Comité Public Safety and Homeland Security de la Cámara de Representantes, 18 de marzo de 2026

Transcripción

195 turnos. Seleccione un tiempo para reproducir ese momento del video.

1. 0:17:57

   All right, everybody. We're gonna go ahead and get started. Um, apologize for the bit of the delay. It is that, uh, that time of the year, and so we're gonna have folks running in and out. Uh, some of our presenters are not available yet, but we will, um, do as we always do and, uh, adapt and overcome. So, uh, before we get started, I'd like to ask Representative Cummings if she would open us up in a word of prayer.

2. 0:18:21

   Um, dear Lord, thank you for your presence today in our lives. Thank you for the wonderful committee me- committee dinner that we had last night with friends. It was, um, simply wonderful. And, um, we ask for your continued blessing as we make decisions on these important laws that will impact all of Georgia. In Your name, amen. Thank you very much. All right, we're gonna start with Senate Bill 433. Chairman Strickland, if you would like to come up, and I know you have some, uh, other presenters with you if you want to, whoever you'd like to, to have with you there.

3. 0:19:04

   Thank you. Members of the committee, I have joining me Connor Tomlinson, who's gonna speak after I present the bill, if that's okay with you, Mr. Chairman. Um, Senate Bill 433 does two things. First, it creates the option of a specialty license plate for those who either have autism or have a child or dependent they care for with autism. Second, it mandates uniform training for all of our law enforcement officers as part of their basic training to have training as to how to interact individuals on the spectrum.

4. 0:19:36

   This is something that's personal to me. I have an eight-year-old son with autism, and I've learned as a parent that autism is not a disability. I think autism is a gift, and obviously it affects people in, in different ways, but what I've seen with my son is he thinks in a different way. He has talents other people don't have, but there are little things that we would consider little things if you are typical that he sees differently, and there are things that may make him react in a different way that if he is in a vehicle and law enforcement is to approach a vehicle that he's in, he may do some things that makes him look nervous if he's a driver one day.

5. 0:20:15

   He may not make eye contact. He may react in a different way to the lights from a police car or an ambulance, or just react in a different way to someone that raises their voice. And so with proper training, as a parent, I can tell you, you can learn how to communicate with those that see the world differently. And so the goal of the bill, number one, is to make certain that when someone, a first responder, approaches a vehicle, that families have the option to identify their vehicle, that way a first responder knows that someone in that vehicle sees the world a different way.

6. 0:20:46

   And they will then, second, have the training that's required to help assist those people. The goal is to make sure we aren't causing escalation. We don't have to have it, and obviously to move closer to a world of, of not just, um, autism awareness, but autism acceptance. So I'm proud to get to carry this bill. It's named after Rio. You'll hear, um, after Connor speaks, Layla Luna, who is the mother of Rio. She'll tell you the story about what happened with her son in the neighboring state of South Carolina that led to South Carolina taking this bill up two years ago, and now us hopefully taking this bill up this year, passing this bill this year here in Georgia.

7. 0:21:23

   Um, Mr. Chairman, I can take questions now, or I can also introduce Connor to everybody, Mr. Chairman, either way. Whatever you think would, uh, cover any points that you're here and, uh, want to testify to. We'll open it up for questions from members after that. Thank you for being here. Good afternoon, Chairman Crowe and members of the committee. Thank you for having me here today, and thank you, Representative Strickland, for being a champion for this important piece of legislation.

8. 0:21:55

   My name is Connor Tomlinson. I am a proud Georgian, and I am autistic. Some of you may know me from the Netflix television show On the Spectrum, but I am here today as an advocate for the autism and neurodiverse community to speak in support of Senate Bill 433, Rio's Law. Rio's Law ensures safe encounters, better outcomes, and stronger trust between the autism community and the professionals sworn to protect.

9. 0:22:25

   While I do not drive, I am often a passenger in a vehicle. As an autistic man, I understand firsthand what sensory overload and dysregulation feel like. In moments of dysregulation, I may avoid eye contact, make sudden movements, or struggle to communicate effectively. My anxiety and behaviors might be peculiar. I may act suspiciously. And speaking as one who is neurodiverse, under normal circumstances, a police officer approach to me might be thinking, "What have I done?

10. 0:23:02

    What did I do to get this officer's attention?" In the event of a routine traffic stop or an emergency situation, the likelihood of me becoming dysregulated is extremely high. It's important to understand that these responses are not signs of defiance or threat. They are neurological responses to overwhelming sensory input. This legislation will better inform and prepare law enforcement in responding and interacting with individuals on the spectrum, allowing them to do their job more effectively.

11. 0:23:41

    But most importantly, it will give neurodiverse Georgians a chance to walk the road with our law enforcement and first responders without judgment or fear of being misunderstood. Rio's Law is meant to help and will help build strong relationships and confidence between Georgians on the autism and neurodiverse responders so everyone can be kept safe. Thank you very

12. 0:24:12

    much, Connor. Appreciate you being here. Um, are there any questions from members of the committee for, uh, Chairman Strickland or Connor? I don't see any right now

13. 0:24:27

    There are some times where it works for me and, and so the more information we can have as we approach that, uh, that we know we're gonna be dealing with, the better the outcomes we can get. I think it's a great way, um, that you've learned to testify. Um, it was great to meet you today. I really do like what you've got going on.

