Signed by Governor Brian Kemp

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with senate amendments and pass a bill that increases penalties for crimes against police, firefighters, and paramedics.

Highlights:

• Establishes the right for a peace officer to bring a civil suit against any person, group of persons, organization, or corporation, or the head of an organization or corporation, for damages, either pecuniary or otherwise, suffered during the officer's performance of official duties, for abridgment of the officer's civil rights arising out of the officer's performance of official duties, or for filing a complaint against the officer which the person knew was false when it was filed (Sec. 5).

• Defines “first responder” as any firefighter of a municipal, county, or volunteer fire department, a peace officer, and an emergency medical technician (Sec. 6).

• Establishes the offense of bias motivated intimidation when a person maliciously and with the specific intent to intimidate, harass, or terrorize another person because of that person’s actual or perceived employment as a first responder (Sec. 6):

• Causes death or serious bodily harm to another person; or

• Causes damage to or destroys any real or personal property of a person because of actual or perceived employment as a first responder without permission and the amount of the damage exceeds $500 or the value of the property destroyed exceeds $500.

• Specifies that any person guilty of bias motivated intimidation will be punished by imprisonment of no less than one nor more than 5 years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both (Sec. 6).

• Specifies that charges of bias motivated intimidation will not be prosecuted by way of an accusation but only by indictment or special presentment by a grand jury (Sec. 6).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that increases penalties for crimes against police, firefighters, and paramedics.

Highlights:

• Establishes the right for a peace officer to bring a civil suit against any person, group of persons, organization, or corporation, or the head of an organization or corporation, for damages, either pecuniary or otherwise, suffered during the officer's performance of official duties, for abridgment of the officer's civil rights arising out of the officer's performance of official duties, or for filing a complaint against the officer which the person knew was false when it was filed (Sec. 5).

• Defines “first responder” as any firefighter of a municipal, county, or volunteer fire department, a peace officer, and an emergency medical technician (Sec. 6).

• Establishes the offense of bias motivated intimidation when a person maliciously and with the specific intent to intimidate, harass, or terrorize another person because of that person’s actual or perceived employment as a first responder (Sec. 6):

• Causes death or serious bodily harm to another person; or

• Causes damage to or destroys any real or personal property of a person because of actual or perceived employment as a first responder without permission and the amount of the damage exceeds $500 or the value of the property destroyed exceeds $500.

• Specifies that any person guilty of bias motivated intimidation will be punished by imprisonment of no less than one nor more than 5 years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both (Sec. 6).

• Specifies that charges of bias motivated intimidation will not be prosecuted by way of an accusation but only by indictment or special presentment by a grand jury (Sec. 6).

Full Bill Text