A bill put forward by State Rep. Reynaldo “Rey” Martinez in the Georgia House is designed to bolster legal protections for public safety and code enforcement officers, as stated by the Georgia State House.
Filed as HB1512 on Wednesday, March 4 during the 2026 regular session of the 158th General Assembly, the legislation is formally titled: ’Crimes and offenses; enhanced penalties when certain offenses are committed against public safety officers or code enforcement officers; provide’.
Below is a summary based on the bill text itself, with clarifications to help explain its intent.
Essentially, the proposed bill updates Georgia’s criminal statutes to heighten protections for public safety, code enforcement officers, and certain emergency workers. It modifies the definitions of who is covered, eliminates enhanced penalties for simple assault and battery against officers but preserves enhanced penalties for simple battery, and keeps or clarifies increased sentencing for aggravated assault and aggravated battery involving these officers, including mandatory minimum prison sentences of 3 to 20 years in some situations. The measure further widens obstruction laws to specifically address the act of throwing items or bodily fluids at relevant personnel or their vehicles, introduces stricter felony consequences for repeat offenses of obstruction, and mandates at least a $300 fine to be contributed to the Georgia State Indemnification Fund.
Martinez has also sponsored five other bills since the session began, with two of those being signed into law.
Martinez, a Republican, won election to represent the 111th House District in the Georgia State House in 2023, succeeding former representative El-Mahdi Holly.
In Georgia, the legislative process starts when a legislator, often with input from constituents, collaborates with the Office of Legislative Counsel to develop a bill. Once filed with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate, the bill receives a first reading and is referred to a committee, where key discussions and analysis take place. After clearing committee, the bill moves to the floor for a third reading, debate, and vote. For the bill to become law, it must pass both legislative chambers—sometimes via a conference committee to resolve differences—before going to the governor. The governor has six days during session, or 40 days after adjournment (Sine Die), to sign, veto, or allow the bill to take effect without a signature. The Georgia General Assembly convenes each year for a 40-day session starting the second Monday in January.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB1403 | 02/20/2026 | Courts; service by judges, justices, court officers, and other individuals as a judge advocate in certain capacities; provide |
| HB1082 | 01/28/2026 | Victims of Communism Day; November 7 of each year; designate |
| HB745 | 03/10/2025 | Loganville, City of; ad valorem tax; provide homestead exemption |
| HB325 | 02/06/2025 | Domestic relations; Protective Order Registry; revise certain definitions |
| HB324 | 02/06/2025 | Elections; preferential treatment during advance voting and during certain hours on election day to certain voters; provisions |
Details for this article were sourced from the Georgia State House. Source documents can be accessed here.
