History. Code 1981, § 19-1-1 , enacted by Ga. L. 1987, p. 1065, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 474, § 1; Code 1981, § 19-1-2, as redesignated by Ga. L. 1990, p. 1785, § 1; Code 1981, § 19-15-2 , as redesignated by Ga. L. 1991, p. 94, § 19; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1695, § 2; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1941, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 97, § 19; Ga. L. 1998, p. 609, § 1; Ga. L. 1999, p. 81, § 19; Ga. L. 2001, p. 1158, § 1; Ga. L. 2003, p. 395, § .5; Ga. L. 2004, p. 466, § 4; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, § 2-2/HB 228; Ga. L. 2010, p. 286, § 14/SB 244; Ga. L. 2014, p. 34, § 2-4/SB 365; Ga. L. 2016, p. 773, § 4/HB 905.
The 2016 amendment, effective July 1, 2016, substituted “Except as provided in paragraph (3) of subsection (b) of this Code section, each” for “Each” at the beginning of subsection (a); in subsection (b), designated the previously existing provisions as paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2), substituted “After the establishment of a protocol committee, the committee members shall elect a chairperson from the protocol committee’s membership” for “Thus established, the protocol committee shall thereafter elect a chairperson from its membership” in the first sentence of paragraph (b)(2), and added paragraph (b)(3); substituted “a protocol committee established pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of this Code section” for “the protocol committee” in the introductory language of paragraph (c)(1); inserted “presiding” in subparagraph (c)(1)(D); deleted “, which shall designate a physician to serve on the protocol committee” following “public health department” in subparagraph (c)(1)(J); added paragraphs (c)(2) through (c)(4); redesignated former paragraphs (c)(2) and (c)(3) as present paragraphs (c)(5) and (c)(6), respectively; in paragraph (c)(5), in the first sentence, substituted “paragraphs (1) through (4)” for “paragraph” and added “to serve on such protocol committee” at the end; in subsection (d), in the first sentence, deleted “shall elect or appoint a” following “protocol committee” and deleted “who” following “chairperson” and in the second sentence, substituted “person may” for “person can”; substituted “the Office of the Child Advocate for the Protection of Children” for “the panel” in middle of the first sentence of subsection (e) and in the last sentence of subsection (i); added the second sentence in subsection (g); inserted “or circuit, as the case may be,” in the fourth sentence of subsection (h) and in the second sentence of subsection (i); added “of the circuit” at the end of the last sentence of subsection (i); and, in subsection (k), in the first sentence, substituted “shall include” for “shall adopt” near the beginning and inserted “section within its” near the middle; in the second sentence, substituted “sexual exploitation section of the protocol shall outline” for “sexual exploitation protocol shall be a written document outlining”; deleted the former third sentence, which read: “Each protocol committee shall adopt or amend its written sexual abuse and sexual exploitation protocol.”; in the present third sentence, substituted “sexual exploitation section of the protocol” for “sexual exploitation protocol adopted” in the middle; in the present fourth sentence, substituted “The sexual abuse” for “A sexual abuse” and inserted “section of the” in the present fourth and fifth sentences.
Cross references.
Sexual assault protocol, T. 15, C. 24.
Editor’s notes.
Ga. L. 2014, p. 34, § 2-1/SB 365, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: “This part shall be known and may be cited as the ‘Journey Ann Cowart Act.’”
Ga. L. 2014, p. 34, § 2-9/SB 365, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: “It is the intent of the General Assembly to provide for transparency relative to investigations involving child abuse and child fatalities in order to best protect the children of this state. The General Assembly finds that more disclosure of information may be necessary when a child is deceased. The General Assembly intends that agencies and departments of this state share data in order to conduct research for the purpose of preventing child fatalities in this state.”
Law reviews.
For article on the 2014 amendment of this Code section, see 31 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 25 (2014).