Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on SB 405 and SB 398
senate judiciary subcommittee
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Feb 02, 2026
Meeting Information
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee convened to discuss two significant pieces of legislation: Senate Bill 405, which seeks to adjust the monetary threshold for cases heard in magistrate courts, and Senate Bill 398, addressing the criminalization of non-consensual AI-generated explicit images. The hearing included presentations from the bill sponsors and testimony from various stakeholders.
Meeting Summary
Senate Bill 405: Magistrate Court Case Threshold
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Senator Sessler introduced SB 405, proposing to raise the maximum threshold for magistrate court cases from $15,000 to $50,000, arguing it would increase access to 'small justice' for citizens with disputes involving values comparable to an average automobile. [Video 00:14:38]
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Opposition testimony raised concerns that $50,000 is not a 'small claim,' citing potential impacts on non-lawyer magistrate judges and an anticipated increase in appeals to state and superior courts. [Video 00:20:45]
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Senator Sessler reiterated that the bill's core purpose is to provide access to justice for constituents who cannot afford high legal retainers for simple, fact-specific cases, emphasizing that the $50,000 threshold aligns with the value of common property like an average automobile. [Video 00:29:32]
Senate Bill 398: Criminalizing Non-Consensual AI-Generated Explicit Images
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Senator Hatchett introduced SB 398 to criminalize the non-consensual use of AI to generate explicit images, particularly focusing on child pornography and general pornography. He announced plans to amend the bill to narrow its scope, striking broad provisions that could criminalize non-explicit AI image creation. [Video 00:31:46] [Video 00:35:27]
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The ACLU of Georgia and Georgia NOW expressed concerns that the bill, as initially written, was overly broad and could criminalize protected speech, including satire and artistic expression, urging for narrowly tailored legislation that targets bad actors without stifling innovation. [Video 00:42:50] [Video 00:48:43]
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The People's Agenda and the Southern Center for Human Rights raised specific concerns about the severity of felony charges for teenagers who create AI-generated explicit images and recommended striking the consent requirement for minors in the carve-out provision to broaden protections and reduce offenses to misdemeanors. [Video 00:53:16] [Video 00:55:55]
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The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) emphasized the importance of protecting children while ensuring the bill targets bad actors and allows platforms to prevent harmful content. The Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (GACDL) offered pragmatic suggestions, including naming separate crimes and addressing probation provisions to avoid unintended consequences for misdemeanor offenses. [Video 01:01:21] [Video 01:03:31]
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on Feb 02, 2026
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