However, we strongly oppose HB 1142 and HB 1207, which would create a public registry of “recidivist domestic violence offenders” in Georgia.

Public registries are not evidence-based public safety tools. They are mechanisms of public exposure and extended punishment.

Domestic violence is overwhelmingly relationship-based. Incidents occur within families and intimate partnerships — not through random encounters with strangers. A public website listing names and photographs does not prevent violence inside a household. It does not fund treatment. It does not provide victim housing. It does not expand intervention programs. It does not increase mental health services. It does not address substance abuse.

What it does is publicly label individuals for years after they have completed court-ordered sentences.

Georgia already maintains criminal records accessible through lawful channels. Law enforcement already tracks repeat offenders. Courts already impose enhanced penalties for recidivists. Creating another public list does not add meaningful protection — it adds public shaming.

HB 1142 goes further by treating diversion and reduced charges as “convictions” for registry purposes, undermining the rehabilitative purpose of those programs.

Both bills require mandatory public listing without individualized risk assessment. They create a system where conviction count — not current threat level — determines public exposure.

Public registries also create collateral harm:

• Loss of employment and housing
• Harassment and doxxing
• Harm to spouses and children
• Destabilization that can increase risk factors for future conflict

Restore Georgia opposes the expansion of registry culture in this state. If we create public lists for repeat domestic violence, what prevents future legislatures from creating registries for DUI, drug offenses, financial crimes, or other repeat offenses?

Public safety should be built on prevention, rehabilitation, supervision, and survivor services — not perpetual public branding.

If legislators wish to reduce domestic violence recidivism, we urge them to invest in:

• Evidence-based intervention programs
• Risk-based supervision
• Survivor support services
• Mental health and substance abuse treatment
• Data-driven prevention strategies

Georgia deserves policies grounded in evidence, not emotion.

Detailed Comparison: HB 1142 vs HB 1207

Both bills create a public registry, but they differ in scope and structure.

Scope of Who Must Register

HB 1142

• Applies to individuals with:

  • One current domestic violence conviction and

  • At least one prior conviction

• Includes offenses discharged under diversion or reduced to lesser charges as “convictions” for registry purposes

This expands what qualifies as a conviction.

HB 1207

• Requires registration if:

  • Convicted of a felony domestic violence offense; OR

  • Any DV offense with at least one prior DV conviction

• Does not expand diversion language as broadly as HB 1142

HB 1207 captures some first-time felony offenders even without prior convictions.

Registry Information Published

Both bills:

• Publish name

• Photograph

• County of conviction

• Conviction details

• Duration based on prior convictions (2, 5, or 10 years)

• Exclude address and SSN

HB 1207 adds:

• Sentence imposed

• Aliases

 Pretrial Diversion Impact

HB 1142 uniquely:

• Prohibits entry into diversion unless the defendant agrees that future convictions may trigger registry placement

This conditions access to diversion on registry consent.

HB 1207 does not contain this provision.

Removal Process

HB 1207:

• Provides a written removal request process

• Allows judicial review

HB 1142:

• Automatic removal after time period

• No detailed removal appeal structure

Bottom Line:

• HB 1142 is broader in redefining conviction and impacting diversion.

• HB 1207 is broader in including felony first-time offenders.

• Both expand public registry infrastructure in Georgia.

The post Restore Georgia Opposes Creation of a Domestic Violence Public Registry appeared first on Restore Georgia.

This bill will hurt children and families. Many registrants, and especially those who own the property where they live, have families. Any financial support taken from these registrants will mean less financial support for their families and the children of those families.

While statistics show that approximately 95% of all registrants will never commit another offense, registrants who have become homeowners are the most likely to have fully integrated into their communities as stable, contributing, responsible, law-abiding citizens. This legislation is a slap in the face to them and suggests to them that they have embraced their lifestyles in vain.

Legislation providing homeowners an added measure of protection is well ingrained in Texas’ history. The first homestead act was passed in 1839 to encourage home ownership and protect families from foreclosure. It is one of the oldest and most comprehensive homestead protection systems in the United States. The amount of the homestead exemption granted Texans for their property taxes is increased on a regular basis, showing the value placed by government on home ownership in Texas.

There is no rational connection between public safety and this legislation. Registrants often have difficulty finding suitable housing; to remove from them an incentive for becoming home owners is unconscionable. It flies in the face of rehabilitation and all evidence-based data. It is driven by choosing the most hated, identifiable group possible and singling them out as the basis for increasing their taxes.

This proposed legislation starts to tear down something that is part of Texas’ heritage. This legislation serves two purposes: to increase the amount of taxes paid to the state and to punish even further a group of citizens who have already, some 30 or more years ago, accepted responsibility and been punished for their crimes through a criminal justice system that has rehabilitation as its end goal. This legislation is wrong on so many levels.

It is just plain wrong.

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