After a whirlwind through the Georgia Legislature, a bill that would require carnival owners to submit engineering evaluations with permit applications passed the state Senate on Thursday.

State Sen. Bruce Thompson, R-White, introduced Senate Bill 141 after a carnival ride collapsed while in operation in Bartow County.

Under the legislation, a licensed engineer would evaluate the performance of safety mechanisms and the condition of “critical components of the carnival ride.” House members amended the bill to only require a review the first time a carnival owner applies for a permit.

The bill, which passed 50-0, now goes to the governor’s desk.

About the Author

Keep Reading

U.S. President Donald Trump, center, attends the Gaza International Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt with, from left, Paraguay's President Santiago Pena, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

Mathew Palmer, a former Delta Air Lines employee, at his home in Atlanta on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.  Palmer was fired less than two weeks after writing a post on social media about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Natrice Miller/AJC)