HB 76 - Drugs and terroristic acts; prohibit dissemination by computer

Georgia House of Representatives - 1995/1996 Sessions

HB 76 - Drugs and terroristic acts; prohibit dissemination by computer

Page Numbers - 1/ 2/ 3/ 4
Code Sections - 16-11-37.1/ 16-11-39/ 16-11-39.1/ 16-11-151
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1. Wall  82nd

House Comm: Judy / Senate Comm: Judy / House Vote: Yeas 96 Nays 4 Senate Vote: Yeas 54 Nays 0 ---------------------------------------- House Action Senate ---------------------------------------- 1/9/95 Read 1st Time 2/28/95 1/10/95 Read 2nd Time 3/14/95 2/17/95 Favorably Reported 3/14/95 Sub Committee Amend/Sub Sub 2/22/95 Read 3rd Time 3/15/95 2/22/95 Passed/Adopted 3/15/95 CS Comm/Floor Amend/Sub CS 2/22/95 Notice to Reconsider 3/17* Amend/Sub Agreed To 3/17* 4/3/95 Sent to Governor 4/12/95 Signed by Governor 322 Act/Veto Number 7/1/95 Effective Date ---------------------------------------- Rules Suspended to Introduce Postponed by the House 2/21 Until 2/22/95 House Agrees to Senate Substitute as Amended by House; Senate Agrees to House Amendment to Senate Substitute Code Sections amended: 16-13-32.3, 16-11-37.1, 16-11-39, 16-11-39.1, 16-11-151
HB 76 HB 76/AP H. B. No. 76 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representative Wall of the 82nd A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1- 1 To amend Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 1- 2 relating to crimes, so as to prohibit the furnishing or 1- 3 dissemination of certain information relating to terroristic 1- 4 acts, or relating to certain weapons or devices; to change 1- 5 the provisions prohibiting the use of certain communication 1- 6 facilities regarding felonies; to change certain provisions 1- 7 relating to the use of 'fighting words,' obscene and vulgar -2dd=P¯AS@PAS@PUAS@P¨AS@PûAS@P 1- 9 for the offense of disorderly conduct; to provide that 1-10 certain powers of counties or municipalities shall not be 1-11 affected or limited; to provide for the offense of harassing 1-12 phone calls; to provide for criminal penalties; to provide 1-13 for effective dates; to repeal conflicting laws; and for 1-14 other purposes. 1-15 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. 1-16 Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating 1-17 to crimes, is amended by striking subsection (a) of Code 1-18 Section 16-13-32.3, relating to the use of certain 1-19 communication facilities regarding certain felonies, and 1-20 inserting in its place the following: 1-21 "(a) It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly or 1-22 intentionally to use any communication facility in 1-23 committing or in causing or facilitating the commission of 1-24 any act or acts constituting a felony under this chapter. 1-25 Each separate use of a communication facility shall be a 1-26 separate offense under this Code section. For purposes of 1-27 this Code section, the term 'communication facility' means 1-28 any and all public and private instrumentalities used or 1-29 useful in the transmission of writing, signs, signals, 1-30 pictures, or sounds of all kinds and includes mail, 1-31 telephone, wire, radio, computer or computer network, and 1-32 all other means of communication." H. B. No. 76 -1- (Index) HB 76/AP SECTION 2. 2- 1 Said title is further amended by adding immediately 2- 2 following Code Section 16-11-37 a new Code section to read 2- 3 as follows: 2- 4 "16-11-37.1. (Index) 2- 5 It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to furnish 2- 6 or disseminate through a computer or computer network any 2- 7 picture, photograph, or drawing, or similar visual 2- 8 representation or verbal description of any information 2- 9 designed to encourage, solicit, or otherwise promote 2-10 terroristic acts as defined in Code Section 16-11-37. Any 2-11 person convicted for violation of this Code section shall 2-12 be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated 2-13 nature." SECTION 3. 