14. 0:24:49

    Uncommon comment and a question. I'm Chris Cobb and my sisters and I are huge fans of Taking it to the Limit. I love Roy. And I'm so interested, I'm reading this, um, where it says 50% of people killed by police have a disability, which is a very alarming thing to ponder and very troubling. And I'm just wondering, is the 50% you have relative, are they autistic or are they type one diabetes or are we including all mental disabilities in that number?

15. 0:25:19

    I'm not sure where that statistic comes from. I know that was something that was said during Representative Greene's testimony. But that does, one thing I meant to say in my initial testimony, a bill like this, I've not seen anybody that's opposed to the bill, to be honest with you. But you do have people, maybe someone testified today, the same with you, you just have autism, for example, in here. You just have a license plate. But a lot of other things we can do to protect those with disabilities in my response to those. But there is a lot more we should do. But I also realize you take one bill at a time.

16. 0:25:51

    My request for the committee would be to let's get this one passed. And I hope that y'all others, I believe you're next, others will bring bills to do your stuff, not just for people with autism, but for all disabled folks. And we worked really closely with law enforcement on this bill to make sure we got the training component right and to make sure we gave flexibility with the license plate. And as you'll read, if you read the bill, you'll see we're not saying you have to have what you see, a license plate that says it a certain way. We're giving that discretion to the commissioner at Department of Revenue to approve a license plate.

17. 0:26:23

    And my hope is they will work in conjunction with law enforcement, because that's the key to this, is having the training that ties to an officer knowing when they approach a vehicle that's terrified before they go further. And so that's the thing we're trying to thread with this. Um, but I don't think it's going to be some very obvious way to say there's so much more we can do in this society, in this state to include all disabled persons.

18. 0:26:47

    Thank you for this bill.

19. 0:26:52

    Chairman, I just want to thank you for letting me come. Um, Chairman Greene, I want to thank you.

20. 0:26:55

    Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want a personal privilege. I just want to let you know the heart of love on the spectrum is in Forsyth County, so that's where Connor lives. So I just want everybody to know that. I claim him as one of my own, so I appreciate it.

21. 0:27:07

    I think I should just have Connor speak and I should have stayed home, maybe.

22. 0:27:11

    Yeah, I mean, that's not a bad strategy.

23. 0:27:13

    I, I think.

24. 0:27:14

    All right. I don't see any other questions. You had someone else that was wanting to testify?

25. 0:27:18

    Yes, sir.

26. 0:27:19

    Is that okay with you?

27. 0:27:36

    Yeah.

28. 0:27:36

    Sure. Go ahead and come up.

29. 0:27:37

    Thank you, Chairman Greene and committee members for having me today. My name is Leila Luna and I'm the founder and CEO of Just Be, a 501[c][3] dedicated to autism awareness, education, and training, and I am Rio's mom. My dream in life was simple. My dream was to be a mom, and that dream came true on July 2nd, 2008, when I gave birth to my son, Rio. It was the happiest day of my life. But nothing, absolutely nothing can ever prepare you for the moment that you learn that your child is special.

30. 0:28:10

    In 2010, Rio was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. At the time, I was a single mom raising a child with autism, and I knew nothing about it. The only reference I had was Rain Man. What I quickly learned is that autism doesn't look like the movies. Rio is autistic and he is non-verbal. He is 17 years old today and he has never spoken to me. As Rio grew older, bigger, and stronger, I learned another reality about autism, especially non-verbal autism, the strength, the fight or flight response, the aggression that can come when a child is terrified and cannot communicate.

31. 0:28:45

    One night I was pulled over by police. Rio was sitting in the front seat. The officer didn't know anything about autism, and why would he? Rio looks typical because there's no look to autism. It's an invisible disability. With the sirens and lights escalating, Rio began to panic. He went into a full sensory overload. At first, the officer wouldn't turn off the flashing lights. Rio started attacking me. He bit a chunk out of the dashboard of my car. To keep him from jumping out of the car and running into traffic, I let him bite my wrist hard enough to leave a permanent scar.

32. 0:29:18

    That night, in a matter of seconds, I could have lost my son, and all I kept thinking about was why don't we have a way to alert officers and first responders that someone in the vehicle is on the autism spectrum? I approached Sheriff Richie, who was a Mount Pleasant South Carolina council member at the time and a former chief of police, and he said immediately, "This is a no-brainer." He connected me with Representative Kathy Landing. We met and I told them my story. That meeting became Rio's Law. Rio's Law creates an identifier license plate, not a charity plate, specifically to alert law enforcement and first responders that someone in the vehicle is on the autism spectrum, to allow officers, when safe, to turn off sirens and lights, reduce lights, and approach calmly so that they know what they're walking into, because for first responders, decisions are made in seconds.

33. 0:30:04

    A non-verbal autistic individual in a sensory overload may appear non-compliant.

34. 0:31:17

    We don't want the attention. We don't want the neighbors to know, so we don't call the police. Training is so important that if families knew that the police and fire were trained, they would be less hesitant to call. Training ensures that families like mine never have to face those moments alone again. Just Be has trained Charleston Police Department, the largest police department in South Carolina, Mount Pleasant Police and Fire, Hanahan First Responders, Charleston Airport Authorities, and we're just about to start training North Charleston.

