House Bill 162
Coverage of House Bill 162 in the Nexus archive.
- A decades-old law promised Georgians a second chance. A new law hopes to deliver on that promise.
Georgia's First Offender Act allows first-time offenders to avoid convictions through reduced sentences, but a new law seals records at sentencing to prevent access by background check companies. House Bill 162, signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, aims to prevent job or housing issues for participants by sealing records immediately, as advocated by Rep. Leesa Hagan and the Georgia Justice Project.
- Legislation targets large parking lots to protect state’s waterways
Governor Josh Stein signed House Bill 162 into law to eliminate mandatory minimum parking requirements, aiming to reduce stormwater runoff and construction costs while enabling local governments to incentivize development. The legislation, supported by developers and environmental groups, targets large parking lots as pollution sources and passed both legislative chambers with near-unanimous support.