2-14 Said title is further amended by striking Code Section 2-15 16-11-39, relating to the use of "fighting words" and vulgar 2-16 language, and inserting in its place two new Code sections 2-17 to read as follows: 2-18 "16-11-39. (Index) 2-19 (a) A person commits the offense of disorderly conduct 2-20 when such person commits any of the following: 2-21 (1) Acts in a violent or tumultuous manner toward 2-22 another person whereby such person is placed in 2-23 reasonable fear of the safety of such person's life, 2-24 limb, or health; 2-25 (2) Acts in a violent or tumultuous manner toward 2-26 another person whereby the property of such person is 2-27 placed in danger of being damaged or destroyed; 2-28 (3) Without provocation, uses to or of another person in 2-29 such other person's presence, opprobrious or abusive 2-30 words which by their very utterance tend to incite to an 2-31 immediate breach of the peace, that is to say, words 2-32 which as a matter of common knowledge and under ordinary 2-33 circumstances will, when used to or of another person in 2-34 such other person's presence, naturally tend to provoke 2-35 violent resentment, that is, words commonly called 2-36 'fighting words'; or 2-37 (4) Without provocation, uses obscene and vulgar or 2-38 profane language in the presence of or by telephone to a H. B. No. 76 -2- (Index) HB 76/AP 3- 1 person under the age of 14 years which threatens an 3- 2 immediate breach of the peace. 3- 3 (b) Any person who commits the offense of disorderly 3- 4 conduct shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. 3- 5 (c) This Code section shall not be deemed or construed to 3- 6 affect or limit the powers of counties or municipal 3- 7 corporations to adopt ordinances or resolutions 3- 8 prohibiting disorderly conduct within their respective 3- 9 limits. 3-10 16-11-39.1. (Index) 3-11 (a) A person commits the offense of harassing phone calls 3-12 if such person telephones another person repeatedly, 3-13 whether or not conversation ensues, for the purpose of 3-14 annoying, harassing, or molesting another person or the 3-15 family of such other person; uses over the telephone 3-16 language threatening bodily harm; telephones and 3-17 intentionally fails to hang up or disengage the 3-18 connection; or knowingly permits any telephone under such 3-19 person's control to be used for any purpose prohibited by 3-20 this subsection. 3-21 (b) Any person who commits the offense of harassing phone 3-22 calls shall be guilty of a misdemeanor." SECTION 4. 3-23 Said title is further amended by striking in its entirety 3-24 Code Section 16-11-151, relating to prohibited training 3-25 regarding dangerous weapons and devices, and inserting in 3-26 lieu thereof the following: 3-27 "16-11-151. (Index) 3-28 (a) As used in this Code section, the term 'dangerous 3-29 weapon' has the same meaning as found in paragraph (1) of 3-30 Code Section 16-11-121. 3-31 (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to: 3-32 (1) Teach, train, or demonstrate to any other person the 3-33 use, application, or making of any illegal firearm, 3-34 dangerous weapon, explosive, or incendiary device 3-35 capable of causing injury or death to persons either 3-36 directly or through a writing or over or through a 3-37 computer or computer network if the person teaching, 3-38 training, or demonstrating knows, has reason to know, or 3-39 intends that such teaching, training, or demonstrating H. B. No. 76 -3- (Index) HB 76/AP 4- 1 will be unlawfully employed for use in or in furtherance 4- 2 of a civil disorder, riot, or insurrection; or 4- 3 (2) Assemble with one or more persons for the purpose of 4- 4 being taught, trained, or instructed in the use of any 4- 5 illegal firearm, dangerous weapon, explosive, or 4- 6 incendiary device capable of causing injury or death to 4- 7 persons if such person so assembling knows, has reason 4- 8 to know, or intends that such teaching, training, or 4- 9 instruction will be unlawfully employed for use in or in 4-10 furtherance of a civil disorder, riot, or insurrection. 4-11 (c) Any person who violates any provision of subsection 4-12 (b) of this Code section shall be guilty of a felony and, 4-13 upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of 4-14 not more than $5,000.00 or by imprisonment for not less 4-15 than one nor more than five years, or both." SECTION 5. 4-16 This Act shall become effective July 1, 1995. SECTION 6. 4-17 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are 4-18 repealed. H. B. No. 76 -4- (Index)

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