§ 19-13-20.Definitions
Chapter 13. Family Violence · Article 2. Family Violence Shelters · Last amended 2015 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-13-20
Plain-English Summary
Article 2 of Chapter 13 governs family violence shelters, and this section sets its terms. The “council” is the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, which approves and funds shelters under § 19-13-21. A “family violence shelter” is a facility the council approves to receive, on a temporary basis, people who are subject to family violence. These shelters are distinct from shelters operated only for detention or placement of children under § 15-11-135(c) and § 15-11-504(a).
A “family violence program” is any program whose primary stated purpose is to provide services to victims of family violence. It may be, but doesn’t have to be, connected to a shelter.
The article defines family violence on its own terms. “Family or household members” means spouses, parents and children, or other persons related by blood or marriage (“consanguinity or affinity”) and occupying a common domicile. “Family violence” means one of two acts between family or household members who reside together: attempting to cause or causing bodily injury or serious bodily injury, with or without a deadly weapon; or by physical menace, placing another in fear of imminent serious bodily injury. That differs from the protective-order definition in § 19-13-1 and the intervention-program definition in § 19-13-10. If you need a safe place to stay, local family violence shelters can help, and if you are in immediate danger, call 911. The section was last amended in 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a family violence shelter in Georgia?
It is a facility approved by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to receive, on a temporary basis, people who are subject to family violence. Family violence shelters are separate from shelters operated only for detention or placement of children under the Juvenile Code. Section 19-13-22 sets what a shelter must do to be approved and funded.
Who approves family violence shelters in Georgia?
The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, called the “council” in this article. A family violence shelter is a facility the council approves. Under § 19-13-21, the council sets minimum standards, approves or rejects applications, distributes funds to approved shelters and evaluates each shelter annually.
Is a family violence program the same as a shelter in Georgia?
Not necessarily. A family violence program is any program whose primary stated purpose is to provide services to victims of family violence. It may be associated with a family violence shelter, but it doesn’t have to be. A shelter is a council-approved facility that receives people temporarily.
Does family violence mean the same thing for shelters as for protective orders in Georgia?
No. For shelters, family violence means attempting to cause or causing bodily injury or serious bodily injury, with or without a deadly weapon, or placing another in fear of imminent serious bodily injury by physical menace, between family or household members who reside together. The protective-order definition in § 19-13-1 lists specific crimes and covers more relationships.
Are family violence shelters the same as children’s shelters in Georgia?
No. This section distinguishes family violence shelters from shelters operated for detention or placement of children only, as provided in § 15-11-135(c) and § 15-11-504(a). A family violence shelter is a council-approved facility that receives people subject to family violence, on a temporary basis.
Amendment History
Laws 1981, p. 663, § 1; Laws 1983, p. 521, § 1; Laws 1988, p. 13, § 19; Laws 1988, p. 1287, § 1; Laws 1996, p. 819, § 1; Laws 2000, p. 20, § 14; Laws 2009, Act 102, § 2-2, eff. July 1, 2009; Laws 2013, Act 127, § 4-30, eff. Jan. 1, 2014; Laws 2015, Act 132, § 9, eff. July 1, 2015.