08 LC 33
2557
House
Bill 1467
By:
Representative Manning of the
32nd
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to health, so
as to establish the Children´s Code Commission; to provide for its
composition and membership; to provide for its duties and responsibilities; to
provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Title
31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to health, is amended by
adding a new chapter to read as follows:
"CHAPTER
47
31-47-1.
(a)
There is created the Children´s Code Commission which is assigned to the
Department of Human Resources for administrative purposes only, as prescribed in
Code Section 50-4-3.
(b)
The commission shall consist of 20 members who shall be appointed as provided in
this Code section. Three members of the Senate shall be appointed by the
Lieutenant Governor with not more than two from the same political party. Three
members of the House of Representatives shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives with not more than two from the same political party.
Six members shall be appointed by the Governor from the public at large for
their interest and expertise in the fields to be considered by the commission.
The other eight members shall consist of the State School Superintendent, or his
or her designee; the commissioner of community health, or his or her designee;
the commissioner of human resources, or his or her designee; the director of the
Division of Public Health within the Department of Human Resources, or his or
her designee; the director of the Division of Family and Children Services of
the Department of Human Resources, or his or her designee; the director of the
Governor´s Office of Highway Safety, or his or her designee; the Child
Advocate for the Protection of Children, or his or her designee; and the
president of the Council of Juvenile Court Judges, or his or her designee.
Members shall serve for terms of two years and until their successors are duly
appointed.
(c)
The committee shall select a chairperson from among its membership. The
commission shall meet at least eight times a year and shall meet upon the call
of the chairperson. The commission shall organize itself as it deems
appropriate and may elect additional officers from among its
members.
(d)
Any vacancy on the commission shall be filled for the unexpired term by
appointment by the original appointing authority.
(e)
Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall receive the
same expense allowance per day as that received by a member of the General
Assembly for each day such member of the commission is in attendance at a
meeting of such commission, plus either reimbursement for actual transportation
costs while traveling by public carrier or the same mileage allowance for use of
a personal car in connection with such attendance as members of the General
Assembly. Such expense and travel allowance shall be paid in lieu of any per
diem, allowance, or other remuneration now received by any such member for such
attendance.
31-47-2.
The
Children´s Code Commission shall have the following duties and
responsibilities:
(1)
To study all laws affecting the health, education, safety, and welfare of
children;
(2)
To identify areas of the law affecting children that need to be revised,
amended, or consolidated in order to ensure these laws promote, safeguard, and
protect the well-being of children;
(3)
To make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding legislation that
should be adopted relating to the health, education, safety, and welfare of
children;
(4)
To provide a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly
no later than December 15 of each year; and
(5)
To perform such other activities as the commission finds necessary in order to
accomplish its purposes under this Code section."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.