Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB177 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	25 LC 57 0200~~/AP~~
2		-	House Bill 177 ~~(AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)~~
	1	+	25 LC 57 0200
	2	+	House Bill 177
3	3		By: Representatives Cooper of the 45
4	4		th
5	5		, Silcox of the 53
6	6		rd
7	7		, Carpenter of the 4
8	8		th
9	9		, Reeves of the
10	10		99
11	11		th
12	12		, and New of the 40
13	13		th
14	14
15	15		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
16	16		AN ACT
17	17		To amend Title 19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to domestic relations,
18	18		1
19	19		so as to provide protection for household pets in both family violence and dating violence2
20	20		protective orders; to provide for a definition and an exclusion; to provide for related matters;3
21	21		to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. 4
22	22		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5
23	23		SECTION 1.6
24	24		Title 19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to domestic relations, is7
25	25		amended in Code Section 19-13-4, relating to family violence protective orders and consent8
26	26		agreements, contents, delivery to sheriff, expiration, and enforcement, by revising9
27	27		subsection (a) as follows:10
28	28		"(a) The court may, upon the filing of a verified petition, grant any protective order or11
29	29		approve any consent agreement to bring about a cessation of acts of family violence. The12
30	30		court shall not have the authority to issue or approve mutual protective orders concerning13
31	31		paragraph (1), (2), (5), (9), or (11) of this subsection, or any combination thereof, unless14
32	32		the respondent has filed a verified petition as a counter petition pursuant to Code Section15
33	33		19-13-3 no later than three days, not including Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays,16
34	34		H. B. 177
35		-	- 1 - 25 LC 57 0200~~/AP~~
	35	+	- 1 - 25 LC 57 0200
36	36		prior to the hearing and the provisions of Code Section 19-13-3 have been satisfied. The
37	37		17
38	38		orders or agreements may:18
39	39		(1) Direct the respondent to refrain from such acts;19
40	40		(2) Grant to a party possession of the residence or household of the parties and exclude20
41	41		the other party from the residence or household;21
42	42		(3) Require a party to provide suitable alternate housing for a spouse, former spouse, or22
43	43		parent and the parties' child or children;23
44	44		(4) Award temporary custody of minor children and establish temporary visitation rights;24
45	45		(5) Order the eviction of a party from the residence or household and order assistance to25
46	46		the victim
47	47		petitioner in returning to it, or order assistance in retrieving personal property26
48	48		of the victim petitioner if the respondent's eviction has not been ordered;27
49	49		(6) Order either party to make payments for the support of a minor child as required by28
50	50		law;29
51	51		(7) Order either party to make payments for the support of a spouse as required by law;30
52	52		(8)(A) Provide for possession of personal property of the parties;,including the care,31
53	53		custody, and control of any animal owned, possessed, kept, or held as a household pet32
54	54		by either party or by a minor child living in the household or residence of either party. 33
55	55		As used in this paragraph, the term 'household pet' means an animal kept for human34
56	56		companionship and enjoyment or an animal which is owned or possessed by either35
57	57		party or by a minor child living in the household or residence of either party. Such term36
58	58		shall not include livestock, laboratory animals, working animals, sport animals, or any37
59	59		other animal which is kept for a commercial purpose or for consumption.38
60	60		(B) Order the respondent to refrain from doing any of the following with respect to any39
61	61		animal owned, possessed, kept, or held as a household pet:40
62	62		(i) Harassing or harming such household pet;41
63	63		(ii) Taking, transferring, encumbering, or concealing such household pet; and42
64	64		(iii) Engaging in any conduct that would be a violation of Code Section 16-12-4;43
65	65		H. B. 177
66		-	- 2 - 25 LC 57 0200~~/AP~~
	66	+	- 2 - 25 LC 57 0200
67	67		(9) Order the respondent to refrain from harassing or interfering with the victim44
68	68		petitioner;45
69	69		(10) Award costs and attorney's fees to either party; and46
70	70		(11) Order the respondent to receive appropriate psychiatric or psychological services47
71	71		as a further measure to prevent the recurrence of family violence."48
72	72		SECTION 2.49
73	73		Said title is further amended in Code Section 19-13A-4, relating to required findings of fact50
74	74		and authority of court relative to dating violence protective orders, by revising subsection (b)51
75	75		as follows:52
76	76		"(b) The court may, upon the filing of a verified petition and as provided in subsection (a)53
77	77		of this Code section, grant any protective order or approve any consent agreement to bring54
78	78		about a cessation of acts of dating violence. The court shall not have the authority to issue55
79	79		or approve mutual protective orders concerning paragraph (1), (3), or (5) of this subsection,56
80	80		or any combination thereof, unless the respondent has filed a verified petition as a counter57
81	81		petition pursuant to Code Section 19-13A-3 no later than three days prior to the hearing and58
82	82		the provisions of Code Section 19-13A-3 have been satisfied. The orders or agreements59
83	83		may:60
84	84		(1) Direct the respondent to refrain from such acts;61
85	85		(2)(A) Provide for possession of personal property of the parties;,including the care,62
86	86		custody, and control of any animal owned, possessed, kept, or held as a household pet63
87	87		by either party or by a minor child living in the household or residence of either party.64
88	88		As used in this paragraph, the term 'household pet' means an animal kept for human65
89	89		companionship and enjoyment or an animal which is owned or possessed by either66
90	90		party or by a minor child living in the household or residence of either party. Such term67
91	91		shall not include livestock, laboratory animals, working animals, sport animals, or any68
92	92		other animal which is kept for a commercial purpose or for consumption.69
93	93		H. B. 177
94		-	- 3 - 25 LC 57 0200~~/AP~~
	94	+	- 3 - 25 LC 57 0200
95	95		(B) Order the respondent to refrain from doing any of the following with respect to any70
96	96		animal owned, possessed, kept, or held as a household pet:71
97	97		(i) Harassing or harming such household pet;72
98	98		(ii) Taking, transferring, encumbering, or concealing such household pet; and73
99	99		(iii) Engaging in any conduct that would be a violation of Code Section 16-12-4;74
100	100		(3) Order the respondent to refrain from harassing or interfering with the petitioner;75
101	101		(4) Award costs and attorney's fees to either party; and76
102	102		(5) Order the respondent to receive appropriate psychiatric, psychological, or educational77
103	103		services as a further measure to prevent the recurrence of dating violence."78
104	104		SECTION 3.79
105	105		All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.80
106	106		H. B. 177
107	107		- 4 -