Daily report [Mar. 21, 2005]

GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Communications Office
Contact: Brent Cranfield House Communications
(404) 656-0305 1.877.222.2768 bcranfield@legis.state.ga.us
DAILY REPORT

Monday, March 21, 2005 Legislative Day # 35
T ODAY ON THE F LOOR :
Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) gaveled the House into session this morning at 1:00 pm. The Speaker then recognized Rep. Allen Freeman (R-Macon) who introduced the "Devotional Speaker of the Day," Reverend Bob Norwood of Macon, who spoke to and the led the House in the morning devotion.
The first official vote by the House this morning was to adopt the Local Calendar, and it was adopted by a vote of Y-144: N-0.
Speaker Richardson recognized Rep. Charles Jenkins (D-Blairsville) to introduce his brother, former U.S. Congressman Ed Jenkins who spoke to the House about his sixteen years in the U.S. House of Representatives and his appreciation for the members of the Georgia General Assembly.
Motion to Reconsider on SB 133 by Rep. Mike Coan (R-Lawrenceville) which failed to pass on the last legislative day. The motion was adopted, and the bill was placed back on the House General Calendar. The bill will now be able to be discussed on the House Rules Committee Consideration Calendar.
The Speaker then recognized Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-Cassville) who spoke from the well during Morning Orders. Invite Resolutions were made by Rep. Stacey Reece (R-Gainesville) recognizing East Hall High School Basketball team, Rep. Billy Mitchell ( D-Stone Mountain) recognized Dr. Marsha Barnett, and Rep. Sheila Jones (D-Atlanta) honoring the life of Attorney Donald L. Hollowell.
The House then took up the Rules Debate Calendar.
H OUSE R ULES C ALENDAR
D EBATE C ALENDAR
Open Rule
SB 43 - HERO Scholarship; establish; definitions; application procedures; rules/regulations - The bill would allow members of the Georgia National Guard serving more than 181 hours and their children to obtain a $2,000 scholarship. The scholarship could be obtained for up to 4 years totaling $8,000. The Georgia Student Finance Commission will place any additional regulations necessary and provide oversight of the scholarship.
- Authored by: Sen. John Wiles (R-Marietta)
- House Higher Education Committee: Favorable
- Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) presented the bill to the House
- Floor Amendments: None

- Y: 169 N: 0
SB 52 - Child Support; unreimbursed payment; provide negotiation, waiver - relating to debt to state created by payment of public assistance, so as to provide for the waiver, reduction, or negotiation of the payment of unreimbursed public assistance under certain circumstances - Authored by: Sen. Preston Smith (R-Rome) - House Civil Judiciary Committee: Favorable - Rep. Wendell Willard (R-Atlanta) presented the bill to the House - Floor Amendments: None - Y: 125 N: 34
SB 68 - Real Estate Appraisers; change definitions; continuing education courses; prov - relating to real estate appraisers, so as to change certain definitions; to provide for board member recusals under certain circumstances; to provide for board approval of schools and instructors offering continuing education courses; to change certain provisions relating to hearings and investigations; relating to real estate brokers and salespersons, so as to change certain definitions; to provide for recusal of a commission member in certain circumstances; to change a provision relating to removal of a commission member; to provide for the appointment of a director or coordinator for each approved school - Authored by: Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) - House Government Affairs Committee: Favorable as passed by Senate - Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton) presented the bill to the House - Floor Amendments: None - Y: 170 N: 0
SB 81 - Patient Access to Eye Care Act; blindness education, screening, treatment program Moves "Patient Access To Eye Care Act" out of current Title 31, Attorney General's Office and moves it to Title 33, the Commissioner of Insurance. - Authored by: Sen. Ralph Hudgens (R-Comer) - House Insurance Committee: Favorable - Rep. Tom Knox (R-Cumming) presented the bill to the House - Floor Amendments: None

- Y: 170 N: 0
SB 119 - Sponge Crabs; possess/offer for sale; postpone dates of certain provisions - This bill would extend the prohibition on taking sponge crabs until July 1, 2008. Currently, this section is slated for automatic repeal on July 1, 2005 unless extended by the General Assembly. - Authored by: Sen. Jeff Chapman (R-Brunswick) - Game, Fish & Parks Committee: Favorable as passed by Senate - Rep. Roger Lane (R-Darien) presented the bill to the House - Floor Amendments: None - Y: 160 N: 4
SB 141 - Gambling; prohibit pyramid promotional schemes; definitions; penalties - relating to gambling and related offenses, so as to prohibit pyramid promotional schemes; to provide definitions; to provide for penalties and procedures - Authored by Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) - Non-Civil Judiciary Committee - Rep. Donna Sheldon (R-Dacula) presented the bill to the House - Floor Amendments: None - Y: 166 N: 0
SB 155 - Motor Vehicle Franchises; recreational vehicle dealers; purpose/policies - relating to recreational vehicles; to amend Part 1 of Article 22 of Chapter 1 of Title 10 of the O.C.G.A., relating to general considerations regarding motor vehicle franchises, so as to exempt recreational vehicles from the definition of motor vehicle; to amend Chapter 1 of Title 10 of the O.C.G.A., relating to selling and other trade practices, so as to provide for definitions; to provide purposes and policies to protect recreational vehicle dealers; to provide for sales areas; to provide for changing or terminating sales areas only for good cause; to provide for notice of termination or substantial change to a sales area; to provide for repurchase of inventories by the grantor upon termination of a dealership; to provide for applicability - Authored by: Sen. Ross Tolleson (R-Perry) - House Civil Judiciary Committee Substitute: LC 34 0367S/hss - Adopted - Rep. Ben Harbin (R-Evans) presented the bill to the House

