Senate first readers 2007 February 27

SENATE FIRST READERS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27,2007 TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATIVE DAY

SB 223.

By Senator Smith of the 52nd:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 15-11-18 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to creation of juvenile courts, terms and compensation of judges, state grants for judicial salaries, qualifications, presiding judge, practice of law, actions by judges, administration, and expenditures, so as to change certain provisions relating to compensation of judges and grants for judicial salaries; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to Judiciary Committee.

SB 224.

By Senators Hudgens of the 47th, Chapman of the 3rd, Rogers of the 21st, Moody of the 56th, Murphy of the 27th and others:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to motor vehicles and traffic, so as to change the definition of commercial vehicle policy and fleet policy; to repeal Code Section 40-5-71 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to notice of insurance issuance, renewal, or termination of drivers' licenses, and incorporate the provisions thereof in Code Section 40-2-137; to change the term "commercial vehicle policy" to "commercially insured vehicle policy"; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to Insurance and Labor Committee.

SB 225.

By Senators Stoner of the 6th, Thompson of the 5th, Jones of the loth, Hill of the 32nd and Rogers of the 21st:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 44 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to redevelopment powers, so as require training with respect to redevelopment powers, programs, and tax allocation districts; to create the Redevelopment Powers Training Board; to provide for members, powers, duties, and authority; to provide for funding; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to Economic Development Committee.

SB 226.

By Senators Harp of the 29th, Hill of the 4th, Hudgens of the 47th, Chapman of the 3rd and Tolleson of the 20th:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to the Department of Natural Resources, so as to provide that evaluations and reports of qualified soil scientists shall be accepted by the Department of Natural Resources for certain purposes; to define certain terms; to amend Chapter 2 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Department of Human Resources, so as to provide that evaluations and reports of qualified soil scientists shall be accepted by the Department of Human Resources for certain purposes; to define certain terms; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to Natural Resources and the Environment Committee.

SB 227.

By Senator Schaefer of the 50th:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend an Act creating a new charter for the City of Clarkesville in the County of Habersham, approved April 9,198 1 (Ga. L. 1981, p. 4502), as amended, so as to change the corporate limits of the city; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to State and Local Governmental Operations Committee.

SB 228.

By Senators Jones of the loth, Johnson of the lst, Adelman of the 42nd, Davenport of the 44th, Thomas of the 54th and others:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 43 of the O.C.G.A., relating to professions and businesses, so as to provide for the licensure of personal fitness trainers; to provide for definitions; to establish the Georgia Board of Fitness Trainers and provide for its composition; to provide for qualifications, terms, and vacancies of members; to provide for officers; to provide for records; to provide for reimbursement of members; to provide for duties of the board; to provide that no person shall provide personal fitness training without a license; to provide for qualifications for personal fitness trainers; to provide for applications for licensure; to provide for denial, suspension, or revocation of licenses; to provide for hearings; to provide for appeals; to provide for construction and application; to provide for penalties; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee.

SB 229.

By Senators Jones of the loth, Brown of the 26th, Stoner of the 6th, Seay of the 34th and Davenport of the 44th:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 7 of Title 31 of the O.C.G.A., relating to regulation and construction of hospitals and other health care facilities, so as to require each hospital, as a condition of licensure, to maintain written policies about discount payment and charity care for financially qualified patients; to provide for eligibility criteria; to provide that each hospital perform various functions in connection with the hospital charity care and discount pay policies, including providing patients with notice that contains information about the hospital's discount payment and charity care policies, and about eligibility and the availability of private or public health insurance coverage for each patient; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to Health and Human Services Committee.

SB 230.

By Senators Mullis of the 53rd, Rogers of the 21st, Wiles of the 37th and Murphy of the 27th:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 20 of Title 45 of the O.C.G.A., relating to personnel administration, so as to define the classified and unclassified service; to provide for the authority of the State Personnel Board and the State Merit System relative to both classified and unclassified service; to modify language relative to these authorizations and definitions to rescind provisions governing interdepartmental transfers; to change certain provisions relating to classified and nonclassified employees; to change definitions relating to personnel administration and classified and unclassified employees; to clarify certain duties of the State Personnel Board; to modify certain duties of the commissioner of personnel administration; to rename the Advisory Council for Personnel Administration and change the manner in which persons become members of the council; to modify certain rights of unclassified service; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to Insurance and Labor Committee.

SB 231.

By Senators Thompson of the 5th and Shafer of the 48th:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to authorize the City of Norcross to exercise all redevelopment and other powers under Article IX, Section 11, Paragraph VII(b) of the Constitution and Chapter 44 of Title 36 of the O.C.G.A., the "Redevelopment Powers Law," as amended; to provide fov a referendum; to provide effective dates; to provide for automatic repeal url~ercertain circumstances; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to State and Local Governmental Operations Committee.

SB 232.

By Senators Smith of the 52nd, Cowsert of the 46th, Reed of the 35th and Meyer von Bremen of the 12th:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 18 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to court reports, so as to remove the requirement of publishing a volume of rules from the definition of reports; to provide for the maintenance of a rules compilation; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to Judiciary Committee.

SB 233.

By Senators Thompson of the 5th and Stoner of the 6th:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 32 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to highways, bridges, and ferries, so as to change certain provisions regarding collections, expenditures, and exemptions with respect to certain revenue regarding roads; to change certain provisions regarding priority of expenditures from the State Public Transportation Fund; to change certain provisions regarding allocation of state and federal road funds; to provide for related matters; to provide for a contingent effective date; to provide for automatic repeal under certain circumstances; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to Transportation Committee.

