Georgia legislation · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Georgia SB204: Criminal Procedure; offenses that are not serious violent felonies, sexual felonies, or other certain offenses to be charged by accusation of the district attorney; allow
Status: Signed into law, May 12, 2026
A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 17-7-70.1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to trial upon accusations in certain felony and misdemeanor cases and trial upon plea of guilty or nolo contendere, so as to allow for offenses that are not serious violent felonies, sexual felonies, or other certain offenses to be charged by accusation of the district attorney; to provide for definitions; to provide for conditions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
What the bill says
To amend Code Section 17-7-70.1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to trial upon accusations in certain felony and misdemeanor cases and trial upon plea of guilty or nolo contendere, so as to allow for offenses that are not serious violent felonies, sexual felonies, or other certain offenses to be charged by accusation of the district attorney; to provide for definitions; to provide for conditions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
From the introduced text:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED To amend Code Section 17-7-70.1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to trial upon accusations in certain felony and misdemeanor cases and trial upon plea of guilty or nolo contendere, so as to allow for offenses that are not serious violent felonies, sexual felonies, or other certain offenses to be charged by accusation of the district attorney; to provide for definitions; to provide for conditions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. Code Section 17-7-70.1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to trial upon accusations in certain felony and misdemeanor cases and trial upon plea of guilty or nolo contendere, is amended by revising subsection (a) and adding a new subsection to read as follows: "(a) As used in this subsection, the term: (1) 'Serious violent felony' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 17-10-6.1. (2) 'Sexual felony' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 16-5-21. S. B. LC 49 2247 (1) In felony cases involving violations of the following: (A) Code Sections 16-8-2, 16-8-14, 16-8-18, 16-9-1, 16-9-20, 16-9-31, 16-9-33, 16-9-37, 16-10-52, and 40-5-58; (B) Article 1 of Chapter 8 of Title 16, relating to theft; …