MEMBER SERVICES Coverdell Legislative Office Bldg. Suite 609 Phone: (404) 656-0305 TOMORROW'S FORECAST * The House will reconvene for its 27th Legislative Day on Tuesday, March 4, at 10:00 AM. * 9 bills are expected to be debated on the floor. GGEEOORRGGIIAAHHOOUUSSEE OOFF RREEPPRREESSEENNTTAATTIIVVEESS DAILY REPORT FFrriiddaayy,, FFeebbrruuaarryy 2299,, 22000088 2266tthh LLeeggiissllaattiivvee DDaayy TODAY ON THE FLOOR RULES CALENDAR HB 68 - Coastal Marshlands Protection Act; exempt certain single private docks; provide - BILL SUMMARY: This bill allows for the streamlining of the permitting process for private property owners to build docks, and reduce the number of walkways necessary to reach those docks, on Georgia's coastal marshlands. - Authored By: Rep. Terry Barnard of the 166th - House Committee: Natural Resources & Environment - Rule: Modified-Structured - Amendments(s): N/A - Yeas: 156; Nays: 0 HB 237 - Sales and use tax; water pollution eliminating machinery exemptions; change certain provisions - BILL SUMMARY: HB 237 changes language providing a sales tax exemption for the sale of certain manufacturing machinery to clarify what the exemption will include and to broaden this exemption. Currently, an exemption is allowed for sales of machinery "used directly in" the manufacture of tangible personal property when the machinery is bought to replace or upgrade machinery in a plant, when the machinery is incorporated for the first time in a new plant, or when the machinery is incorporated as additional machinery for the first time into a presently existing plant. This "used directly in" language makes auditing very difficult for Revenue. This bill would change the exemption language to the sale of machinery "and equipment" which is "necessary and integral to" the manufacture of tangible personal property. Regarding the exemption for the sale of machinery and equipment which is incorporated and used for the primary purpose of reducing or eliminating air or water pollution, this bill broadens the exemption to include the sales of any repair, replacement, or component parts for such machinery and equipment. This bill also removes the provisions phasing in the exemption from 2001 to 2005 to clean up the code section. - Authored By: Rep. Charles E. Martin of the 47th - House Committee: Ways & Means - Rule: Structured - Amendments(s): N/A - Yeas: 154; Nays: 0 HB 649 - Georgia Blueberry Commission; create - BILL SUMMARY: This bill, known as the "Georgia Agricultural Commodities Promotion Act," crates the Georgia Blueberry Commission. It provides for membership, appointment, election, terms, and compensation for members to the commission. - Authored By: Rep. Tommy Smith of the 168th - House Committee: Agriculture & Consumer Affairs - Rule: Open - Amendments(s): N/A - Yeas: 146; Nays: 10 HB 851 - Income tax credit; historic structures rehabilitation; change calculation method - BILL SUMMARY: HB 851 provides for an increase in the amount of the income tax credits for certified rehabilitation of historic homes from 10% of expenditures to 25% of expenditures. An additional 5% credit will still be allowed for historic homes located within certain target areas. For other certified historic structures, the credit is increased from 20 to 25% of expenditures. The bill increases the caps in the credit amount for any 120 month period from $5,000 to $100,000 for homes and $300,000 for other structures. HB 851 also provides that these credits may be transferred or sold in whole or in part to another Georgia taxpayer. The transferor must submit written notification of any transfer or sale to the Department of Revenue within 30 days. The transferee may carry forward any unused credit against subsequent year's tax liability, provided that the credit does not extend the time in which the credit can be used. The carry-forward period for a sold or transferred credit begins on the date on which the credit was originally earned. - Authored By: Rep. Allen Peake of the 137th - House Committee: Ways & Means - Rule: Structured - Amendments(s): N/A - Yeas: 152; Nays: 1 Local Calendar HB 1329 - Bryan County Water and Sewer Authority Act; enact - BILL SUMMARY: A Bill to create the Bryan County Water and Sewer Authority Act and to provide for its duties and responsibilities. - Authored By: Rep. Bob Lane of the 158th - House Committee: Intragovernmental Coordination - Local - Rule: Open - Amendments(s): N/A - Yeas: 140; Nays: 0 HB 1330 - Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority; issuance of negotiable bonds; provide increase in debt limit - BILL SUMMARY: A Bill to establish a limit on the amount of revenue bonds that may be issued by the Cobb CountyMarietta Water Sewer Authority. - Authored By: Rep. Rich Golick of the 34th - House Committee: Intragovernmental Coordination - Local - Rule: Open - Amendments(s): N/A - Yeas: 140; Nays: 0 HB 1340 - Hospital Authority of Wilkes County; filling vacancies; change method - BILL SUMMARY: A Bill to provide for filling vacancies on the board of Wilkes County Hospital Authority. - Authored By: Rep. Mickey Channell of the 116th - House Committee: Intragovernmental Coordination - Local - Rule: Open - Amendments(s): N/A - Yeas: 140; Nays: 0 HB 1347 - Cobb County; Board of Commissioners; compensation; change provisions - BILL SUMMARY: A Bill to provide compensation to the members of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. - Authored By: Rep. Steve Tumlin of the 38th - House Committee: Intragovernmental Coordination - Local - Rule: Open - Amendments(s): N/A - Yeas: 140; Nays: 0 * The House