HB 369: Motor vehicles; sale of food or beverages; provide vehicle equipment standards

This bill changes how some local elections work in Georgia. It amends the state election code (O.C.G.A. Title 21) to create a new category called a 'consolidated law enforcement county,' defined as any county that has eliminated the elected office of coroner. In those counties, most elected county offices, such as members of the county governing authority, tax commissioners, clerks of superior court, and solicitor-generals, would be elected without party labels rather than through the usual partisan primary and general election process. The sheriff's office and county governing authorities created under a local constitutional amendment are exempted from this change. The bill also makes district attorney elections nonpartisan in judicial circuits made up entirely of one consolidated law enforcement county, with those races held during the November general election and candidates qualifying with the Secretary of State the same way judicial candidates do. Any existing local law setting up partisan elections for these offices would be overridden. The changes would take effect January 1, 2028.

• Creates a new legal category, 'consolidated law enforcement county,' for any county that has abolished its elected coroner position.
• Requires most elected county offices in those counties, such as tax commissioners and clerks of superior court, to be filled through nonpartisan elections instead of party primaries.
• Exempts the office of county sheriff and governing authorities set up under a local constitutional amendment from the nonpartisan election requirement.
• Makes district attorney races nonpartisan in judicial circuits made up of a single consolidated law enforcement county, held during the November general election.
• Overrides any existing local law that currently sets up partisan elections for these county offices.
• Sets the effective date for all these changes as January 1, 2028.

Voters, candidates, and county officeholders in Georgia counties that have eliminated the elected coroner position, including candidates for tax commissioner, clerk of superior court, solicitor-general, county governing authority seats, and certain district attorneys, along with the Secretary of State's office, which handles candidate qualifying.

Removing party labels from these local races changes how candidates campaign and how voters choose them, since ballots would no longer show party affiliation for the affected offices. It also nullifies existing local laws that set up partisan elections in these counties, standardizing the process statewide for this specific category of county.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 21-2-132 to remove the word 'judicial' from the list of county offices that use the nonpartisan candidacy filing window, broadening which county offices qualify under that process.
• Section 2 adds a new Code Section 21-2-140 defining 'consolidated law enforcement county' as one where the elected coroner office has been abolished.
• Section 2 requires nonpartisan election of county offices such as governing authority members, tax commissioners, clerks of superior court, and solicitor-generals in those counties, unless exempted.
• Section 2 exempts the sheriff's office and governing authorities created by local constitutional amendment from the nonpartisan election rule.
• Section 2 makes district attorney elections nonpartisan for judicial circuits consisting solely of one consolidated law enforcement county, held during the November general election without a prior primary.
• Section 2 repeals conflicting local laws that currently provide for partisan election of these county offices.
• Section 3 sets the effective date as January 1, 2028.
• Section 4 repeals all other laws in conflict with the Act.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2028-01-01
2. 2026-05-12Act 710
3. 2026-05-12House Date Signed by Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2026-03-27House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (Cámara de Representantes)
6. 2026-03-25Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senado)
7. 2026-03-25Senate Third Read (Senado)
8. 2026-03-25Senate Engrossed (Senado)

• Dexter Sharper (D, HD-177)Patrocinador principal
• Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
• John LaHood (R, HD-175)
• Sylvia Baker (D, HD-064)
• Terry Cummings (D, HD-039)
• Eric Bell (D, HD-075)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)

1. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes4 de marzo de 2025

   156 a favor, 14 en contra (5 sin votar, 5 ausentes)

   Passage: House Vote #187

2. AprobadaVotación: Senado25 de marzo de 2026

   32 a favor, 19 en contra (2 sin votar, 1 ausentes)

   Motion To Engross: Hb 328, Hb 369, Hb 519, Hb 1112: Senate Vote #800

3. AprobadaVotación: Senado25 de marzo de 2026

   32 a favor, 21 en contra (0 sin votar, 1 ausentes)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #803

4. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes27 de marzo de 2026

   93 a favor, 64 en contra (3 sin votar, 16 ausentes)

   Agree To Senate Substitute: House Vote #790

• nonpartisan elections
• county government
• district attorney elections
• election law
• local government offices