The General Assembly will meet on Wednesday for Legislative Day 40, but we still have news to report from Legislative Day 39, when the Senate finished its work around 9:15 p.m. This special edition of the report rounds up actions following yesterday’s release and provides A Glimpse into the Future of actions likely to be considered tomorrow on the House and Senate floors. We’ll be back light and early in the morning to do the final sprint towards the adjournment. Check out our regular report in the early evening and follow all the action on Twitter with #GoldDomeReport until the trips finally drop.
In today’s report:
- Floor Action from Legislative Day 39
- Anticipated ground action for Legislative Day 40
- New legislation
Floor Action from Legislative Day 39
The house took the following measures after its release on Monday:
- SB 60 – Georgia State Indemnification Fund; paid in the event of a heart attack or stroke; Public Safety Officer; Revision – PASSED 167-0
- SB 78 – invasion of privacy; Prohibition of electronic transmission or publication of nude or sexually explicit photos or videos for the purpose of harassing the person depicted; Revision – PASSED 169-0
- SB 81 – Office for University and Career Transitions; Change the name to Office of College and Career Academies – PASSED 164-0
- SB 95 – state government; Conditions for meetings and public hearings to be held by conference call under emergency conditions; deploy – FAILED 76-89; REVIEWED; PASSED 100-67 [Note, this legislation, in the version reviewed on the House Floor, addressed coin operated amusement machines and their regulation.]
- SB 100 – state government; This state has to adhere to Standard Time all year round. provide – PASSED 111-48 [In the latest version of this bill, it now states that Georgia will observe daylight savings time year round only if Congress authorizes states to observe such time.]
- SB 235 – Violations of Public Order; Criminal act of wearing a mask, hood or device that conceals the wearer’s identity; Revision – PASSED 166-1
- SB 255 – “OneGeorgia Authority Act”; Grant program to support retail and tourism projects in border regions; deploy – PASSED 157-6
After the publication on Monday, the Senate took the following measures:
- HB 32 – Income Tax; Credit for the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Program; provide – PASSED 50-0
- HB 43 – motor vehicles; Registration application forms must contain optional information on certain conditions that may affect a registrant’s ability to communicate – PASSED 49-4
- HB 94 – Crimes and Offenses; cater for the crime of theft through possession of stolen mail – PASSED 38-14
- HB 231 – Crimes and Offenses; Victim of stalking; Extension of the applicability of protection commands – PASSED 53-0
- HB 282 – ad valorem tax; qualified forest land; add a definition – PASSED 50-0
- HB 287 – education; Tobacco and steam products as part of instruction on alcohol and drugs; include – PASSED 50-0
- HB 328 – Stadtwerke; one-time right of way fee and reduction in annual right of way fees; establish – PASSED 34-15
- HB 449 – Georgia Utility Facility Protection Act; Revision – PASSED 50-3
- HB 466 – motor vehicles; Issuing identity cards to persons completing a prison sentence; deploy – PASSED 53-0
- HB 479 – Criminal Proceedings; revise certain arrest warrants; Regulations – PASSED 52-1
- HB 676 – Georgia Farmers’ Market and Produce Terminal Development Authority Act; Enact – PASSED 49-3
- SR 281 – Sheriffs’ Retirement Fund of Georgia; Increase in fees; provide – ADOPTED 49-0
Anticipated ground action for Legislative Day 40
The following laws have either been included in a rule calendar for Legislative Day 40 or previously postponed from the House:
- SB 27 – Professional Licenses; extend the time it takes for a military personnel to obtain a license; Electrician, plumber;
- SB 46 – Health; dedicated medical personnel to administer vaccines in public health emergencies under certain conditions; authorize [This new Rules Committee Substitute now includes HB 450 and HB 275.]
- SB 115 – driver’s license; Course; Educating drivers and the public about best practices when interacting with law enforcement officers; provide
- SB 164 – HIV tests; Modernize HIV-related laws to adapt to science; provide
- SB 201 – Income and Taxes; Financial institutions that, under certain conditions, provide the Ministry of Finance with certain information related to criminal taxpayers; need
- SB 204 – Education; State Board of Georgia Technical College System for High School Graduation; provide [A Rules Committee Substitute will be on the Floor to correct some typographical formatting issues.]
- SB 219 – Alcoholic beverages; Regulating the manufacture, distribution and sale of malt beverages; provide [A new Rules Committee Substitute contains additional alcohol clean up language which permits home delivery but which is decided by the local jurisdiction.]
- SB 222 – status symbols; Pecan as an official state nut; to name
- SB 237 – identification; Special badges to support members of the United States Army Rangers; establish
- SB 256 – County Boards of Health; extensive reorganization; provide
Please note that the House Rules Committee currently meets tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.
