Committee debates bill to make promoting terrorist material a state felony

A presenter introduced House Bill 675, which would create a felony offense in Georgia for supporting or promoting material linked to foreign terrorist organizations and provide state prosecutors authority to pursue such cases.

Sponsor discussion emphasized efficiency and a desire for state‑level authority. The sponsor said, "What this is actually going to do is allow us as a state to do similar to what's done at the federal level but here in the state level to get more efficiency." The sponsor also said the bill uses a federal‑aligned definition and that the attorney general’s office reviewed the language.

Committee members raised constitutional and practical concerns. Representative Evans asked whether federal law already criminalizes such conduct and whether examples exist where absence of state law let a defendant avoid prosecution; the sponsor pointed to extensive federal prosecutions since Sept. 11 and said the bill includes knowing‑conduct language to avoid criminalizing protected speech. Representative Evans pressed for specific cases and asked which attorney‑general office attorneys reviewed the bill; the sponsor named Chris Carr, the attorney general, as one contact and said other legislative attorneys assisted.

Whit Perchett and others asked whether the bill is intended to discourage mass destruction, assassination, kidnapping, intimidation and coercion; the sponsor affirmed those are among the harms the bill targets and said the bill is aimed at material that "supports terrorist groups or funding back to or from terrorist groups." No formal vote or floor action on HB 675 is recorded in the transcript; members requested follow‑up information and examples prior to floor consideration.