ATLANTA (March 23, 2021) | State Senators Michelle Au (D – Johns Creek) and Sheikh Rahman (D – Lawrenceville), along with State Representatives Bee Nguyen (D – Atlanta), Sam Park (D – Lawrenceville) and Marvin Lim (D – Norcross), today announced a series of bills in response to the recent shootings in the metro Atlanta region. These legislators plan to introduce correlating legislation in the House and Senate, and they issued the following statement:
“Together, we mourn the senseless loss of life from those so cherished, so important and so loved by their families and friends in the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. We look to our history, and where this country has been, and we look forward to the change we need to see. As AAPI legislators in the Georgia Senate and House, we are committed to not only drawing attention to the issues our communities face, but enacting meaningful change through legislation to address them.”
House Bill 789 and Senate Bill 311 would direct the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council to train members of law enforcement in community response, intervention and proactive outreach methods that are culturally and language accessible. These two bills are sponsored by Rep. Lim and Sen. Au, respectively.
Additionally, House Bill 787 and Senate Bill 308 would direct the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority to establish a language translation system within the state’s 9-1-1 Communications Center. These two bills are sponsored by Rep. Nguyen and Sen. Rahman, respectively.
House Bill 788 and Senate Bill 309 would require a five-day waiting period for the purchase of a firearm, notwithstanding the earlier completion of a background check by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Those in violation of selling or buying a firearm before the waiting period would be subject to a felony charge. These bills are sponsored by Rep. Park and Au, respectively.
Once these bills have been introduced in their respective chambers, the full text of each bill may be found on the General Assembly’s website at: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/all.
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For Immediate Release:
Mar. 23, 2021
Kessarin Horvath, Communications Specialist
404.656.0028
kessarin.horvath@senate.ga.gov