HB 1432: Georgia Public Defender Council; provide for vacancies on the legislative oversight committee

Under current Georgia law, when a sexual assault victim chooses not to immediately report the crime, law enforcement must preserve biological evidence such as fluids, stains, or hair samples for at least 12 months. This bill, named the Stephanie Colquitt-Shurman Act of 2026, extends that retention period to 30 years, giving victims much more time to decide whether to pursue a case before evidence could be destroyed. The bill also rewrites the law governing the Legislative Oversight Committee for the Georgia Public Defender Council (O.C.G.A. § 17-12-10.1). It adds a process for filling vacancies on the eight-member committee, including when a member loses a chairmanship or committee membership that qualified them for the seat. It also makes it unlawful for the council or its director to refuse to cooperate with the committee's information requests. The evidence-retention change takes effect July 1, 2026, while the committee changes take effect once the Governor signs the bill or it becomes law without signature.

• Extends the required retention period for unreported sexual assault evidence from 12 months to 30 years, giving victims more time before evidence could be discarded.
• Names this evidence-retention change the 'Stephanie Colquitt-Shurman Act of 2026.'
• Adds a formal process for filling vacancies on the Legislative Oversight Committee for the Georgia Public Defender Council, including vacancies caused by death, resignation, or loss of qualifying committee status.
• Makes it unlawful for the Georgia Public Defender Council or its director to fail to cooperate with the legislative oversight committee's requests for information.
• Sets different effective dates: the evidence retention change starts July 1, 2026, while the committee changes start once the Governor signs the bill.

Sexual assault victims and survivors, local law enforcement agencies that store forensic evidence, the Georgia Public Defender Council and its director, and the House and Senate members who serve on the council's legislative oversight committee.

Victims who are not ready to report an assault right away would have decades, rather than one year, to change their minds before evidence is destroyed, potentially preserving cases that would otherwise be lost. Separately, the public defender council would face a clearer legal duty to share information with legislative overseers.

• Section 1-1 gives Part I the short title 'Stephanie Colquitt-Shurman Act of 2026.'
• Section 1-2 amends O.C.G.A. § 17-5-71(b) to change the required evidence retention period from not less than 12 months to 30 years from the date of collection.
• Section 2-1 amends O.C.G.A. § 17-12-10.1 to add subsection (a)(2), specifying that committee vacancies are filled the same way as the original appointment and that losing a qualifying committee role counts as a vacancy.
• Section 2-1 also revises subsection (d) to make it unlawful for the council or director to fail to cooperate with the oversight committee's information requests.
• Section 3-1 sets the evidence-retention change (Part I) to take effect July 1, 2026, while the rest of the Act takes effect upon the Governor's approval or becoming law without signature.
• Section 3-2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-25Senate Read Second Time (Senado)
2. 2026-03-25Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senado)
3. 2026-03-06Senate Read and Referred (Senado)
4. 2026-03-04House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2026-03-04House Third Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
6. 2026-03-03House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Cámara de Representantes)
7. 2026-02-26House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
8. 2026-02-25House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)

• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)Patrocinador principal
• Samuel Park (D, HD-107)
• James Burchett (R, HD-176)
• Stacey Evans (D, HD-057)
• Stan Gunter (R, HD-008)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)

1. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes4 de marzo de 2026

   168 a favor, 1 en contra (1 sin votar, 7 ausentes)

   Passage: House Vote #620

• sexual assault evidence
• criminal justice
• public defenders
• legislative oversight
• victims rights