Senate first readers 1998 January 30

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SENATE FIRST READERS Friday, January 30, 1998
TENTH LEGISLATIVE DAY

SB 534. By Senators Hill of the 4th, Middleton of the 50th and Marable of the 52nd:

A bill to amend Code Section 20-2-915 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to health insurance coverage for retiring and retired public school employees, so as to provide that such coverage shall be provided; to provide for the employee contribution for such coverage; to provide an effective date.

Referred to Committee on Retirement.

SB 535. By Senators Hill of the 4th, Starr of the 44th, Brown of the 26th and Marable of the 52nd:
A bill to amend Article 17 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to teachers and school personnel, by repealing in its entirety Part 1, relating to the Professional Practices Commission; to amend Part 10 of said article, the "Georgia Professional Standards Act," so as to add additional purposes; to add definitions; to authorize the Professional Standards Commission to remove any commissioner from office under certain circumstances.

Referred to Committee on Education.

SB 536. By Senator Price of the 56th:
A bill to amend Chapter 5 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to motor vehicle drivers' licenses, so as to change certain provisions relating to motor vehicle instruction permits, graduated licensing, and related restrictions; to provide an effective date.

Referred to Committee on Public Safety.

SB 537. By Senators Henson of the 55th and Johnson of the 1st:
A bill to amend Code Section 3~3-7 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to local authorization and regulation of sales of alcoholic beverages on Sunday, so as to allow for Sunday alcoholic beverage sales at motor sport road race track facilities with a permanent seating capacity in excess of 10,000 persons in certain counties; to provide for other related matters; to provide an effective date.

Referred to Committee on Consumer Affairs.

SB 538. By Senator Tysinger of the 41st:
A bill to amend Chapter 34 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to motor vehicle accident reparations, so as to prohibit registration or maintenance of registration of certain motor vehicles not having required liability insurance; to provide for requests for information regarding required motor vehicle liability insurance and verification of responses using random sampling.

Referred to Committee on Insurance and Labor.

SB 539. By Senators Johnson of the 1st, Walker of the 22nd and Starr of the 44th:
A bill to amend Code Section 48-7-26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to income tax exemptions and deductions, so as to provide for annual adjustments with respect to the amount of certain exemptions and deductions.

Referred to Committee on Finance and Public Utilities.

SB 540.

By Senators Ralston of the 51st and Oliver of the 42nd:
A bill to amend Article 6 of Chapter 9 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to jury trials and appeals to be heard by probate courts, so as to allow counties with populations under 96,000 to elect by local legislation to have their probate courts enabled to hear appeals and hold jury trials; to provide for restrictions.

Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

SB 541. By Senators Ralston of the 51st and Oliver of the 42nd:
A bill to amend Article 6 of Chapter 9 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to jury trials and appeals in probate courts, so as to provide that probate courts shall have concurrent jurisdiction with superior courts over trust issues arising in probate court cases provided that no equitable issues or remedies are involved; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability.

Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

SB 542. By Senators Guhl of the 45th, Roberts of the 30th, Balfour of the 9th and others:
A bill to amend Code Section 33-3-16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to expiration of certificate of authority to transact insurance and procedure for renewal, so as to provide specifically that certain filings shall be public records of the Commissioner's office; to eliminate a requirement for insurers to publish annual financial statements in newspapers.

Referred to Committee on Insurance and Labor.