35. 0:31:44

    First responders. Autism is the fastest growing developmental diagnosis in history. According to the CDC, it's one in 31 children and one in 45 adults are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. South Carolina is the first state in the nation to pass an identifier license plate like this, and we hope that Georgia will be next. Currently, we have legislation in North Carolina, Delaware, Texas, and beginning stages of Tennessee and Kentucky. JSPEE has not made $1 from the license plate either in South Carolina, and we won't in Georgia or any other states.

36. 0:32:16

    So if not now, when? When? When it's one in five, or when it happens to your family. When do we protect the most vulnerable communities there is? Rio's Law isn't just legislation, it's protecting the voice of the voiceless, like my son. Training and time saves lives, and Rio's Law will save lives. Thank you so much.

37. 0:32:42

    Thank you very much. Any questions from the committee? Okay, we don't see any questions. Thank you very much for being here. Um, oh. Yes, sir, Chairman McDonald.

38. 0:32:55

    Uh, just at the proper time, Mr. Chairman.

39. 0:32:58

    Okay. We, um, I know you've got a, a pending engagement. Uh, we've got several people signed up to speak-

40. 0:33:04

    Yeah

41. 0:33:04

    ... so we're gonna try to hear that testimony real quick, so. All right. We, um,

42. 0:33:13

    Peyton Lockwood, I believe you're first, and if you want to come to the podium here. If you'll just, uh, tell us who you are, who you're with, and, uh, we're welcome to hear from you.

43. 0:33:24

    Thank you, Representative. My name is Peyton Lockwood. Um, I am member, um, I am a, um, volunteer advocate with Autism Speaks, and I s- um, am here today providing, uh, oral testimony on behalf of Krista Stevens, Autism Speaks director of state government affairs. Um, thank you for the opportunity to comment on Senate Bill 433. Um, Autism Speaks is a national non-for-profit organization dedicated to creating an inclusive w- worker world for all individuals with autism across the lifespan.

44. 0:34:06

    We advance this mission throughout through advocacy services and supports, research and improvements in care for autistic individuals and their families. We strongly support efforts that increase the likelihood of safe and positive interactions between first responders and individuals with, on the autism spectrum. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through training that helps peace officers recognize and ap- appropriately respond to behaviors commonly associated with autism.

45. 0:34:44

    When officers have this understanding, they are better equipped to do that.

46. 0:34:50

    Jobs while keeping both the community and the individual safe. We are pleased to see that S- SB433 includes provisions to strengthen peace officer training by incorporating meaningful content related to autism. Introducing this training at the beginning of an officer's career helps establish best practices early and promotes safer outcomes during real world interactions.

47. 0:35:23

    In addition to training, Georgia has had an opportunity to further support both first responders and autistic individuals throughout the creation of a blue envelope program. Blue envelope programs provide drivers with a clearly identifiable envelope that may contain a driver's license registration, emergency contacts, and helpful information about communication or sensory needs. These programs give officers critical context during traffic stops or other encounters, and can reduce misunderstandings that escalate situations unnecessarily.

48. 0:36:05

    An important benefit of blue envelope program is that impact on, is their impact on independence. Many autistic individuals are capable of driving but hesitate to do so because they fear their behavior may be misinterpreted by law enforcement. These concerns can become barriers to employment, education, and community participation.

49. 0:36:31

    Currently, approximately 30 states have implemented a blue envelope or a similar program, including nearby states such as Alabama, North Carolina, and Florida, has also recently passed blue envelope legislation. Georgia would be joining a growing number of states taking this practical step to improve safety and understanding. We respectfully encourage the legislature to consider amending Senate Bill 433 to include a blue envelope program.

50. 0:37:04

    Finally, Autism Speaks offers additional resources for autistic individuals exploring driving, including our Autism Drivers Program, which was developed with autistic people and supporters. Indiv- it supports individuals at, in, at all stages of the decision-making process. It is available at no cost by the Autism Speaks website at autismspeaks.org/autismdrives. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today and for your commitment to the safety and wellbeing of Georgia's autism community.

51. 0:37:42

    Okay, thank you, Peyton.

52. 0:37:43

    You're welcome.

53. 0:37:44

    I don't see any questions from members of the committee. Thank you for being here. Uh, Tripp Richardson

54. 0:38:01

    Thank you.

55. 0:38:02

    Thank you, Chair and members of the committee. My name is Tripp Richardson with Frontline Policy Council. We have previously testified in support of SB 433, and are glad to continue our support in the House today, so I'll just keep it brief. This bill improves safety and understanding in law enforcement interactions with individuals who have autism and developmental disabilities, and enhances our officer training so that interactions do not unnecessarily escalate. It helps ensure better communication, safer outcomes, and greater peace of mind and dignity for our special needs community and Georgia families.

56. 0:38:37

    We are grateful to Senator Strickland for bringing this bill forward, and I respectfully ask for your favorable consideration. Thank you.

57. 0:38:43

    All right. Thank you very much. I have no questions. All right. Uh, Martin.

