# Georgia HB 179: Appellate practice; digital recording of certain trial proceedings; provide

Georgia HB 179, Appellate practice; digital recording of certain trial proceedings; provide, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Stacey Evans (Democrat), Stan Gunter (Republican), Soo Hong (Republican) and 2 others; status signed, last action 2026-01-01 (Effective Date) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB179-2025-2026
- 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 179
- State: Georgia
- Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
- Title: Appellate practice; digital recording of certain trial proceedings; provide
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-29
- Last action: 2026-01-01, Effective Date
- Sponsors: Stacey Evans (Democrat), Stan Gunter (Republican), Soo Hong (Republican), Rob Leverett (Republican), Tyler Paul Smith (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Judiciary, General Bill
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 3 (388 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Prosecutors can digitally record grand juries: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, Georgia district attorneys can digitally record grand jury proceedings under applicable court rules. District attorneys have exclusive access to and control over the recordings, reporter notes, and transcripts. They can use these materials for official duties, including r…
- Records required for specified postconviction trials: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, trials under Georgia’s specified procedures for people under a state-court sentence must be recorded and transcribed. Courts can use digital recording that follows court rules, with a court reporter preparing the transcript. Alternatively, a reporter designated by the sup…
- Digital court records need certified transcripts: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, digital court recordings must be transcribed and certified to count as the official record. When a transcript is requested or legally required, a certified court reporter must prepare and certify it. No separate digital transcript is required if a reporter already took do…
- Georgia courts gain digital recording options: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, Georgia state courts must make court reporters, digital recording systems, or both available for trials. Court reporters remain required for felony trials and post-indictment evidence hearings where witnesses testify. That hearing requirement excludes arraignments, guilty…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Stacey Evans (Democrat), House
- Sponsor: Stan Gunter (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Soo Hong (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Rob Leverett (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Tyler Paul Smith (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Brian Strickland (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-04 | House | Agree to Senate Substitute | pass | 167 | 0 | 5 |
| 2025-04-02 | Senate | PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE | pass | 52 | 0 | 2 |
| 2025-03-04 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 169 | 0 | 5 |

## Actions (16)

- 2026-01-01: Effective Date
- 2025-04-30: House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-04-30: Act 23
- 2025-04-10: House Sent to Governor (House)
- 2025-04-04: House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
- 2025-04-02: Senate Third Read (Senate)
- 2025-04-02: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- 2025-03-27: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- 2025-03-27: Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- 2025-03-06: Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: House Third Readers (House)
- 2025-03-04: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- 2025-02-28: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- 2025-02-03: House Second Readers (House)
- 2025-01-30: House First Readers (House)
- 2025-01-29: House Hopper (House)

## Bill text

- HB 179/AP* (v8): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/239304)

## 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 179/AP* (v8) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/239304)

## 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-HB179-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).