# Georgia HB 160: Carroll County; State Court; provide additional judge

Georgia HB 160, Carroll County; State Court; provide additional judge, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Justin Howard (Republican), David Huddleston (Republican), Tyler Paul Smith (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (House Date Signed by Governor); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB160-2025-2026
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Georgia HB 160
- State: Georgia
- Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
- Title: Carroll County; State Court; provide additional judge
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-28
- Last action: 2025-05-13, House Date Signed by Governor
- Sponsors: Justin Howard (Republican), David Huddleston (Republican), Tyler Paul Smith (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Intragovernmental Coordination, State and Local Governmental Operations, Local Bill
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 2 (212 yes, 2 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Carroll County funds judges and secretaries: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, each Carroll County State Court judge receives 90% of a Carroll County Superior Court judge’s salary. This calculation excludes supplements paid to the Superior Court judge by counties in the West Georgia Judicial Circuit. County funds pay judges in equal monthly installment…
- Carroll County adds a full-time judge: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Carroll County State Court has two judges, who must work full-time and cannot practice law privately. The sitting judge becomes chief judge and keeps serving through the current term until an elected successor qualifies. The Governor’s appointment authority takes effect upon…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Justin Howard (Republican), House
- Sponsor: David Huddleston (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Tyler Paul Smith (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-02-12 | Senate | LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR | pass | 52 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025-02-05 | House | Local Calendar | pass | 160 | 1 | 14 |

## Actions (13)

- 2025-05-13: House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-05-13: Act 197
- 2025-05-13: Effective Date
- 2025-04-07: House Sent to Governor (House)
- 2025-02-12: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- 2025-02-12: Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- 2025-02-06: Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- 2025-02-05: House Third Readers (House)
- 2025-02-05: House Passed/Adopted (House)
- 2025-01-30: House Second Readers (House)
- 2025-01-29: House First Readers (House)
- 2025-01-28: House Hopper (House)

## Bill text

- HB 160/AP* (v4): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/232379)

## Related bills

- SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckless stunt driving; replace the forfeiture penalty (signed)
- SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation for certain motor vehicles; provide (signed)
- SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Service Foundation; establish (signed)
- SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact (signed)
- HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish (signed)
- HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact (signed)

## Sources
- [HB 160/AP* (v4) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/232379)

## Related
- [SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckles…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB160-2025-2026)
- [SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB384-2025-2026)
- [SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Servic…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB76-2025-2026)
- [SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB406-2025-2026)
- [HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1391-2025-2026)
- [HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1344-2025-2026)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB160-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).