This Week in the Senate February 8 - 12, 2016 Georgia State Senate Press O ce Sta Jennifer Yarber Director Ines Owens Sr. Communications Specialist Brittany Wagner Communications Specialist Brett Johnson Broadcast Specialist Gavriella Coffman Communications Associate Andrew Allison 2016 Legislative Aide Jacob Hamilton 2016 Legislative Aide Tyna Duckett Photographer 201 Coverdell Legislative Office Building 18 Capitol Square S.W. Atlanta, GA 30303 404.656.0028 FOLLOW US fb.com/GeorgiaStateSenate @gasenatepress @gasenatepress GeorgiaStateSenate Senate Version of FY 2016 Amended Budget Approved e Senate approved its version of the amended Fiscal Year 2016 State Budget this week. Most signi cantly, the Amended Budget includes new revenue for transportation projects generated by the Transportation Funding Act of 2015. e budget now goes back to the House, which will either accept our changes or request a conference committee to resolve any outstanding di erences. House Bill 742, the annual "tax update" bill aligning state and federal tax law, was approved by the Senate this week and will now go to Governor Deal for his approval. e legislation brings Georgia's tax code in line with recent changes to federal law. It also adds a permanent expense deduction that should encourage job creating investment by small business. e Senate also approved Senate Bill 308, the Positive Alternatives to Abortion Act, which creates a grant making framework to support pregnancy resource centers. Abortion providers lobbied heavily against the bill, which passed 39 to 16 along largely party lines. Under the legislation, sponsored by Sen. Renee Unterman (R - Buford), resource centers promoting healthy pregnancy and childbirth would be eligible for state grants. e Georgia General Assembly is now halfway through its 40 day session. Only 10 legislative days remain until Crossover Day - the day by which a bill must "cross over" from one house to the other in time for both houses to consider it. Expect the pace to rapidly pick up as we approach this important deadline. Sen. David J. Shafer President Pro Tempore, Georgia State Senate MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8 Stronger Penalties for Pimping or Pandering Sen. Renee Unterman (R Buford) sponsored Senate Bill 278. SB 278 would impose stricter penalties on those convicted of pimping, pandering or housing a place of prostitution. It would additionally require those who have been convicted of pimping or pandering charges for the second time to be added to the National Sex O ender Registry. e bill passed 53 to 0. SB 278 Creation of a Multi-Bank Pool Sen. John F. Kennedy (R Macon) introduced Senate Bill 283, which changes the current method for depositories to secure public funds in a multi-bank pooled method, rather than a single-bank method. e bill passed with a vote of 51 to 3. SB 283 University of West Georgia Football Team Visits Sen. Mike Dugan (R Carrollton) sponsored Senate Resolution 810. e resolution honored the University of West Georgia's football team and their record-breaking 2015 season. Sen. Dugan was joined by members of the team and Coach Will Hall, who praised the team for their second appearance at the NCAA Division II Playo s and for winning a sixth-straight Super Region 2 Championship. Sen. Dugan also recognized both his nephew and son as players on the West Georgia football team. SR 810 Senate Welcomes Congressmen Congressmen Tom Price (R GA) and Rick Allen (R GA) visited the Senate to commend the senators for their hard work and to recognize the role state legislators play in working with the federal government. Rep. Price was a member of the Georgia Senate from 1996 until 2005 when he ran for District 6 of the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Allen was elected to represent Georgia's 12th Congressional District in 2012. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 New Procedure for Garnishment Proceedings Sen. Jesse Stone (R Waynesboro) introduced Senate Bill 255, which restructures current law to modernize, reorganize and provide constitutional protections in garnishment proceedings. e bill also makes the language of the statute more coherent for citizens involved in the garnishment process. e bill passed 50 to 0. SB 255 Updates to Advertisement Law Sen. Brandon Beach (R Alpharetta) introduced Senate Bill 307, which clari es current Georgia law to include the term "multiple media display" in the de nition of a commercial advertisement. e bill passed 53 to 0. SB 307 State Tax Filing Deadlines Updated