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Committee advances bill allowing officers to document "refuse to sign" in traffic stops
Summary
House Bill 283 would codify the practice in some jurisdictions of allowing officers to mark a citation "refuse to sign" and release the driver without immediate arrest. Sponsor and law-enforcement groups said the change reduces roadside confrontations and preserves jail space; the committee gave the bill a do-pass recommendation.
Representative Veil presented House Bill 283, which would codify into law a practice used in some jurisdictions that allows law enforcement officers to mark a citation "refuse to sign" and release the motorist rather than immediately making an arrest. "All this bill does is qualifies into law the ability for law enforcement to write refuse to sign in instances where the encounter of a citizen where they do not agree with the charge and allows officers to take the safer route," Veil said.
Supporters, including law-enforcement groups and chiefs, told the committee they prefer options that reduce confrontations on the roadside and conserve officer time for higher-priority calls. The bill packet included letters of support from the Georgia Chiefs of Police, county sheriffs, the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) and the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA).
Committee members questioned whether refusing to sign could delay adjudication and whether it would shift costs to courts. Veil said officers would still have the option to take a person before a judicial officer when appropriate and that the bill preserves officer discretion.
The committee voted to give House Bill 283 a do-pass recommendation. The transcript records a voice vote of "aye" without an individual roll call recorded in the hearing transcript.
