# Georgia HB 177: Domestic relations; protection for household pets in both family violence and dating violence protective orders; provide

Georgia HB 177, Domestic relations; protection for household pets in both family violence and dating violence protective orders; provide, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Kasey Carpenter (Republican), Sharon Cooper (Republican), Kimberly New (Republican) and 2 others; status signed, last action 2025-07-01 (Effective Date) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB177-2025-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Georgia HB 177
- State: Georgia
- Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
- Title: Domestic relations; protection for household pets in both family violence and dating violence protective orders; provide
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-29
- Last action: 2025-07-01, Effective Date
- Sponsors: Kasey Carpenter (Republican), Sharon Cooper (Republican), Kimberly New (Republican), Matt Reeves (Republican), Deborah Silcox (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Judiciary, General Bill
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (216 yes, 4 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Protective orders now cover household pets: benefit, low. Georgia courts can include pet protections when a verified petition is filed for a family-violence or dating-violence protective order. Courts can decide who has possession of the pet and handles its care and custody. They can bar the person named in the order from harassing, harming, taking, trans…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Kasey Carpenter (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Sharon Cooper (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Kimberly New (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Matt Reeves (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Deborah Silcox (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Brian Strickland (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-02 | Senate | PASSAGE | pass | 52 | 1 | 2 |
| 2025-02-19 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 164 | 3 | 7 |

## Actions (17)

- 2025-07-01: Effective Date
- 2025-05-13: House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-05-13: Act 189
- 2025-04-08: House Sent to Governor (House)
- 2025-04-02: Senate Tabled (Senate)
- 2025-04-02: Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- 2025-04-02: Senate Third Read (Senate)
- 2025-04-02: Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- 2025-03-21: Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- 2025-02-19: House Third Readers (House)
- 2025-02-19: House Passed/Adopted (House)
- 2025-02-12: House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- 2025-02-03: House Second Readers (House)
- 2025-01-30: House First Readers (House)
- 2025-01-29: House Hopper (House)

## Bill text

- HB 177/AP* (v3): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/239059)

## 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 177/AP* (v3) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/239059)

## 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-HB177-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).