ATLANTA – The Georgia House of Representatives yesterday unanimously passed House Bill 54, the Fallen Heroes Bill, legislation authored by State Representative Keisha Waites (D-Atlanta) which would provide cost free college tuition to children of fallen public safety officials. HB 54 will now go to the Senate for consideration.
“Our public safety officials work tirelessly every day to provide safe communities and peace of mind to individuals and our state as a whole,” said Rep. Waites. “While this legislation will in no way atone for their sacrifice, I hope it will ease the burden left behind for their precious children and families. We ask so much of our public safety personnel. This small gesture for their children is our way to show how truly grateful we are and how willing we are to help.”
HB 54 would supplement the existing Georgia Law Enforcement Personnel Dependents Grant administered by the Georgia Student Finance Commission by providing additional funding to cover any tuition expenses not provided by the grant. Under this legislation, the increased cost would be funded by adding a voluntary donation option to the filing forms for Georgia Income Tax forms and Georgia Motor Vehicle Driver’s License forms. HB 54 has been endorsed by the Georgia Association of Police Chief’s, Georgia Sheriff’s Association, Georgia Firefighters Association and the Georgia Association of Fire Chief’s.
In recent years, several metro Atlanta public safety officials were killed in the line of duty including Atlanta Police Department officers Shawn Smiley and Richard Halford, Clayton County Police Department Officer Sean Callahan, and Riverdale Police Department Major Greg Barney. It was their tragic loss that inspired Rep. Waites to consult Terra Jones-Smiley, wife of fallen officer Shawn Smiley, to ensure that families of fallen officers had an opportunity to provide input and have their voice heard. For this reason, House Bill 54 has been named “The Shawn Smiley Act” in honor of her husband.
For more information on HB 54, please click here.
Representative Keisha Waites represents the citizens of District 60, which includes portions of Clayton and Fulton counties. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2012, and currently serves on the Interstate Cooperation, Juvenile Justice, Public Safety & Homeland Security, Special Rules, and Transportation committees.
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