Moving forward, vol. 9, no. 5 (2004 February 6)

For Moving Forward ARCHIVES Click "Past Issues" Return to Public Policy Home Page
Volume 9, Issue 5 February 6, 2004
For Your Information... -View the FY05 budget at http://www.opb.state.ga.us/.
-Department of Community Health hosts public comment on the proposed Katie Beckett Waiver premiums on February 11, 2004 from 10:00 to 12:00 in the Fireplace Room, Capital Education Center, Atlanta.
-Poor People's Day at the Capitol is February 11-12
-Substance Abuse Day at the Capitol is February 12
-To watch the General Assembly live, see http://www.georgia.gov/00/channel/0,2141,4802_6107101,00html
-Monday, February 9 marks the 14th legislative day of the 40-day session.
-Disability Day at the Capitol is February 26! RSVP, agenda and directions at www.gcdd.org .
Legislation Tracker
**denotes changes since last issue
View any bill in its entirety at http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003_04/leg/legislation.htm
HB 211: Assistance dogs; interfering with, assaulting, killing; penalties Summary: this bill would make it a felony for a person to assault, beat, harass, or injure guide dogs assisting persons with disabilities; interfering with assistance dog duties or attempting to do so shall be a misdemeanor; interfering with the use of an assistance dog with reckless disregard shall be a misdemeanor or a high and aggravated misdemeanor. Sponsors: Rice, Millar, Dix, Sholar, Jenkins Status: House Special Judiciary Comm
HB 256: Industries for the Blind; manufactured products; purchase by state employs; exception Summary: Any state officer or employee may purchase products manufactured by the Georgia Industries for the Blind. Sponsors: Broome, Sholar, Skipper, Westmoreland, Drenner, Lunsford Status: House State Institutions and Property Comm
HB 295: Education; deaf students; certification of interpreters Summary: relating to educational programs relative to quality basic education, this bill would require certification of personnel providing educational interpreting for hearing impaired students in local school systems or state operated school programs Sponsors: Butler, B. Smith, C. Thompson, Burmeister, Bordeaux Status: House Education Comm
HB 316: Persons supervising children; criminal background checks; National Crime Information Center Summary: would authorize, but not require the

exchange of national criminal history background checks (fingerprint checks of state and national criminal history files) with local government agencies designated to report, receive, or disseminate information under the National Child Protection Act and the Volunteers for Children Act. Sponsors: Stoner, Teilhet, Ralston, V. Hill, Coleman Status: Passed House, now in Senate Children and Youth Comm
HB 357: Certain deaths; persons in compensated care; notify coroner Summary: to require notice of certain death to coroners of those in community living arrangements or other long term care facilities. Sponsor: Howard Status: House Human Relations and Aging Comm
HB 363: Electronic Textbooks; make available to local boards, schools, and students Summary: The measure tightens-up language in previously passed legislation requiring textbook publishing companies to provide electronic versions of their products in Georgia. The new version would require textbook makers to provide complete and accurate electronic versions of all textbooks recommended by the State Board of Education after July 1, 2004. Sponsors: Fludd, Greene- Johnson, Marin, Floyd, Holmes Status: Passed House, now in Senate Education Comm
HB 428: Intellectually Disabled Health and Fitness Program Fund; establish; special license plates. Summary: HR 428 plate legislation and HR 225 special purpose fund, 25% to DD Council to assist individuals moving from institutions to homes with one time moving expenses and household equipment. Sponsors: Borders, O'Neal, McBee, Jenkins, Stephens Status: house Motor Vehicles Comm
HB 583: Students; certain acts of physical violence; disciplinary tribunal Summary: relating to the disciplinary policy for students committing acts of physical violence against a teacher, school bus driver, or other school official or employee, so as to change provisions relating to the authority of the disciplinary tribunal Sponsors: Greene-Johnson, Reece, Mangham, Thomas, Stephens Status: House Education Comm
HB 613: Parking Permits; Certain Transporters of persons with disabilities Summary: to change the conditions under which a parking permit may be issued to an institution transporting one or more persons with disabilities Sponsor: T. Campbell Status: House Motor Vehicles Comm
**HB 701: Independence Plus Act; enact Summary: to provide for the establishment of a consumer or family directed care program Sponsors: Gardner, Manning, Childers Status: House Human Relations Comm
HB 869: Reconfigures the system for charging and collecting fees from criminal and civil proceedings that have been used to fund the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission. Sponsors: Coleman, Jenkins, Stephenson Status: House Special Judiciary Comm
**HB 931: Mentally retarded; habilitation; designated representatives; guardian ad litem Summary: to authorize persons designated as representatives of persons with mental retardation to provide certain consents to treatment, habilitation services, and behavioral interventions; to provide for appointment of a guardian ad litem for hearings. Sponsor: Gardner Status: House Judiciary Comm
**HB 1033: Assisted living facilities; Levels I and II; provisions Summary: See SB 422 Sponsors: L. Walker, Harrell, J. Brown Status: House Human Relations and Aging Comm Status: House Judiciary Comm
**HB 1055: Audible Universal Information Access Services, Blind and Print Disabled Citizens Summary: relating to the telephone system for the physically impaired, so as to provide for the establishment of a statewide telecommunication system capable of providing audible universal

