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HB 465GEORGIASession 2025_26State Billdead
Did Not Advance

Georgia House Bill 465 expands Mattie's Call alert system to include missing persons with autism spectrum disorder

Original title: Autism Missing Person Alert System Act; enact

Last action · March 6, 2025: Senate Read and ReferredSponsors: Carl Gilliard and 5 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Georgia House Bill 465 officially adds individuals with autism spectrum disorder to the state's '' emergency alert system and mandates that assisted living staff report missing residents within 30 minutes. The measure requires search operations to prioritize local waterways and specifies activation criteria for law enforcement agencies across the state.

Why it matters

Changes emergency response protocols by establishing mandatory 30-minute reporting timelines for residential care facilities and directing search teams to focus on lakes, rivers, pools, and other water sources when an autistic individual goes missing.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Persons with autism spectrum disorder

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder are explicitly added to the categories covered by the state-wide Mattie's Call emergency alert system and targeted search protocols.

Directly affected

Staff of personal care homes and assisted living communities

Staff members are mandated to report the elopement of any disabled, medically endangered, or autistic resident to the local police department within 30 minutes of actual knowledge.

Directly affected

Georgia Bureau of Investigation

The bureau is required to develop, implement, coordinate, and terminate state-wide alerts and recruit media and public entities to assist in the program.

Directly affected

Local law enforcement agencies

Agencies must assess alert boundaries, verify statutory criteria, submit prescribed forms to request activation from the bureau, and prioritize waterways during searches.

Key Facts

  • The 'Mattie's Call' state-wide alert system is officially expanded to include persons with autism spectrum disorder alongside missing disabled adults and medically endangered persons.
  • Staff at personal care homes and assisted living communities must notify the local police department within 30 minutes of discovering that a disabled, medically endangered, or autistic resident is missing.
  • Alert notifications for missing individuals with autism spectrum disorder must explicitly instruct search teams to prioritize waterways such as lakes, rivers, pools, and ditches.
  • The director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation serves as the state-wide coordinator and holds the authority to activate or terminate alerts based on specific verification criteria.
Show all 7 facts
  • Local law enforcement agencies must verify that an investigation has taken place, alternative explanations are eliminated, and the person is in immediate danger of serious injury or death before requesting an alert.
  • Participating entities and individuals receive civil immunity from damages arising from the dissemination of alerts generated under the system.
  • The Georgia Lottery Corporation is directed to establish a notification method to alert its retail vendors and customers within the targeted search area.

Frequently Asked Questions

What triggers an activation of the Mattie's Call alert for an autistic individual?
An alert is activated when local law enforcement confirms a person is missing, believes they are in immediate danger of serious bodily injury or death, verifies via investigation that alternative explanations are eliminated, and possesses sufficient identifying information to share with the public.
Are residential care facilities subject to a specific reporting deadline under this bill?
Yes. Staff of personal care homes and assisted living communities must call the local police department within 30 minutes of receiving actual knowledge that a resident with autism, a disability, or a medical endangerment has eloped or gone missing.
Do search parties have specific instructions when looking for a missing person with autism?
Yes. Activations for missing individuals with autism spectrum disorder must issue guidance prioritizing waterways (such as lakes, rivers, pools, and ditches), advise the public to check roadways, provide the last known location, and describe distinctive behaviors associated with autism.

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House · in the Senate.

Procedural history

8 actions
  1. Mar 6, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Senate Read and Referred
  2. Mar 4, 2025House
    House Third Readers
  3. Mar 4, 2025HouseFloor
    House Passed/Adopted By Substitute
  4. Feb 28, 2025HouseCommittee
    House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
  5. Feb 19, 2025House
    House Second Readers
  6. Feb 19, 2025House
    House Withdrawn, Recommitted
Show 2 earlier actions
  1. Feb 18, 2025HouseIntroduced
    House First Readers
  2. Feb 13, 2025HouseIntroduced
    House Hopper

Version history & redline

3 versions on file
Comparing LC 56 0331S/hs → LC 56 0331S/hcs
removed addedOfficial text
25 LC 56 0331S removed: The House removed: Committee on Human Relations and Aging offers added: Bill 465 (COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE) By: Representatives Gilliard of the removed: following substitute to HB 465: added: 162nd , Hitchens of the 161st , Neal of the 79th , Stephens of the 164th , Sharper of the 177th , and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, […]
Redline computed from the official version text (record lane).View this version →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Carl GilliardHouse · District 162DemocraticPrimary sponsor
Bill HitchensHouse · District 161RepublicanCosponsor
Yasmin NealHouse · District 79DemocraticCosponsor
Ron StephensHouse · District 164RepublicanCosponsor
Sharper, Dexter 177thHouseCosponsorNo profile match
Show 1 more sponsor
Long TranHouse · District 80DemocraticCosponsor

Connected Entities

Georgia Lottery Corporation, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Long Tran and 5 more
OrganizationGeorgia Lottery Corporation“Directed to develop a method of notifying its retail vendors within an alert are”Map →
OrganizationGeorgia Bureau of Investigation“Responsible for developing, implementing, and coordinating the state-wide alert ”Map →
PersonLong Tran“Representative for the 80th district and cosponsor.”Map →
PersonBill Hitchens“Representative for the 161st district and cosponsor.”Map →
PersonYasmin Neal“Representative for the 79th district and cosponsor.”Map →
PersonDexter Sharper“Representative for the 177th district and cosponsor.”Map →
PersonRon Stephens“Representative for the 164th district and cosponsor.”Map →
PersonCarl Gilliard“Representative for the 162nd district and primary sponsor of House Bill 465.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.legis.ga.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
  • Controversy10
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

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