GA SB 542

enacted

Sexual Offenses; clergy members to be charged with certain improper sexual contact offenses; permit

Georgia · 2025_26 · upper

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Quick answers

Did GA SB 542 pass?

Yes. GA SB 542 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-07-01): Effective Date

What is GA SB 542 about?

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 6 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to sexual offenses, so as to permit clergy members to be charged with certain improper sexual contact offenses; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Who sponsors GA SB 542?

Randy Robertson, Bo Hatchett, Brian Strickland and 21 others are the primary sponsors of GA SB 542.

Description

Introduced: 2026-02-20
Latest action: 2026-07-01 — Effective Date
Bill type: bill
Last updated: —

Subjects

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

2026-07-01
Effective Date
2026-05-11
Act 496
executive-signature
2026-05-11
Senate Date Signed by Governor
executive-signature
2026-04-10
Senate Sent to Governor
executive-receipt
2026-03-27
Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub
2026-03-23
House Passed/Adopted By Substitute
passage
2026-03-23
House Third Readers
reading-3
2026-03-20
House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
committee-passage-favorable
2026-03-10
House Second Readers
reading-2
2026-03-09
House First Readers
reading-1
2026-03-06
Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute
passage
2026-03-06
Senate Third Read
reading-3
2026-03-03
Senate Read Second Time
reading-2
2026-02-26
Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
committee-passage-favorable
2026-02-24
Senate Read and Referred
referral-committee
2026-02-20
Senate Hopper
introduction

Versions

As introduced LC 62 0406Compare
Floor Amend 1Compare
Committee Sub LC 49 2755SCompare
As Passed SenateCompare
LC 49 2840S/hssCompare
SB 542/AP*Compare

