| 1 | 1 | | 23 LC 48 0702 |
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| 2 | 2 | | H. B. 544 |
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| 3 | 3 | | - 1 - |
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| 4 | 4 | | House Bill 544 |
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| 5 | 5 | | By: Representatives Schofield of the 63 |
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| 6 | 6 | | rd |
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| 7 | 7 | | , Scott of the 76 |
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| 8 | 8 | | th |
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| 9 | 9 | | , Hutchinson of the 106 |
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| 10 | 10 | | th |
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| 11 | 11 | | , and |
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| 12 | 12 | | Davis of the 87 |
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| 13 | 13 | | th |
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| 14 | 14 | | |
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| 15 | 15 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 16 | 16 | | AN ACT |
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| 17 | 17 | | To amend Code Section 15-11-503 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1 |
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| 19 | 19 | | detention decision and findings, so as to prohibit the use of solitary confinement for punitive2 |
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| 20 | 20 | | purposes in juvenile detention facilities; to provide for a definition; to provide for related3 |
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| 21 | 21 | | matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.4 |
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| 22 | 22 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5 |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1.6 |
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| 24 | 24 | | Code Section 15-11-503 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to detention7 |
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| 25 | 25 | | decision and findings, is amended by adding a new subsection to read as follows:8 |
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| 26 | 26 | | "(a.1)(1) As used in this Code section, 'solitary confinement' means the involuntary |
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| 27 | 27 | | 9 |
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| 28 | 28 | | placement of a child in detention who is alone in a cell, room, or other area, except during10 |
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| 29 | 29 | | regularly scheduled sleeping hours, including but not limited to any behavioral11 |
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| 30 | 30 | | intervention, seclusion, isolation, segregation, administrative convenience, or room12 |
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| 31 | 31 | | confinement, in response to rule violations or staffing shortages or for any other reason13 |
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| 32 | 32 | | that is not an emergency response to behavior that poses a serious and immediate threat14 |
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| 33 | 33 | | of bodily harm to the child or others.15 23 LC 48 0702 |
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| 34 | 34 | | H. B. 544 |
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| 35 | 35 | | - 2 - |
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| 36 | 36 | | (2) A child shall not be placed in solitary confinement for the purpose of discipline,16 |
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| 37 | 37 | | punishment, administrative convenience, retaliation, protective custody, suicide17 |
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| 38 | 38 | | intervention, or general behavior management that is not an emergency response to a18 |
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| 39 | 39 | | serious and immediate threat of bodily harm to the child or others or in response to rule19 |
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| 40 | 40 | | violations or staffing shortages or for any other reason that is not an emergency response20 |
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| 41 | 41 | | to behavior that poses a serious and immediate threat of bodily harm to the child or21 |
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| 42 | 42 | | others."22 |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 2.23 |
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| 44 | 44 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.24 |
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