Daily report [Feb. 16, 2006]

HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS

TOMORROW'S FORECAST

Coverdell Legislative Office Bldg. * The House will reconvene for its 21st Legislative Day on Tuesday,

Suite. 609

February 21, at 10:00 am.

(404) 656-0305 Phone

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

GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DAILY REPORT

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2006

LEGISLATIVE DAY# 20

TODAY ON THE FLOOR
Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson gaveled the House into session today, at 10:00 am, for the 20th legislative day of the 2nd Session of the 148th General Assembly.

MOTION TO INSIST
HB 1026 - Supplemental appropriations; FY 2005-2006 - Authored by: Rep. Glenn Richardson - House Committee: Appropriations - Adoption of the Motion to Insist will require that a Conference Committee be appointed to negotiate a final version of the bill.

DEBATE CALENDAR

HB 57 - State ordered executions; protect physicians and medical professionals licensure

- Protects doctors and other medical professionals who participate in death penalty executions from losing

their licenses because of such participation.

- Authored by: Rep. David Ralston

- House Committee: Judiciary Non-Civil

- Rules Committee: Open

- Y: 157

N: 1

HB 1112 - Speech-language pathologists and audiologists; licensing; change provisions - This bill changes certain provisions relating to licensing of speech-language pathologists and audiologists requiring audiologists to have a PhD in order to practice. - Authored by: Rep. Bob Smith - House Committee: Governmental Affairs - Rules Committee: Structured - Bill was Recommitted to the Committee

HB 1151 - Deferred compensation plan; Board of Trustees; administer

- Bill states that the Board of Trustees of ERS shall administer any deferred compensation plan provided to

state employees. Presently, these plans are administered by the Employee Benefit Council (State Merit

System). These plans include 401 (k), 403 (b), and 457.

- Authored by: Rep. Jim Cole

- House Committee: Retirement

- Rules Committee: Open

- Y: 153

N: 0

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HR 1175 - Georgia's licensed vineyards and wineries; fine wines; urge restaurants to list

- This resolution urges the Department of Economic Development and the state Department of Natural

Resources to work with state owned resorts and facilities to ensure that Georgia fine wines are listed with the

fine wines.

- Authored by: Rep. Amos Amerson

- House Committee: Economic Development & Tourism

- Rules Committee: Open

- Y: 153

N: 2

HR 1258 - Appalachian Studies Center; Dahlonega; Georgia's official center; establish

- This resolution establishes the Appalachian Studies center at North Georgia College and State University in

Dahlonega, as Georgia's official Appalachian Studies Center.

- Authored by: Rep. Amos Amerson

- House Committee: Higher Education

- Rules Committee: Open

- Y: 157

N: 0

SUPPLEMENTAL DEBATE CALENDAR

SB 390 - Classrooms First for Georgia Act; require local schools to spend minimum operating funds on direct

classrooms expenditures

- This bill provides for the financing for quality basic education. It requires that a minimum of 65 percent of

operating funds be spent on direct classroom expenditures. It provides for definitions of `Direct Classroom

Expenditures' and `Total Operating Expenditures.' It also provides for incremental compliance, a one-year

renewable waiver to compliance, and sanctions for noncompliance. In addition, it provides for the submis-

sion of budget and expenditure information and certain provisions relating to expenditure controls for fiscal

years 2007 and 2008.

- Authored by: Sen. Ronnie Chance

- House Committee: Education

- Rules Committee: Modified-Structured

- Y: 102

N: 70

* The House will reconvene Tuesday, February 21 at 10:00 am for its 21st 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 21st Legislative Day, Tuesday, February 21, as enumerated below, and can be called at the pleasure of the Speaker of the House.
DEBATE CALENDAR
HB 535 - Judicial accounting; penalties for failure to remit funds; repeal - Amends code section 15-21A-8 so as to provide that if a clerk of court fails to pay over any funds less than $10,000.00, they are guilty of a misdemeanor and if it is over $10,000.00, they are guilty of a felony. - Authored by: Rep. Clay - House Committee: Judiciary Non-Civil - Rules Committee: Open

