SENATE FIRST READERS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 03, 2021 TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATIVE DAY SB 271. By Senator Kirkpatrick of the 32nd: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 43-34-13 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to fingerprinting and criminal background checks for health care professionals licensed by the Georgia Composite Medical Board, so as to revise a provision regarding performance by the board of a criminal background check; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to Health and Human Services Committee. SB 273. By Senators Jones of the 25th, Dolezal of the 27th, Dugan of the 30th, Beach of the 21st and Harbin of the 16th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elections and primaries generally, so as to authorize local governments to conduct elections by paper ballot in 2021; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to Ethics Committee. SB 274. By Senators Thompson of the 14th and Hufstetler of the 52nd: A BILL to be entitled an Act to provide a homestead exemption from Bartow County school district ad valorem taxes for educational purposes in the full amount of the first $400,000.00 of the assessed value of the homestead for residents of that school district who are 80 years of age or older; to provide that applicants have paid ad valorem property taxes in Bartow County for the previous five years; to provide for definitions; to specify the terms and conditions of the exemption and the procedures relating thereto; to provide for applicability; to provide for compliance with constitutional requirements; to provide for a referendum, effective dates, and automatic repeal; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to State and Local Governmental Operations Committee. SB 275. By Senators Thompson of the 14th and Hufstetler of the 52nd: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend an Act providing for a homestead exemption from certain Bartow County School District ad valorem taxes for educational purposes for certain residents of that school district who are 65 years of age or older, approved April 5, 1994 (Ga. L. 1994, p. 4904), as amended by an Act approved April 13, 2001 (Ga. L. 2001, p. 3669), so as to increase the exemption amount; to provide for a referendum, effective dates, and automatic repeal under certain circumstances; to provide for compliance with constitutional requirements; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to State and Local Governmental Operations Committee. - 1 - SB 277. By Senators Mullis of the 53rd, Harper of the 7th, Hufstetler of the 52nd and Ginn of the 47th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 3 of Article 4 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to carrying and possession of firearms, so as extend the exemptions from weapons carry laws for certain court officials to include carrying inside of a courthouse; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to Public Safety Committee. SB 278. By Senators Merritt of the 9th, Jones II of the 22nd, Orrock of the 36th, Jordan of the 6th, Rahman of the 5th and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 8 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to employment security, so as to provide protections for employees against retaliation for reporting violations of law; to provide for definitions; to provide for remedies; to provide for damages; to waive sovereign immunity; to provide for the burden of proof and affirmative defense; to provide for limitations of actions; to provide for appeals; to provide for venue; to provide for civil penalties; to provide for notice to employees; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to Insurance and Labor Committee. SR 174. By Senator James of the 35th: A RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of Joann A. Johnson-Reaves; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. SR 175. By Senators Butler of the 55th, Mullis of the 53rd, Harbison of the 15th, Anderson of the 43rd, Jones II of the 22nd and others: A RESOLUTION recognizing and commending Dr. Mark P. Becker upon his retirement as president of Georgia State University; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. SR 176. By Senator Harbison of the 15th: A RESOLUTION honoring the life of Corporal Mark Prevatt and dedicating a bridge in his memory; and for other purposes. Referred to Transportation Committee. - 2 - SR 177. By Senators Seay of the 34th, Butler of the 55th, Anderson of the 43rd, Davenport of the 44th, Jackson of the 41st and others: A RESOLUTION recognizing and commending Senator Valencia Seay on receiving the Georgia Speech-Language-Hearing Association Legislator Appreciation Award; and for other purposes. Referred to Rules Committee. SR 178. By Senators Seay of the 34th, Butler of the 55th, Halpern of the 39th, Anderson of the 43rd, Davenport of the 44th and others: A RESOLUTION congratulating and commending Frankye Odom-Bell for receiving the 2021 Nikki T. Randall Servant Leader Award; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. SR 179. By Senators Albers of the 56th, Miller of the 49th, Mullis of the 53rd, Cowsert of the 46th, Hufstetler of the 52nd and others: A RESOLUTION recognizing Senator Fran Millar and dedicating a road in his honor; and for other purposes. Referred to Transportation Committee. SR 180. By Senators Davenport of the 44th, Anderson of the 43rd, Jackson of the 41st, Butler of the 55th, Halpern of the 39th and others: A RESOLUTION congratulating and commending Charmaine Beckford-Willis for receiving the 2021 Nikki T. Randall Servant Leader Award; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. SR 181. By Senators Orrock of the 36th, Butler of the 55th, Jordan of the 6th, Jackson of the 2nd, Parent of the 42nd and others: A RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of Elaine Ruth Levine; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. SR 182. By Senators Anderson of the 43rd, Davenport of the 44th, Jones II of the 22nd, Jackson of the 41st, Au of the 48th and others: A RESOLUTION commending the Lupus Foundation of America and recognizing Thursday, March 11, 2021, as Lupus Advocacy Day at the state capitol; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. - 3 - SR 183. By Senators McNeill of the 3rd, Rahman of the 5th, Hickman of the 4th, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Rhett of the 33rd and others: A RESOLUTION recognizing and commending Captain Thornell "T.K." King, Cornell L. Harvey, Johnny Robinson, and Clainetta T. Jefferson for their dedication to the community of Southeast Georgia; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. SR 184. By Senator Jones of the 25th: A RESOLUTION recognizing and congratulating Ralph Wilson; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. SR 185. By Senator Jones of the 25th: A RESOLUTION recognizing and commending Art for Life: Building Creativity, Community and Connection; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. SR 186. By Senators Miller of the 49th, Mullis of the 53rd, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Butler of the 55th, Burke of the 11th and others: A RESOLUTION recognizing and commending the Georgia Academy of