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Committee advances bill adding code enforcement officers to protected public-safety categories
Summary
House Bill 483 would add code enforcement officers to a definition of public-safety officers and extend assault and battery penalties currently applied to utility and other public workers; committee passed the bill but members asked staff to confirm cross-references and certification implications.
Representative (Chair) Prince presented House Bill 483 (LC481484), which adds code enforcement officers to statutory language that treats certain categories of workers as public-safety officers for purposes of assault and battery penalties. The sponsor said the bill follows prior enactments protecting utility workers and adds code inspectors to better protect staff who perform inspections and enforcement work in the field.
Representative Roberts and other members expressed support, citing constituent concerns about inspectors being threatened while performing duties. Several members and counsel raised a drafting question: adding code enforcement officers to the public-safety-officer definition could unintentionally pull them into other statutory cross-references that assume POST certification or different training requirements. Committee counsel and the sponsor agreed to have staff research all cross-references and, if needed, provide amendments to avoid unintended consequences.
The committee moved and passed HB483 (LC481484) by voice vote; the chair indicated the bill "passes." The committee recorded the intent to review related code cross-references and to prepare clarifying amendments if necessary.
Why it matters: The bill extends enhanced statutory protections to code enforcement officers who perform in-the-field inspections and enforcement and responds to constituent safety concerns; committee members sought to ensure the change does not inadvertently alter other statutory regimes tied to certification or training.
