Georgia CommonsSenate Government Oversight Committee
Senate Government Oversight Committee, March 26, 2026
2025-2026 Regular Session · 307 CLOB · 18 min
This is a machine transcript of the General Assembly's video, made by a speech-recognition model. It is not an official record and can mishear words, names, and numbers. Speakers are not identified. The video is the record: every timestamp links to the moment it plays.
The video is the General Assembly's, played from its Vimeo channel. Select any time below to play that moment. Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Agenda
Summary
Written by an AI model (gpt-6.1-sol) from the transcript. It is not part of the record, and the video is what was said.
The committee unanimously approved a substitute for HB 792. The chair said the substitute replaced the original bill with legislation previously approved by the Senate and added a section addressing harmful content on social media platforms. Discussion focused on games recreating school shootings and risks to children online. A visiting legislator described examples and urged action before the next legislative session. One committee member questioned whether the proposed language would adequately cover those games and whether prosecution would require an actual violent felony. No further amendment was offered before the vote. The committee then adjourned.
Bills discussed (1)
Each account covers the stretch of the meeting it names. The bill's number is said in that stretch, unless it was the only bill on a committee's agenda.
HB 792. Courts; increase amount of magistrate court claims from $15,000.00 to $30,000.00
From 0:07:31 · turns 0 to 51
The chair presented a substitute for HB 792, saying the original sponsor agreed to replacing the text with legislation previously approved unanimously by the Judiciary Committee and 50 to 1 by the Senate. The chair identified a new section creating an offense involving digital design on social media platforms, describing it as protection for children. A visiting legislator said an unnamed platform hosted detailed recreations of school shootings in which players act as shooters and victims’ names appear. The legislator also described grooming on the platform and said 42 cases in January involved kidnapping, rape or child pornography. The legislator urged immediate action and said a study committee had also been proposed. One committee member supported moving the measure quickly. Another questioned whether language about encouraging or aiding a felony would cover the games, suggested adding language about replicating violence, and asked whether an actual violent felony would have to occur. The visiting legislator said the language was developed quickly with the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and legislative counsel and expressed openness to stronger wording. The questions were not definitively resolved, and no further amendment was offered. The committee unanimously approved the substitute.
Transcript
56 turns. Select a time to play that moment of the video.
- 0:07:19
We're gonna get started. Um, let's see here. Yeah, May 6th. Yeah, we're, we're good. So in your folders, you have a substitute to House Bill 792. I've talked to the author of 792. He was fine with us stripping his bill. What is now in 70, 792 is a bill that passed unanimously out of judiciary.
- 0:07:46
Mm-hmm.
- 0:07:46
It came to the floor of the Senate. It passed 50 to one. John Albers.
- 0:07:54
Well- It, it was a mistake. Keeping you honest. Um, there is- That's what you get for too fast.
- 0:08:01
So, I'm not gonna try to sneak anything here on you. There is one little section that is new, and it's a small section. So small, now I can't seem to find it. Um- Section four ... it is on line 35 through 39. This is actually one to help protect our kids. Uh, pers- person commits the offense of criminal digily, digital design when using a social media platform, such person knowingly and willfully creates...
- 0:08:36
I'm not... Y'all, y'all are old enough. Y'all can read this.
- 0:08:38
Mm-hmm.
- 0:08:39
Take a look at that.
- 0:08:40
Tell me what it does.
- 0:08:40
You were doing okay until that.
- 0:08:41
Yeah. Explain it in, in non-legally. Like, what does it do?
- 0:08:45
A- a- if I mess this up, we got Representative Clifton in the back of the room that could help us here. But there are some platforms out there now, Representative, come on up, that, um, it, it's sadly very explicit, that will give you events like of school shootings, and you can play that out and be the shooter- Oh my God ... of the kids that were sadly killed in these incic- incidents. Do you wanna add to a little bit on that there, Representative?
- 0:09:17
Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the committee. I greatly appreciate the ability to make this statement publicly. Um, so to add on just a little bit more to Senator Bearden, uh, I'll give you an example. Sandy Hook School shooting has been recreated on this platform, um, to the level of detail of the police report. Not a general kind of this looks like this, to the level of the police report. And when you drop into the game, uh, you're the shooter. You go into the school. As you go into the classrooms, shoot the kids, the blood splatter hits the wall behind it.
- 0:09:48
The victim's actual names-
- 0:09:51
Oh my gosh
- 0:09:52
... show up on the screen. And when you're done, you get a scorecard to see if you killed all the kids or not.
- 0:09:57
Mm-hmm.
- 0:09:57
In Columbine, the least particular one that I witnessed, it's after the shooting happened and the, the shooter goes back into the school after the, uh, per- the police has set up a perimeter. And once you're inside the police perimeter, a prompt comes up and it says, "Kill all the police or kill yourself."
- 0:10:13
Mm-hmm.
- 0:10:13
The, this platform, which I would ch- rather not name currently, um, the amount of predators that are on it, the willful, um, allowance and refusal to make changes on their platform is something that we're working with here. I'll give one little quick in- instance. There was a young man, um, about the age of 13 years old, uh, was groomed on the platform for about two years. He was actually one of the lucky ones that never actually met his predator, because it's happening a lot as these people are leaving or being talked into meeting these people in person.
