Bill > SB32

This bill amends Georgia state law to increase penalties for individuals who use violence while obstructing or hindering law enforcement officers. Specifically, the bill introduces a new mandatory minimum sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison for anyone who commits violence against a law enforcement officer, prison guard, jailer, correctional officer, probation officer, or game warden while they are lawfully performing their duties. This is a significant increase from the previous law, which had graduated penalties based on the number of prior convictions (ranging from 1-5 years for a first offense to 3-15 years for a third offense). The bill maintains existing provisions that also criminalize throwing bodily fluids on officers, which carries a separate 1-5 year prison sentence. Additionally, the law continues to require a minimum fine of $300, with a portion of that fine earmarked for the Georgia State Indemnification Fund, which provides compensation for officers who are killed or disabled in the line of duty. The bill aims to provide stronger legal protections for law enforcement and other public safety officers by establishing more severe consequences for violent obstruction of their official responsibilities.