Audiology; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. SR 187. By Senators Miller of the 49th, Mullis of the 53rd, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Butler of the 55th, Burke of the 11th and others: A RESOLUTION recognizing and commending the Georgia Speech-Language-Hearing Association; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. SR 188. By Senators Miller of the 49th, Dugan of the 30th, Gooch of the 51st, Kennedy of the 18th and Butler of the 55th: A RESOLUTION recognizing the 47th anniversary of the Consulate-General of Japan in Atlanta; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. - 4 - SR 189. By Senators Mullis of the 53rd, Miller of the 49th, Gooch of the 51st, Albers of the 56th and Walker III of the 20th: A RESOLUTION remembering the lives lost in the Catoosa and Ringgold communities during the 2011 EF4 tornado; and for other purposes. Read and Adopted. HB 124. By Representatives Williams of the 145th, Powell of the 32nd and McDonald of the 26th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 18 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to funeral directors and establishments, embalmers, and crematories, so as to provide for multiple cremation devices; to provide for a definition; to provide for conforming amendments; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to provide for rules and regulations; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee. HB 244. By Representatives Hogan of the 179th, DeLoach of the 167th, Sainz of the 180th, Meeks of the 178th and Williams of the 148th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 33-8-8.3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the funding of services, or reduction of ad valorem taxes, in unincorporated areas of counties and powers and duties of governing authority, so as to include flood risk reduction in the enumerated list of county purposes for which county ad valorem taxes or county corporation taxes based upon gross direct insurance premiums shall be used; to provide for a definition; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to Insurance and Labor Committee. HB 392. By Representatives Ridley of the 6th, Powell of the 32nd, Erwin of the 28th, Scoggins of the 14th and Washburn of the 141st: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to alcoholic beverages, so as to provide that licenses for retail sale packages of alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises shall be subject to regulation as to distances from schools as determined by the local governing authority; to provide definitions; to provide an exception; 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. - 5 - HB 443. By Representatives Leverett of the 33rd and Scoggins of the 14th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 12 of Title 51 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to damages, so as to provide for new requirements regarding the transfer of structured settlement payment rights; to provide for definitions; to provide for registration of transferees; to provide for requirements; to provide for prohibited acts; to provide for required disclosures; to provide for approval of transfers; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short title; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to Judiciary Committee. HB 453. By Representatives McDonald of the 26th, Ridley of the 6th, Corbett of the 174th, Momtahan of the 17th, Powell of the 32nd and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 40-2-86.1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to special license plates promoting or supporting certain worthy agencies, funds, or nonprofit corporations and qualified motor vehicles or drivers with proceeds deposited into the general fund, so as to provide for standards for proof of eligibility for special license plates for certified, volunteer, and retired firefighters; to provide for the issuance of such special license plates; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to Public Safety Committee. HB 459. By Representatives Martin of the 49th, Jones of the 47th and Dollar of the 45th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 5 of Chapter 36 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to limitation on annexation of areas furnished services or included in comprehensive zoning plan by certain counties, so as to prohibit annexations of county operated airport property by governing authorities of certain municipal corporations absent approval by the governing authority of the county operating the airport; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to State and Local Governmental Operations (General) Committee. HB 466. By Representatives Powell of the 32nd, Williams of the 145th, Ridley of the 6th, Corbett of the 174th, Petrea of the 166th and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 5 of Title 40 and Chapter 13 of Title 43 of the O.C.G.A., relating to drivers' licenses and driver training schools, respectively, so as to reduce the number of required hours in the intervention component of DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Programs; to allow licensed driver training schools to conduct on-the-road testing; to provide for driving training requirements; to provide for waiver of certain fees; to provide for standards for examination of applicants by a driver training school; to provide for issuance of a license to driving school instructors to teach certain courses and perform driver's examinations; to provide for definitions and conforming changes; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to Public Safety Committee. - 6 - HB 476. By Representatives Washburn of the 141st, Knight of the 130th, Powell of the 32nd, Kelley of the 16th and Thomas of the 21st: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 15 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to professional engineers and land surveyors, so as to provide that the Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Board is an independent state agency attached to the Secretary of State for administrative purposes only; to provide a short title; to provide for definitions; to provide for the powers and duties of the board; to authorize the board to employ an executive director; to provide for the powers and duties of the executive director; to revise provisions for purposes of conformity; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee. HB 531. By Representatives Fleming of the 121st, Jones of the 47th, Powell of the 32nd, Blackmon of the 146th, Smith of the 70th and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elections and primaries generally, so as to provide that no election superintendents or boards of registrars shall accept private funding; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to Ethics Committee. HB 539. By Representative Cooper of the 43rd: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 34 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the "Medical Practice Act of the State of Georgia," so as to revise provisions relating to institutional licenses; to provide for a definition; to revise a provision relating to United States Drug Enforcement Administration registration; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to Health and Human Services Committee. - 7 -