Legislation introduced in the state House on Wednesday would tighten Georgia’s incest laws to ban sexual relationships between relatives of “half blood.”

House Bill 534, by Rep. Joyce Chandler, R-Grayson, makes clear that it is illegal for a person to have sex with: a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, niece or nephew and uncle whether that person ins is "of the whole blood or the half blood."

State law already barred those relationships, along with siblings, parents and stepchildren, but HB 534 clarifies that those other relations do not have to be full-blood relatives to violate the law.

About the Author

Keep Reading

(From left) State Election Board member Rick Jeffares, executive director James Mills, vice chair Janice Johnston and member Janelle King listen during an election board meeting at the Capitol in Atlanta on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The board voted down a proposal to eliminate Georgia’s touchscreen voting system and switch to hand-marked paper ballots. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Featured

Democrat Eric Gisler celebrated his Tuesday election victory at the Trappeze Pub in Athens, Ga. (AP)

Credit: AP