---
title: O.C.G.A. § 45-10-90. Definitions.
collection: code
id: 45-10-90
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 45-10-90 (2025)
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date: 2025
status: active
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heading_path: PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES / CODES OF ETHICS AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST / CONFLICTS OF INTEREST / LEGISLATIVE ETHICS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 45-10-90. Definitions.

As used in this part, the term:

(1) ‘‘Abuse of official power’’ means threatening to use the powers or personnel of a state entity for personal purposes of coercion, retaliation, or punishment.

(2) ‘‘Clerical officer’’ means the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate.

(3) ‘‘Committee’’ means the House Committee on Ethics or the Senate Ethics Committee.

(4) ‘‘Conflict of interest’’ means an individual has multiple interests and uses his or her official position to exploit, in some way, his or her position for his or her own direct, unique, pecuniary, and personal benefit.

(5) ‘‘Employee’’ means any person who is employed by the legislative branch of state government.

(6) ‘‘Improper conduct’’ means a member of the General Assembly:

(A) Engages in conduct that is a conflict of interest;

(B) Engages in conduct that is an abuse of official power; or

(C) Illegally uses an employee in a political campaign.

(7) ‘‘Member of the General Assembly’’ means any person elected and certified as a member of the General Assembly.

(8) ‘‘Sexual harassment’’ means making sexual advances, requesting sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

(A) Submission to such conduct is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment;

(B) Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment decisions affecting the employee; or

(C) Such conduct interferes with the employee’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

## History

Code 1981, § 45-10-90, enacted by Ga. L. 2010, p. 1173, § 29/SB 17.