Anti-swatting bill passed in the Georgia House

Georgia State Assemblyman Matt Reeves ATLANTA - Georgia State House representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation Monday aimed at combating "swatting" - false reports of criminal activity, fake police calls to the homes or offices of selected victims.

Bill

The bill, which passed with a 162-2 vote, increases penalties for those guilty of making swatting calls - mandating sentences of 10 to 15 years in prison and a fine of at least $25,000 if convicted on a third charge. The first and second charges would have required lesser prison terms and fines.

Swatting number

Swatting directed at politicians has increased. In the past three months, three Republican state senators, Democratic Sen. Burt Jones, the lieutenant governor, and U.S. House member Marjorie Taylor Green ofRome have been attacked.

Statements by deputies

"New techniques such as artificial intelligence.... have made swatting calls a big headache for law enforcement," State Rep. Deborah Silcox, a Republican from Sandy Springs, said Monday. State Rep.

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Tyler Paul Smith of Bremen said swatting calls typically cost law enforcement - and thus impose additional costs on taxpayers - between $15,000 and $25,000.

Approval and amendments to the draft law

The bill was approved by the State Senate late last month unanimously. The State Senate's Failed Civil Justice Committee added a clause that criminalizes the crime of shootings from a vehicle, punishable by five to 20 years in prison. The legislation clarifies the laws governing shootings from a vehicle, said Matt Reeves, a Duluth Republican who introduced Senate Bill 421 in the House chamber.

A warning from the majority leader

"This makes the situation clear: Don't shoot at the dwelling. Don't shoot at the car," he said. Over the weekend, a 3-year-old Athens boy was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting from a car while he was watching TV at home. "Drive-by shootings are extremely dangerous ... often to mere bystanders," said House Majority Leader Chuck Efstrastian, a Republican from Dacula. "Changes to the statute need to be considered." Because of the changes made in the House, the bill must return to the Senate before final passage.