Another busy week at the Capitol, with a host of bills being passed. Crossover day is Monday (3/06) and then we begin working to finalize bills that passed in the House with those that passed in the Senate. We have to come up with individual bills that are approved by both the House and the Senate before they’re sent to the governor who has the option to approve, veto or take no action on each bill. Any bills that the governor does not veto will become law at a later date.
HOUSE BILL 231 – DISTRICT ATTORNEY OVERSIGHT COMMISSION ( pending in the House )
● Establishes a panel to hold prosecutors accountable, just as the Judicial Qualifications Commission provides a check on judges.
● This panel would have the ability to remove prosecutors who display willful misconduct in office, have failed to perform their duties, or have been convicted of a crime.
All of the following have been passed in the House
HOUSE BILL 18
● $1 billion in property tax relief grants for Georgia taxpayers with an estimated $500 of relief for every homeowner
● $138.8 million in school security grants to make our schools safer – providing $60,000 per school to enhance safety at each facility in the state
● $128.2 million to the Department of Education for midterm adjustment reflecting an increase in nearly 13,000 students over last year
● $56.4 million in funds for technology, safety, and security projects at state prison facilities to make our prison facilities more secure, keeping Corrections staff safe as they protect us
● $3.5 million for GBI to maintain the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC)
● $35.7 million to establish the Rural Workforce Housing Fund
HEALTHCARE
HOUSE BILL 203 – TELEMEDICINE VISION EXAMS
● Allows state-licensed optometrists or ophthalmologists to conduct vision exams for contact lens prescription renewals electronically for patients who are between 21-50 years old and do not have certain preexisting health conditions
● HB 203 Requires that patients have in-person eye exams every two years to remain eligible for these electronic prescriptions
● Makes care more convenient and affordable for Georgians who use contact lenses
HOUSE BILL 143 – GLUCOSE MONITORS
● Requires that the Georgia Department of Community Health cover continuous glucose monitors
● Glucose Monitors would be covered through Medicaid as a pharmacy benefit
HOUSE BILL 85 – BIOMARKER TESTING
● Requires that vital testing to determine the appropriateness and effectiveness of treatments be covered by health insurance policies
● Helps patients both save personal funds and time, particularly ones with cancer, while going through the process of determining treatment decisions
HELPING FAMILIES
HOUSE BILL 520 – MENTAL HEALTH
● Develops a definition of “severe mental illness” so that data is consistent and accurate across law enforcement agencies
● Requests a “bed study” to determine the amount of mental health beds available as well as how many are needed to meet the needs of a growing population
● Requests a study to determine mental health workforce and identify recruitment and retainment challenges
● Requests for a study to be conducted to examine licensing requirements of behavioral health experts in Georgia compared to surrounding states to identify any roadblocks to certifying metal health professionals
● Expands student loan cancellation program for mental health professionals to address workforce shortage
HOUSE BILL 404 – HOUSING
● Requires landlords to provide rental homes that are “fit for human habitation”
● Forbids turning off air conditioning during eviction process
● Increases protections for tenants facing eviction due to late rent payments by allowing a three business day period for tenants to pay rent before eviction process begins
● Caps security deposits on rentals
HOUSE BILL 298 – JURY DUTY EXEMPTION
● Allows for natural or adoptive mothers of children six months of age and younger to defer or be exempted from Jury Duty.
HOUSE BILL 162 – TAX REBATE
● Another $1 billion rebate for taxpayers
● Provides a one-time credit for taxpayers who have filed in 2021 and 2022
● $250 for single filers
● $375 for head of household
● $500 for joint filers
HOUSE BILL 155 – EXPANDING THE WORKFORCE
● Enhances opportunities for employment for many professionals moving to Georgia
● Allows for professionals in good standing that hold licenses from other states to obtain a GA license by endorsement
● Expands access to services for Georgia consumers
HOUSE BILL 129 – TANF
● Expands eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits to pregnant women
● This expansion helps low-income expectant mothers
HOUSE BILL 167 – DISCRETIONARY PERMITS
● Provides judges discretion to issue limited driving permits for the purpose of driving to and from work to those paying child support whose license has been suspended
HOUSE RESOLUTION 66 – GAS TAX
● Ratifies Governor Kemp’s executive order that suspended the gas and diesel tax
● Georgia families saved over $1 billion at the pump
EDUCATION
HOUSE BILL 87 – SPECIAL SCHOOLS
● Authorizes the Georgia Board of Education to establish and finance “completion special schools”
● Completion schools create opportunities for students struggling to complete high school to obtain a diploma
HOUSE BILL 402 – WATER SAFETY
● Requires public and local school systems to provide water safety education information upon initial enrollment to parents and guardians of students under 18 years of age and directly to k-12
HOUSE BILL 318 – EMPOWERING PARENTS OF STUDENTS
● Moves the current existing Office of Charter School Compliance from the Georgia Department of Education to the State Charter Schools Commission
● Requires that charter school authorizers itemize and value services provided to each local charter school in exchange for administrative fees withheld from the school to provide financial transparency
● Ensures that local school boards fund charter schools based on student enrollment rather than projected enrollment as long as the school has not exceeded the school-wide enrollment cap outlined in its charter contract
HOUSE BILL 81 – IMPROVING SCHOOLS
● Addresses grant funding for k-12 school systems with facilities that need improvements
● Facilities must be at least 35 years old to receive funding which will ensure the schools most in need of improvements are prioritized
HOUSE BILL 338 – OBSCENITY ON SCHOOL DEVICES
● Filters and flags obscene and non grade appropriate material on school issued state owned devices
● Involves the Georgia Department of Education by giving their technology department the ability to determine best practices and digital citizenship
● students
PUBLIC SAFETY
HOUSE BILL 500 – BURNING POLICE CARS
● Arson of a law enforcement vehicle is punishable with a $100,000 fine or 5 to 20 years in prison
HOUSE BILL 505 – TOUGH ON RIOTING
● Changes rioting from a misdemeanor to a felony
● Minimum of 1 year in prison
HOUSE BILL 147 – KEEPING SCHOOLS SAFE
● Establishes a voluntary school safety and anti-gang endorsement
● Requires intruder alert drills for students and staff
● Ensures school safety plans are submitted to Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security
HOUSE BILL 88 – COLD CASE JUSTICE
● Allows families of victims to petition for the reopening of cases to provide new leads
● Creates a reporting mechanism to create a statewide record of total cold cases
● Enables families to receive a timely death certificate to assist in aftermath of homicide
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