Bill Rewriting Code of Military Justice Signed into Law

Rep. Coomer at the HB 98 bill signing with Gov. Deal and members of the GA National Guard

ATLANTA— State Representative Christian Coomer (R-Cartersville) today commented on the signing of House Bill 98 into law by Governor Deal. HB 98, a rewrite of the Military Justice portion of the Georgia Code, was signed into law during a bill signing ceremony on May 6, 2015 at the State Capitol.

“I would like to thank my colleagues in the House, Sen. Hunter Hill, the bill’s sponsor in the Senate, and Gov. Deal for signing this legislation into law,” said Rep. Coomer. “For the past 15 years, I have had the pleasure to serve as an Air Force Judge Advocate General on active duty, in the reserve, and in the Georgia National Guard, and I have seen first-hand the need for this legislation. The members of the Georgia National Guard work too hard and dedicate too much of their lives to this state and our nation to let them operate under an antiquated system that does not take into account their best interests. This bill will help National Guard members train and perform more seamlessly with their active duty counterparts, in addition to providing commanders with greater flexibility in maintaining good order and discipline.”

HB 98 is a complete rewrite of the Georgia Code of Military Justice, the law governing military discipline and criminal prosecutions in the Georgia National Guard. The bill clarifies Full-Time National Guard duty status of National Guard members in order to align it with the U.S. Code’s Active duty status in regards to rights, responsibilities, and violation proceedings. The bill will go into effect on July 1, 2015.

For more information on HB 98, please click here.

Representative Christian Coomer represents the citizens of District 14, which includes portions of Bartow and Floyd counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves as Administration Floor Leader to Governor Nathan Deal and is Vice Chairman on the Retirement Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and the Banks & Banking, Judiciary Non-Civil, and Juvenile Justice committees.

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