First bill passed in Georgia legislative session takes on gun safety
- - First bill passed in Georgia legislative session takes on gun safety
Irene Wright, USA TODAYJanuary 14, 2026 at 11:16 PM
0
The 2026 Georgia General Assembly kicked off their 40-day legislative session Monday with issues from property taxes to THC to cell phones in schools up for debate.
A number of open seats haven't put a damper on the first few days of the session, and on Wednesday, the first bill passed.
SB 204 passed the Senate with a vote of 31-21 and now heads to Governor Brian Kemp's desk where it will be signed or vetoed.
What's in the bill?
SB 204 challenges local municipalities and towns setting their own ordinances on how firearms should be stored, whether during gun shows or in private possession.
The bill says counties or municipalities cannot regulate gun storage through avenues like zoning, ordinances or resolutions. It also would allow gun owners to sue their local authority for $25,000, and legal fees, if they are affected by a local ordinance now in conflict with the state law.
The bill passed a House vote in April 2025 by a 99-74 majority, but was tabled for the Senate for the 2026 session.
SB 204's origins
The bill targets ordinances like that in Savannah which can impose fines and possible jail time on gun owners that don't secure their guns within unlocked vehicles.
Colton Moore, a Republican Senator from Trenton and the sponsor of the bill, said on the Senate floor that the Savannah ordinance would turn victims of car thefts into criminals if a firearm was found in the vehicle.
"You can travel the state freely, knowing that you're not going to be a victim of a crime and then be made a criminal, as we've seen in Savannah, Georgia," he said.
Georgia state Senator Colton Moore
A case in which the defendant challenged the Savannah ordinance as part of his criminal defense was dismissed by a judge in November. The Chatham County Recorder's Court judge said the city ordinance violates state law and the U.S. Constitution.
"You see, we are the supreme lawmaking authority in this state, not some liberal municipality," Moore said on the floor, the Georgia Recorder reported.
Moore is running in the special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A Democratic senator from Savannah, Derek Mallow, told the outlet this ordinance had reduced gun thefts by over 30%, and that while the city supports the Second Amendment, the ordinance protected public safety when guns were stolen from unlocked cars.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What was the first bill passed in the Georgia 2026 legislative session?
Source: “AOL Breaking”
