ATLANTA — Georgia lawmakers are considering a ban on the creation, sale, ownership and distribution of signal jamming devices by ordinary citizens.
Senate Bill 470, called the “Emergency & Public Safety Signal Protection Act,” would make it illegal to manufacture, distribute, sell, own or use signal jammers, devices that disrupt or prevent wireless communications or block signals of devices that use them.
In a statement after SB 470 passed a vote in the Georgia Senate, sponsor Sen. John Albers said the bill is meant to set penalties for targeting systems used by emergency services, with only limited use of the technology allowed for state entities or “certain approved actors.”
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“The most important function of government is to protect the people, and we have to empower our first responders to do so without interruption or delay,” Albers said in a statement after the bill passed in the senate. “In an emergency, wireless systems are essential for coordinating response efforts and keeping the public informed. Signal jammers can disrupt 911 centers, alarm systems and other critical infrastructure, putting both responders and the communities they serve at serious risk.”
Albers said the proposal “closes a dangerous gap in the law” to protect vital communication systems.
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SB 470 would apply to devices that block or interfere with the transmission of signals from and to any wireless or cellular communication systems, radar systems, GPS or mapping systems, radio, telephone, cable line, station or system in Georgia.
Violators convicted of interfering with the signals and devices by using a signal jammer would face fines of up to $10,000 and could spend up to seven years in prison upon first violations. The charge would also be a felony.
Any additional violations would lead to up to 10 years in prison and up to $25,000.
Having passed a full floor vote in the state senate, SB 470 heads to the Georgia House of Representatives for approval or modification.
The vote was nearly unanimous, with several lawmakers abstaining or being absent for the vote, but none voting against it, according to state senate records.
The proposed law also includes exceptions for use of signal jamming device sales, use, operation, manufacture or offers to do so if approved by the Federal Communications Commission or another federal agency authorized to do so, as well as those authorized by the state of Georgia’s government.
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