07 LC 38
0379S
The
House Committee on Children and Youth offers the following substitute to HB
542:
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Title 28 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
General Assembly, so as to create the Georgia Legislative Youth Advisory Council
to advise the legislature on issues relating to youth; to provide for duties,
jurisdiction, and membership; 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
28 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the General Assembly,
is amended by adding a new chapter to read as follows:
"CHAPTER
8A
28-8A-1.
(a)
There is created the Georgia Legislative Youth Advisory Council. As used in
this chapter, the term 'council' means the Georgia Legislative Youth Advisory
Council.
(b)
The purpose of the Georgia Legislative Youth Advisory Council shall be to advise
the Georgia General Assembly and its committees, the President of the Senate,
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on proposed and pending
legislation, state budget expenditures, and policy matters relating to
youth.
(c)
The council shall examine issues of importance to youth, including, but not
limited to, education, employment, and strategies to increase youth
participation in government, and any other issue the council deems
important.
(d)(1)
The council shall consist of 40 voting members who shall serve two-year terms
and shall be selected in the summer months of a nonelection year.
(2)
Members shall be residents of the State of Georgia and shall be older than 16
but not older than 21 at the time they are selected.
(3)
The Speaker of the House shall appoint ten members and the President of the
Senate shall appoint ten members.
(4)
The minority leaders of the House and Senate shall appoint ten members each.
(5)
Of the 40 members, there shall be at least two representatives from each of
Georgia’s congressional districts.
(6)
Four legislators shall be appointed to the council. Two of these legislators
shall be members of the House of Representatives and shall be selected by the
Speaker of the House. The remaining two legislators shall be members of the
Senate and shall be selected by the President of the Senate. The legislators
shall observe, advise the council, and vote only to break a tie.
(7)
At the first meeting, the councilmembers in attendance shall elect two
cochairpersons. The chairpersons shall be voting members of the council. The
chairpersons shall be authorized to call meetings and shall present the annual
publication to the General Assembly. The House of Representatives and the Senate
shall permit the cochairpersons to address the legislators of the respective
chambers at least once during the legislative session. The council rules shall
be established at the initial meeting of the council.
28-8A-2.
(a)
The council shall meet a minimum of four times a year. Additional meetings may
take place at the request of either cochairperson. Three of the four meetings
shall take place as follows: one before the legislative session, one during the
session, and one after the session has adjourned. In addition to the four
meetings a year, the council shall hold at least one public hearing in which
youths are encouraged to attend and bring issues to the council.
(b)
The council shall publish an annual report for the purpose of advising the
General Assembly. The report shall be published and presented at the start of
the legislative session. The report shall include policy proposals having to do
with issues the council deems important to the youth of this state. The report
published pursuant to this subsection shall not be published at any expense to
the State of Georgia.
(c)
The members of the council shall be permitted to speak on legislative issues as
permitted by the committee chairs of the House of Representatives and the
Senate."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.