# Georgia SB 42: Penalties for violating Code Sections 16-6-9 through 16-6-12; certain penalty provisions for the offense of prostitution, keeping a place of prostitution, pimping, and pandering; repeal

Georgia SB 42, Penalties for violating Code Sections 16-6-9 through 16-6-12; certain penalty provisions for the offense of prostitution, keeping a place of prostitution, pimping, and pandering; repeal, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by John Albers (Republican), Jason Anavitarte (Republican), Max Burns (Republican) and 14 others; status signed, last action 2025-05-14 (Senate Date Signed by Governor) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB42-2025-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Georgia SB 42
- State: Georgia
- Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
- Title: Penalties for violating Code Sections 16-6-9 through 16-6-12; certain penalty provisions for the offense of prostitution, keeping a place of prostitution, pimping, and pandering; repeal
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-28
- Last action: 2025-05-14, Senate Date Signed by Governor
- Sponsors: John Albers (Republican), Jason Anavitarte (Republican), Max Burns (Republican), Bill Cowsert (Republican), Clint Dixon (Republican), Drew Echols (Republican), Frank Ginn (Republican), Marty Harbin (Republican), Bo Hatchett (Republican), Chuck Hufstetler (Republican), John F. Kennedy (Republican), Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Chuck Payne (Republican), Brian Strickland (Republican), Carden Summers (Republican), Larry Walker (Republican), Ben Watson (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Judiciary Non-Civil, Judiciary, General Bill
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (219 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Georgia repeals specified prostitution-related penalties: benefit, low. The law removes penalties in Georgia Code Section 16-6-13(b) for prostitution, keeping a place of prostitution, pimping, and pandering. This affects people charged with those offenses. The offenses remain in law, and this act sets no replacement penalties or changes to penalties elsewhere. The sour…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: John Albers (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Jason Anavitarte (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Max Burns (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Bill Cowsert (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Clint Dixon (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Drew Echols (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Frank Ginn (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Marty Harbin (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Bo Hatchett (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Chuck Hufstetler (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: John F. Kennedy (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Chuck Payne (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Brian Strickland (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Carden Summers (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Larry Walker (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Ben Watson (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Soo Hong (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-25 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 169 | 0 | 5 |
| 2025-02-27 | Senate | PASSAGE | pass | 50 | 0 | 3 |

## Actions (15)

- 2025-05-14: Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
- 2025-05-14: Act 279
- 2025-05-14: Effective Date
- 2025-04-07: Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
- 2025-03-25: House Third Readers (House)
- 2025-03-25: House Passed/Adopted (House)
- 2025-03-20: House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- 2025-03-03: House Second Readers (House)
- 2025-02-28: House First Readers (House)
- 2025-02-27: Senate Third Read (Senate)
- 2025-02-27: Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- 2025-02-24: Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- 2025-02-21: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- 2025-01-29: Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- 2025-01-28: Senate Hopper (Senate)

## Bill text

- SB 42/AP* (v5): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/237402)

## 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
- [SB 42/AP* (v5) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/237402)

## 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-SB42-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).