Daily report [Jan. 23, 2006]

HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS

TOMORROW'S FORECAST

Coverdell Legislative Office Bldg. * The House will reconvene for its 7th Legislative Day on Tuesday, January 24,

Suite. 609

at 10:00 am.

(404) 656-0305 Phone

* 2 bills are expected to be debated on the floor.

GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DAILY REPORT

MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2006

LEGISLATIVE DAY# 6

TODAY ON THE FLOOR

Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson gaveled the House into session today, at 1:00 pm, for the 6th legislative day of the 2nd Session of the 148th General Assembly. After Morning Orders, the Majority Leader, Rep. Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons Island), announced the upcoming schedule for the House. He also announced that on Wednesday afternoon, the House and Senate will be in a Joint Session to hear the "State of the Judiciary" address to be delivered by the Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice, Leah Ward Sears.

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT

SB 203 - Public Defenders; indigent defense services; attorney's fees/cost recovered

- A Bill to amend Article 2 of Chapter 12 of Title 17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to

public defenders, so as to authorize the recovery of attorney's fees and costs from persons who receive

indigent defense services; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting

laws; and for other purposes.

- Authored by: Sen. John Wiles

- Committee: Judiciary - Civil

- Y: 162

N: 1

- Passage of this Conference Committee Report represents Final Passage of this Bill.

- The bill was previously passed by the House during the 2005 legislative session.

DEBATE CALENDAR

HB 251 - Judges of the Probate Courts Retirement Fund; designating surviving

beneficiary

- Bill allows that a member who is unmarried at the time of retirement may designate a survivor. Bill allows

a that a member who is married at the time of retirement may designate a survivor, other than the spouse,

provided the spouse agrees in writing to such designation. Electing this retirement option will reduce the

benefit for the member and the designated survivor.

- Authored by: Rep. Ben Bridges

- Committee: Retirement

- Rules Committee: Open Rule

- Rep. Bridges presented the bill to the House

- Amendment(s): None

- Y: 157

N: 0

HB 344 - Firefighters' Pension Fund; return to service after retirement; benefit
- Bill allows retired firefighters to return to service after retirement. Upon reemployment, the retirement benefit will be terminated; but, the member is eligible to begin drawing retirement benefit again after
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reemployment ceases and the member has added at least one year of creditable service. The retirement benefit will be recalculated to include the added creditable service. (Currently, the retirement benefit is not recalculated unless the member was reemployed for seven or more years.) - Authored by: Rep. Bill Cummings - House Committee: Retirement - Rules Committee: Open Rule - Action Postponed until a later date

HB 357 - Class Nine Fire Department Pension Fund; increase maximum monthly
retirement benefit
- Bill would increase the maximum monthly retirement benefit to $500 (currently $165). - Authored by: Rep. Bill Cummings - House Committee: Retirement - Rules Committee: Open Rule - Action Postponed until a later date

HB 660 - Firefighters' and Class Nine Pension Funds; certain active military duty;
creditable service
- Bill provides creditable service to any member of the fund who left active employment as a result of being called to active duty as a member of the Armed Services and who returned to employment as a firefighter upon being released. Within one year of returning to service, the member must make application to the board and pay the normal monthly dues for each month of the break in service. The board is authorized to calculate creditable service on a monthly basis. - Authored by: Rep. Bill Cummings - House Committee: Retirement - Rules Committee: Open Rule - Action Postponed until a later date

HB 749 - Firefighters' Pension; certain active military duty; creditable service
- Bill provides for the merger of the Georgia Firefighters' Pension Fund and the Georgia Class Nine Fire Department Pension Fund and provides for a transfer of membership and assets. Bill redefines firefighter to include volunteers with a class nine fire department and meet standards specified solely by the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council. - Authored by: Rep. Bill Cummings - House Committee: Retirement - Rules Committee: Open Rule - Action Postponed until a later date

HB 809 - Superior Court Clerks' Retirement; survivors benefits; amend provisions

- Bill provides for a postretirement benefit adjustment for members receiving a benefit on July 1, 2006, who

elected a survivors benefit and whose spouse predeceased him or her. The retirement benefit shall be equal

to the maximum retirement benefit he or she would have received if they had not elected survivors benefits.

- Authored by: Rep. David Knight

- House Committee: Retirement

- Rules Committee: Open Rule

- Rep. Knight presented the bill to the House

- Amendment(s):

- Y: 161

N: 0

HB 821 - Judicial Retirement; certain judges or district attorneys; creditable service
- Bill provides that a superior court judge or district attorney who is an active member of the Judicial System may obtain creditable service for certain prior service. Must have served as a circuit-paid assistant district
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attorney who was not eligible to participate in a local retirement system. Members can obtain up to five

years of creditable service and pay the full actuarial cost. Payment must be made to the Board by Dec. 31,

2006 or within 6 months of first or again becoming a member of the Judicial System, whichever is later.

