---
title: O.C.G.A. § 16-11-220. Definitions.
collection: code
id: 16-11-220
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 16-11-220 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-11-220
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-11-220.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-11-220/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t16-ch7-11-(v14a)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=f5e4f5fa_0#page=164
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
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publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: CRIMES AND OFFENSES / OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER AND SAFETY / DOMESTIC TERRORISM
extraction_warnings:
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  - dehyphenation_unverified:representa-tives
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---

# O.C.G.A. § 16-11-220. Definitions.

As used in this article, the term:

(1) “Assassination” means the intentional killing of an elected public official by an individual acting to prevent or retaliate for the performance of official duties or because of the public position held by the official.

(2) “Critical infrastructure” means publicly or privately owned facilities, systems, functions, or assets, whether physical or virtual, providing or distributing services for the benefit of the public, including, but not limited to, energy, fuel, water, agriculture, health care, finance, communication, or any other vital public service.

(3) “Public transportation system” means all facilities, conveyances, and instrumentalities, whether publicly or privately owned, that are used in or for publicly available services for the transportation of individuals or cargo.

(4) “Serious bodily harm” means harm to the body of another by depriving him or her of a member of his or her body, by rendering a member of his or her body useless, or by seriously disfiguring his or her body or a member thereof.

(5) “State or government facility” means any permanent or temporary facility or conveyance that is used or occupied by representatives of this state or any of its political subdivisions, by the legislature, by the judiciary, or by officials or employees of this state or any of its political subdivisions.

(6) “Vital public service” shall have the same meaning as provided in Code Section 16-7-22.

## History

Code 1981, § 16-11-220, enacted by Ga. L. 2017, p. 536, § 2-2/HB 452; Ga. L. 2023, p. 69, § 4/HB 227, effective July 1, 2023; Ga. L. 2025, p. 224, § 2-1/HB 161, effective July 1, 2025.

## Amendments

The 2023 amendment, effective July 1, 2023, substituted “finance, communication, or any other vital public service” for “finance, or communication” at the end of paragraph (1) and added paragraph (6).

The 2025 amendment, effective July 1, 2025, added paragraph (1); redesignated former paragraph (1) as present paragraph (2); and deleted former paragraph (2), which read: “‘Domestic terrorism’ means any felony violation of, or attempt to commit a felony violation of the laws of this state which, as part of a single unlawful act or a series of unlawful acts which are interrelated by distinguishing characteristics, is intended to cause serious bodily harm, kill any individual or group of individuals, or disable or destroy critical infrastructure, a state or government facility, or a public transportation system when such disability or destruction results in major economic loss, and is intended to:

“(A) Intimidate the civilian population of this state or any of its political subdivisions;

“(B) Alter, change, or coerce the policy of the government of this state or any of its political subdivisions by intimidation or coercion; or

“(C) Affect the conduct of the government of this state or any of its political subdivisions by use of destructive devices, assassination, or kidnapping.”