ATLANTA – Governor Nathan Deal held a ceremonial bill signing Tuesday for Representative Alex Atwood, celebrating the unanimously passed House Bill 233, also known as the Georgia Uniform Civil Forfeiture Procedure Act (UCFPA). Representative Atwood had not been able to attend the technical signing of the bill which occurred on May 7th, 2015.
“This bill was a three-year work, and I am very honored and humbled that Governor Deal would take the time to hold such a special event,” said Rep. Atwood. “Georgia’s current civil forfeiture procedures, the process in which law enforcement can seize property connected with criminal activity, have come under fire in recent years, sparking a desire for reform.”
Under HB 233, all property and funds received by state agencies from seizures and forfeitures must be reported annually and made available for public review. To make these reports easier for public review, a standardized reporting form will be created for use by any state agency that receives forfeited assets and authorizes the District Attorney to conduct reviews and audits of such reports.
Prior to HB 233 being signed into law, Georgia had 34 different forfeiture statutes, with 14 different procedures used, and three statutes that provide no procedure at all. HB 233 standardized civil forfeiture procedures statewide by providing one uniform procedure to be followed for almost all civil forfeitures. Additionally, HB 233 is designed to increase government transparency and oversight in the civil forfeiture process by strengthening the mandatory reporting requirements of all law enforcement agencies, improve accountability, and provide property owners who are trying to recover wrongfully seized property access to court.
“I am particularly pleased that HB 233 provides for greater due process safeguards to assist innocent owners in recovering seized property by simplifying the standard for initiating a claim to recover that property,” said Rep. Atwood. “These are the very individuals who we strive to help with this type of legislation.”
For more information on HB 233, click here.
Representative Alex Atwood represents the citizens of District 179, which includes portions of Glynn County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves as a member on the Appropriations Subcommittee for Public Safety, and also serves on the Juvenile Justice, Public Safety and Homeland Security, Judiciary Non-Civil, and Insurance committees.
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