HOUSE INFORMATION OFFICE
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Weekly Wrap-up #10
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The House reconvened Monday, March 22nd at 10:00 am for the 35th day of the 2004 Session. Lawmakers were in recess on Tuesday, March 23rd to allow the Senate to work on the 2005 budget which would begin July 1st. House members also voted to be in recess Friday, March 26th, Monday, March 29th and Tuesday, March 30th allowing the conference committee to begin working on a compromise to HB 1181. This is the state's proposed $16.4 billion budget that would begin July 1stand end June 30th of 2005. Lawmakers will be back in session on Wednesday, March 31st at 10:00 am for the 38th day of the 40 day session.

Redistricting - The three judge panel and a special master appointed to oversee redistricting have drawn final House and Senate maps that will be used in the 2004 elections. This comes after lawmakers were allowed to file comments to the federal judges on a map they presented last week, which put 66 house members in shared districts. That number will be reduced to 22 under this final version. The General Assembly missed the March 1st deadline to adopted new legislative maps so a special master was brought in to draw district lines that were "politically blind".

To go to the Reapportionment Office click here

Midyear Budget - The House adopted the conference committee report on HB 1180 on Monday by a vote of 159-8. This is the state's $16.1 billion revised spending plan for the current fiscal year that ends June 30th. After two weeks of negotiations, conference committee members were able to find agreement and provide $172 million in Medicaid funding, which will allow the state to pay doctors and hospitals that treat elderly and poor patients under the program.

The compromise midyear budget also contains: $118 million for local school districts to cope with growing enrollments, $17 million to fully fund PeachCare, $1.3 million needed to save the state's emergency dental program from elimination, $354,608 to fully fund the Katie Beckett Waiver Program which helps parents with children who are severely mentally disabled, $250,000 to soften the blow from the Governor's recommended reduction in funds for the state's libraries, $166,000 to restore funding to help low-income and at-risk mothers to deliver healthy babies, $100,000 to reduce the Governor's recommended cuts to Georgia's QuickStart program, which works with new industries to provide specialty job training for potential workers, $50,000 to restore funds for the "Three O'clock Project," which helps to steer at-risk children away from drugs by promoting academic excellence and a healthy lifestyle and $25,000 recommended by House conferees to reduce cutbacks to the state's adult literacy program.

To go to the House Appropriations Committee click here

To go to the Legislative Budget Office click here

Department of Early Care and Learning - SB 456, is a part of the Governor's legislative agenda and passed on Thursday 167-0. A new Department of Early Care and Learning would be created under the bill replacing the current Office of School Readiness. It would centralize administering and regulating early childhood state government run programs such as Pre-K and Head Start. Another provision places licensing of state run day care centers, group day care homes and family day-care homes under the new department's purview.

To read SB 456 click here

HOT Lanes - SB 489 was approved on Thursday 160-0 and allows for the future implementation by the Department of Transportation, with the General Assembly's approval, of HOT lanes (High Occupancy Toll Lanes). These would be HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes that could be driven in by solo drivers if a fee has been paid. The measure also allows buses and motorcoaches to move into HOV lanes while traveling down the highway, which is currently prohibited.

Film Piracy - SB 439 passed on Thursday 156-0 and makes it illegal to use an audiovisual device to record a motion picture while it is being shown in the theater. Those convicted of the first offense would be guilty of a high and aggravated misdemeanor and a second offense would be a felony. Theater managers would also have the right under the bill to hold someone suspected of illegal filming until police arrive to determine if the law's been broken.

Preserving Forests -SB 480 passed 143-1 on Monday and sets up the Forest Heritage Trust Program that would identify, acquire and preserve forest areas in Georgia. The program would be administered by the State Forestry Commission and would not cost the state any money.

Condemned Inmate DNA samples - SB 482, which is a part of the Lt. Governor's legislative agenda, was passed on Monday 158-0 and will allow the state to take DNA samples from death row inmates to help solve cold cases. Current law only allows DNA samples to be taken upon an inmates release from prison.

Genital Mutilation - SB 418 was adopted on Wednesday 168-0 and bans involuntary genital female mutilation which is practiced by some cultures. An amendment to the bill was passed that prohibits genital piercing for women.

To view legislation click here

Other Legislation Passed this Week

Monday, March 22nd - 35th Day of the Session

SB 356, A bill to be entitled an Act to provide for a registry of offsetting reductions in greenhouse gases obtained by carbon sequestration; to provide legislative findings and declarations; to amend Chapter 6 of Title 12 of the O.C.G.A., relating to forest resources and other plant life, so as to enact the Georgia Carbon Sequestration Registry Act; to provide a short title; to define certain terms; to establish the Georgia Carbon Sequestration Registry; to provide for purposes of the registry; to provide for functions; to provide for procedures and protocols; to provide for construction; to provide for voluntary participation; to provide for reporting procedures; to provide for standardized forms and software; to provide for related matters; to provide effective dates; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 144-7.

SB 411, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 5-6-46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the operation of the notice of appeal acting as supersedeas bond in civil cases, the requirements of the supersedeas bond including the amount, the procedure where there is an insufficient filing, and the surety's liability as to the bond, so as to change certain provisions relating to the type of security allowed for supersedeas; to provide for global supersedeas for all appeals; to provide for a maximum allowable bond or security for supersedeas; to amend Code Section 9-12-134 of the O.C.G.A., relating to appeal or stay of a foreign judgment, so as to correct a cross-reference; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to provide for applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 156-0.

