Abating Operation of Bathhouses
-
Law
-
Georgia Code
-
Health
-
Control of Hazardous Conditions, Preventable Diseases, and Metabolic Disorders
- Abating Operation of Bathhouses
- As used in this Code section, the term:
- "Bathhouse" means a place of public accommodation having facilities including all or some of the following: baths, whirlpools, saunas, massage areas or rooms, and semiprivate or private areas or rooms; and where entry to such place of public accommodation is contingent upon the payment of money on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, annual, or club basis; and where the owners or managers or employees of such place of public accommodation knowingly grant or permit the use of such place for illegal sexual activity.
- "Illegal sexual activity" means any illegal sexual act involving the sex organs of a person and the mouth, anus, or sex organs of another person.
- The operation of bathhouses in this state is declared to be harmful to the public health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of this state.
- The department and the county boards of health are empowered to maintain actions for injunction pursuant to Code Section 31-5-9 to abate the operation of any bathhouse in this state as a public nuisance.
- The commissioner or the commissioner's designee or the director of any county board of health is authorized to obtain, pursuant to Article 2 of Chapter 5 of this title, inspection warrants for the search or inspection of any property which is a bathhouse.
- Any person, firm, corporation, or other business entity which owns, operates, or is a manager for or employee of a bathhouse shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
- Nothing in this Code section shall be construed so as to repeal Code Section 16-6-10, relating to keeping a place of prostitution.
(Code 1981, §31-12-11, enacted by Ga. L. 1986, p. 1208, § 1.)
OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
Fingerprintable offense.
- Operation of a "bath house" is an offense for which persons charged are to be fingerprinted. 1986 Op. Att'y Gen. 86-30.
Download our app to see the most-to-date content.