Sen. Emanuel Jones Applauds Signing of Legislation to Revise Henry County Board of Commissioners

ATLANTA (May 13, 2026) - Yesterday, Governor Brian P. Kemp signed Senate Bill 359, sponsored by Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur), into law.

This measure revises and restates Henry County's code of ethics, including conflict-of-interest rules, disclosure requirements, complaint procedures, penalties and the structure and duties of the county's Board of Ethics, ethics officer and ethics administrator. The bill also clarifies the authority of the chairperson of the Henry County Board of Commissioners and the county manager, including appointment, employment, budget and administrative responsibilities.

"SB 359 is about protecting the integrity of public service and making sure Henry County has an ethics process its residents can trust," said Sen. Jones. "When there is a serious allegation that a public official has violated the public's confidence, that matter deserves a consistent and independent review. At the same time, an ethics board should not serve as the venue for resolving employee disputes or internal administrative matters.

This legislation draws that line clearly for Henry County. It strengthens accountability where it belongs, keeps county employee matters in the proper channels and gives all parties a process they can understand and rely on. I appreciate Gov. Kemp for signing this bill into law, and I am grateful to the Henry County delegation, county officials and local partners who worked together to get this right for our community."

More information on SB 359 can be found here.

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Sen. Emanuel Jones represents the 10^th Senate District, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. He may be reached at 404-656-0502 or via email at [email protected].

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