Georgia
O.C.G.A. § 19-7-5 — Georgia mandatory-reporting statute
- Clergy named as mandatory reporter?
- Yes
- Confessional exemption?
- Yes
- Statute
- O.C.G.A. § 19-7-5
- Clergy named
- Expressly
- Pending
- —
Georgia law names clergy in its mandatory-reporting statute and overrides every other privilege when child abuse is at issue, except information learned solely in confession or a similar communication the religious body itself defines as required to be confidential. The statutory mechanics live at O.C.G.A. § 19-7-5: subsection (b)(7) defines clergy, subsection (c)(1)(M) pulls most working clergy in through the 'child service organization personnel' category, and subsection (g) bars privilege defenses generally while preserving the confession exception. A separate evidence-law privilege at O.C.G.A. § 24-5-502 treats communications to an enumerated set of Christian and Jewish clergy about 'spiritual comfort,' 'spiritual guidance,' and counseling as privileged, a list that, unlike § 19-7-5(b)(7), does not name imams. The church-defined boundary comes from § 19-7-5(g) itself, which excuses reporting of what is 'required to be kept confidential under church doctrine or practice.' The just-closed 2025-26 biennium produced two attempts at reform; neither closed the gap. HB 1479, a civil statute-of-limitations extension for clergy abuse claims, died in House Judiciary at sine die on April 2, 2026. HB 1409, a broader rewrite of mandated reporting, passed both chambers and was vetoed on May 12, 2026. A third bill, SB 542, did become law on May 11, 2026, but it adds clergy to a separate criminal statute for those who commit abuse and does not touch § 19-7-5 or the confession carveout. Georgia is where survivors keep showing up at the Capitol and § 19-7-5 emerges from each session unchanged. Closing that gap is the work UCO is pushing in Georgia and every state with a version of the same carveout.