---
title: HB 125. Crimes and offenses; online menacing of a peace officer; provide for offense
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb125
cite_as: HB 125, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb125
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb125.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb125/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69499
date: 2025-01-29
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb125.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 125
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-01-27
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Mike Cameron
- Clint Crowe
- Matt Reeves
- Joseph Gullett
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB125/2025
upstream_id: 1943266
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- police protection
- online threats
- criminal penalties
- doxxing
- law enforcement safety
---
# HB 125. Crimes and offenses; online menacing of a peace officer; provide for offense
## Text
House Bill 125
By: Representatives Cameron of the 1st, Crowe of the 118th, Reeves of the 99th, and Gullett
of the 19th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to crimes and
offenses, so as to provide for the offense of online menacing of a peace officer; to provide
for definitions; to provide for penalties; to provide for related matters; to provide for an
effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to crimes and offenses, is
amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"16-10-97.1.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Immediate family member' means a spouse, child, sibling, or parent or the spouse
of a child, sibling, or parent.
(2) 'Peace officer' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 35-8-2.
(3) 'Personal information' means:
(A) The name or former name, home address, employment address, vehicle license
plate number, home or personal mobile phone number, personal email address, or social
security number of an individual or an immediate family member of such individual;
or
(B) A photograph of an individual or an immediate family member of such individual.
(b) A person commits the offense of online menacing of a peace officer when such person
intentionally posts, publishes, or makes publicly available in any online setting any
personal information about a peace officer or a peace officer's immediate family member
coupled with any threat or suggestion of or request for physical injury, serious physical
injury, or violence of any kind against such peace officer or such peace officer's immediate
family member.
(c) A person convicted under subsection (b) of this Code section shall be guilty of a felony
and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor
more than ten years, a fine not to exceed $25,000.00, or both. At the time of sentencing,
the judge is authorized to issue a permanent restraining order against the offender to protect
the peace officer and any immediate family members of such peace officer.
(d) In a proceeding under this article, the crime will be considered to have been committed
in any county where the person whose personal information was published resides or is
found, or in any county in which any other part of the offense took place, regardless of
whether the defendant was ever actually in such county."
SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval, and shall apply to all offenses committed on or after such date.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would create a new felony for posting a peace officer's personal information online along with a threat of violence, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law does not currently have a specific crime targeting people who post police officers' personal details online alongside threats. This bill adds a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 16-10-97.1, that creates the offense of online menacing of a peace officer.
The crime applies when someone intentionally posts, publishes, or makes public in any online setting a peace officer's personal information, such as their home address, phone number, email, social security number, or photo, or the same information about an immediate family member, together with a threat or suggestion of physical injury or violence. A conviction is a felony carrying one to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $25,000, or both, and judges may issue a permanent restraining order to protect the officer and family. The case can be prosecuted in any county tied to the offense, even if the defendant was never physically there. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it, or if it becomes law without a signature, and would apply to offenses committed on or after that date.
### What it does
- Creates a new felony offense called online menacing of a peace officer under a new Georgia Code section, O.C.G.A. § 16-10-97.1.
- Defines the crime as publicly posting a peace officer's or their immediate family member's personal information online paired with a threat or suggestion of violence.
- Defines 'personal information' to include names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, social security numbers, and photographs of the officer or family members.
- Sets the penalty at one to ten years in prison, a fine up to $25,000, or both, plus authority for judges to issue a permanent restraining order at sentencing.
- Allows prosecution in any county connected to the offense, including where the officer resides, regardless of where the defendant was located.
- Makes the law effective immediately upon the Governor's signature or becoming law without signature, applying only to offenses committed afterward.
### Who it affects
Peace officers and their immediate family members, who gain new legal protection against having personal information posted online with threats; people who post such information online, who could face new felony charges; and Georgia prosecutors and courts, which would enforce the new offense.
### Why it matters
If enacted, anyone who publicly posts a police officer's address, phone number, photo, or similar details online along with a threat of violence could face a felony conviction and years in prison, a significant new legal risk that does not currently exist under this specific offense in Georgia law.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code section 16-10-97.1 defining 'immediate family member,' 'peace officer' (by reference to O.C.G.A. § 35-8-2), and 'personal information.'
- Subsection (b) defines the offense: intentionally posting a peace officer's or family member's personal information online along with a threat or suggestion of violence.
- Subsection (c) sets the penalty as a felony with one to ten years imprisonment, a fine up to $25,000, or both, and allows a permanent restraining order at sentencing.
- Subsection (d) sets venue rules, allowing prosecution in any county tied to the offense regardless of the defendant's physical presence there.
- Section 2 sets the effective date as approval by the Governor or becoming law without approval, applying to offenses committed on or after that date.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-27)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-01-29)
- Sponsors: Mike Cameron, Clint Crowe, Matt Reeves, Joseph Gullett
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69499
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb125.md?full=1