| 5 | | - | To amend Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to crimes and1 |
|---|
| 6 | | - | offenses, so as to include step-grandparent and step-grandchild relationship regarding the2 |
|---|
| 7 | | - | offense of incest; to provide for the crime of interference with a first responder; to provide3 |
|---|
| 8 | | - | for penalties; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting4 |
|---|
| 9 | | - | laws; and for other purposes.5 |
|---|
| 10 | | - | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 |
|---|
| 11 | | - | SECTION 1.7 |
|---|
| 12 | | - | Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to crimes and offenses, is8 |
|---|
| 13 | | - | amended in Code Section 16-6-22, relating to incest, by revising paragraph (4) of subsection9 |
|---|
| 14 | | - | as follows:10 |
|---|
| 15 | | - | "(4) Grandparent and grandchild of the whole blood or the half blood or by virtue of11 |
|---|
| 16 | | - | adoption or step-grandparent and step-grandchild;"12 |
|---|
| 17 | | - | SECTION 2.13 |
|---|
| 18 | | - | Said title is further amended in Article 2 of Chapter 11, relating to offenses against public14 |
|---|
| 19 | | - | order, by adding a new Code section to read as follows: 15 |
|---|
| 20 | | - | S. B. 268 (SUB) |
|---|
| 21 | | - | - 1 - 25 LC 48 1621S |
|---|
| 22 | | - | "16-11-46.16 |
|---|
| 23 | | - | (a) As used in this Code section, the term:17 |
|---|
| 24 | | - | (1) 'First responder' means any person or agency who provides on-site care until the18 |
|---|
| 25 | | - | arrival of a duly licensed ambulance service. This shall include, but not be limited to,19 |
|---|
| 26 | | - | persons who routinely respond to calls for assistance through an affiliation with law20 |
|---|
| 27 | | - | enforcement agencies, fire suppression agencies, rescue agencies, and others.21 |
|---|
| 28 | | - | (2) 'Harass' means to willfully engage in any conduct directed at a first responder which22 |
|---|
| 29 | | - | intentionally causes substantial emotional distress in that first responder and serves no23 |
|---|
| 30 | | - | legitimate purpose.24 |
|---|
| 31 | | - | (b) A person commits the offense of interference with a first responder when he or she,25 |
|---|
| 32 | | - | after receiving a verbal warning not to approach from a person he or she knows or26 |
|---|
| 33 | | - | reasonably should know is a first responder, who is engaged in the lawful performance of27 |
|---|
| 34 | | - | a legal duty, knowingly and willfully violates such warning and approaches or remains28 |
|---|
| 35 | | - | within 25 feet of the first responder with the intent to:29 |
|---|
| 36 | | - | (1) Impede or interfere with the first responder's ability to perform such duty;30 |
|---|
| 37 | | - | (2) Threaten the first responder with physical harm; or31 |
|---|
| 38 | | - | (3) Harass the first responder.32 |
|---|
| 39 | | - | (c) A person convicted pursuant to this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of33 |
|---|
| 40 | | - | a high and aggravated nature."34 |
|---|
| 41 | | - | SECTION 3.35 |
|---|
| 42 | | - | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.36 |
|---|
| 43 | | - | S. B. 268 (SUB) |
|---|
| 8 | + | To amend Article 2 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, |
|---|
| 9 | + | 1 |
|---|
| 10 | + | relating to offenses against public order, so as to provide for the crime of interference with2 |
|---|
| 11 | + | a first responder; to provide for penalties; to provide for definitions; to provide for related3 |
|---|
| 12 | + | matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.4 |
|---|
| 13 | + | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5 |
|---|
| 14 | + | SECTION 1.6 |
|---|
| 15 | + | Article 2 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to7 |
|---|
| 16 | + | offenses against public order, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows: 8 |
|---|
| 17 | + | "16-11-46. |
|---|
| 18 | + | 9 |
|---|
| 19 | + | (a) As used in this Code section, the term:10 |
|---|
| 20 | + | (1) 'First responder' means any person or agency who provides on-site care until the11 |
|---|
| 21 | + | arrival of a duly licensed ambulance service. This shall include, but not be limited to,12 |
|---|
| 22 | + | persons who routinely respond to calls for assistance through an affiliation with law13 |
|---|
| 23 | + | enforcement agencies, fire suppression agencies, rescue agencies, and others.14 |
|---|
| 24 | + | S. B. 268 |
|---|
| 25 | + | - 1 - 25 LC 56 0346 |
|---|
| 26 | + | (2) 'Harass' means to willfully engage in any conduct directed at a first responder which15 |
|---|
| 27 | + | intentionally causes substantial emotional distress in that first responder and serves no16 |
|---|
| 28 | + | legitimate purpose.17 |
|---|
| 29 | + | (b) A person commits the offense of interference with a first responder when he or she,18 |
|---|
| 30 | + | after receiving a verbal warning not to approach from a person he or she knows or19 |
|---|
| 31 | + | reasonably should know is a first responder, who is engaged in the lawful performance of20 |
|---|
| 32 | + | a legal duty, knowingly and willfully violates such warning and approaches or remains21 |
|---|
| 33 | + | within 25 feet of the first responder with the intent to:22 |
|---|
| 34 | + | (1) Impede or interfere with the first responder's ability to perform such duty;23 |
|---|
| 35 | + | (2) Threaten the first responder with physical harm; or24 |
|---|
| 36 | + | (3) Harass the first responder.25 |
|---|
| 37 | + | (c) A person convicted pursuant to this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of26 |
|---|
| 38 | + | a high and aggravated nature."27 |
|---|
| 39 | + | SECTION 2.28 |
|---|
| 40 | + | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.29 |
|---|
| 41 | + | S. B. 268 |
|---|