Georgia House of Representatives - 1995/1996 Sessions

HB 1609 - State seal; official use; prohibit campaign or political usage

Page Numbers - 1/ 2

Code Sections - 50-3-32

1. Holland  157th         2. Murphy  18th            3. Lee  94th
4. Walker  141st          5. Connell  115th          6. Chambless  163rd


House Comm: Judy       /                Senate Comm:            /                                   
House Vote: Yeas       Nays             Senate Vote: Yeas     Nays                                  
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               House          Action         Senate                                                 
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              2/5/96   Read 1st Time                                                                
              2/6/96   Read 2nd Time                                                                
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Rules Suspended to Introduce                                                                        
                                                                                                    
Code Sections amended:                                                                              


HB 1609                                            LC 14 6681






                        A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                               AN ACT


  1- 1  To amend Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official
  1- 2  Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the great seal of the
  1- 3  State of Georgia, so as to provide for its use or display
  1- 4  only for official state purposes; to prohibit use or display
  1- 5  of the great seal in connection with campaigns for elective
  1- 6  office or other political activities; to provide for
  1- 7  criminal penalties; to provide an effective date; to repeal
  1- 8  conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

  1- 9       BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

                         SECTION 1.

  1-10  Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of
  1-11  Georgia Annotated, relating to the great seal of the State
  1-12  of Georgia, is amended by striking in its entirety Code
  1-13  Section 50-3-32, relating to authorized and unauthorized use
  1-14  or display of the great seal, and inserting in lieu thereof
  1-15  the following:

  1-16    "50-3-32. (Index)

  1-17    (a) As used in this Code section, the term:

  1-18      (1) 'election Election' means any primary election;
  1-19      run-off election, either primary or general; special
  1-20      election; general election; or recall election.

  1-21      (2) 'Campaign material' includes, but is not limited to,
  1-22      correspondence, brochures, posters, signs, and
  1-23      advertisements, whether in printed or electronic form.

  1-24    (b) Every constitutional officer; every official elected
  1-25    state wide; the executive head of every state department
  1-26    or agency, whether elected or appointed; each member of
  1-27    the General Assembly; and the executive director of each
  1-28    state authority shall be authorized to use or display the
  1-29    great seal or a facsimile of the state emblem only for
  1-30    official state purposes and, in addition, each of the
  1-31    officials enumerated in this subsection who are elected
  1-32    officials shall be authorized to use or display the great


                                 -1- (Index)

                                                  LC 14 6681

  2- 1    seal or a facsimile of the state emblem on or in
  2- 2    connection with any campaign poster, sign, or
  2- 3    advertisement for election to any public office.

  2- 4    (c) Except as otherwise authorized by Code Section 50-3-31
  2- 5    or subsection (b) of this Code section, it It shall be
  2- 6    unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or campaign
  2- 7    committee to use or display the great seal or a facsimile
  2- 8    of the state emblem on any campaign material or otherwise
  2- 9    or in connection with any campaign poster, sign, or
  2-10    advertisement for election to any public office in such a
  2-11    manner as to falsely suggest or imply that the person on
  2-12    whose behalf the same is used is at the time a holder of a
  2-13    public office for which a commission bearing said seal is
  2-14    used for election to any public office or any attempt to
  2-15    influence the public with respect to political issues.

  2-16    (d) Any person who violates any provision of subsection
  2-17    (c) of this Code section shall be guilty of a
  2-18    misdemeanor."

                         SECTION 2.

  2-19  This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the
  2-20  Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval.

                         SECTION 3.

  2-21  All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are
  2-22  repealed.





















                                 -2- (Index)