Bill > HB161

This bill amends Georgia law to expand the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's (GBI) authority to issue subpoenas for electronic communication records and redefines the legal framework for domestic terrorism. Specifically, the bill allows the director, assistant director, or deputy director of the GBI to issue subpoenas, with the Attorney General's consent, to obtain electronic communication service records for investigations related to specific criminal activities, including certain offenses involving minors and other cyber-enabled threats. The subpoenas can compel service providers to disclose subscriber information such as name, address, phone records, service duration, and payment details, and providers are prohibited from notifying the subject of the subpoena. The bill also establishes a new legal definition of domestic terrorism as a felony violation intended to cause serious bodily harm, kill individuals, or disable critical infrastructure, with the purpose of intimidating the population, coercing government policy, or affecting government conduct. The legislation sets significant criminal penalties for domestic terrorism, ranging from 5 to 35 years imprisonment or life sentences depending on the severity of the offense, and specifies that sentences cannot be fully suspended. Additionally, the bill makes conforming changes to several other sections of Georgia law to align with the new domestic terrorism definition.

Justice

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69599