GA HB1206

Requires all law enforcement agencies to provide body-worn cameras to every peace officer by July 1, 2023, with mandatory activation during calls for service and public interactions; intentional failure to activate or tampering can result in discipline up to termination, certification suspension of at least one year, or permanent decertification if a civilian death is involved

Prohibits peace officers from using chokeholds, bans deadly force for minor or nonviolent offenses, and limits deadly force to situations where all other means are impractical and the arrest involves a felony with use or threat of deadly force; removes existing statutory provisions authorizing deadly force to apprehend suspected felons

Eliminates qualified immunity and sovereign immunity as defenses for law enforcement officers sued for deprivating individuals of constitutional rights, and removes state tort claim exceptions for assault, battery, false imprisonment, false arrest, malicious prosecution, and abuse of process by officers

Requires peace officers to report demographic and other detailed data on all public contacts to their agencies, which must submit annual reports to the Attorney General beginning January 1, 2023; the Attorney General must maintain a searchable public database and may bring civil actions against agencies engaged in patterns or practices that deprive persons of constitutional rights

Establishes a duty for peace officers to intervene when another officer uses excessive force, with anti-retaliation protections; failure to intervene in incidents resulting in serious bodily injury or death triggers discipline up to termination and permanent decertification by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council