Georgia and Florida both sign hard hitting bills cracking down on squatters and empower police

Republican lawmakers in Georgia are taking aim at the ongoing squatting problem in Atlanta, proposing a bill that would make it a criminal offense.

According to the National Rental Home Council trade group, 1,200 homes have been taken over by squatters in the city.

With law enforcement bound by tenant right laws, homeowners are left with limited options to reclaim their property, but the new law could make it easier.

The proposed bill, named the Georgia Squatter Reform Act, expands criminal trespassing to include persons who enter property without the consent of the owner for any period of time.

The new law means that anyone caught squatting in a home without consent or legal authority will be arrested and charged with a misdemeanor and hit with a fine.