Senate committee advances bill to extend assault protections to code enforcement officers

A Georgia Senate standing committee on Thursday unanimously approved a House-originated substitute to HB 483 that would extend criminal protections to local code enforcement officers for assault, simple battery, battery and aggravated battery.

The bill was presented to the committee by Senator Burns, who said the substitute returns HB 483 to its original form as authored in the House by Representative Brian Prince. "It basically protects code enforcement officials from assault, simple battery, battery or any aggravated battery," Burns said, asking the committee’s favorable consideration.

Senator Randy Robertson asked whether existing law already criminalizes assault against these workers and whether the bill merely elevates penalties because of the nature of their work. Burns replied that the substitute adds aggravated protections "because of the type of job and who their employer is." No amendments were recorded during the committee discussion.

A motion for favorable consideration was made by the committee’s vice chairman and seconded by Senator Albers. The committee voted and the motion carried unanimously on the rules. The committee recorded no individual roll-call tally in the transcript.

Because the measure was advanced as a substitute and will return to the House in that form, the bill’s final statutory text and any implementation details will be set during subsequent committee and floor action.

The committee then moved on to other items on its agenda.