Documents

Votes

Senate Vote #644 - 2025-2026 Regular Session
2026-03-06 · pass · 55-0
Member-level votes (53)
- ALBERS: yes
- ANAVITARTE: yes
- ANDERSON: yes
- BEARDEN: yes
- BRASS: yes
- BURNS: yes
- COWSERT: yes
- DAVENPORT: yes
- DICKERSON: yes
- DIXON: yes
- DOLEZAL: yes
- ECHOLS: yes
- GINN: yes
- GOOCH: yes
- GOODMAN: yes
- HALPERN: yes
- HARBIN: yes
- HARBISON: yes
- HARRELL: yes
- HATCHETT: yes
- HICKMAN: yes
- HODGES: yes
- HOWARD: yes
- HUFSTETLER: yes
- JACKSON: yes
- JAMES: yes
- JONES: yes
- JONES II: yes
- KEMP: yes
- KIRKPATRICK: yes
- LUCAS: yes
- MALLOW: yes
- MANGHAM: yes
- MCLAURIN: yes
- MCNEEL: yes
- MERRITT: yes
- ORROCK: yes
- PARENT: yes
- PARKES: yes
- PAYNE: yes
- RAHMAN: yes
- RHETT: yes
- ROBERTSON: yes
- SETZLER: yes
- SIMS: yes
- STILL: yes
- STRICKLAND: yes
- SUMMERS: yes
- TILLERY: yes
- WALKER, III: yes
- WATSON: yes
- WICKS: yes
- WILLIAMS: yes
House Vote #750 - 2025-2026 Regular Session
2026-03-23 · pass · 168-0
Member-level votes (161)
- ADESANYA: yes
- ADEYINA: yes
- ALEXANDER: yes
- ALI: yes
- ANDERSON: yes
- AU: yes
- BAKER: yes
- BALLARD: yes
- BARNES: yes
- BARRETT: yes
- BARTON: yes
- BAZEMORE: yes
- BECKLES: yes
- BELL: yes
- BERRY: yes
- BLACKMON: yes
- BONNER: yes
- BUCKNER: yes
- BURCHETT: yes
- BURNOUGH: yes
- BURNS: other
- BYRD: yes
- CAMERON: yes
- CAMP: yes
- CAMPBELL: yes
- CANNON: yes
- CARPENTER: yes
- CARSON: yes
- CARTER: yes
- CHASTAIN: yes
- CHEOKAS: yes
- CLARK: yes
- CLIFTON: yes
- COOPER: yes
- CORBETT: yes
- COX: yes
- CRAWFORD: yes
- CROWE: yes
- CUMMINGS: yes
- DAVIS: yes
- DAWSON: yes
- DELOACH: yes
- DEMPSEY: yes
- DICKEY: yes
- DONATUCCI: yes
- DOUGLAS: yes
- DRAPER: yes
- DRENNER: yes
- DUBNIK: yes
- DUNAHOO: yes
- EFSTRATION: yes
- EHRHART: yes
- ERWIN: yes
- EVANS: yes
- FINCHER: yes
- FLEMING: yes
- FLOURNOY: yes
- FORD: yes
- FRANKLIN: yes
- FRYE: yes
- GAINES: yes
- GAMBILL: yes
- GILLIARD: other
- GISLER: yes
- GLAIZE: yes
- GREENE: yes
- GRIFFIN: yes
- GULLETT: yes
- GUNTER: yes
- HAGAN: yes
- HATCHETT: yes
- HAWKINS: yes
- HERRING: yes
- HILTON: yes
- HITCHENS: yes
- HOLCOMB: yes
- HOLLAND: yes
- HOLLY: yes
- HONG: yes
- HORNER: yes
- HOWARD: yes
- HUDDLESTON: yes
- HUGLEY: yes
- JACKSON: yes
- JASPERSE: yes
- JENKINS: yes
- JONES: yes
- KAHAIAN: yes
- KELLEY: yes
- KENDRICK: yes
- LAHOOD: yes
- LEVERETT: yes
- LEWIS-WARD: yes
- LIM: yes
- LUMSDEN: yes
- LUPTON: yes
- MARTIN: yes
- MARTINEZ: yes
- MATHIAK: yes
- MATHIS: yes
- MCCLAIN: yes
- MCCOLLUM: yes
- MCDONALD III: yes
- MCQUEEN: yes
- MEEKS: yes
- MILLER: yes
- MITCHELL: yes
- MOMTAHAN: yes
- MOORE: yes
- MYLES: yes
- NEAL: other
- NEW: yes
- NEWTON: yes
- OKOYE: yes
- OLALEYE: yes
- OLIVER: yes
- O'STEEN: yes
- PANITCH: yes
- PARIS: yes
- PARK: yes
- PARRISH: yes
- PARSONS: yes
- PERSINGER: yes
- PETREA: yes
- POWELL: yes
- PRINCE: yes
- REESE: yes
- REEVES: yes
- RHODES: yes
- RICE: yes
- RICHARDSON: yes
- RIDLEY: yes
- ROBERTS: yes
- ROMMAN: yes
- SAINZ: yes
- SAMPSON: yes
- SANCHEZ: yes
- SANTOS: yes
- SCHOFIELD: yes
- SCOGGINS: yes
- SCOTT: yes
- SEABAUGH: yes
- SILCOX: yes
- SMITH: yes
- STEPHENS: yes
- STINSON: yes
- TARVIN: yes
- TAYLOR: yes
- THOMAS: yes
- TOWNSEND: yes
- TRAN: yes
- WADE: yes
- WASHBURN: other
- WERKHEISER: yes
- WESTBROOK: yes
- WILKERSON: other
- WILLIAMS: yes
- WILLIAMS, JR.: yes
- WILLIAMSON: other
- WILLIS: yes
- YEARTA: yes
Senate Vote #842 - 2025-2026 Regular Session
2026-03-27 · pass · 47-0
Member-level votes (52)
- ALBERS: yes
- ANAVITARTE: other
- ANDERSON: yes
- BEARDEN: yes
- BRASS: yes
- BURNS: yes
- COWSERT: yes
- DAVENPORT: yes
- DICKERSON: yes
- DIXON: yes
- DOLEZAL: yes
- ECHOLS: yes
- GINN: yes
- GOOCH: yes
- GOODMAN: yes
- HALPERN: yes
- HARBIN: yes
- HARBISON: yes
- HARRELL: yes
- HATCHETT: yes
- HICKMAN: yes
- HODGES: yes
- HOWARD: other
- HUFSTETLER: yes
- JACKSON: yes
- JAMES: yes
- JONES: yes
- JONES II: other
- KEMP: yes
- KIRKPATRICK: yes
- LUCAS: yes
- MALLOW: other
- MANGHAM: yes
- MCLAURIN: yes
- MCNEEL: yes
- MERRITT: yes
- ORROCK: yes
- PARENT: yes
- PAYNE: yes
- RAHMAN: yes
- RHETT: yes
- ROBERTSON: yes
- SETZLER: yes
- SIMS: other
- STILL: yes
- STRICKLAND: yes
- SUMMERS: yes
- TILLERY: yes
- WALKER, III: yes
- WATSON: yes
- WICKS: other
- WILLIAMS: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73480

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:19:40.450420Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

Source and document changes Status and relationship changes

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Known limitations

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