HB 832 - Physician's assistants; handling of professional samples - Allows physicians' assistants to handle, order, and dispense free dosages of medicines provided by companies to patients so long as it is done so under the authority of a doctor and in accordance with existing
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rules and regulations. - Authored by: Rep. Tom McCall - House Committee: Health & Human Services - Rules Committee: Open
HB 983 - Petroleum products; sale of; certain acts; prohibit - This would make it unlawful to knowingly manufacture, blend, or store for distribution in this state any gasoline containing methyl tertiary-butyl ether. - Authored by: Rep. Jill Chambers - House Committee: Agriculture & Consumer Affairs - Rules Committee: Open
HB 1029 - Property estates; time limitations; provisions - Creates a new Code section 44-6-4 that would limit the possibility of reverter title returning to grantor or right of entry or reentry to 50 years. If enacted, this would apply to possibilities of reverter or right of entry or reentry created prior to or after July 1, 2006. - Authored by: Rep. Larry O'Neal - House Committee: Judiciary Non-Civil - Rules Committee: Open
HB 1055 - Public schools; Internet safety policies; adopt and implement - This bill provides for the adoption and implementation of Internet safety policies in public schools and public libraries. It also defines `Acceptable-use policy,' `child pornography,' and `Internet.' In addition it provides for a timetable for implementation and exceptions for certain situations. - Authored by: Rep. Mike Keown - House Committee: Education - Rules Committee: Open
HB 1236 - Motor vehicles; registration; place of return; amend - This bill allows for RVs and mobile homes to be registered in the county they are functionally located; meaning the county they are located in at least 184 days in a calendar year. This may not necessarily be the county of residence for the owner. - Authored by: Rep. Joe Wilkinson - House Committee: Motor Vehicles - Rules Committee: Open
HB 1241 - Quality Basic Education Act; eligibility conditions for student athletes; provide - This bill provides that no high school which receives funding shall participate in any way in interscholastic sports events under the authority of any athletic association that denies eligibility to a participant that participates during that school year in a national competitive event which is not sanctioned by the previously mentioned athletic association. - Authored by: Rep. Chuck Martin - House Committee: Education - Rules Committee: Open
* The Rules Committee will next meet on Tuesday, February 21 at 9:00 am to set the Debate Calendar for the 22nd Legislative Day.
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COMMITTEE ACTION REPORT
DEFENSE & VETERANS AFFAIRS
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The Joint House/Senate committees met today. No legislative action was taken.
INSURANCE HB 1291 - Automobile clubs; regulate
- This bill would allow the state to regulat automobile clubs. - Authored by: Rep. Richard Smith - Committee Action: Do Pass
HB 1304 - Life insurance; proceeds; provisions - This bill provides that neither the cash surrender values nor the proceeds of life insurance policies and annuity contracts shall be liable to attachment, garnishment, or legal process in favor of any creditor of the person for whose use or benefit the policy or contract was executed. Further, this bill provides that the proceeds of life insurance policies that are payable to the insured's estate or executor, administrator, or assign shall become a part of the insured's estate to be administered as all other estate assets. In addition, HB 1304 provides for the discharge from liability for any insurer for payments in accordance with such provisions. - Authored by: Rep. Tom Knox - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute
HR 1159 - Treatment of obesity; study of health insurance coverage; urge - This resolution urges and requests that the Department of Community Health, the Department of Human Resources, and the Insurance Department jointly undertake a study of health insurance coverage for the treatment of obesity, including the compilation of data on the treatment of severe or morbid obesity through bariatric surgery. - Authored by: Rep. Michele Henson - Committee Action: Do Pass
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES A Joint House/Senate committee meeting was held to hear from the Georgia Biomedical Partnership and various parties interested in the issue of retail clinics. No legislative action was taken.
HUMAN RELATIONS & AGING HB 1308 - Nursing homes; fees; change certain provisions
- House Bill 1308 amends Chapter 8 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia. This bill relates to the care and protection of patients who are indigent and elderly. This bill will change particular provisions that relate to the maximum amount of aggregate nursing home provider fees which are to be paid and to change the provision which relates to assessment, calculation, and payment of quality assessment fees on care management organizations. - Authored by: Rep. Jeff Brown - Committee Action: Do Pass
JUDICIARY-CIVIL HB 847 - Juvenile proceedings; emancipation of minors by petition
- Creates a new Article to Title 15, Chapter 11 which provides that a minor be emancipated from their parents when they are validly married, when they reach 18 years of age, when on active duty in the military, or by court order when a petition is filed by a minor in juvenile court. The burden is placed on the minor to prove that it is in his or her best interest that he or she be emancipated and that he or she is financially secure, and has proof of housing. The bill creates procedural requirements for emancipation. - Authored by: Rep. Mark Butler - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute
HB 1023 - Marriage contract; age of majority; provisions - The bill amends Title 15 relating to juvenile proceedings and petitions for marriage.
A 16 or 17 year-old who does not have parental consent may petition the juvenile court for a waiver of the consent.
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After a hearing the court may decide to waive the 18 year age requirement for marriage. - Authored by: Rep. Bobby Franklin - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute
HB 1130 - Guardianships and estates; amend certain provisions - This legislation seeks to treat conservators of estates as the law currently treats trustees, administrators, guardians and other fiduciaries. It also allows nonresident persons seeking to become temporary guardians of minors to file a peetition for guardianship in the county where the minor resides. This legislation is a clean-up from past revisions of the Probate Code and would allow probate judges to be the legal custodians and distributors of all monies up to $15,000.00, and increase the minimum fee a VA guardian will receive. - Authored by: Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute
JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL HB 935 - Advanced practice registered nurse; controlled substances; provisions
- Amends 16-13-21 to allow advanced practice registered nurse to be considered a Practitioner. Creates a new definition of "advanced practice registered nurse." Provides that physicians may delegate certain medical acts to allow APRNs to issue prescription drug orders and provide professional samples and order certain studies and devices. This bill provides for the conditions of a protocol agreement between a nurse and a physician. - Authored by: Rep. Sue Burmeister - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY No legislative action was taken.
STATE INSTITUTIONS & PROPERTY HB 1126 - Correctional officers; insurance benefits; provide exemption
- This bill provides the right of continuation of insurance benefits for former state employees. Provisions are made for an exemption from the eight-year service requirement for correctional officers injured by inmate violence when five years or less from becoming eligible for Medicare coverage. - Authored by: Rep. Terry Barnard - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute
HB 1292 - Prison chaplains appreciation day; create - This bill relates to holidays and observances, creating "Prison Chaplains Apperception Day" to be ob served the fourth Monday in March of each year. Legislation applies to Chaplains in all state and private correctional institutions in Georgia. - Authored by: Rep. Mike Keown - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee 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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CONTACT: BRENT CRANFIELD
House Communications (404) 656-0305 Brent.cranfield@house.ga.gov
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