Bill Text: GA SB133 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Peace Officers; persons given permanent resident status; eligible to be certified and employed as peace officers in this state
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-23 - Senate Read and Referred [SB133 Detail]
Download: Georgia-2011-SB133-Introduced.html
11 LC 28
5459
Senate
Bill 133
By:
Senators Thompson of the 5th and Millar of the 40th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Chapter 8 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to employment and training of peace officers, so as to provide that persons who
have been given permanent resident status in the United States by the United
States Citizenship and Immigration Services are eligible to be certified and
employed as peace officers in this state; to provide for related matters; to
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Chapter
8 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to employment
and training of peace officers, is amended by revising subsection (a) of Code
Section 35-8-8, relating to requirements for appointment or certification of
persons as peace officers and preemployment attendance at basic training course,
as follows:
"(a)
Any person employed or certified as a peace officer shall:
(1)
Be at least 18 years of age;
(2)
Be a citizen of the United States
or an alien
who has been given permanent resident status in the United States by the United
States Citizenship and Immigration
Services;
(3)
Have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent;
(4)
Not have been convicted by any state or by the federal government of any crime
the punishment for which could have been imprisonment in the federal or state
prison or institution nor have been convicted of sufficient misdemeanors to
establish a pattern of disregard for the law, provided that, for purposes of
this paragraph, violations of traffic laws and other offenses involving the
operation of motor vehicles when the applicant has received a pardon shall not
be considered;
(5)
Be fingerprinted for the purpose of conducting a fingerprint based search at the
Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to
determine the existence of any criminal record;
(6)
Possess good moral character as determined by investigation under procedure
established by the council;
(7)
Be found, after examination by a licensed physician or surgeon, to be free from
any physical, emotional, or mental conditions which might adversely affect his
or her exercising the powers or duties of a peace officer; and
(8)
Successfully complete a job related academy entrance examination provided for
and administered by the council in conformity with state and federal law. Such
examination shall be administered prior to entrance to the basic course provided
for in Code Sections 35-8-9 and 35-8-11. The council may change or modify
such examination and shall establish the criteria for determining satisfactory
performance on such examination. Peace officers who do not perform
satisfactorily on the examination shall be ineligible to retake such examination
for a period of six months after an unsuccessful attempt. The provisions of
this paragraph establish only the minimum requirements of academy entrance
examinations for peace officer candidates in this state; each law enforcement
unit is encouraged to provide such additional requirements and any preemployment
examination as it deems necessary and appropriate."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.