ATLANTA (March 6, 2026) — Today, the Georgia State Senate passed Senate Bill 542, sponsored by Sen. Randy Robertson (R–Cataula). The bill would hold religious leadership accountable if convicted of inappropriate sexual behavior and would permit clergy members to be charged with sexual misconduct and, if convicted in the first degree, serve between 10 and 30 years in prison with a fine of up to $100,000.
“Places of worship are the most sacred places we build and gather in,” said Sen. Robertson. “These are places where we should be safe to worship and fully express our most deeply held beliefs. When clergy members weaponize their power to manipulate vulnerable individuals, they should be punished. Today, we are taking a crucial step to punish clergy members who specifically use their position for sexual gain.”
Sen. Robertson added, “Unfortunately, there are some clergy members who have weaponized their position in power to initiate unwanted sexual advances and relationships with members in their congregation. This behavior will now be a violation of Georgia Law, and it will continue to be my mission to keep our places of worship a place where we can freely and openly express our beliefs without worry of manipulation and sexual exploitation.”
Senate Bill 542 has passed the Georgia State Senate unanimously and will now move on to the House of Representatives.
For more information on the legislation, click here.
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Sen. Randy Robertson serves as Senate Majority Whip. He represents the 29th Senate District, which includes Harris, Meriwether and Troup counties, as well as a portion of Muscogee County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0045 or by email at Randy.Robertson@senate.ga.gov.