SB 234.

By Senators Cowsert of the 46th, Meyer von Bremen of the 12th, Adelman of the 42nd, Smith of the 52nd, Harp of the 29th and others:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to corporations, partnerships, and associations, so as to provide for the Secretary of State to collect a filing fee for certificates of conversion filed when a Georgia corporation, Georgia limited partnership, or Georgia limited liability company converts to a foreign corporation, foreign limited partnership, or foreign limited liability company, respectively; to provide that a certificate of conversion be filed with the Secretary of State to evidence a conversion; to allow a copy of a certificate of conversion be filed with the clerk of the superior court in any county in which a converting entity owns property; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to Special Judiciary Committee.

SB 235.

By Senators Grant of the 25th and Seabaugh of the 28th:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 42-5-35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the conferral of police powers by the commissioner of the Department of Corrections, so as to provide that certified correctional employees of the Department of Corrections who leave the department under certain conditions may retain their badges; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to State Institutions and Property Committee.

SB 236.

By Senator Rogers of the 21st:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 34 of Chapter 1 of Title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to identity theft, so as to provide for definitions; to provide for notification by certain state agencies upon a breach of security regarding personal information; to amend Article 8 of Chapter 9 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the offense of identity fraud, so as to change certain provisions relating to the elements of the offense of identity fiaud; to provide for a victim's right to file a report with a law enforcement agency; to provide a short title; to provide for related matters; to provide an-effectivedate; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee.

SB 237.

By Senator Johnson of the 1st:

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 43-4-11 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the qualifications of applicants for examination or certificate of registration to practice architecture, so as to establish certain minimum training requirements to qualify for certification by the Georgia State Board of Architects and Interior Designers; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Referred to Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee.

SR 330.

By Senators Hudgens of the 47th and Cowsert of the 46th:

A RESOLUTION expressing regret at the passing of William Littleton Collins; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.

SR 331.

By Senators Heath of the 31st and Smith of the 52nd:

A RESOLUTION expressing sympathy at the passing of Perry Goad; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.

SR 332.

By Senators Heath of the 31st and Smith of the 52nd:

A RESOLUTION expressing sympathy at the passing of Ric Mason; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.

SR 333.

By Senator Jones of the 10th:

A RESOLUTION honoring and remembering the life of Mother Ocie "Ann" Rucker; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.

SR 334.

By Senator Harbison of the 15th:

A RESOLUTION honoring the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2007 inductees; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.

SR 335.

By Senator Harbison of the 15th:

A RESOLUTION congratulating Rigdon Road Elementary School on its outstanding record of academic success; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.

SR 336.

By Senators Hamrick of the 30th and Fort of the 39th:

A RESOLUTION recognizing Georgia State University College of Law student Cliff Williams; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.

SR 337.

By Senators Seay of the 34th, Davenport of the 44th, Tate of the 38th and Butler of the 55th:

A RESOLUTION recognizing and commending Mr. Douglas Hodge; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.

SR 338.

By Senator Whitehead, Sr. of the 24th:

A RESOLUTION recognizing and commending golfer Gary Player; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.

SR 339.

By Senator Whitehead, Sr. of the 24th:

A RESOLUTION commending TEAM Georgia and recognizing February 22, 2007, as "Designate a Driver Day"; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.

SR 340.

By Senators Moody of the 56th, Brown of the 26th, Hooks of the 14th and Williams of the 19th:

A RESOLUTION creating the Senate Study Committee on State Boards, Commissions, Authorities, Councils, and Committees; and for other purposes.

Referred to Rules Committee.

SR 341.

By Senators Thompson of the 5th, Reed of the 35th and Stoner of the 6th:

A RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to provide that funds derived fiom motor fuel taxes may be appropriated for and grant made for all activities incident to providing and maintaining an adequate system of public roads and bridges in this state and for any or all transportation purposes; to authorize the General Assembly to allocate and specify and direct the use of such funds by general law; to provide for submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes.

Referred to Transportation Committee.

SR 342.

By Senator Tolleson of the 20th:

A RESOLUTION recognizing and commending Dr. Argene Claxton for outstanding contributions to education in the State of Georgia; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.

SR 343.

By Senators Wiles of the 37th, Stoner of the 6th, Hill of the 32nd, Rogers of the 21st and Thompson of the 33rd:

A RESOLUTION remembering Charles Benjamin "Ben" Robertson upon his passing.

Read and adopted.

SR 344.

By Senators Chance of the 16th, Carter of the 13th and Heath of the 31st:

A RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to provide for the creation of the Citizens' Redistricting Commission; to provide for its membership, duties, and procedures; to provide for the submission of a redistricting plan for approval by the General Assembly; to provide for procedures for the consideration of such plan; to provide for related matters; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes.

Referred to Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee.

SR 345.

By Senators Heath of the 31st, Williams of the 19th, Johnson of the 1st, Chance of the 16th, Carter of the 13th and others:

A RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution, in a manner consistent with the United States Constitution, so as to prevent discrimination in the public funding of social services by allowing religious or faith based organizations to receive public aid, directly or indirectly, for the provision of such services; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes.

Referred to Health and Human Services Committee.

SR 346.

By Senator Meyer von Bremen of the 12th:

A RESOLUTION recognizing and commending Jim Fowler; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.

SR 347.

By Senator Unterman of the 45th:

A RESOLUTION recognizing and proclaiming February 27, 2007, as "Catholic Day at the Capitol" in the State of Georgia; and for other purposes.

Read and adopted.