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laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.