The Act provides for civil justice reform in Georgia, amending Titles 9, 24, 33, 43, and 51 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The Act addresses venue for cases involving joint defendants and the doctrine of forum non conveniens. It also amends procedures relating to affidavits in professional malpractice
The Act replaces the Community Greenspace Program. Its purpose is to provide a mechanism to encourage cities, counties, and private partners to protect the state's natural resources. The Act establishes a competitive grant and loan program for preservation of land or conservation easements on land. The Act establishes
The bill provides for a charter for the City of Sandy Springs. Most importantly, the bill provides for a referendum whereby the citizens of Sandy Springs will vote to decide whether to become an independent city. The bill outlines the boundaries of Sandy Springs and provides for a governing authority
The Act known generally as the "Woman's Right to Know Act," requires that physicians inform women who are seeking an abortion, at least 24-hours prior to the abortion, of particular medical risks associated with the procedure, the probable gestational age of the unborn child, the medical
The Act provides the defense and the prosecution with an equal number of peremptory strikes in criminal trials. The Act establishes the number of peremptory challenges at three strikes for misdemeanors, nine strikes for felonies, and fifteen strikes for cases seeking the death penalty. The Act gives the prosecuting attorney
The Georgia General Assembly found that identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in Georgia and that the privacy of Georgia citizens is greatly at risk due to the large amount of information collected from individuals every day. The Act requires information brokers that collect and maintain personal
The Act establishes a statewide Master Teacher Program to identify and recognize certain teachers who have exhibited professional excellence. The Act rewards teachers through professional recognition and potential monetary incentives in conjunction with an eligible master teacher's involvement with the Academic Coach Program. Further, the Act limits the