information access services to blind and print disabled citizens. Sponsors: Childers, Porter, Reece, E. Stephens, R. Stephens, Millar Status: Passed House, now in Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Comm
HB 1128: Community service boards; full-time employment of retirees; prohibit; exception Summary: to provide that no community service board shall employ any person who is receiving a retirement benefit from the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia Sponsors: B. Mitchell, R. Mangham Status: House Health and Human Services Committee
HB 1129: Community Service Board Overview Commission; create Summary: to provide for legislative oversight of CSBs Sponsors: B. Mitchell, R. Mangham Status: House Health and Human Services Committee
HB 1132: Starvation and Dehydration of Persons with Disabilities Prevention Act; enact Summary: to establish a presumption regarding lifesustaining procedures in health care decisions; to provide for exceptions to the health care presumption; to provide for civil remedies Sponsors: C. Rogers, J. White, Burmeister, J. Mills, Coan Status: House Judiciary Comm
**HB 1176: Disabled persons; redefine; temporary parking permits Summary: Blind persons would be added to the list of individuals allowed to park in disabled designated spaces. The permit would allow those who provide transportation for the person to utilize the special parking spaces while in the company of the permit holder. Sponsors: C. Martin, J. Jones, A. Powell, J. Chambers, F. Millar Status: House Passed, now in Senate Public Safety and Homeland Security Comm
**HB 1190: Education; amend provisions Summary: to provide for the revision of certain provisions regarding education flexibility and accountability; to change certain provisions regarding school councils; to change certain provisions regarding early intervention programs; to change certain provisions regarding budgeting, funding, and accounting Sponsors: O'Neal, B. Coleman, Burkhalter, Golick Status: House Education Comm
**HB 1208: Local boards of education and school councils; amend provisions Summary: relating to community involvement in education and the role of local boards of education and school councils, so as to change the provisions relating to school councils Sponsors: Buckner, Barnes, Parsons, Casas, Reece Status: Passed House, now in Senate Education Comm
HR 225: Intellectually disabled health and fitness program; special plates Sponsors: Borders, O'Neal, McBee, Jenkins, R. Stephens Status: House Appropriations Comm
SB 50: Health Insurers; Consumer Choice of Benefits Health Plan Act. Summary: SB 50 is the "Georgia Consumer Choice of Benefits Health Insurance Plan Act." Proponents of this bill state that employers and individuals need to be able to buy group and individual health insurance plans that are more affordable and flexible and that there is a need to increase the availability of health insurance by authorizing plans that do not contain the state mandated health benefits. Some examples of the mandated health benefits include: coverage of services provided by psychologists, chiropractors, and optometrists; screenings for ovarian, cervical, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer; 48 hour or 96 hour minimum hospital stays for birth of a baby; hospital stays after a mastectomy; and child wellness visits. Sponsors: Seabaugh, Golden, Price, Moody, Mullis, T. Williams Status: Senate Insurance and Labor Comm
SB 111: Death Investigations; patients receiving compensated care in facilities licensed by DHR Summary: to provide that a coroner or county medical examiner conduct an investigation; to provide for penalties; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date Sponsors: Tanksley, Unterman Status: Senate Judiciary Comm

