Daily report [Feb. 9, 2005]

GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Communications Office
Room 609, Legislative Office Building (404) 656-0305
DAILY REPORT

Wednesday, February 9, 2005

Legislative Day # 15

Today on the Floor:

Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) gaveled the House into session today at 10:00 a.m. The Speaker recognized Rep. Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta) to introduce the Chaplain of the Day, Bishop Lindsay spoke to and then led the House in devotion. Majority Leader Keen presented and moved to adopt the House Resolution establishing the order of business for the day.
After First and Second Readers of both House and Senate Bills/Resolutions orders, Speaker Richardson recognized Representatives Richard Royal (D-Camilla), Mark Butler (R-Carrollton), and Howard Mosby (D-Atlanta) to speak at the well for privileaged resolutions and recognition of guests.
The House then adopted HR 165 calling for a joint session for the purpose of hearing a message from the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Courts. Members of the Senate then entered the House chamber to begin a Joint Session of the General Assembly. The Senate President Pro-Tem, Eric Johnson (R-Savannah), admitted the Chief Justice, Norman Fletcher, and members of the Georgia Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and then recognized Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson. Chief Justice Fletcher then delivered the State of the State Address for his fourth and final time because this will be his last term as Chief Justice.
Once the Chief Justice and members of the Courts were escorted out of the Joint Session, the Senate Majority Leader Bill Stephens moved to dissolve the Joint Session, and the House returned to order taking up the Rules Calendar. After voting on the Rules Calendar was complete, Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons) introduced House Resolution pertaining to the schedule for the House, and it passed unanimously. Rep. Carl Rogers (R-Gainesville) was recognized by Speaker Richardson because his son will be soon returning to Iraq for military duty and today was his birthday.
The House then adopted Privileaged Resolutions and went into recess until 5:00pm.

Rules Calendar Bills & Resolutions Passed:
HB 263 Income tax; deduction; cost of certain classroom supplies and materials by educators
- Yeas: 163 Nays: 0

HR 14

Hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles; urge Congress allow use in high occupancy vehicle lanes
- Yeas: 151 Nays: 2

HR 63

Social Security; retirement accounts; urge Congressional delegation work to pass - Yeas: 95 Nays: 70

HB 10

Female genital mutilation; define offense; penalties; exceptions
- Yeas: 159 Nays: 0

HB 218

Public records; economic development; exemption and disclosure of certain records
Floor Amendment - Yeas: 109 Nays: 58 Shall this Bill Pass - Yeas: 118 Nays: 52

Bills & Resolutions Defeated: None
* The House will reconvene on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 10:00 AM for its 16th Legislative Day.

Wednesday in Rules Committee

The Committee on Rules today has fixed the calendar for the 15th Legislative Day, Thursday, Feb. 10, as enumerated below:
Debate Calendar

SB 3

Torts; evidentiary matters; civil practice; revisions of provisions
- Passed to Debate Calendar with 4 amendments as a modifiedstructured rule Amendments: AM 29 0305
AM 29 0317 AM 29 0312 AM 14 0724

* The Rules Committee will meet tomorrow morning, Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 9:00 AM.
* Bills and Resolutions that are passed by the Rules Committee today will not be added to the House Calendar until the next legislative day.

Wednesday's Committee Meetings' Actions
- Bill Summaries prepared by House Research & Policy Office
Agriculture & Consumer Affairs
(DNM)

Appropriations
Public Safety Subcommittee: Budget Hearings

Higher Education Subcommittee: Budget Hearings

Banks & Banking
(DNM)

Children & Youth

HB 180

Allows DHR to receive criminal history information, including arrest

and conviction data, which is relevant to any adult person who resides

in a home where children in custody of DHR have been or may be

placed.

HB 212

Requires certain training for guardians ad litem appointed for children in deprivation cases.

Defense & Veterans Affairs
(DNM)

Economic Development & Tourism
Chairman assigned HR 142 to Rep Stacey Reece's committee on entrepreneurship and business retention.

Education
(DNM)

Ethics
(DNM)

Game, Fish, & Parks
(DNM)

Governmental Affairs
(DNM)

Health & Human Services
Special Committee meeting held to hear HB 197; passed to full committee by committee substitute.

Higher Education
(DNM)

Human Relations & Aging
(DNM)

Industrial Relations
(DNM)

Information & Audits
(DNM)

Insurance
(DNM)

Interstate Cooperation
(DNM)

Intragovernmental Coordination
(DNM)

Judiciary Civil
(DNM)

Judiciary Non-Civil

HB 57

State ordered executions; protect physicians & medical professional

licenesure; This bill protects the medical physicians from losing their

license if a malpractice suit is filed against them. Their protected because

they are ordered by the state to do the "cut down" procedure when

necessary prior to inserting IV for lethal injection.

Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment
(DNM)

MARTOC
(DNM)

Motor Vehicles
(DNM)

Natural Resources & Environment
(DNM)

Public Safety

HB 294

Speed monitoring devices; photographic systems; provisions; this bill

is enabling legislation to authorize local governments to use photographic

speed-measuring systems to detect speeders in violation of the provisions

of code sections 40-6-181 (maximum speed limits) and 40-6-183 (speed limits imposed by local jurisdictions), but only when those laws are violated in school zones one hour before, during and one hour after the school is in session.

HB 240

Law enforcement officer or firefighter; temporary disability; filing claim; This bill extends the time within which law enforcement officers or firefighters must file an application for compensation with respect to a claim for temporary disability. The filing period is extended from thirty days to sixty days. - Bill amended to reflect retroactive date of July 1, 2001

HR 6

Law enforcement; urge suspension of electroshock devices; this is a resolution urging law enforcement officers and agencies to suspend the use of electroshock devices such as stun guns, stun shields, and Tasers.

HB 29

Law enforcement agencies; electroshock devices; prohibit use; This bill adds a new code section 35-1-15 to prevent law enforcement from using electroshock devices such as stun guns, stun shields, and Tasers. Agencies not complying with the restriction will be subject to the withholding of State or State-administered federal funding. - As drafted, this bill does not prohibit citizens from using electroshock devices.

HB 289

Pardons and paroles, Board of; allow certain employees assist law enforcement; This bill would extend the provisions which provided that a majority of the members of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles upon issuance of an executive order by the Governor - could confer upon its employees all the powers of law enforcement officer of this State to aid Federal, State and Local authorities in the preservation of order and peace.

Public Utilities & Telecommunications
(DNM)

Regulated Industries

HB 196

Common sense Consumption Act; housekeeping bill; update to ALEC

model

HB 207

Plumbing; licensure requirements; this legislation simply allows licensed septic tank installer to run the line making a connection between any on-site waste-water system to the existing structure (home/building).

HB 246

Prescription drug orders; electronic transmission; amend provisions; housekeeping bill addressing legislation passed last year dealing with electronic orders of prescription drugs.

HB 266

Chiropractors; board of examiners; additional authority; to correct language in last year's legislation regarding disciplinary action taken regarding any licensee advertising violations not defined in the rules of the

board.

Retirement

Adoption of Committee rules; only one bill on agenda

HB 319

Bill would allow large retirement systems to invest, only in the same types

of investments currently allowed by statute, but with more flexibility

through the use of exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Science & Technology
(DNM)

Special Rules
(DNM)

State Institutions & Property
(DNM)

State Planning & Community Affairs
Local Legislation Subcommittee met, No Report Available

Transportation
(DNM)

Ways & Means

HB 1

Bona fide Conservation use property; this legislation provides that

leasing no more than six acres of the property subject to the conservation

use covenant for the purpose of placing a cell phone transmission tower

will not result in a breach of the covenant.

* These committee action reports are for bills that have passed either the committee or the subcommittee

Committee Meetings for Thursday, February 10, 2005

8:05 AM 2:00 PM

Science & Technology Committee 403 CAP Science & Technology Committee 416 CAP - Pam Davidson, BG&E discuss technology & potential legislation

2:30 PM Appropriations: General Subcommittee 230 CAP

2:00 PM Education Subcommittee on Academic Achievement

606 LOB

3:00 PM 3:00 PM

Appropriations: Econ Dev Subcommittee 216 CAP

- Ag, Soil & Water, Forestry, GRTA, PSC, GWCC

Human Relations & Aging Committee

403 CAP

- HB 206 by Rep. Walker 107th

- HB 50 by Rep. Teilhet 40th

Due to Website difficulties, today's report does not include the website calendar of committee meetings for Thursday, February 10. Once the website is up and in working order, I will send a new updated copy of the committee calendar.
* For meeting details & agendas, please click on the Committee Name. * This Committee Meeting Schedule is set as of 5:00 p.m. the day of this report. Committee Meeting Schedules are subject to change, and are updated via the General Assembly's website at www.legis.state.ga.us
Contact: Brent Cranfield House Communications (404) 656-0305 bcranfield@legis.state.ga.us