- 0:10:46
After two years, he was able to get away from it, and part of his rehabilitation on his own was he gained legal advice and essentially played Catch a Predator on this g- on this game. He was, um... And got advice from the people from Catch a Predator. So after, I don't remember how many years he had been doing this, every time he would get enough information, he would take that binder and he would send it to the authorities, and he would send the exact same binder to the gaming platform. After six arrests and two convictions, the gaming platform sent him a cease and desist letter and kicked him off the platform, and released a public statement that says they will not allow vigilantes on their platform.
- 0:11:25
They didn't say anything about the predators that he had found and were having convictions. Um, so and the last piece I'll make is, at least from what I've gathered here recently, in January alone, there are 42 cases related to this platform that, um, include, uh, kidnapping, rape, and child pornography. So this is a start. It's something that I have all of the passion in the world that I will be continuing to look into. Um, we've introduced a study committee as well. But through learning more about how bad this platform actually is, my concern is we're up, are up a little bit of a time, and to allow them to have the freedom they have right now for the next nine months or year before we can get back up and try to do something else is just, there's just gonna be too many kids that are gonna get hurt during this process.
- 0:12:11
So...
- 0:12:13
Do have one question. Is it Senator Kemp? Okay.
- 0:12:18
Uh, not a question, but just a thank you. Uh, this is a small but major change, and I just appreciate you bringing this to our attention. I never knew something like this existed, and it's heartbreaking and concerning and scary at the same time. So, uh, thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. I just hope that this is on a fast track-
- 0:12:37
Mm-hmm
- 0:12:38
... to getting to our floors to get to the governor's desk. Thank you.
- 0:12:41
I didn't know about it either. Um, I've got a six and seven-year-old at home. When we left on crossover at 1:00 in the morning, about 1:30, I was falling asleep trying to get home, and I turned on this podcast, and it's live feeds. They're showing them playing these games and all that. I didn't go to sleep that night. So I didn't have a problem getting home, but I had a problem going to sleep afterwards. So just thank you.
- 0:13:01
Senator Tillery.
- 0:13:02
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for, um, bringing this to us, Representative. It's really terrifying and disgusting what you're, um... what you've uncovered. My question is, is your language even strong enough? Um, only because I'm curious, um, you've got encourages, right? That the platform would be en- encourages, causes, abets, connives, solicits, engages, or aids another in committing any felony. So to, to capture it, one, one would, a, a senior prosecutor would have to argue or law enforcement would have to argue that the fact of the game itself is encouraging someone to commit a like act.
- 0:13:47
And I, I'm afraid there's too much wiggle room there. I might almost talk about like replicates or add that in or something. I don't ... Just curious your thoughts. I'm not sure that, that they couldn't wiggle out of that.
- 0:13:59
Sure. Um, so this came, again, somewhat quickly, all of this. I, I was brought into all of this, again, right after crossover. Um, um, had a, just happened to have a dinner the next Monday and with GTLA, and still very much on my heart. So I gave them my whole spiel in between GTLA and legislative council. This is what they have come up with.
- 0:14:18
Okay.
- 0:14:18
Um, and there's ... So yeah, that's, um, I would love to add more.
- 0:14:24
Well-
- 0:14:24
I respect Mr., you know, there's-
- 0:14:26
Mm-hmm
- 0:14:26
... Senator Bearden, and I'm by no means trying to, to hijack or take over his bill. So to me, anything was a great start.
- 0:14:33
Mm-hmm.
- 0:14:33
Um, and but we, we are, we definitely want to look at more language, you know, going into next year. Um, and again, I, I would be open to whatever the chairman would want.
- 0:14:42
Yeah.
- 0:14:43
Right. And then I'm questioning whether the individual would have to actually have committed a violent felony, a forceful or violent felony. Probably so, but it is a start. I, I'm-
- 0:14:54
Yeah
- 0:14:54
... I'm with you on that, so.
- 0:14:56
A lot of what's happening on this, through this grooming process is, is images being shared to kids, um, and some of them explicit in all of the imaginary ways that you can, you can imagine. It's, um, um-
- 0:15:09
Well, I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. You know, as technology continues to grow and expand, a lot of good comes from it. We can use it for the betterment of education, uh, medical, everything. But along with it-
- 0:15:25
Mm
- 0:15:25
... we got this side of, side of it, which is very dangerous, and we wanna make sure we're doing everything we can to protect our kids in this, in this body. And as you said, I think we're ... I don't think it's ever gonna stop. I think we're gonna have to keep playing catch-up and moving with it, kind of like we do with the drugs that-
- 0:15:41
Yeah
- 0:15:42
... you know, one day it's crack, next day it's meth, and we're just having to k- keep on trying to play catch-up. I think this is a good start. Um, I am presenting this, so I would ... If there's any questions to me, or what's the pleasure of the committee at this time?
- 0:15:56
Motion to pass.
- 0:15:56
We got a motion to pass. Do I have a se- got a second? All those in favor, please raise your right hand. It is unanimous. Now, this time, I promise you, this is our last meeting. Um, I, I lied last time. Uh, I don't like lying to our, our committee. But again, thank y'all so much for this. Thank y'all so much for all your help throughout the year. And, um, we are adjourned. Thank y'all.
- 0:16:19
Thank you.
- 0:16:19
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
- 0:16:20
Thank you.
- 0:16:20
You've done a good job as chairman