58. 0:38:54

    Okay. Okay. Um, first of all, I'd like to thank the committee for allowing me to speak today. Um, my name is Martin Goldner. I'm a person on the autism spectrum that was, uh, diagnosed in adulthood. I'd like to share some of my personal experiences as, as myself, and also I'm a volunteer with the Georgia region of the American Red Cross. I'm a community operations assistant at Connections School of Atlanta, which is a neurodivergent high school in Atlanta. I am also recently got appointed to a advisory board, uh, on crisis intervention training for first responders with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

59. 0:39:36

    I'm also a self-advocate trainee with the LEND program at Georgia State University. I do support Senate Bill 433, but like Senator Strickland, uh, mentioned before, this is just the first step. I want to share to you why I believe in the future that this legislation should be go beyond law enforcement and should be for all first responders. Real-life example. About a couple years ago when I was on my duty officer shift, I got a call about a woman who had experienced a mobile home fire.

60. 0:40:08

    This young woman was going through a mental health crisis. She was interfering with the fire department putting out the, the mobile home fire. As a result, the fire department called the local police. They came out, put her under arrest. Her child, which had no one to look after her, was placed in the custody of DFCS. I found out about this event after she was released from jail, and she was staying, sleeping on a cold night like this in spring, what's like, you know, fake winter, s- spring, whatever you want to call it, and she had no place to go.

61. 0:40:41

    I tried to get people to come out at night. She ended up sleeping in her burned-out mobile home. Now, this is a situation, I don't me- I don't know how violent she got. I don't know whether or not, you know, they would've got better training, have, have a mental health professional deescalate the situation. But that's one example of why I th- believe in future legislation, it, uh, it needs to be for all first responders. And here's another example why I believe in future legislation that it should be mandatory for training for all first responders.

62. 0:41:11

    Imagine a, an, a non, a nonverbal autistic child, whether it be a minor child or adult child, it can't communicate. The caregiver gets in an automobile accident, and as a result of that automobile accident, the caregiver is either unconscious, being separately treated by EMS, firefighters from the child, or God forbid, the caregiver's died. Now you have a f- a firefighter EMT who's not received any training how to deal with this individual now that the caregiver is not able to communicate for that, on the behalf of that individual.

63. 0:41:45

    So I do support Senate Bill 433, but like Senator Strickland mentioned before, I'd like to see further legislation to make it mandatory for all first responders. And as a member of this advisory committee, I have been told that the Police Chiefs Association, uh, for the state of Georgia does have interest in the crisis intervention training. But currently, this crisis intervention training for whether it's law enforcement or firefighters, is not mandatory.

64. 0:42:16

    It's only suggested.

65. 0:42:19

    Okay.

66. 0:42:19

    Thank you very much.

67. 0:42:20

    Thank you, Martin. Appreciate it. Don't have any questions. All right. Uh, Tess Cowell or Jess? Oh, there you are. Hi.

68. 0:42:36

    Good afternoon.

69. 0:42:38

    There you go. Pull, pull. Can you pull... There you go. Perfect. Now we can hear you good.

70. 0:42:42

    Sorry, I'm a bit short. Um, good afternoon. Thank you for allowing me to come and speak today. My name is Jessica Cowell. I'm with the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities. Um, first of all, I just wanted to say I really appreciate the thought behind this bill. I, I think the training that they want to provide, uh, can be so helpful and so use- useful, but I do have some concerns with the tag specifically.

71. 0:43:21

    Um, as a person with a developmental disability, I am not, I do not have autism, but I know that the bill also covers us. What worries me is that I work with people who also have traumatic brain injuries and, and have had strokes after they were 22, and they would not be covered by this bill.

72. 0:43:53

    But they could have similar reactions to someone who would be Also, I don't have parents and I don't have a spouse, and I don't drive because when I tried, I ran into a wall, so it's best if I don't do that. So

73. 0:44:18

    I ride around Columbus with my friends. Um, I ride to church with friends. I ride places with my neighbors, and my best friend and I go places. None of those people would be able to have this tag because none of them are my guardian or spouse. A lot of people with disabilities are not married for various reasons, and a lot of us grow up, and once we're adults, we may not have parents or guardians either.

74. 0:44:55

    So I think it's important to maybe think about the blue envelope program as well. I know that being able to see it from behind the vehicle is helpful, and I wonder if maybe we could just have a, um, like, a magnet that you could put on the tag, because that way it could follow the person and not just the parent or spouse of the person who may be in that vehicle.

75. 0:45:28

    We, um, we hope that our children make friends and get to do things, and a lot of times when you're in high school and you make friends, you ride around with them. So if they had that magnet, it could follow them into whatever vehicle they were in, and it could still alert first responders and police to use the training that is so important. Um, another concern that I have is that the tag as it looks right now specifically says autistic and developmental disabilities.

76. 0:46:12

    And I know that there are some companies and some people who do not have the best intentions, unfortunately, and sometimes they target people with disabled tags as it is. I worry that those people may also target people with a tag that specifically says developmental disability or autistic. Um, and I just want people to be as safe as they can.

