2, 16-11-107, or 16-12-37, be free to access, and be updated at least monthly.
• Court clerks must transmit conviction and sentencing records to the council within 60 days of entry of the conviction.
• State law enforcement, prosecution, and corrections agencies must cooperate with the council and report information in a format the council prescribes, and the council may create a uniform reporting form.
• Section 4 repeals all conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-11Act 498
3. 2026-05-11Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2026-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2026-03-31Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
6. 2026-03-31House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
7. 2026-03-31House Third Readers (House)
8. 2026-03-27House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)

• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)Primary sponsor
• Jason T. Dickerson (R, SD-021)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Steven McNeel (R, SD-018)
• Frank Ginn (R, SD-047)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Beth Camp (R, HD-135)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2026

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

   Passage As Amended: Senate Vote #656

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2026

   163 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 9 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #793

3. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   48 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 4 absent)

   Agree To House Substitute: Senate Vote #914

• animal cruelty
• child abuse investigations
• elder abuse
• public records database
• criminal justice