SB 457, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Titles 15, 19, and 24 of the O.C.G.A., relating respectively to courts, domestic relations, and evidence, so as to provide for improved assistance to sexual assault victims; to change provisions relating to district attorney investigators; to change provisions relating to victim assistance coordinators; to provide for definitions; to provide for a sexual abuse protocol committee; to provide for written sexual assault protocol; to provide for duties and responsibilities of a sexual assault protocol committee; to change provisions relating to the child abuse protocol committee; to provide for written sexual assault and exploitation of children protocol; to change provisions relating to disclosure of medical records; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 160-0.

SB 496, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Part 3 of Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Title 38 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the adjutant general and other executives, so as to provide that the adjutant general may appoint officers of the organized militia as deputy assistant adjutants general; to provide that such deputy adjutant generals shall be of field rank or general officer rank; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 156-0.

HR 1307, A resolution urging the request the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Community Health to take certain actions with respect to certain services for people with certain disabilities; passed 155-0.

Wednesday, March 24th - 36th Day of the Session

SB 405, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 7 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to financial institutions, so as to provide for financial institutions to offer financial services to customers consistent with procedures of the Department of Banking and Finance; to authorize the department to enter into agreements with other regulatory authorities; to authorize loan officers to serve as credit committees; to prohibit licensing of certain persons convicted of certain crimes; to increase the record-keeping time requirement; to change a certain definition; to require financial institutions and money service businesses to comply with federal law; to establish requirements for regulation for mortgage lenders and brokers; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 166-2.

Thursday, March 25th - 37th Day of the Session
SB 243, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 3 of Title 38 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to emergency management, so as to provide that the Georgia Emergency Management Agency shall establish and maintain a standardized, verifiable, performance-based unified incident command system; to provide for the development of and instruction in such command system; to provide for the implementation of such command system; to provide penalties for local agencies that do not establish such command system by December 31, 2004; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 163-0.

SB 337, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 14 of Title 9 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to habeas corpus procedure for persons under sentence of a state court of record, so as to provide for a statute of limitations for bringing such actions; to designate where a petition must be filed when the petitioner is being held by federal or other authorities; to provide for service; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 138-25.

SB 401, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Article 7 of Chapter 2 of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to milk and milk products, so as to change certain provisions relating to standards and requirements generally; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 160-0.

SB 426, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 35-8-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to requirements for appointment or certification of persons as peace officers, so as to change a provision relating to fingerprint based criminal record investigation; to provide for requirements for preservice admittance to a basic training course; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 164-0.

SB 427, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to law enforcement officers and agencies, and Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to public officers and employees, so as to change a member on the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council from the chairperson of the Georgia Organized Crime Prevention Council to the director of homeland security; to discontinue the Organized Crime Prevention Council; to provide provisions for certain insurance for law enforcement personnel while on temporary assignment or loan to other law enforcement agencies for criminal investigative purposes; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 167-0.

SB 449, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 3 of Title 43 of the O.C.G.A., relating to accountants, so as to repeal certain provisions relating to registered public accountants; to provide that public accountants shall upon application be certificated as certified public accountants; to remove references to registered public accountants; to amend Chapter 40 of Title 43 of the O.C.G.A., relating to real estate brokers and salespersons; to amend Article 13 of Chapter 1 of Title 7 of the O.C.G.A., relating to licensing of mortgage lenders and mortgage brokers, to amend Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the O.C.G.A., relating to offenses against health and morals; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 158-0.

SB 531, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 7 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relating to the Department of Industry, Trade, and Tourism, so as to authorize the Department of Industry, Trade, and Tourism to acquire personal property with no mandatory requirement that the department proceed through the Department of Administrative Services; to provide for certain other procedures, conditions, qualifications, limitations, and restrictions; to provide for certain exemptions from Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act"; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 165-0.

SB 535, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 13 of Title 19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the State Commission on Family Violence, so as to extend the date upon which the commission shall cease to exist; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 166-0.

SB 555, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 3 of Title 14 of the O.C.G.A., relating to nonprofit corporations, so as to provide for the updating of provisions relating to nonprofit corporations; to provide for definitions; to change certain provisions relating to notice requirements so as to provide for notice by electronic transmission; to provide for voting by electronic transmission pursuant to a court ordered meeting; to change certain provisions relating to publication of notice of intent to file articles of incorporation; to change a reference relating to ultra vires purposes and powers for conformity purposes; to change certain provisions relating to the definition of "nonprofit" and rights and powers of a nonprofit corporation; to amend Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 14 of the O.C.G.A., relating to corporations organized for religious, fraternal, or educational purposes, to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 165-3.

HR 563, A resolution recognizing mental illness and suicide in youth as state public health crises and encouraging evidence based initiatives to screen children and adolescents for mental disorders in order to identify illness and prevent suicide among youth; passed 154-2.

SR 651, A resolution authorizing the granting of nonexclusive easements for operation and maintenance of facilities, utilities and ingress and egress, in, on, over, under, upon, across, or through property owned by the State of Georgia in Burke, Chatham, Clarke, Cobb, Dougherty, Gilmer, Gwinnett, Houston, Floyd, Jasper, Liberty, Meriwether, and Union Counties, Georgia; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 161-0.

SR 652, A resolution authorizing the conveyance of certain State owned real property located in Bartow County, Georgia; in Chatham County, Georgia; in Cobb County, Georgia; in Coffee County, Georgia; in Floyd County, Georgia; in Glynn County, Georgia; in Harris County, Georgia; in Lowndes County, Georgia; in Meriwether County, Georgia; in Stephens County, Georgia; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 159-0.

Uncontested Resolution Calendar - SR 829, A resolution designating the Billy Jiles Memorial Highway; SR 781, A resolution designating the Alan Jackson Highway; SR 597, A resolution honoring George William Potts and designating the George W. Potts Highway; passed 134-0.

To view legislation click here

 

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