77. 0:46:46

    If it was something like the blue envelope system or a magnet, then you'd be able to take that piece off when you're at your home, so they would be not so visible to people who are not in law enforcement or first responders. Um,

78. 0:47:11

    so those are just, those are some of my concerns. Um, I really, really do appreciate the, the thought that goes into this bill. I just, I worry that if we have these tags and people like me who don't have access to this tag, if we get pulled over, if we get in a situation where first responders have to be called, I don't want there to be, I don't want the training to be so reliant on this shorthand that they don't think about the fact that they may have to interact with someone who needs that same level of understanding.

79. 0:48:04

    So those are, those are all of my concerns, but thank you for letting me bring them up.

80. 0:48:11

    Thank you very much. Thank you for being here. We do have one question. Representative Neal?

81. 0:48:16

    Yes. Uh, first of all, thank you for coming, um, and thank you for highlighting some of these things. When this was presented to me, I thought the whole point was to be, um, um, you know, be, to not be so blatant about c- the license plate tag. I wasn't told that this autistic development, devel- developmentally disabled was gonna even be there. I, I, I was told it was gonna be the B.

82. 0:48:38

    Right.

83. 0:48:39

    So I don't know, I haven't seen this, um, document. Um, and I think the other two ideas are a great idea. I think the, we have to assess, and I don't know how the author feels, but we have to assess what a magnet could look like and how much it would cost, but-

84. 0:48:51

    Mm-hmm

85. 0:48:51

    ... I think those are two great ideas, so thank you for bringing them today. Thank you.

86. 0:48:55

    Thank you so much.

87. 0:48:56

    Yeah, thank you, Representative Neal. Thank you for being here.

88. 0:49:00

    Thank you.

89. 0:49:00

    Um, and Chairman Strickland did mention, um, in his opening that there's gonna be some, um, variability or I guess the Department of Revenue will... If you wanna come up and wrap up, Chairman.

90. 0:49:11

    Mr. Chairman.

91. 0:49:14

    Yes, sir. That's the last speaker, and then we'll entertain a motion.

92. 0:49:16

    Thank you, all y'all, that testified. I appreciate y'all being here and standing up for the disability community overall. As I said in my opening remarks, there's obviously more we can do as a body, um, overall to help those with disability. With this bill, to directly answer your question, there's, that, I believe that image is what South Carolina did, and the bill actually does reference something similar to that if you look at lines 48 through 49. However, you'll see that we do ultimately give this authority to the commissioner, who's the Commissioner of Department of Revenue.

93. 0:49:49

    What I hope you'll see if this bill becomes law is, is, starts January 1st of next year, that the commissioner will engage with the special needs community, with the law enforcement community, and come together and have the right design, 'cause you do wanna balance uniformity with what other states are doing potentially, which, which will, what the whole idea of the JSB would be. Um, but you also wanna make sure it's something that law enforcement can work with and are trained on. And things like the blue envelope idea are other good ideas that should be considered by this body, I think, too I would ask you to get this bill passed because once the training part, again, section three here, is in place, then that gives us ability to then pass other laws, give more options that law enforcement will learn about as part of their basic training as well.

94. 0:50:33

    All right, thank you. Chairman Sainz. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Senator, for bringing this. I, uh, echo your sentiments on, I hope that this inspires a couple other worthy policy suggestions that were noted to this, uh, committee. Um, and if I understand you correctly, if I'm reading the language, um, I understand the, the logo, but I definitely, um, and I'm sure you're much more aware of, of what's appropriate and what is found to be, um, in the best way to have advocating for those with developmental disabilit- abilities.

95. 0:51:06

    But is that last, when we're... I'm looking at the image document we have. So is that last section in the bottom where it, it has the actual text, autistic and deve- developmentally disabled, would that... That's not in the code of the bill necessarily. We're leaving that, that to the discretion of the department to see what is best to identify, 'cause we know that even if we get l- training to law enforcement, there still has to be something very clearly for officers to be- That's right ... there. So just wanted to make clear on that if you don't mind. Yeah, you'll... That language is in the bill because that's what the license plate- Okay ...

96. 0:51:38

    is called through DOR, but it's not mandated to be on the license plate. Okay. So that's the name of the plate for the state purposes, but it'd be up to the commissioner to decide what the design looks like. Do... Have you, have you gotten any feedback on possibly, uh, highlighting to non-law enforcement actors, um, about a vulnerability f- uh, for a driver? Has, has that come up and- It, it has. To be honest with you, we started with trying to make sure we had law enforcement. You, we all understand the challenge. You have, we all deal with this, state patrol- Sure ...

97. 0:52:10

    you have your county sheriffs, you have your, your city police, you have your county police. Trying to get every a- You have DNR. Getting every agency together is not easy. And my hope though is what now you're gonna see with this bill if it passes, is you do have m- uniform mandatory training for all peace officers, no matter who they are in our state. And my hope is that you will see other groups, such as other first responders, implement something similar, or other bills could be brought to potentially mandate something similar as well. What I'm getting is a lot of people reaching out to me saying, "Hey, my city is already doing this," "Hey, I offer this," or "training myself." And so I'd love to watch the, the grassroots folks reach out to me and say, "Hey, we're all on board.

