March 6th was Crossover Day in Georgia! Crossover day is a critical day as it is the final day to get a bill passed out of its originating legislative chamber to be considered by the other chamber before the end of Georgia’s Legislative Session. The end of session, known as Sine Die, is scheduled for April 4th.

We are keeping an out on bills that will help or further criminalize Georgians with criminal records and those who are children, poor, disabled, LGBTQ+, people of color, are women, elders survivors or domestic violence, sex workers or are living with a mental illness or are in recovery. Click the button below to see a list of the bills we are watching that will push children into adult prisons, will help domestic violence survivors, will get you arrested for ignoring a cop's verbal warning to not approach and more!

HONORABLE MENTIONS WE ARE SURELY WATCHING:

  • HB 600 - "Minimum Wage and Second Chance Act of 2025" removes farmers from the list of employers exempt from minimum wage, raises minimum wage for agricultural workers to $15 per hour, continues increasing minimum wage for agricultural workers until it reaches $27 per hour in 2028, and creates a grant program for employers who hire formerly incarcerated people.
  • HB 650 - "Presidential Felon Freedom Act" repeals the prohibition on people with felonies serving on juries, repeals provisions related to denying professional licenses to people on the basis of having a felony with exceptions to those directly related to the profession, and prohibits landlords from refusing to lease to an individual solely based on their criminal history with exceptions for people on the sex registry.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE! Dozens of bills make the cut as Georgia lawmakers hit home stretch, DEI ban dies (article by Georgia Recorder)

March 6th was Crossover Day in Georgia, the last day to get bills passed from one house to the next and although some bills didn't make it, many did. While Crossover Day is mostly do or die, dead bills can sometimes be revived before the end of the session by attaching language from the deceased legislation onto a related bill. That could happen any time before April 4, the last day of the session, also known as sine die.  

Here's one update that we are definitely supporting:

Despite showing momentum, a bill that would've overhauled how Georgia compensates those who are wrongfully convicted, HB533 (the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act) did not get a vote. However, House lawmakers did overwhelmingly pass a measure that included individual compensation resolutions for five people who served time in prison after being wrongfully convicted. That measure, House Resolution 128, passed with a 151-12 vote and now moves to the Senate.

Read the full Georgia Recorder article here.

3/11/25. 6pm EST. Virtual Post Cross Over Review

Want to know what good and bad bills crossed over and may become law in Georgia? Join the Justice Reform Partnership on Tuesday, March 11th at 6pm on Zoom to see what bills crossed over, how they will help or harm you and what advocacy efforts remain. Click the button below to register to receive the zoom link.

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