Sen. Judson Hill (R Marietta) carried House Bill 742, the annual IRS update bill, in the Senate. e bill updates Georgia's tax code by changing state ling deadlines to match those of federal returns, excluding S-Corporations. e bill passed 51 to 1. HB 742 Mohawk Industries 2015 Business Partner of the Year Senate Resolution 904, introduced by Sen. Charlie Bethel (R Dalton), commends Mohawk Industries as the 2015 Business Partner of the Year. e Senate celebrated the company's relationship with Gordon County College and Career Academy for connecting education and business to produce a skilled workforce. Sen. Bethel was joined by House Rules Chairman John Meadows (R Calhoun). SR 904 Houston County Career Academy 2015 College and Career Academy of the Year Sen. Larry Walker (R Perry) sponsored Senate Resolution 903. is resolution recognized Houston County Career Academy as the 2015 College and Career Academy of the Year. Sen. Walker was joined by Houston Academy Principal Sabrina Phelps. e Academy was recognized as the largest of its kind and the best in the state at Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle's Eighth Annual Business and Education Summit in November 2015. SR 903 Honoring the Life of Dr. omas Edwin Seay To honor the life and legacy of Dr. omas Edwin Seay, Sen. Renee Unterman (R Buford) introduced Senate Resolution 793. After earning his medical degree, Dr. Seay was a founding member and chairman of the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education. Sen. Unterman was joined by members of Dr. Seay's family. SR 793 Skin Cancer Awareness Day Sen. Renee Unterman (R Buford) brought Senate Resolution 840 to the oor. SR 840 recognizes February 9, 2016, as Skin Cancer Awareness Day. Representatives from the Atlanta Dermatological Association, Georgia Association of Dermatologists and the Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation were present at the Capitol advocating for skin cancer awareness. e groups also provided free melanoma screenings throughout the day. SR 840 Enhancing Outdoor Recreation Sen. Bill Heath (R Bremen) sponsored Senate Resolution 924. e resolution urges the United States Congress to pass legislation enhancing outdoor activities such as hunting and shing as well as generally improving conservation e orts nationwide. e resolution also recognized environmental conservation as a bipartisan issue and the need for all legislators to work towards a common goal. SR 924 Recognizing the Cooperation Between Shriners Hospital for Children and Peachcare Senate Resolution 835, introduced by Sen. John Albers (R Roswell), acknowledges the Shriners Hospital for Children and the PeachCare for Kids Health Care Program for their dedication to providing care for sick or injured children. Shriners Hospital for Children provides care in the areas of spinal injuries, cleft lip, severe burns and orthopedics. Shriners Hospital also assists PeachCare for Kids in caring for over 200,000 children. SR 835 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 Fiscal Year 2016 Amended Budget Sen. Jack Hill (R Reidsville) carried House Bill 750, the amended Fiscal Year 2016 Budget. e amended budget includes $1.16 billion in revenue growth over the 2016 base budget; bringing the FY 2016 amended budget to nearly $23 billion. e Senate directed much of this additional funding to the Department of Transportation for new construction and improved road and highway maintenance. e bill passed with a vote of 49 to 0 and was transmitted to the House immediately. HB 750 Reducing Degree of Relation for Disquali cation of Judges, O cers and Jurors Senate Bill 262, authored by Sen. Jesse Stone (R Waynesboro), reduces the degree of blood relation before requiring the disquali cation of judges, judicial o cers and jurors. e bill reduces the degree of a nity from the sixth degree to the fourth. e bill passed with a vote of 47 to 1. SB 262. Commending Habersham County Sen. John Wilkinson (R Toccoa) sponsored Senate Resolution 814. is resolution was introduced to commend Habersham County for almost 200 years of service to the state and recognizing the county's "Day at the Capitol." Sen. Wilkinson was joined by Habersham County Chamber of Commerce Chairman David Foster. SR 814 Recognizing Georgia State University's Legislative Health Policy Program Sen. Renee Unterman (R Buford) sponsored Senate Resolution 721. Sen. Unterman introduced the resolution to recognize Georgia State University's Legislative Health Policy Certi cate Program and Advanced Health Policy Institute. Sponsored by