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SB 543. By Senators Hill of the 4th, Thomas of the 10th, Marable of the 52nd and others:
A bill to amend Chapter 11 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to emergency medical services, so as to provide for the transfer of certification and recertification responsibilities for paramedics and cardiac technicians to the Department of Human Resources from the Composite Board of Medical Examiners; to provide for definitions.
Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services.
SB 544. By Senators Ragan of the 11th, Streat of the 19th, Guhl of the 45th and others:
A bill to amend Code Section 10-4-19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state licensed and bonded warehouses, required warehouse receipts, and use of electronic warehouse receipts, so as to change the provisions relating to electronic warehouse receipt providers.
Referred to Committee on Special Judiciary.
SB 545. By Senators Boshears of the 6th, Oliver of the 42nd and Thompson of the 33rd:
A bill to amend Chapter 21 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to payment and disposition of fines and forefeitures, so as to authorize the imposition, assessment, and collection of additional penalties when fines are imposed for certain criminal offenses; to require such additional amounts to be paid to the sheriff and deposited into a special account.
Referred to Committee on Special Judiciary.
SB 546. By Senators Glanton of the 34th and Gochenour of the 27th:
A bill to amend Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to ethics in government, so as to provide that if the State Campaign and Financial Disclosure Commission finds violations aggregating $1,000.00, it shall refer its findings to the Attorney General; to provide that the Attorney General shall review the commission's findings to determine if any other civil or criminal violations have occurred and report such conclusion to the commission.
Referred to Committee on Ethics.
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SB 547. By Senator Thomas of the 10th:
A bill to amend Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to health, so as to enact the "Georgia Children and Teachers Right to Safe School Health Act"; to provide that a local board of education or a governing board of a nonpublic school may permit an employee or a person under contract to the board to assist students in self-administration of medications; to provide guidelines.

Referred to Committee on Education.

SB 548.

By Senators Thomas of the 10th, Blitch of the 7th and Johnson of the 2nd:
A bill to amend Chapter 11 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to transportation of hazardous materials, so as to provide for comprehensive regulation by the Public Service commission of the transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high level radioactive waste; to provide for certain applications, permits, and fees relating thereto.

Referred to Committee on Transportation.

SB 549. By Senators Oliver of the 42nd, Ralston of the Slst and Burton of the 5th:
A bill to expedite admission to or discharge from certain health care institutions of incapacitated adults and persons and adults unable to consent for themselves; to amend Chapter 5 of Title 29 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to guardians of incapacitated adults, so as to provide for an alternative procedure for appointment of an emergency guardian; to provide for specific, limited powers for such a guardian.

Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

SB 550. By Senators Oliver of the 42nd, Hill of the 4th and Burton of the 5th:
A bill to amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to property tax exemptions and deferral, so as to provide a homestead exemption from ad valorem taxes for educational purposes for the full value of a homestead owned and occupied by a person of 70 years of age or older whose annual household income does not exceed $30,000.00.

Referred to Committee on Finance and Public Utilities.

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SB 551. By Senator Langford of the 29th: A bill to amend Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elections, so as to provide that registered political bodies may nominate candidates for all offices; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date.
Referred to Committee on State and Local Governmental Operations (General).
SB 552. By Senators Oliver of the 42nd, Land of the 16th, Ralston of the 51st and Langford of the 29th: A bill to amend Chapter 2 of Title 13 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to contract provisions selecting the law of Georgia as the applicable law of the contract, so as to permit parties to a contract to submit to jurisdiction of any court or courts of this state; to provide for exceptions; to provide an effective date.
Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
SR 554. By Senator Guhl of the 45th: A resolution commending the Georgia Horticulture Trade Alliance and recognizing the observance of Tuesday, February 3, 1998, as Environmental Horticulture Day in the State of Georgia.
Read and adopted.
SR 555. By Senators Harbison of the 15th, Griffin of the 25th, Glanton of the 34th and Hill of the 4th:
A resolution commending the Georgia National Guard and declaring Georgia National Guard Day.
Read and adopted.
SR 556. By Senators Brown of the 26th, Perdue of the 18th and Gochenour of the 27th: A resolution welcoming citizens and public officials from the City of Macon and Bibb County, observing February 24, 1998, as Macon Day in Atlanta-Taste of Macon .
Read and adopted.
SR 557. By Senators Ragan of the 11th, Streat of the 19th, Middleton of the 50th and others:
A resolution creating the Joint Study Committee on Vocational Student Organizations.
Referred to Committee on Rules.
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SR 558. By Senators Gochenour of the 27th, Balfour of the 9th and Glanton of the 34th: A resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to provide that all real and personal property shall be appraised for ad valorem taxation purposes for no more than their purchase price value as of the date of the owner's acquisition thereof; to provide for conditions under which such value may be changed; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection.
Referred to Committee on Finance and Public Utilities. SR 562. By Senator Thompson of the 33rd:
A resolution commending Barbara J. Bruegger. Read and adopted.
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