The following laws have been put on the table by the Senate and can be crossed off the table on Legislative Day 40:
- HB 44 – state government; Georgia must comply with summer time all year round. provide
- HB 97 – Courts; Oath for certain employees of the probate court; need and provide
- HB 117 – Low THC Oil Patient Registry; Ulcerative colitis as a condition that low-THC oil can be used to treat; Add
- HB 160 – Income and Taxes; Water and wastewater projects and cost tax (MOST); provide for tax audits by the auditor under certain conditions
- HB 194 – Criminal Proceedings; The probationary period follows the compulsory prison sentence for those convicted of a sexual offense. clarify
- HB 236 – Internal Relations; additional surveillance of the victim after a temporary protection order has been issued; provide
- HB 241 – Insurance; revise the meaning of property insurance; Change parameters under which certain contracts or agreements can be terminated
- HB 244 – Insurance; Reducing the risk of flooding in the enumerated list of district purposes for ad valorem taxes; lock in
- HB 246 – motor vehicles; Issuing replacement licenses and permits; Increase fee
- HB 258 – Crimes and Offenses; Reply to State v. Williams, 2020 Ga. LEXIS 85; accruals
- HB 289 – motor vehicles; Issuing of class C driving licenses; meet requirements
- HB 291 – education; Grants to offset tuition fees at private colleges and universities; Extension of the definition of the approved school
- HB 306 – Companies, Partnerships and Associations; Companies can hold general meetings by remote communication; provide
- HB 317 – excise duty; Revision of the innkeeper definition to include marketplace intermediaries; accruals
- HB 327 – Law for the Prevention of Organized Retail Crime; enact [A Rules Committee Committee Substitute will be considered on the Floor.]
- HB 333 – Ethics in Government Law of 2021; enact [A Rules Committee Substitute as amended will be considered on the Floor.]
- HB 334 – Supreme Courts; Employees; Notaries public; accruals
- HB 369 – Doctors; Filing the job description with the Georgia Composite Medical Board; accruals
- HB 371 – Evidence; Certain procedures can be carried out via video conference. provide
- HB 383 – state government; certain contracts; Israel; accruals
- HB 392 – Alcoholic beverages; Licenses for retail package sales of alcoholic beverages for off-site consumption are subject to school removal regulations established by the local government agency. provide [A Rules Committee Substitute will be considered on the Floor.]
- HB 411 – Supervisory Commission for Law Enforcement; create
- HB 443 – pies; Transfer of payment rights for structured billing; make new demands
- HB 454 – Insurance; certain requirements for the coverage of providers who are no longer in the network during a plan year; provide
- HB 470 – property; No plans are required if units are not identified by physical structures. provide
- HB 477 – Income Tax; Loan Applications for Qualified Real Estate Donations; Extend the expiration date
- HB 480 – property; Creation, declaration and priority of liens on property for workers, services or materials performed or provided by registered interior designers; provide
- HB 498 – Ad Valorem Tax; Property; Extension of a derogation for agricultural implements and certain agricultural products [A Rules Committee Substitute will be considered on the Floor.]
- HB 517 – education; Calculation of the minimum income obligations for scholarships and study grants; provide for the inclusion of the interest earned
- HB 548 – Social Services; adequate access to records of reports of child abuse to the administrative office of the courts; provide
- HB 562 – criminal proceedings; Adding DFCS case managers to individuals for whom arrest warrants can only be issued by specific judicial officers
- HB 574 – animals; Companion Local Government Animal Trust Fund to reimburse the costs of damming local governments; provide
- HB 575 – ad valorem tax; Authorizing on-site processing and marketing of agricultural products as qualifying preservative use
- HB 577 – motorways, bridges and ferries; Offer guarantee for offers for certain projects; provide [ A Rules Committee Substitute will be considered on the Floor.]
- HB 579 – Law on Public Security and Judicial Institutions; enact
- HB 587 – Georgia Economic Renewal Act of 2021; enact
- HB 588 – transport; eligible expenses; Georgia Freight Railroad Program; accruals [A Rules Committee Substitute will be considered on the Floor.]
- HB 591 – Mental Health; Marriage and family therapists to perform certain acts that doctors and others are authorized to perform; authorize [A Rules Committee Substitute will be considered on the Floor to address DBHDD reporting requirements.]
- HB 605 – Health; Provide authorized electronic monitoring in long-term care facilities
- HB 606 – HOPE Scholarships; Add the Georgia Independent School Association to the list of accreditation agencies
- HB 617 – Post-Secondary Education; student athletes can receive compensation for use of name, image, or likeness; provide
- HB 653 – Georgia Pharmacy Practice Act; Pharmacy maintenance; Revise definition
- HB 681 – education; Degree in financial literacy for tenth or eleventh grade students; provide
New legislation
The following laws of interest have recently been introduced in the house:
- HB 829, authored by Representative James Burchett (R-Waycross), amends Title 15 to increase the threshold at which a civil litigator can request a 12-person jury from $ 25,000 to $ 1 million.
- HB 832, written by Representative James Burchett (R-Waycross), amends Title 31 to meet the requirements for the retention and availability of medical records to authorized persons.
- HB 834, written by Representative Mark Newton (R-Augusta), amends Title 31 to include reporting requirements for hospitals for extraordinary collective actions.
The following laws of interest were recently introduced in the Senate:
- SB 316, authored by Senator Jason Anavitarte (R-Dallas), amends titles 16 and 20 to stalk a minor who is 18 years old or older is guilty of a grave and aggravated offense. The bill also requires local education authorities to notify students and parents of students that some acts of bullying and cyberbullying may constitute criminal offenses.
- SB 317, written by Senator Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome), amends Title 43 to give physicians the authority to delegate licensed nurses to licensed nurses as a representative or employee of a clinic.