- Floor Amendments: None - Y: 161 N: 1
SB 166 - Credit Life Insurance; delivery of policy; indebtedness incurred - Relates to issuance of policy or certificate of credit life insurance by providing that the insurer shall deliver the policy or certificate to the insured within 60 Days after the indebtedness is incurred. - Authored by: Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) - House Insurance Committee Substitute: LC 28 2444S/hss - Adopted - Rep. Carl Rogers (R-Gainesville) presented the bill to the House - Floor Amendments: None - Y: 165 N: 2
SB 173 - Physician's Assistant; temporary practice agreements; conditions/limitations - Deals with issue of physical assistants in free clinics. This bill defines the services provided and time served by the assistant. - Authored by: Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford) - Presented to HHS Committee by: Rep. Jeff Brown (R-LaGrange) - House Health & Human Services Committee: Favorable as passed by Senate - Rep. Jeff Brown presented the bill to the House - Floor Amendments: None - Y: 155 N: 4
SB 225 - Insurers; loss reserves; liability insurance/workers' compensation - This bill relates to liabilities of insurers by putting Georgia based companies on equal footing with others. - Authored by: Sen. Ralph Hudgens (R-Comer) - House Insurance Committee: Favorable - Rep. Tom Knox (R-Cumming) presented the bill to the House - Floor Amendments: None

- Y: 151 N: 19
SB 290 - Leaf Tobacco; grading by Agriculture Marketing Service/ alternatives - This bill would repeal Code Section 10-4-114.1, relating to grading of leaf tobacco by the Agriculture Marketing Service and alternatives if graders are unavailable. With the tobacco buyout, growers are now growing under contract and are subject to the grading standards of the company. - Authored by: Sen. John Bulloch (R-Ochlocknee) - House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee: Favorable as passed by Senate - Rep. Ellis Black (R-Valdosta) presented the bill to the House - Floor Amendments: None - Y: 165 N: 0
Structured Rule SB 41 - State Amphibian, Official; designate the green tree frog A bill to designate the green tree frog as the official state amphibian of Georgia. - Authored by: Sen. Preston Smith (R-Rome) - House Government Affairs Committee: Favorable as passed the Senate - Rep. Barbara Massey Reece (D-Menlo) presented the bill to the House - Floor Amendments: None - Y: 155 N: 14
M OTIONS TO A GREES/ D ISAGREE HB 166 - "Health Share" Volunteers in Medicine Act; enact - Authored by: Rep. Mickey Channell (D-Greensboro) - House Agrees to Senate Amendment: Y: 139 N: 23
* The House will reconvene on Tuesday, March 22 at 10:00 AM for its 36 th Legislative Day.

R ULES C OMMITTEE
The Committee on Rules today has fixed the calendar for the 36 th Legislative Day, Monday, March 22, as enumerated below, and can be called at the pleasure of the Speaker of the House. D EBATE C ALENDAR Open Rule SB 103 - Athletic Associations; establish criteria according to student enrollment - relating to required criteria for athletic associations organizing interscholastic sports events for state funded high schools, so as to establish certain criteria relating to mandatory classification of high schools according to student enrollment - Authored by: Sen. John Wiles (R-Marietta) - House Government Affairs Committee: Favorable as passed by Senate
SB 167 - Credit Life Insurance; notify of early payoff of indebtedness - This bill clarifies current law relating to refunds and credits of credit life insurance premiums. Also provides that the insured will notify the credit life insurer upon the early payoff of the indebtedness. - Authored by: Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) - House Insurance Committee Substitute: LC 28 2445S/hss
SB 217 - Life Settlements Act; protect contractual/property rights of policy owner - Known as the "Life Settlements Act" and provides for the protection of contractual and property right of a life insurance policy owner to seek a life settlement. Provisions are made for licensing and regulation of a life settlement provider and others involved in a life settlement transaction. Provisions for antifraud measures; Penalties for certain violations - Authored by: Sen. Ralph Hudgens (R-Comer) - House Insurance Committee: Favorable
SB 283 - Natural Resources, Dept.; deadhead logging operations; establish program; provide administration; define terms - This bill would require the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to establish a program to authorize deadhead logging operations in certain locations and under certain conditions. Deadhead logging is the identification and recovery of sunken logs from forest harvest

