ATLANTA – A bill prohibiting sex offenders from photographing children would also restrict where they can live under an amendment added this week.

Wednesday, the House Committee on Judiciary Non-Civil added restrictions that would make it illegal for sex offenders to live, work or volunteer within 1,000 feet of a school, church, daycare facility or other places children congregate to a bill prohibiting them from photographing minors without parental consent.

The photo prohibition was in a bill sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, which was introduced last year. The committee added the distance restrictions to it from a separate House bill stalled in a Senate committee.

"The state's already said they're dangerous to children," he said. "We basically held the same standard to photography," Johnson said.

Sara Totonchi, public policy director for the Southern Center for Human Rights, said the photography prohibition is overreaching and may apply to any photo with a child in it.

"It will have major unintended consequences," she said.

A Georgia law on where sex offenders can reside were thrown out last year by the Georgia Supreme Court, which declared it unconstitutional when applied to sex offenders who had established residency by the time a school, church of day care was built within 1,000 feet of their residence.

The Senate Judiciary Committee referred the House residency bill to a subcommittee Thursday.

If either bill passes, a joint House-Senate conference committee to sort out any differences between the versions.

Jake Armstrong can be reached at (404) 589-8424 or jake.armstrong@morris.com.