ATLANTA, Ga. — A bill aimed at curbing the use of traffic citations as a revenue source for Georgia’s small cities has passed out of a state House subcommittee and is now headed for a full committee hearing. Filed by state Rep. Joseph Gullett, R-Dallas, House Bill 140, also known as the End Local Taxation by Citation Act, seeks to limit the amount of revenue municipalities can collect from fines and forfeitures to just 10% of their annual budgets.

The bill’s passage out of the subcommittee on Tuesday marks a key step in what could be a significant change to how small cities across Georgia generate funds from traffic enforcement. The measure was introduced in late January and has quickly garnered attention for its potential to impact cities that have long relied on traffic fines as a substantial portion of their revenue.

Under the proposed law, any revenue collected from traffic citations above the 10% threshold would be redirected to a state fund. While the specifics on how the fund will be used remain unclear, Rep. Gullett has suggested that the funds could be allocated to assist crime victims or support public safety initiatives.

In a statement before the House Governmental Affairs subcommittee, Gullett criticized cities for what he described as the abuse of the ticketing process. “They are using these taxes and fines to fund their government,” he said. Gullett, who represents Dallas, Georgia, argued that cities, unlike counties, have the ability to grow through annexation and that police chiefs, unlike elected sheriffs, do not have the same direct accountability to the public.

According to the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA), approximately 37 cities in the state in 2023 collected fines and forfeitures representing about 10% of their overall revenue. The GMA, while supporting the bill’s intent, has expressed concern about the strictness of the proposed cap. The organization has recommended that the cap be increased to 25% and that the bill’s effective date be pushed back to 2027 to allow more time for municipalities to adjust.

Though the bill would place limits on ticketing-driven revenue, it does not prevent law enforcement from issuing citations for genuine public safety concerns. Rep. Gullett emphasized that officers would still be able to write tickets when necessary for safety reasons, but cities would no longer be financially incentivized to issue citations purely as a revenue-generating measure.

Critics of the current system argue that some municipalities have become overly reliant on fines and forfeitures, creating a financial incentive for law enforcement to focus more on ticketing than on other community needs. Advocates for the bill believe the change would encourage cities to find alternative funding sources for their budgets and reduce the financial burden on residents who are frequently ticketed for minor violations.

As the bill continues to move through the legislative process, it is likely to spark further debate about the role of traffic enforcement in local government funding and the balance between public safety and revenue generation.