Today is July 1st, and that means that statewide laws passed by the Georgia General Assembly will be going into effect. Here are a few of the major pieces of legislation that take effect today:
- Senate Bill 202 will change early voting hours, require an ID when voting, shift absentee ballot application deadlines earlier, and ban giving food and water to voters waiting in line. The law will also cut funding for elections in many counties and give more power to the State election board.
- House Bill 479 is an overhaul to Georgia’s citizen’s arrest law.
- Georgia House Bill 286, which is known as the “Defund the Police” ban, prevents local governments from decreasing funding to their police departments by more than 5 percent in a single fiscal year, or cumulatively over 5 years.
- Lastly Georgia’s new $27.2 billion state budget will start today, and dictate spending for the 2022 fiscal year.