**SB 170: Long-term care services; in-home and community based care; consumer choice and control; Independence Plus Act Summary: for the establishment of a consumer or family directed care program; to provide for definitions; to provide for the roles and responsibilities of consumers, departments, and fiscal intermediaries; to provide for reimbursement for the cost of background screenings; to provide for review of the program and reports to the General Assembly; to require a plan to reduce the number of certain nursing home bed days; to require an evaluation of the cost effectiveness of the program. Sponsors: C. Jackson, N. Deal, Zamarripa, Gillis, Starr, R. Thomas Status: Senate Health and Human Services Comm
SB 185: Natural Gas; discontinuing service to persons age 65 or disabled; prohibit during winter heating season Summary: a marketer shall be prohibited from discontinuing service to persons 65 years of age or older or to persons with physical or mental disabilities for nonpayment of bills during any winter heating season and the 30 days immediately following such winter heating season; a marketer shall file with the commission the price per therm to be charged to retail customers which price shall not be increased more than $.50 during any three-year period Sponsor: R. Thomas Status: Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Comm
SB 301: License plates; special; parents of persons with disabilities Summary: permit children of disabled parents to obtain a specially designed disabled person's license plate. These special plates permit people to park in the specially designated disabled parking areas. The plate will be issued to only one child of a disabled parent. Sponsors: Levetan, Adelman, Unterman, Tate, C. Jackson, Fort Status: Passed Senate, now in House Motor Vehicles Comm
SB 302: Handicapped parking; enforcement; change provisions Summary: change the provisions relating to persons who are authorized to enforce restrictions on parking for persons with disabilities Sponsors: Levetan, Adelman, Clay, Henson, Unterman, Tate Status: Senate Public Safety and Homeland Security Comm
**SB 315: Medicaid; managed health care; medically necessary health care pilot program Summary: to provide for one or more pilot programs to test and evaluate the implementation of a coordinated system of managed health care for recipients of medical assistance and PeachCare for Kids; to provide for program eligibility; to provide for program administration and contracts; to provide for an exemption from competitive bidding requirements; to provide for minimum qualifications for administrators participating in a pilot program; to provide for payment to participating administrators of a pilot program Sponsors: T. Price, D. Thomas, T. Williams, Unterman, Golden, Meyer von Bremen Status: Senate Health and Human Services
**SB 420: Disabled Adults/Elder Persons; illegal to discriminate complaints of abuse Summary: to provide that it is illegal to discriminate or retaliate against employees of long-term care facilities who make complaints or provide information on abuse in long-term care facilities. Sponsors: Unterman, E. Johnson, B. Stephens, Balfour, D. Thomas Status: Senate Health and Human Services Comm
**SB 422: Assisted Living Facilities; define and provide new category Summary: provide for a new category of facilities designated as "assisted living facilities," change provisions related to unfair or deceptive practices, special hazards to persons or property, health, respite care for persons with mental retardation, and DCH functions regardin medical assistance Sponsors: Unterman, E. Johnson, B. Stephens, Balfour, D. Thomas, Levetan Status: Senate Health and Human Services Committee
**SB 428: School attendance requirements; driver's license; change penalties Summary: To amend rules regarding compulsory attendance, to

establish student attendance protocol committees, revise the definition of "disciplinary orders", to change provisions in the student code of conduct, to restrict access to a driver's license for students who do not remain in school or seek alternative ways of completing their high school education. Sponsors: D. Lee, Shafer, P. Smith, Brush Status: Senate passed, now moves to House
**SB 429: Student Achievement, Office of education flexibility/accountability; revisions Summary: to revise provisions regarding school councils, early intervention programs, budgeting, funding and accounting, program weights, effectiveness assessment, organization of schools, legislative intent with respect to charter schools, and petitions to establish charter schools Sponsors: D. Lee, Shafer, P. Smith, Brush Status: Senate passed, now moves to House
**SR 461: Medicaid; Study Committee; create Summary: to study current policies and procedures of Medicaid and to develop statistics on utilization, costs, and expenses to enable the General Assembly to understand and determine appropriate levels of service and expenses of Medicaid Sponsors: Unterman, T. Williams, Price, D. Thomas Status: Senate Rules Comm
**SB 476: Student Code of Conduct; bullying behavior; incidents reported to Education Department Summary: to make certain changes relating to local school board policies regarding bullying in student codes of conduct; to provide for the definition of "bullying behavior"; to provide that policies relating to bullying behavior apply to students in kindergarten through grade 12; to require training on bullying behavior for certain school system personnel; to provide that local school systems provide information to the Department of Education on the number and disposition of bullying incidents reported Sponsors: Harbison, Stokes, Clay Status: Senate Hopper
**SB 481: Rules of the Road; Parking Law for Persons with Disabilities; redefine terms Summary: to redefine certain terms Sponsors: J. Hill, N. Thomas Status: Senate Hopper
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