98. 0:52:50

    We wanna do more of this." So hope this starts something. Maybe we wouldn't even need more bills down the road. Um, I, it's great to see how far we've come. Some of y'all were around back when we passed Ava's Law years ago, when I was a baby House member, and people didn't know what autism was, and it took years to pass that. Um, people didn't understand how important it was to have insurance coverage for kids with autism. To fact we had to debate that for two years is insane to me now. And you go to a world now where everybody wants to add more and be on board and have more training. I love the world that we're now moving towards with this.

99. 0:53:21

    I appreciate your continued advocacy for the, for this, uh, section of policy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, Chairman Petrie. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you my former suite mate way back in the day. Thank you for bringing the bill. I s- um, as you know well, spent my entire career taking c- uh, caring for and providing services to the disabled, many of whom were developmentally disabled. It is profoundly important that we know how to manage behaviors and how to respond well to people that have disabilities, uh, such as those that have been described today.

100. 0:53:54

     So this is a very important measure. The training to me is the best part. And, uh, I think Representative Sainz spoke well to the logo. Uh, I guess you're gonna be working with some of the advocacy groups, 'cause you certainly want a logo that becomes symbolic of, you know, obviously you wanna make sure that people recognize what it is, and I was not familiar with this logo in any way, shape or form. I've been doing this for 35 years. So, um, I know y'all will continue to work on that, but I like the measure. I appreciate, appreciate you bringing it and understand well why we need it, my friend.

101. 0:54:24

     Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. All right. Thank you. Uh, Chairman McDonald, you were next, and I know you wanted to make that motion. We got two other people with lights blinking, so I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna go ahead and entertain that motion now if you wanna make it, and then we'll have a moment for discussion from the other two, 'cause I know you gotta go. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, one, I wanna s- say thank you to the speakers that, that came from Columbus and the other gentleman that spoke, and echo what my colleagues have said, and of course Chairman Strickland. Uh, but, you know, I would, I would like to make the motion that we, uh, that we, um, pass, uh, SB 433, uh, as is in, in the way it's currently written, and use this as a foundation to build on.

102. 0:55:04

     So I'd like, my motion is to do pass. Second. Okay. We have a motion and a second. Now I'll take these blinking lights. Uh, Representative Miles, you were next. Did you have something for discussion? Thank you, Your Honor. Thank you, uh, for the bill. It's a great bill, and I just wanted to ensure that we have other police department that are not police, like school police and college police, other people that might be stopping vehicles. Are they gonna be included in the training? They will be, because if you are POST certified, you'll be included in the training.

103. 0:55:36

     So we went into the code section that deals with the training for POST, the basic training, and we added it as one of the elements of basic training. So as long as they are POST certified, which my understanding that's what it takes to be able to stop somebody, and so, and arrest someone, so they should all get this training. Great. Thank you. We're gonna hear from them next as a matter of fact, Representative Miles, so we'll, we'll make sure we cover that. And finally, Chairman Lunsford. I just wanted to say thank you for the bill. Uh, we passed a measure last year creating some, uh, training down at the, uh, Public Safety Training Center relative to, uh, dementia and Alzheimer's, and, uh, we know that we have many, um, people that are affected by different things, and this is one thing I think that we can focus on and can do something about it.

104. 0:56:18

     I think the tag idea is really important because as a law enforcement officer for over 30 years, knowing what you're dealing with as you're approaching a vehicle gives you a, a, a strong understanding of how you might be able to interact with those folks. So thank you. Very good and-

105. 0:56:34

     Glad to be able to carry it for you.

106. 0:56:36

     Can I make one quick comment? We're short on time, but-

107. 0:56:38

     Yeah

108. 0:56:38

     ... um, my friend was nice enough. He was there from the beginning with me on this issue. At the very beginning, he was kind enough to say, "You run it through the Senate versus me doing another House bill at the same time." And so he's been a partner from day one, so I'm looking forward to him getting to present this on the House floor.

109. 0:56:51

     That's fantastic. Thank you. And I thought we were done, but we have- ... one more. Number one, Representative McDonald.

110. 0:56:58

     Not me.

111. 0:56:59

     I mean, sorry.

112. 0:57:00

     That's okay.

113. 0:57:01

     They look just alike, you know.

114. 0:57:02

     Sorry. Sorry, Scott. I mean, Representative Holcomb.

115. 0:57:06

     We're not over.

116. 0:57:06

     I apologize.

117. 0:57:06

     I take it as a compliment. He's a beautiful man. Um- Thank you. Senator Strickland, uh, I really appreciate what you're doing, and I want to just, um, make sure that the record is clear in what I think that I heard you say, which is that the training part, which I've read and I, I agree with you, is that because of that it will control interactions with those that have disabilities. And the Department of Public Safety, perhaps without a statute but just through regulation, could potentially implement the blue envelope plan that has been advocated, which I think makes sense.

118. 0:57:40

     But this, this can potentially get them there. Would you agree with that?

119. 0:57:43

     I would agree with that. I'm not sure you need a code change necessarily to get there. If you look, um, when y'all have plenty of free time, read lines 70 through 87. It outlines the training and it's pretty, pretty broad about his on.

120. 0:57:55

     I agree. Thank you.

121. 0:57:56

     Thank you.

