HB 1121: Cordele Judicial Court; change certain terms of court

Georgia law sets specific calendar dates, called terms of court, when superior courts in each judicial circuit must convene. Before this bill, the Cordele Judicial Circuit, which covers Ben Hill, Crisp, Dooly, and Wilcox counties, had a patchwork of different term dates for each county spread across the year, tied to specific Mondays in different months. House Bill 1121 rewrites part of Georgia's court terms law (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-3) so that all four counties in the Cordele Circuit now share the same two terms of court: one starting January 1 and one starting July 1. The bill does not change anything else about how the circuit's courts operate; it only resets the calendar dates for when court sessions begin. It repeals any conflicting laws once enacted.

• Replaces the separate, staggered court term schedules for Ben Hill, Crisp, Dooly, and Wilcox counties with a single shared schedule.
• Sets two terms of court per year for each of the four counties, beginning January 1 and July 1.
• Removes the old system of terms tied to specific Mondays in different months for each county.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new term schedule.

Superior court judges, clerks, attorneys, jurors, and litigants in Ben Hill, Crisp, Dooly, and Wilcox counties, all part of the Cordele Judicial Circuit, whose court calendars and scheduling would follow the new simplified term dates.

Court terms affect when grand juries convene, when certain filing deadlines run, and how court dockets are scheduled. Standardizing the four counties onto the same two annual terms could simplify scheduling and coordination for judges, attorneys, and court staff working across the circuit.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 15-6-3(13) to set January 1 and July 1 as the terms of court for Ben Hill County, replacing the prior multi-date schedule.
• Section 1 sets the same January 1 and July 1 terms for Crisp, Dooly, and Wilcox counties, replacing each county's separate prior schedule.
• Section 2 repeals any laws or parts of laws that conflict with the new term dates.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-11Act 446
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2026-04-07House Sent to Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2026-03-31House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (Cámara de Representantes)
6. 2026-03-27Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senado)
7. 2026-03-27Senate Third Read (Senado)
8. 2026-03-27Senate Taken from Table (Senado)

• Noel Williams (R, HD-148)Patrocinador principal
• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
• Patty Stinson (D, HD-150)
• Steven McNeel (R, SD-018)

1. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes17 de febrero de 2026

   162 a favor, 0 en contra (5 sin votar, 8 ausentes)

   Passage: House Vote #514

2. AprobadaVotación: Senado27 de marzo de 2026

   26 a favor, 22 en contra (3 sin votar, 3 ausentes)

   Motion To Table Remaining Legislation On The Rules Calendar: Senate Vote #835

3. AprobadaVotación: Senado27 de marzo de 2026

   47 a favor, 0 en contra (2 sin votar, 5 ausentes)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #849

4. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes31 de marzo de 2026

   165 a favor, 0 en contra (5 sin votar, 6 ausentes)

   Agree To Senate Substitute: House Vote #812

• courts
• Cordele Judicial Circuit
• superior court terms
• local government