the Robert W. Woodru Foundation, the program is a four-part course where legislators are instructed in areas of health policy including nancing, coverage and access to care. Over 40 elected state o cials have participated in at least one course. Sen. Greg Kirk (R Americus) and Sen. Elena Parent (D Atlanta) both earned certi cates in the program. SR 721 Honoring Nicholas Terry and Dusty Coker Sen. Je Mullis (R Chickamauga) introduced Senate Resolution 837 to honor Cpl. Nicholas Terry and Patrol O cer Dusty Coker for going above and beyond the call of duty to save a man's life. Coker and Terry discovered a local house on re and crawled through the re to discover an unconscious man in his kitchen. Both o cers assisted in pulling the victim from his home. SR 837 Recognizing the Georgia Young Farmers Association e Senate recognized February 10, 2016 as Young Farmers Day and commended the Georgia Young Farmers Association with Senate Resolution 822. e resolution was sponsored by Sen. John Wilkinson (R Toccoa). Sen. Wilkinson was joined by Georgia Young Farmers Association President Derrick Wooten who thanked the Senate for their support of Georgia's future agricultural leaders. Sen. Wilkinson was also joined by former Georgia Young Farmers Association President Sen. Tyler Harper (R Ocilla). SR 822 Cordele-Crisp County Fish Fry Sen. Greg Kirk (R Americus) introduced Senate Resolution 923 recognizing this year's Cordele-Crisp County Fish Fry on February 10, 2016, and commending the sh fry team for their hard work. e Cordele-Crisp County Fish Fry is an annual event sponsored by the members of the City of Cordele and Crisp County. Urban and rural legislators got a taste of South Georgia with the fried cat sh and hush puppies served at this delicious event. SR 923 Acknowledging the Emory Scholars Program e Senate recognized the Emory Scholars Program with Senate Resolution 918 sponsored by Sen. Elena Parent (D Atlanta). e Emory Scholars Program was created in 1979 and has assisted over 180 scholars from 29 different states and 13 countries in attending Emory University. Two recipients of the scholarship spoke before the Senate and thanked them for their support of Georgia's future community leaders. SR 918 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Positive Alternatives for Pregnancy and Parenting Grant Program Sen. Renee Unterman (R Buford) introduced Senate Bill 308, which creates the Positive Alternatives for Pregnancy and Parenting Grant Program. Under the direction of the Department of Public Health, the program will award grants to nonpro t organizations providing pregnancy and parenting support services. e bill passed 39 to 16. SB 308 Augusta State University Sen. Jesse Stone (R Waynesboro) sponsored Senate Resolution 720. SR 720 recognized February 11, 2016, as Augusta University Day. Augusta University has 8,500 students currently enrolled and is the state's only public academic medical center and dental college. Sen. Stone was joined by Augusta University President Brooks Keel. SR 720 Honoring Dr. Louise T. Ellison e Senate honored Dr. Lois T. Ellison and acknowledged her 50 plus years of service to the Medical College of Georgia with Senate Resolution 927, sponsored by Sen. Ben Watson (R Savannah). Dr. Ellison, 93, graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 1950. Dr. Ellison served as Provost of the College from 1974 to 1984, and is currently the college's medical historian in residence as well as Provost Emeritus and Principal of Medicine Emeritus. SR 927 Recognizing Family and Consumer Science Sen. Josh McKoon (R Columbus) presented Senate Resolution 811. SR 811 recognized the importance of Family and Consumer Science and the skills it provides to make informed decisions about personal well-being, relationships and resources in order to achieve an optimal quality of life. Sen. McKoon noted the importance of Family and Consumer Science classes in the educational system. SR 811 Domestic Minor Sex Tra cking Awareness Day e Senate recognized Domestic Minor Sex Tra cking Awareness Day on February 11, 2016, with Senate Resolution 176. e resolution was sponsored by Sen. Renee Unterman (R Buford)., who encouraged senators to continue advocating for the upcoming constitutional amendment "Safe Harbor Yes." e constitutional amendment will create a dedicated funding source to provide safe houses and rehabilitation services for minor victims of sex tra cking. SR 176 The Georgia State Senate will reconvene at 10:00 a.m. on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16.