O.C.G.A. § 19-13-78

# 19-13-78. [Effective July 1, 2026] Records classification; exemption as public records; disclosures. (a) Records, documents, or information created, received, maintained, or possessed related to services provided by a partner or participating agency within a Family Justice Center shall not be considered public records for purposes of Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50 unless such agency would otherwise be subject to the provisions of that article independent of its participation in a Family Justice Center. (b) Any record created or maintained by a county, municipality, or district attorney's office operating a Family Justice Center shall remain subject to disclosure in accordance with Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50. Nothing in this article shall be construed to expand or limit any existing exemption available under that article. (c) For any partner or participating agency that is not otherwise subject to Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50, the records, documents, or information such agency maintains as part of services rendered within a Family Justice Center shall remain confidential to the same extent as if such services were rendered outside of the center. (d) Where a record is jointly created or maintained by both a governmental entity and a nongovernmental partner, the record shall be subject to disclosure only to the extent that the governmental entity's ownership, custody, or control of the record is required pursuant to Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50, and disclosure shall be limited to information that does not compromise victim confidentiality or violate federal or state privacy laws. (e) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to: (1) Create any new exemption for records otherwise subject to disclosure under the laws of this state; (2) Prevent a partner from voluntarily releasing its own records consistent with law and victim consent; or (3) Limit the authority of the council to require data reporting or compliance information from Family Justice Centers. ## History Code 1981, § 19-13-78, enacted by Ga. L. 2026, p. 1024, § 1/HB 1283, effective July 1, 2026.