ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A wide-ranging slate of new Georgia laws takes effect July 1, touching everything from HOA transparency and school-zone speed enforcement to education changes, anti-trafficking training for rental and new criminal penalties.
Here’s a breakdown of several of the measures and what they mean for Georgians.
HB 651: School-zone automated enforcement updates
- Revises how school-zone speed cameras can be used and enforced under state law.
- Allows prosecutors (DAs/solicitors/prosecuting attorneys) to enforce civil monetary penalties tied to recorded images of school-zone speeding.
- Clarifies court/enforcement process for these camera-based citations.
SB 470: “Emergency & Public Safety Signal Protection Act”
- Bans signal jammers (possession/use/sale/manufacture/import), with defined exemptions.
- Authorizes enforcement tools, including Attorney General forfeiture proceedings in certain cases.
SB 406: The Georgia Property Owners’ Bill of Rights Act (aka the HOA law)
- Creates an HOA/POA registration option through the Georgia Secretary of State, with annual registration and required filings.
- Boosts transparency: homeowners get clearer access to governing documents and financial records.
- Adds a complaint path through a state-managed review/referee-style process, aimed at offering recourse short of costly lawsuits.
- Changes collections/foreclosure guardrails tied to assessments and how certain charges can be pursued.
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