Georgia CommonsSB 268: Offenses Against Public Order; crime of interference with a first responder; provide
Comm Sub version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action March 19, 2026 · Engrossed
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
The House Committee on Judiciary, Non-Civil offers the following substitute to SB 268:
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 include step-grandparent and step-grandchild relationship regarding the offense of incest; to provide for the crime of interference with a first responder; to provide for penalties; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; 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 in Code Section 16-6-22, relating to incest, by revising paragraph (4) of subsection as follows:
"(4) Grandparent and grandchild of the whole blood or the half blood or by virtue of adoption or step-grandparent and step-grandchild;"
SECTION 2.
Said title is further amended in Article 2 of Chapter 11, relating to offenses against public order, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"16-11-46.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'First responder' means any person or agency who provides on-site care until the arrival of a duly licensed ambulance service. This shall include, but not be limited to, persons who routinely respond to calls for assistance through an affiliation with law enforcement agencies, fire suppression agencies, rescue agencies, and others.
(2) 'Harass' means to willfully engage in any conduct directed at a first responder which intentionally causes substantial emotional distress in that first responder and serves no legitimate purpose.
(b) A person commits the offense of interference with a first responder when he or she, after receiving a verbal warning not to approach from a person he or she knows or reasonably should know is a first responder, who is engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty, knowingly and willfully violates such warning and approaches or remains within 25 feet of the first responder with the intent to:
(1) Impede or interfere with the first responder's ability to perform such duty;
(2) Threaten the first responder with physical harm; or
(3) Harass the first responder.
(c) A person convicted pursuant to this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature."
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.