§ 19-13-70.Short title; legislative findings and intent
Chapter 13. Family Violence · Article 5. Family Justice Centers · Last amended 2026 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-13-70
Plain-English Summary
This section opens Article 5 of the family violence chapter, which Georgia added in 2026. It took effect July 1, 2026. Subsection (a) gives the article its short title, the “Family Justice Center Act.”
The rest of the section explains why. The General Assembly found that victims of family violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse and human trafficking often face fragmented, duplicative systems of support — telling their story again and again at different offices — and that this can retraumatize survivors and get in the way of justice. Its answer is the Family Justice Center: a single, safe, accessible location where governmental and community-based victim service providers, including law enforcement officers, work side by side. The article authorizes the establishment and funding of these centers; under § 19-13-72, a county or city working with nonprofits, or a district attorney, may set one up.
The legislature also intends to draw on both federal and state victim service money to create, expand and sustain the centers, naming the Victims of Crime Act, the Violence Against Women Act and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act among the federal sources. The remaining sections of the article define terms (§ 19-13-71), set out how centers are organized (§ 19-13-72), and address police authority, funding, reporting, confidentiality, immunity and public records (§§ 19-13-73 through 19-13-78). Statements of findings and intent generally don’t create rights on their own, but they explain the purpose behind the article’s rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Georgia Family Justice Center Act?
It is Article 5 of Chapter 13 of Title 19, added in 2026 and effective July 1, 2026. It authorizes Family Justice Centers — single locations where government and community victim service providers, including law enforcement, work together to serve victims of family violence and related crimes.
What is a Family Justice Center?
A place where many victim services sit under one roof. Section 19-13-71 defines it as a co-located, multiagency service center providing coordinated services from public and private agencies to victims of family violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, human trafficking and associated crimes.
Why did Georgia create Family Justice Centers?
The General Assembly found that victims of family violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse and human trafficking often face fragmented and duplicative support systems that can retraumatize survivors and impede access to justice. It intends a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach, with government and community providers, including law enforcement, in a single, safe and accessible location.
When did the Family Justice Center law take effect in Georgia?
July 1, 2026. The article was enacted in 2026, and every section in it, §§ 19-13-70 through 19-13-78, carries that effective date. Before then, Georgia’s family violence chapter had no article on Family Justice Centers; this article added the framework for establishing, running, funding and overseeing them.
How are Family Justice Centers funded in Georgia?
The legislature intends to use both federal and state victim service funding, naming the Victims of Crime Act, the Violence Against Women Act and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. Section 19-13-74 lets the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council distribute funds, and centers may also accept independent money.
Amendment History
Laws 2026, Act 719, § 1, eff. July 1, 2026.