operations in recent past centuries, usually intended for use in high-end construction. The bill provides the regulatory framework for such a program, and would allow for the granting of exclusive permits for such operations. Prior to granting any permit, the department must conduct a pre-recovery assessment of the proposed recovery site. If the department determines that the public interest (including without limitation public safety, water quality, wildlife and wildlife habitat, commercial and recreational fisheries, state and federal threatened and endangered species, land use, effects on stream bank property, and other submerged cultural resources) may be adequately protected while allowing the operation for which a permit is sought, it may grant an annual permit for such operation, which shall grant the permittee exclusive rights for such purposes for a specific two-mile segment of a river. This bill would require an annual permit fee of $10,000 for each two-mile segment of a river. The permittee must also post a bond of up to $50,000 per permitted river segment. The bill also provides for additional protections in the form of notifications to the department, periodic inspections of the operations by the department, and provisions for amendment of permits based upon any previously unknown or undisclosed facts that may warrant additional considerations. Finally, the bill authorizes the Board of Natural Resources to set the sale price rate or rates for the deadhead logs, retains title to the logs until payment for such logs is received, and allows for the disposition of the logs under the provisions for disposal of surplus state property under title 50, if payment is not received. Provides for automatic repeal on January 1, 2008.
- Authored by: Sen. John Bulloch (R-Ochlocknee)
- House Natural Resources & Environment Committee: Favorable
Modified Open Rule
SB 90 - Ga. Smokefree Air Act; definitions; exceptions; violations; penalites - This bill creates the "Georgia Smokefree Air Act of 2005 ", which bans smoking in government facilities, enclosed public facilities, all places of employment, and common areas in multiple-unit residential facilities. A person who violates the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $100.00.
- Authored/Presented by: Senator Thomas (R-Dalton)
- House Health & Human Services Committee Substitute: LC 18 4403S/hss
Modified Structured Rule
SB 140 - Patient's Right to Independent Review Act; revise; add definitions; references - Revises patient's right to independent review.Certain requirements will not apply to health maintenance organizations which contract with the department of community health.Relates to PeachCare for Kids providing definition. Changes certain provisions relating to the creation of PeachCare, availability, eligibility, payment of premiums and enrollment.
- Authored by: Sen. Tommie Williams (R-Lyons)
- House Insurance Committee: Favorable as passed by Senate

* The Rules Committee will next meet, Monday, March 22 at 10:00 AM.
Committee Meetings Report Monday, March 21, 2005
Committee Reports prepared by House Research & Policy Office
Children & Youth NO REPORT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THIS PUBLICATION
Government Affairs NO REPORT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THIS PUBLICATION
Interstate Cooperation NO REPORT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THIS PUBLICATION
MARTOC NO REPORT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THIS PUBLICATION
Motor Vehicles NO REPORT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THIS PUBLICATION
Science & Technology SB 127 - Georgia Computer Security Act; definitions; deceptive acts; penalties - Georgia Computer Security Act of 2005; This bill makes it illegal for a person o entity that is not an authorized user of a computer to cause computer software to be copied onto such computer and use the software to modify:

the page that appears when authorized user launches an internet browser, the default internet provider, the authorized user's bookmarks.Collect through intentionally deceptive means personal information. Prevent the authorized user from blocking the installation or disabling the software by causing it to automatically reinstall it self. Intentionally misrepresent that software will be uninstalled or disabled by a certain action with knowledge that the software will not be uninstalled or disabled by that action. Trough intentionally deceptive means, remove, disable, or render inoperative security, anti-spy ware, or ant-virus software installed on the computer. - Authored by: Sen. Cecil Staton (R-Macon) - House Science & Technology Committee Substitute: Favorable
Transportation NO REPORT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THIS PUBLICATION
* Committee action reports are sometimes edited for this report. For full content, please contact the House Research & Policy Office at 404-656-3206.

Committee Meetings Tuesday, March 22, 2005

9:00 am

Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee Meeting - CANCELLED (House Meetings) State Capitol

9:00 am-10:00 RULES (House Meetings)

am

341 CAP

1:00 pm-1:30 SCCJR Subcommittee Meeting (House Meetings)

pm

506 LOB

2:00 pm-3:00 Banks and Banking Committee (House Meetings)

pm

216 CAP

3:00 pm

Game, Fish and Parks Committee - CANCELLED (House Meetings) State Capitol

* For meeting details & agendas, please click on the Committee Name.
* This Committee Meeting Schedule is set as of the publication 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