Judiciary committee advances several bills on judicial dates, surplus funds and court procedures
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Summary
The committee approved multiple judiciary bills by voice vote: a judicial term‑date change for the Cordele circuit (effective 2027), a surplus‑funds disclosure measure, concurrent juvenile jurisdiction for some military installations, a uniform transcript‑ordering rule, and adding a judge to the Middle Judicial Circuit. Vote tallies were recorded by voice; specifics not provided in the transcript.
The Judiciary committee moved several relatively uncontroversial bills forward in the same hearing session.
Representative Kelly presented LC474934 to change superior‑court term dates in the Cordele judicial circuit (Ben Hill, Crisp, Dooley and Wilcox counties) to January 1 and July 1, with the sponsor stating an effective date of Jan. 1, 2027. Committee members noted the local judges requested the change and briefly discussed the need for additional public‑defender resources in affected counties. The motion was seconded and the committee approved the bill by voice vote (tally not specified in the transcript).
A separate measure, LC620306S, was presented to require clearer notice to borrowers about surplus funds from foreclosure sales. The sponsor said the notice should include bolded language telling claimants that "surplus funds may be considered abandoned property" if not claimed within the prescribed period (currently five years). The committee passed the bill by voice vote.
House Bill 979 would permit the state to establish a process for federal military installations to request concurrent juvenile jurisdiction so juveniles who commit offenses on installations may be adjudicated in the state juvenile system. The sponsor noted support from the Office of Military Community and Family Policy at the Department of Defense and that about 26 states already have similar arrangements. The committee approved the measure by voice vote.
Representative Jones introduced House Bill 545 to create uniform statewide procedures for ordering appeal transcripts, requiring that transcripts be prepared and filed with the clerk and be ordered directly from the court reporter listed on the notice of appeal. The committee passed the bill. Lastly, the committee approved House Bill 1215 to add a judge to the Middle Judicial Circuit.
Most of these items drew only brief discussion and were advanced by voice votes; the transcript records 'aye' votes but does not provide roll‑call tallies for the passed measures.
