2008 House Prefiled Legislation

A BILL to be entitled an Act to provide for a homestead exemption from DeKalb County ad valorem taxes for county purposes in an amount equal to the amount by which the current year assessed value of a homestead exceeds the purchase price of such homestead; to provide for definitions; to specify the terms and conditions of the exemption and the procedures relating thereto; to provide for applicability; to repeal an Act providing for a base year assessed value homestead exemption, approved May 5, 2006 (Ga. L. 2006, p. 4636); to provide for a referendum, effective dates, and automatic repeal; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 48-8-3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to exemptions from state sales and use tax, so as to change the exemption from sales and use tax with respect to certain sales of certain energy efficient products for a limited period of time; to provide for an exemption with respect to certain sales of certain types of water efficient products for a limited period of time; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to imposition, rate, and computation of income taxes, so as to provide that an individual taxpayer shall be entitled to an income tax credit for the purchase of a qualified premium energy efficient appliance for use in the taxpayer's residence; to provide that the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources develop standards for and certify qualified premium energy efficient appliances; to provide for the amount of such credits and their application; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 5 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to organization of county government, so as to provide a short title; to provide that the General Assembly may create chief executive officer/county commission forms of government for county governing authorities; to limit the powers of the chief executive officer in such form of government; to provide for an exception for existing chief executive officer/county commission forms of government; to provide for a referendum to make existing chief executive officer/county commission forms subject to such limitation; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 34 of the O.C.G.A., relating to general provisions relative to labor and industrial relations, so as to enact the "Parent Protection Act"; to provide for leave for employees to attend school conferences and medical appointments; to provide for a remedy; to amend Article 1 of Chapter 1A of Title 20 of the O.C.G.A., relating to early care and learning generally, so as to require day-care programs and preschool programs to provide written notice prior to school conferences; to amend Article 4A of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the O.C.G.A., relating to community involvement in education, so as to require local school systems and private schools to provide written notice prior to school conferences; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 17-6-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to where offenses are bailable, procedure, schedule of bails, and appeal bonds, so as to require persons who are not lawfully present in the United States and who are charged with a felony to have bail set by a superior court judge; to amend Code Section 17-10-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to fixing of sentence, so as to correct a cross-reference; to provide for other related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the O.C.G.A., relating to the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to enact the "Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's Economy Act" to implement programs to improve graduation rates and to improve the preparedness of students for postsecondary education and careers; to provide for involvement of parents and guardians; to provide for extended day funding; to provide for education and career guidance training in colleges of education; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for exemptions from certain portions of the high school graduation test and end-of-course assessments; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 12 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to commissions and other agencies, so as to create the Public Authority Ethics Board; to define certain terms; to provide for membership of such board; to provide for officers and administrative matters; to provide for powers and duties of such board; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to local boards of education, so as to require public notice of a budget deficit within three business days; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 3 of Article 15 of Chapter 2 of Title 14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to revocation of certificates of authority of foreign corporations, so as to provide for expedited revocation in the case of a foreign telecommunications corporation willfully refusing to pay taxes, fees, or assessments; to provide for criminal penalties for doing business by or with such a corporation after revocation; to provide for procedure; to define a term; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 42-5-120 and Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 50 of the O.C.G.A., relating to rules and regulations of voluntary labor programs and general authority, duties, and procedure for state purchasing, respectively, so as to provide for free market competition with regard to state purchasing; to change provisions relating to the rules and regulations of the Board of Corrections for voluntary labor programs; to change certain provisions relating to the Department of Administrative Services purchasing supplies, materials, equipment, and services for and on behalf of state government; to repeal provisions relating to goods and services to be obtained from the Georgia Correctional Industries Administration; to provide for an effective date; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to enact the "Second Amendment Protection Act of 2008"; to amend Article 4 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the O.C.G.A., relating to dangerous instrumentalities and practices, so as to prohibit persons from attempting to solicit, persuade, encourage, or entice any dealer to transfer or otherwise convey a firearm other than to the actual buyer; to prohibit persons from aiding and abetting such actions; to provide for penalties; to change certain provisions regarding the transportation and carrying of certain firearms and other weapons; to provide for exceptions; to provide for civil penalties; to amend Code Section 38-3-51 of the O.C.G.A., relating to the emergency powers of the Governor, so as to limit the Governor's emergency powers with respect to firearms; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the O.C.G.A., relating to primaries and elections generally, so as to provide for the creation of an Office of State Election Administration; to provide for a chief election officer to replace the State Election Board and the Secretary of State in the administration of election laws; to provide for selection, powers and duties, and compensation of the chief election officer; to provide for staffing; to provide for certain limitations on the chief election officer and employees of the Office State Election Administration; to provide for an advisory group to assist the chief election officer; to provide for its composition and duties; to provide for the confidentiality of certain records and the availability of other records; to provide for election observers; to conform existing laws; to provide for related matters; to provide effective dates; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 27 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to lottery for education, so as to provide for a Georgia Lottery Corporation Board of Directors; to provide for certain duties for the board of directors; to provide for certain duties for the Georgia Lottery Corporation's chief executive officer; to provide for a Georgia Lottery Corporation Legislative Oversight Committee; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 13 of Chapter 1 of Title 7 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to licensing of mortgage lenders and mortgage brokers, so as to create a nation-wide automated licensing system for mortgage brokers and mortgage lenders; to provide legislative findings; to provide for the Department of Banking and Finance to participate in such a system; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for disbursement of fees minus expenses; to provide for changing license renewal dates; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to insurance, so as to provide for filing requirements for health insurance rates; to change the minimum definitional limits of small groups; to add requirements for kinds of insurance which insurers may transact; to expand requirements under accident and sickness policies to require companies active in the group health insurance market to offer plans of individual health insurance coverage; to change additional requirements of insurers to participate and accept potential reassignees in the assignment systems; to provide for statutory construction; to provide for rule making and enforcement by the Commissioner of Insurance; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 36 of the O.C.G.A., relating to local government, so as to provide for preclearance of new townships under Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended; to provide for town councils for such townships; to provide for the enactment of ordinances; to provide for a town court and town judge and their powers and duties; to provide for an audit; to provide for conformity; to amend Chapter 1 of Title 45 of the O.C.G.A., relating to general provisions concerning public officers and employees, so as to include townships within the entities covered under the whistleblower protection law; to amend Chapter 8 of Title 48 of the O.C.G.A., relating to sales and use taxes, so as to provide for the imposition of a local option sales tax to finance the operation of a township; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to authorize the General Assembly to provide by law for homestead exemptions that freeze the assessment of property with respect to any or all ad valorem property taxes; to provide for ratification of such exemptions which were previously enacted; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes.

A RESOLUTION encouraging the National Football Foundation to relocate the College Football Hall of Fame from South Bend, Indiana, to Atlanta, Georgia; and for other purposes.

A RESOLUTION urging Congress and the President to remove the moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling; and for other purposes.