122. 0:57:58

     All right, thank you from the other very, very handsome man on the front row at the other end down there. Both, both very handsome gentlemen. The-

123. 0:58:11

     All right, I, uh, I don't see any, any further blinking lights, so, um, I think we have exhausted all the discussion. All those in favor of passing the bill on Chairman McDonald's motion, say aye.

124. 0:58:23

     Aye. Aye.

125. 0:58:24

     Any opposed, say no. All right, it carries.

126. 0:58:28

     Thank you.

127. 0:58:28

     It gets you to rules. And, uh, thank you for doing this, and thank you all for being here.

128. 0:58:32

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, uh, we're playing, um, tag to get into the committee room, so I'm about to text Senator Dickerson, who was gonna come now, if that's okay, and then Senator-

129. 0:58:42

     Well, actually, uh, Whip Robertson just came in-

130. 0:58:45

     He, he brought the rules

131. 0:58:45

     ... so we're, uh, we're, we're gonna take him next, uh-

132. 0:58:49

     Perfect

133. 0:58:49

     ... real quick and try to run through that. So thank you. Thank y'all for being here.

134. 0:58:53

     I got to run back to the Senate anyway. Thank y'all. Thank you.

135. 0:58:56

     All right, we're gonna continue on while we still have a quorum. And, uh, Senate Bill 565. Whip Robertson.

136. 0:59:06

     Yes, thank you.

137. 0:59:07

     And, uh, you have some other folks here to speak I believe as well. This one should be pretty fast. It's pretty sensible.

138. 0:59:14

     It should be pretty fast. Uh, Mr. Chairman, if you're ready for me to start, I will. I do not have the bill in front of me. Um, we're in the middle of a day of filibustering and posturing. Um, thank you so much.

139. 0:59:27

     You're welcome.

140. 0:59:28

     This is a very straightforward piece of legislation. We have hundreds of law enforcement officers throughout the state of Georgia. These are POST-certified law enforcement officers who work at private universities. Recently, we had an active shooter at the CDC here in Atlanta, and multiple agencies responded. When I tell you multiple, I'm talking about over 30 agencies in the metro area responded to this shooter. A law enforcement officer died in the shooting, and the shooter was forced to retreat back into, uh, the building, where he decided to neutralize himself, and he did.

141. 1:00:05

     I don't know how many lives were saved. I do know how the shooter was, was, was forced to retreat, and that was because law enforcement officers from a private university, from Emory, took action. But what they did is they took action without the protection that every other law enforcement officer in the state has, called qualified immunity and other protections. Because most of their policies and procedures and most of the other rules they abide by limit them only to their property. All this does is identify them as peace officers under Georgia law and gives them the same protections that I had when I was a law enforcement officer and that members of this committee had when they were also law enforcement officers.

142. 1:00:50

     These men and women are trained many times better than some of our municipal law enforcement agencies and some of our county law enforcement agencies due to funding and, and due to the size of their jurisdictions. So all we're asking is that these brave men and women, who could have easily out of fear stood ground had they not been of the character that it takes to be a law enforcement officer in this state and allowed chaos to ensue further than it did that day. But at the end of that day, sadly, one officer was deceased.

143. 1:01:23

     The bad guy neutralized himself. And I give all credit to that not resulting in anything worse to the men and women of the Emory University Police Dep- or yeah, the Emory University Police Department. And so all this bill does is give them and other private universities, uh, the same opportunity through definition in Georgia code.

144. 1:01:46

     Okay, thank you, Mr. Whip. Uh, Chairman Sainz.

145. 1:01:50

     Thank you, Mr. Whip, for bringing this legislation forward. And, um, your statement is definitely sober the need, uh, and benefit of, uh, private colleges having police forces. Um, just to be clear as, uh, reading the text, this isn't creating a private college's ability to have an, a, a law enforcement, uh, department. That's already available. It's just codifying the protections aligned with every other department.

146. 1:02:18

     Yes, sir. We're identifying them as peace officers. Just adding the word because in Georgia code, as you know as a former POST-certified law enforcement officer, that you and I were considered peace officers because we worked for municipalities and government agencies. Because these individuals are working in private universities, they are known as- Police officers and they are, they are, they are losing out on those, uh, added protections. But, um, I can't overstate, uh, what could have possibly happened because as many agencies has responded, the first agency on the scene was this private university, uh, department.

147. 1:02:57

     And these officers are already certified through P.O.S.T.?

148. 1:02:59

     Absolutely. They are all P.O.S.T.-certified. Yes, sir.

149. 1:03:03

     Thank you.

150. 1:03:03

     Okay. Perfect. I don't have any other questions, but we, uh, as it turn... Well,

151. 1:03:10

     Representative Holcomb.

152. 1:03:11

     Not a question, but sort of a miracle. At the proper time, I'd be happy to move-

153. 1:03:15

     That proper time will be-

154. 1:03:16

     ... Bill Robinson's bill

155. 1:03:17

     ... that proper time will be really soon.

156. 1:03:19

     Okay.

157. 1:03:19

     We have the chief of the Emory University Police Department here with us, and, uh, he has to leave in eight minutes, and so I wanted to make sure we gave him an opportunity to speak. So, Chief, thank you for being here.

