This is the text of the bill enacted by the Georgia legislature criminalizing use of pseudonyms and anonymous messsaging in online communication.

  
  
GEORGIANET 
 
GEORGIANET AUTHORITY 
 
Georgia Legislative Information 
 
HB 1630 
 
Computer or telephone network; transmitting misleading data (3.7K)  
 
*** BILL STATUS *** 
 
04/04/96 
 
HB 1630 
 
Computer or telephone network; 
transmitting misleading data 
 
1. Parsons  40th 
 
2. Scoggins  24th 
 
3. Coker  31st 
 
House Comm: Ind 
 
Senate Comm: ST&I 
 
House Vote: Yeas 142   Nays 26 
 
Senate Vote: Yeas 48  Nays 0 
 
----------------------------------------  
 
House 
 
Action 
 
Senate 
 
----------------------------------------  
 
2/8/96   Read 1st Time 
 
3/5/96 
 
2/9/96   Read 2nd Time 
 
3/13/96 
 
2/26/96  Favorably Reported    
 
3/13/96 Sub Committee Amend / Sub Am 
 
2/29/96  Read 3rd Time 
 
3/14/96 
 
2/29/96  Passed/Adopted 
 
3/14/96  FSFA Comm/Floor Amend/Sub  CAFA  
 
3/15/96  Amend/Sub Disagreed To Recedes 
 
3/18/96 
 
4/3/96   Sent to Governor 
 
7/1/96   Effective Date 
 
----------------------------------------  
 
Code Sections amended: 16-9-93.1 
 
*** FIRST READER *** 
 
02/07/96 
 
HB 1630 
 
A BILL to amend Article 6 of Chapter 9 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia 
Annotated, known as the "Georgia Computer Systems Protection Act," so as to provide 
that it shall be unlawful for any person or organization knowingly to transmit certain 
misleading data through a computer or telephone network for the purpose of setting up, 
maintaining, operating, or exchanging data with an electronic mailbox, home page, or any 
other electronic information storage bank; and for other purposes.  
 
 
*** FULL TEXT *** 
 
02/29/96 HB 1630 
 
HB 1630/FSFA 
 
H. B. No. 1630 (FLOOR SUBSTITUTE)(AM) 
 
 
By:  Representative Parsons of the 40th 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 
 
AN ACT 
 
To amend Article 6 of Chapter 9 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 
known as the "Georgia Computer Systems Protection Act," so as to provide that it shall 
be unlawful for any person or organization knowingly to transmit certain misleading data 
through a computer or telephone network for the purpose of setting up, maintaining, 
operating, or exchanging data with an electronic mailbox, home page, or any other 
electronic information storage bank; to provide for a penalty; to provide that civil actions 
are allowed; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.  
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:  
 
SECTION 1. 
 
Article 6 of Chapter 9 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, known as 
the "Georgia Computer Systems Protection Act," is amended by adding, following Code 
Section 16-9-93, a new Code Section 16-9-93.1 to read as follows:  
 
"16-9-93.1. 
 
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person, any organization, or any representative of any 
organization knowingly to transmit any data through a computer network or over the 
transmission facilities or through the network facilities of a local telephone network for 
the purpose of setting up, maintaining, operating, or exchanging data with an  electronic 
mailbox, home page, or any other electronic  information storage bank or point of access 
to electronic information if such data uses any individual name, trade name, registered 
trademark, logo, legal or official seal, or copyrighted symbol to falsely identify the 
person, organization, or representative transmitting such data or which would falsely state 
or imply that such person, organization, or representative has permission or is legally 
authorized to use such trade name, registered trademark, logo, legal or official seal, or 
copyrighted symbol for such purpose when such permission or authorization has not been 
obtained; provided, however, that no telecommunications company or Internet access 
provider shall violate this Code section solely as a result of carrying or transmitting such 
data for its customers.  
 
(b) Any person violating subsection (a) of this Code section shall be guilty of a 
misdemeanor.  
 
(c) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to limit an aggrieved party's right to 
pursue a civil action for equitable or monetary relief, or both, for actions which violate 
this Code section."  
 
SECTION 2. 
 
Nothing contained herein shall prohibit a member of the General Assembly from using 
the state seal or the Georgia flag which contains the state seal on a home page that is 
clearly identified with the name of the member as the home page of that member.  
 
SECTION 3. 
 
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.  
 
H. B. No. 1630 (SUB)