New Georgia Laws Effective July 1, 2023
We are now just a couple of days away from July. And during the General Assembly earlier this year, there were some bills presented that passed both chambers. These bills…
The Miss Freedom statue sits atop the Georgia State Capitol dome on May 22, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesWe are now just a couple of days away from July. And during the General Assembly earlier this year, there were some bills presented that passed both chambers. These bills were signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp. The new Georgia laws will take effect on July 1, 2023.
There are 16 total laws on the list from Fox 5 Atlanta. The laws include literacy, homelessness, gang sentences, welfare, income tax refunds, and more. You can see the full list HERE.
Laws Related To Schools
- Safety Plans for Schools: The bill passed will require schools to submit a safety plan to the state each year. This will require an active shooter drill by October 1st of each year. And students will be required to participate unless local districts give parents permission to opt their children out.
- Literacy for Students: This bill changes how students in Georgia will be taught to read. The state Department of Education will develop a list of approved instructional materials for local school systems. Each school district will annually certify they are using those materials for reading instruction. Additionally, there will be screening tests to help track reading progress.
Tax-Related Laws
- Income Tax Refund: This will be the second year of state income tax refunds will be granted for most taxpayers between the amounts of $250 to $500.
- Taxes on Downloads: This bill will impose a sales tax on digital goods bought online- books, music, movies, pictures, games, etc. The tax will not affect rental or subscription items.
- Taxation on Electric Vehicles: Electric vehicle owners can purchase electricity by the amount of power used instead of the time spent charging, but new taxes will be included. (Drivers of electric vehicles do not pay gas taxes, which have been used for transportation infrastructure.)
Additional New Georgia Laws
- Gender-Affirming Surgeries: This bill will ban most gender-affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapies for transgender people under the age of 18. Medicines to block puberty could still be prescribed by doctors.
- Welfare for Pregnant Women: Poor pregnant women will be able to seek assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Previously, Georgians could only qualify if the child was already born and lived in a home where one parent is incapacitated.
- Banning TikTok: The TikTok app and some others will be banned from state-owned devices.
- Prison for Gang Recruitment: This bill adds a mandatory 10 years to prison sentences for someone convicted of recruiting minors into a gang. It will also make it harder for judges to avoid giving at least 5 more years in prision for those convicted of gang activity.
- Homelessness: This bill requires enforcement of bans on homeless people camping in public. Also, governments and hospitals can not dump homeless people in other counties without permission.
See the full list and further descriptions HERE.
7 Georgia Laws That Seem Too Crazy To Be True
Laws are put into place for a reason. They are there to keep the peace and to keep the citizens safe, right? The United States has laws in place. And each state has laws. But not only that, each county can make its own laws too. Some of the laws you don't even have to think too deeply about, you just know they are there. Like obeying the speed limit and traffic laws, the legal drinking age, not stealing, etc. But there are some Georgia laws that seem too crazy to be true!
There's a website called Only In Your State. They compile various articles and facts about each state. And when it comes to crazy laws in Georgia, we have quite a few... in fact, the website has 2 different articles about them! Of course, Georgia isn't the only state with crazy laws, but that's what we're looking at today!
Now, there isn't a lot of backstory on these laws and where they originated, at least not on this website. And chances are, you wouldn't be prosecuted for most of these. Which would make sense, because these are so random and out there, who would even think about it breaking the law!
So let's dive into these crazy laws!
Donkey In A Bathtub
Yes, at some point it became illegal to keep a donkey in a bathtub. And even though it seems far-fetched, they actually have reasoning behind this one. Back in 1924, a farmer in Arizona let his donkey sleep in an old bathtub. But when a dam burst and flooded the town, the donkey floated downstream. The donkey was saved, but it took time and effort... so after that, several states passed laws about donkeys in bathtubs.
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Ice Cream Cones on Sunday
Well, in Georgia, you can't carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket on Sunday. Crazy, right? Who would even think to put an ice cream cone in their back pocket any day of the week? But apparently this comes from horse thieves who put ice cream cones in their back pockets to lure horses away.
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You Must Own A Rake
If you live in Acworth, you have to own a rake. This one came about when Kennesaw passed a law in 1982 where all citizens had to own a gun. Perhaps to prove a point, Acworth soon passed their law about citizens owning rakes...
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Spitting
If you're in a vehicle in Marietta, be careful if you need to spit. It's illegal to spit from a car or bus. But no worries in you're spitting from a truck-- that's not illegal.
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Privacy for Mannequins?
If you work in retail, watch out when you're changing up your mannequins! It's illegal to change the clothes on a storefront mannequin unless the shades are down.
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Watch Your Language
When attending a funeral, watch what you say. It's apparently illegal to use profanity in front of a dead body that lies in a funeral home or in a coroner's office.
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Don't Say "Oh Boy"
In Jonesboro, it's illegal to say "Oh Boy." Not sure if this means in any form or fashion... or if it's just when you're angry. Although we can think of a lot worse things than "Oh Boy!"
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