- Authored by: Rep. John Yates

- House Committee: Retirement

- Rules Committee: Open Rule

- Rep. Yates presented the bill to the House

- Amendment(s): None

- Y: 160

N: 0

* The House will reconvene Tuesday, January 24 at 10:00 am for its 7th Legislative Day of the 2nd Regular Session of the 148th General Assembly.
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RULES COMMITTEE
The Committee on Rules today has fixed the calendar for the 7th Legislative Day, Tuesday, January 24, as enumerated below, and can be called at the pleasure of the Speaker of the House.
DEBATE CALENDAR HB 804 - Barratry; Code section; repeal
- Repeals the Barratry Code. Committee substitute adds language in reference to definitions in the RICO Act. - Authored by: Rep. David Ralston - Rules Committee: Open Rule - House Committee: Judiciary - Civil
HB 973 - Speed detection device; law enforcement officers; change provisions
- Speed detection devices may be used in properly marked school zones one hour before, during and one hour after the normal hours of school operation. - Authored by: Rep. Wendell Willard - Rules Committee: Open Rule - House Committee: Public Safety
* The Rules Committee will next meet on Tuesday, January 24, at 9:00 am to set the Debate Calendar for the 8th Legislative Day.
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COMMITTEE ACTION REPORT

Appropriations - Economic Development
Hearing regarding the 2006 Supplemental Appropriations Bill.
Joint House/Senate Education
No legislative action was taken by the committees. The Committee met today and heard from Dean Alford with the Governor's Education Task Force. A presentation was given on the progress and current status of the Task Force findings. Also, students from various Performance Learning Centers spoke on their experience with the Communities in Schools program.

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Judiciary Non-Civil HB 591 - Bonds or recognizances; forfeiture proceedings; deportation
- Inserts subsection (d) to Code Section 17-6-72 to relieve a surety on a bond of liability should the principal on the bond fail to appear because of deportation per INS order of removal - Authored by: Rep. Howard Maxwell - Committee Action: Do Pass
HB 594 - Bail bonds; fees of sureties
- Changes the basis of the bondsman's fees to allow the surety to charge up to 12% on the face of a bond in the amount of $10,000.00 or less, 15% on the face of a bond in the amount of $10,000.00 or more. Currently the fees are charged on the principal amount of the bond. This bill would require that the fee be charged on the face value which would include the principal amount and all applicable surcharges - Authored by: Rep. Howard Maxwell - Committee Action: Do Pass
HB 718 - Pretrial intervention and diversion programs; authorize certain courts to administer
- Amends 15-18-80 to authorize the prosecuting attorney for any court that prosecutes criminal cases to create pretrial intervention programs. Currently, fees up to $300.00 can be assessed. The bill would direct those monies to the jurisdiction which is prosecuting the case rather than to the county in which the crime was committed as is the current rule. Court costs pursuant to 15-18-81 would be made payable to the jurisdiction which is prosecuting the case rather than to the county in which the crime was committed as is the current rule - Authored by: Rep. Ed Lindsey - Committee Action: Do Pass by Substitute
HB 719 - Municipalities; courts; home rule powers; maximum fines
- Amends 36-32-1(c) to provide that it will rule over the local law in terms of the maximum punishment a municipal court may impose changes language from "unless otherwise provided" to "notwithstanding any contrary provision." Raises amount of fines and forfeitures in Code Section 36-35-6(C) from $1,000.00 to $2,500.00. Adds a new subsection (d) to 36-35-6 to allow municipal corporations to adopt ordinances punishable by fines up to $2,500.00, notwithstanding other lower limits in the local law - Authored by: Rep. Ed Lindsey - Committee Action: Do Pass
HB 954 - Public transportation; sale or exchange of tokens, transfers, transaction cards, or tickets without consent, repeal prohibition
- Removes the provision in Code Section 16-12-120.1 that punishes as a misdemeanor the sale of fraudulently obtained transit coins, tokens, transfers and the like. - Authored by: Rep. Harry Geisinger - Committee Action: Do Pass by Substitute
* Committee action reports are edited for this report. For full content, please contact the House Committee Services Office at 404-656-3206. Bills passing committees are reported to the Clerk's Office and are then placed on the General Calendar for Rules Consideration.
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COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE
8:00 am Appropriations - Economic Development
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415 COB

8:30 am Agriculture Committee 406 COB

8:30 am Special Rules Committee 506 COB

9:00 am Rules Committee 341 CAP

1:00 pm Appropriations - Higher Education 415 COB

2:00 pm Appropriations - General Subcommittee 515 COB

2:00 pm Banks & Banking 506 COB

2:00 pm Higher Education Committee 606 COB

2:00 pm

Judiciary - Civil 132 CAP (Meeting at 2:00pm or Upon Adjournment, whichever is later)

2:00 pm Motor Vehicles Committee 406 COB

3:00 pm Education Committee 606 COB

3:30 pm Games, Fish & Parks Committee 506 COB

3:30 pm Ways & Means Committee 133 CAP

4:00 pm Special Committee on Civil Justice Reform 406 COB

* For full agendas, please visit the General Assembly website, select House Committees. This meeting schedule is set as of 5:00pm today. Times and locations may change at the request of the Committee Chairman.
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Contact: Brent Cranfield
House Communications (404) 656-0305 Brent.cranfield@house.ga.gov
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