SB 319: "Dorothy Mae Smith Wright Act"; enact

Georgia law already requires state, county, and local police agencies to have written policies for emergency pursuits and vehicle responses, but it does not set statewide rules for when a chase can begin. This bill amends that law, O.C.G.A. § 35-1-14, to require those written pursuit policies to be consistent with new statewide standards written into the same section. The bill adds a rule that no law enforcement agency may authorize a vehicle pursuit unless the requirements of Georgia's existing emergency-vehicle law (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-6) are met, and officers have probable cause to believe the person being chased committed or is committing a serious crime, such as murder, aggravated battery, kidnapping, rape, or armed robbery, or poses an immediate threat of death or serious injury to someone else. Agencies that do not follow these requirements remain subject to losing state or state-administered federal funding. The bill also gives itself a short title, the Dorothy Mae Smith Wright Act.

• Requires every state, county, and local law enforcement agency's pursuit policy to be consistent with new statewide standards set in the bill.
• Bars agencies from authorizing a vehicle pursuit unless the requirements of Georgia's emergency vehicle law (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-6) are met.
• Adds a probable cause requirement limiting pursuits to cases involving murder, aggravated battery, kidnapping, false imprisonment, rape, armed robbery, or an immediate threat of death or serious injury.
• Keeps the existing penalty that agencies failing to comply can lose state funding or state-administered federal funding.
• Names the law the 'Dorothy Mae Smith Wright Act' as its official short title.

Police officers and law enforcement agencies at the state, county, and city level in Georgia, since they must follow the new pursuit rules or risk losing funding. The change also affects the public, including people who might otherwise be involved in or endangered by a high-speed chase.

By narrowing the circumstances under which police may chase a fleeing vehicle, the bill could reduce the number of high-speed pursuits statewide, potentially lowering crash risks for bystanders, drivers, and officers, while still allowing chases when serious violent crimes or immediate danger are suspected.

• Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the 'Dorothy Mae Smith Wright Act.'
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 35-1-14 to remove the outdated 'on and after January 1, 2004' language and require pursuit policies to be consistent with the section's new standards.
• Section 2 adds new subsection (b), prohibiting agencies from authorizing a pursuit unless O.C.G.A. § 40-6-6 requirements are met and probable cause exists for specific serious crimes or an immediate threat of death or serious injury.
• Section 2 keeps the existing rule that agencies not complying with pursuit policy requirements can lose state or state-administered federal funding.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-03-04Senate Read and Referred (Senado)
2. 2025-03-03Senate Hopper (Senado)

• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)Patrocinador principal
• Donzella James (D, SD-028)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Josh McLaurin (D, SD-014)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Freddie Sims (D, SD-012)
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
• Derek Mallow (D, SD-002)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Sheikh Rahman (D, SD-005)
• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)

• police pursuits
• law enforcement policy
• public safety
• police accountability