The Georgia House of Representatives voted unanimously Tuesday to reduce or eliminate costs of bail for defendants who can’t afford to pay.
The legislation, Senate Bill 407, is a final piece of Gov. Nathan Deal's eight-year effort to remake the state's criminal justice system to make it more fair and less costly.
The bill allows judges to consider defendants' ability to pay when setting bail and gives police more leeway to issue citations instead of criminal charges.
House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee Chairman Rich Golick said Georgia's criminal justice measures have made the state a model for the nation.
"We've really changed the national narrative on criminal justice reform," said Golick, R-Smyrna. "Over the course of time, what's been proven is not only was it the right measure at the right time, but what's also been proven is that it was perhaps ahead of its time."
The House voted 170-0 to approve the measure, which now returns to the state Senate, which previously passed a different version of the bill.
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