158. 1:03:30

     Thank you very much. I, I appreciate it. There we go. Senator Robinson, thank you very much. I, I think he, he said everything that I was gonna say. I don't know how you got my notes, but, um, I, I just really wanted to point out that, uh, the day that incident occurred, you know, uh, Officer David Rose was the first responder that got there first, uh, DeKalb County Police, lost his life that day. Now, while we mourn that loss, I also want to point out that minutes behind him was our agency, the Emory Police Department.

159. 1:04:02

     Uh, and without hesitation, they ran to that gunfire. I don't know if anybody has ever been around an assault rifle when it goes off, uh, but it is loud and you can feel it, and it is deafening, and it is terrifying if you are on the wrong end. And they were on the wrong end, and they continued on, and they pressed, drove that person back inside. He did what he did. It ended the situation. At the end, we do an after action and we realize certain things. There's certain equipment that we needed, but there was th- that moment we went, "Oh, my goodness, we don't have those protections that every other agency showed up." 300 police officers showed up to that scene, 33 agencies showed up to that scene.

160. 1:04:48

     We were the only ones out there that didn't have any protections. We're the only ones that actually fired a weapon in defense of the community that we're in. That's what we're asking to change. Thank you.

161. 1:05:01

     All right. Thank you very much. I don't see any other questions, so Representative Holcomb, you, now would be the proper time.

162. 1:05:08

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move due pass on Senate Bill 565.

163. 1:05:13

     Second.

164. 1:05:14

     All right. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all in favor say, "Aye."

165. 1:05:19

     Aye.

166. 1:05:20

     Any opposed say, "No." All right. Passes unanimously. Thank you, sir.

167. 1:05:24

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that. And I want to, if I can have a point of personal privilege real quick.

168. 1:05:28

     Sure.

169. 1:05:28

     I, I hold, uh, subcommittee meetings and there's, uh, there's, say I have a reputation for having them too early in the morning.

170. 1:05:35

     I've heard that.

171. 1:05:36

     I j- I just want to point out that the reason I have them early in the morning is so that we don't get jammed in like we are throughout the day in this portion of our legislative session, so that we're not running from meeting to meeting to meeting, that we're taking the time to look at good legislation out of the House. And so just want to remind anybody that started Monday, I'll have chicken biscuits and, and hot coffee for everybody.

172. 1:05:55

     Well, I don't think you're running anybody else's meeting at 6:00 on Monday morning there, Mr. Chairman.

173. 1:05:59

     Thank you. I appreciate that, Mr. Chairman.

174. 1:06:01

     Thank you.

175. 1:06:02

     Who's the house sponsor? Let me get it to the sponsor.

176. 1:06:05

     Mr. Wipp, could you, uh, Mr. Wipp, could you tell us who's carrying this bill in the, in the House?

177. 1:06:14

     Mr. Chairman, I know the university was reaching out to someone, um, and I had not heard who they had spoken to. Um, if, if he is willing, I would, I would appreciate greatly if, uh, if, uh, Representative Sainz would consider carrying it, uh, in the House.

178. 1:06:30

     All right.

179. 1:06:31

     I would comment that I never mind seeing a senator out of breath, Mr. Chairman. So I don't mind the time you hold your meetings. But yes, I'm happy to carry the bill and great legislation.

180. 1:06:39

     And thank you, and I have been stunned by your kindness and by the motion of the-

181. 1:06:43

     Well

182. 1:06:44

     ... representative of due pass.

183. 1:06:45

     It seems like we just altered a plan that, that- I think Representative Ballard was planning on carrying it, but, um-

184. 1:06:51

     It's, it's... and I'm very, I'm very comfortable with it, whichever way.

185. 1:06:54

     Okay. All right.

186. 1:06:54

     Yeah.

187. 1:06:55

     That'll be Representative Ballard then. Yes. You're good. Thank you very much. Sorry to ruin it. Thank y'all.

188. 1:06:59

     Thank you. I appreciate that.

189. 1:07:00

     Yeah. All right. We have one bill left, but I, uh, I, I meant to do this earlier and I apologize for my, uh, for my oversight in not doing this. We were kind of rushed trying to get people in and out. But, uh, we have a very honored guest with us today, a, uh, a former member of this House, former chairman in this House. And now Superior Court Judge Mary Fleming is here with us. So, uh, always great to see you, Your Honor.

190. 1:07:24

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

191. 1:07:25

     Glad to have you here. Thank you.

192. 1:07:31

     All right. A-

193. 1:07:33

     Senator Dickerson is a few steps away.

194. 1:07:35

     Few steps away. All right. Well, we will pause just for a moment until he gets here. We'll, we'll stand in recess for just a couple of minutes, so thank you.

195. 1:13:37

     All right, ladies and gentlemen. Um, we are gonna come back real quick. After speaking, uh, with the, the author, Senator Dickerson, of Senate Bill 442, uh, there's been quite a bit of interest among several parties on this bill. Um, they are in consultation, so while they work on that, we're gonna actually, uh, hold that bill for today. We're not gonna hear that bill today and, uh, see if they can get some of these things worked out. Uh, so that was the last item we had and with that we will stand adjourned. Thank y'all for being here.