Bill Text: GA HB109 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Public employees; not use government owned devices to promote or oppose legislation; provide

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-28 - House Committee Favorably Reported [HB109 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-HB109-Introduced.html

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11 LC 28 5396

House Bill 109

By: Representatives Hamilton of the 23rd, Amerson of the 9th, Peake of the 137th, Hembree of the 67th, and Jerguson of the 22nd

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Article 4 of Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to conduct of public officials and lobbyist disclosure, so as to provide a definition; to provide that public employees shall not use government owned or leased computers or telecommunications devices to promote or oppose the passage of any legislation by the General Assembly or to promote or oppose the approval or veto of any legislation by the Governor; to provide for certain exceptions; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Article 4 of Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to conduct of public officials and lobbyist disclosure, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"21-5-77.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'public employee' means any person employed by the state or any political subdivision of the state, including, but not limited to, all agencies, authorities, bureaus, departments, offices, and commissions of the state or any political subdivision of the state, but shall not include persons who are elected to public office in this state.

(b) No public employee shall use a computer, computer system, or computer network or telecommunications device owned or leased by the state or a political subdivision of the state for the purpose of promoting or opposing the passage of any legislation by the General Assembly or promoting or opposing the approval or veto of any legislation by the Governor, which shall include, but shall not be limited to, the use of facsimile machines, wired and wireless telephones and telephone systems, e-mail, word processing software, and printers.

(c) The provisions of this Code section shall not apply to a public employee who, as a part of the duties of such person's employment with the state or a political subdivision of the state, is registered as a lobbyist under this article and who engages in lobbying on behalf of the state agency by whom such person is employed or the political subdivision by whom such person is employed."

SECTION 2.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.