ATLANTA – State Representative Sandra Scott (D-Rex) recently pre-filed House bills 858, 859 and 860, which all seek to address the process for civil asset forfeiture in Georgia. These three bills will be formally introduced during the 2022 legislative session, which will convene Monday, January 10, 2022.
“These three bills are a modest change to the state’s civil forfeiture system,” said Rep. Scott. “Georgia needs a better process that protects low income and innocent people from having their property taken, especially those who do not have access or means to obtain legal representation. This legislative package would provide greater transparency and improve the process that everyday Georgians face.”
House Bill 858, or the Innocent Georgian Process Improvement Act, seeks to create a pathway for an individual to retrieve his or her vehicle that was used in a crime if the vehicle was driven by a defendant without the owner’s consent. HB 859 would exempt certain types of property from seizure or forfeiture under the Uniform Civil Forfeiture Procedure Act, including property that is subject to a homestead exemption, currency totaling $541 or less and motor vehicles worth less than $5,000 in market value. HB 860 would require the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government to establish and maintain a tracking system and searchable public website that lists property seized by law enforcement in Georgia; law enforcement agencies would be required to report its civil seizure and forfeiture cases to the public website.
For more information on HB 858, please click here.
For more information on HB 859, please click here.
For more information on HB 860, please click here.
Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes portions of Clayton and Henry counties. She was first elected to the House Representatives in 2010 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, Science and Technology and Special Rules committees.
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