I attended the National Association of Professional Process Servers in my capacity as President of the Ga. Association at its annual convention held this year at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas from April 29th- May 2nd. The conference proved to be good for Georgia as I made a speech to the conference regarding the status of the legislation of HB 545. I reported that we came down to the wire by getting the bill through the House Rules Committee and on to the House Floor where it passed. The bill then went to the Senate Public Safety Committee where it passed and was moved to the Senate Rules Committee. Unfortunately it did not arrive in Rules until 2 days before the session ended and therefore it did not make it to the Senate floor for a vote.

We did however get the bill further than in any past year, and we believe that we will get it passed early in the 2010 legislative session. It would be helpful that all readers of this post contact their state senator to express their support for HB 545. It will essentially provide for certified process servers who will then be able to serve statewide in Georgia without a motion and order to be signed case by case. It will also provide for standardized training and standardized background checks, both of which do not exist today.

The conference in Las Vegas was also important in another respect. NAPPS which the national organization is called, has reached out to the National Sheriffs Association to build a better relationship with the sheriffs. Hereto for, process servers and sheriffs have been at odds with each other. Sheriffs have viewed private process servers as a threat to their livelihoods. Many sheriff departments are realizing that civil process is a cost not a profit center, and the trend in some counties is to have the service of process privatized. Up to 8 counties in California have gone in this direction. Here in Georgia, the Georgia Association of Professional Process Servers ( GAPPS ) , will work hand in hand with the Georgia Sheriffs Association to develop the training program for the statewide certifications. Again please contact your state senators and let them know that as part of the legal community, you wish to convey how important it is for the hiring of private process servers to be a more efficient process.

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