will reconvene Tuesday, March 4, at 10:00 AM, for its 27th Legislative Day ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ COMMITTEE ON RULES The Committee on Rules has fixed the calendar for the 27th Legislative Day, Tuesday, March 4, and bills may be called at the pleasure of the Speaker. RULES CALENDAR FOR NEXT LEGISLATIVE DAY HB 639 - Employees' Retirement System; certain state patrol members; contributions; provisions - BILL SUMMARY: This bill extends the retirement age of 55 to persons employed by the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, provided these persons are POST certified, i.e., parole officers. - Authored By: Rep. Chuck Sims of the 169th - House Committee: Retirement - House Committee Passed: 2/27/2008 - Rule: Open HB 1116 - Probation Management Act of 2004; modify certain provisions - BILL SUMMARY: This bill amends Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 42 of the O.C.G.A relating to the conditions of detention, so as to increase the minimum reimbursement rate paid to counties for housing state inmates; to change certain provisions relating to transmittal of information on convicted persons and place of detention; to change the provisions that allow convicted persons to remain in local jails under certain circumstances. This bill also amends Article 9 of Chapter 8 of Title 42 of the O.C.G.A relating to probation management. It will modify provisions relating to the "Probation Management Act of 2004". The amending includes Code Sections 42-8-153; 42-8-154; 42-8-155; 42-8-156; 42-8-158; and 42-8-160. The amending in Code Section 42-8-153, relates to administrative sanctions as an alternative to judicial modification or revocation of probation. The amending in Code Section 42-8-154, relates to preliminary hearings. Hearings regarding violations will be amended in subsection (f) of Code Section 42-5-155. Further amending in Code Section 42-8-156, relates to the finality of the hearing officer's decision. The amending in Code Section 42-8-158, relates to the application of the article only in counties with certified options system day reporting centers. The last part of the article if further amended by repealing Code Section 42-8-160 that relates to the repeal of the article which will read: "42-8-160. this article shall be repealed in its entirety on June 30, 2008". - Authored By: Rep. Terry Barnard of the 166th - House Committee: State Institutions & Property - House Committee Passed: 2/13/2008 - Rule: Modified-Structured HB 1132 - Uniform Environmental Covenants Act; enact - BILL SUMMARY: The Substitute to HB 1132 enacts the Uniform Environmental Covenants Act, which allows the owner of a contaminated property to record a restrictive covenant which the Georgia EPD signs off on, which outlines the remediation requirements for the property. The covenants would allow a property owner to sell contaminated property with more certainty about which party is responsible for future environmental cleanup efforts. Whether to enter into the environmental covenant would be a completely voluntary decision on the part of the property owner; the Act provides a potential tool for owners of contaminated property to use to make their property marketable. HB 1132 has been amended to grant standing to abutting landowners to enforce the covenants. - Authored By: Rep. Edward Lindsey of the 54th - House Committee: Judiciary - House Committee Passed: 2/26/2008 - Rule: Modified-Structured HB 1186 - Subsequent Injury Trust Fund; assessment payments; change certain provisions - BILL SUMMARY: Amends 9-9-34 O.C.G.A dealing with the Subsequent Injury Trust Fund to provide that: Each insurer and self-insurer under the chapter shall operate under regulations prescribed by the board of trustees. Each insurer and self-insurer shall make payments to the fund in an amount equal to that portion of 175 percent of the total disbursement made during the previous calendar year (unless the amount of the net assets in the fund as of Dec. 31 of the preceding calendar year bears to the total workers' compensation claims paid by all insurer/self-insurers). Each insurer and self-insurer shall make payments to the fund according the mandates of the board. Payments may supersede that portion of 175 percent of the total disbursement if the board deems it necessary to maintain the fund's obligations under this chapter. The administrator can reduce or suspend assessments for the fund when an actuarial survey shows more assessments unnecessary. An employer who stops being a self-insurer before the end of the calendar year is liable to the fund for the calendar year. He shall also be liable for future calendar years so long as payments are made on worker compensation claims are made while in self-insured status. The initial assessment for the purpose of generating revenue to begin operation shall be in the amount of one-half of 1 percent of the workers' compensation premiums collected by the insurers for the preceding calendar years. - Authored By: Rep. Mike Coan of the 101st - House Committee: Insurance - House Committee Passed: 2/28/2008 - Rule: Open HB 1186 - Subsequent Injury Trust Fund; assessment payments; change certain provisions - BILL SUMMARY: Amends 9-9-34 O.C.G.A dealing with the Subsequent Injury Trust Fund to provide that: Each insurer and self-insurer under the chapter shall operate under regulations prescribed by the board of trustees. Each insurer and self-insurer shall make payments to the fund in an amount equal to that portion of 175 percent of the total disbursement made during the previous calendar year (unless the amount of the net assets in the fund as of Dec. 31 of the preceding calendar year bears to the total workers' compensation claims paid by all insurer/self-insurers). Each insurer and self-insurer shall make payments to the fund according the mandates of the board. Payments may supersede that portion of 175 percent of the total disbursement if the board deems it necessary to maintain the fund's obligations under this chapter. The administrator can reduce or suspend assessments for the fund when an actuarial survey shows more assessments unnecessary. An employer who stops being a self-insurer before the end of the calendar year is liable to the fund for the calendar year. He shall also be liable for future calendar years so long as payments are made on worker compensation claims are made while in self-insured status. The initial assessment for the purpose of generating revenue to begin operation shall be in the amount of one-half of 1 percent of the workers' compensation premiums collected by the insurers for the preceding calendar years. - Authored By: Rep. Mike Coan of the 101st - House Committee: Industrial Relations - House Committee Passed: 2/28/2008 - Rule: Open HB 1189 - Transportation, Department of; commissioner file report on State-wide Strategic Transportation Plan; require - BILL SUMMARY: This legislation amends Chapter 2 of Title 32 by adding a new Code section 32-2-41.1. This new Code section would require the DOT Commissioner to annually prepare a report for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and the Chairpersons of the House and Senate Transportation committees. This report shall detail the progress the Department has made on preparing the State-wide Strategic Transportation Plan. A draft of the plan shall be delivered to the members of the General Assembly for comments and suggestions on or before December 31, 2008. The plan shall include a list of projects realistically expected to begin in the next 5 years, the cost of those projects, and the source of the funds for those projects. The final version of the State-wide Strategic Transportation Plan shall be completed by May 1, 2009. The plan shall also be published on the Department's website. - Authored By: Rep. Donna Sheldon of the 105th - House Committee: Transportation - House Committee Passed: 2/27/2008 - Rule: Open HB 1226 - Water resources; water supply; extensively revise certain provisions - BILL SUMMARY: The purpose of the Georgia Water Supply Act of 2008 is to establish a new reservoir program that addresses past impediments to progress in developing an adequate reservoir system. The following are key features of this bill: 1. Creation of a Division of Water Resources at the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, to have the primary responsibility for implementing the Water Supply Act 2. Creation of a Water Supply Division of the Department of Natural Resources to cooperate with GEFA in administering the Act. The divisions will share a single director. 3. Authorizing and funding state assumption of local and regional Federal 404 permitting efforts. 4. Creation of a Georgia Reservoir Fund to fund water supply efforts. 5. Focus on private contracting to speed the permitting process and minimize personnel costs. 6. Tax Credits for water-saving technology, that may be flexibly funded through the Reservoir Fund. 7. Funding for water conservation projects such as extending water and sewer lines to "septic-tank subdivisions." This legislation puts responsibility for reservoir development in a division with a single, dedicated purpose, under the general oversight of GEFA and its board. The Reservoir Fund allows for the commitment of long-term funding to reservoir purposes. Conservation is promoted by reducing the cost of water-saving devices through substantial tax credits to consumers that are made easily transferable to builders and installers. Complex state and federal permitting tasks are concentrated at the state level, with provision for adequate funding and private-sector assistance. The use of parallel paths, rather than linear planning, is encouraged in order to minimize timelines. - Authored By: Rep. Mike Coan of the 101st - House Committee: Natural Resources & Environment - House Committee Passed: 2/28/2008 - Rule: Modified-Structured HB 1245 - Indigent defense; revise matters; senior judges; change certain provisions - BILL SUMMARY: This legislation comes out of the Joint Study Committee on Indigent Defense chaired by Representative Ralston and Senator Seabaugh. Sections 1-3 adds new language in title 15 related to appointment of Senior Judges to provide that Senior Judges will not be appointed to preside in criminal cases where the death penalty may be imposed. Sections 4-8 make it the responsibility of the Superior Court Clerk's Cooperative Authority to collect and disburse funds paid to the clerk of court and sheriff for indigent defense funding. o The funds currently go directly to the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council (GPDSC). Section 9 provides that when posting bail or bond the lesser of $100 or 10% of the amount of bail or bond will be added to the amount of bail/bond; current language is the lesser of $50.00 or 10% of the amount of bail. Section 10 provides that the sums collected from the bail add-ons will be paid over to the Superior Court Clerk's Cooperative Authority and 50% will be deposited into the general treasury and the other 50% will go to the county where collected if that county has a procedure to verity indigency; if there is no procedure for verifying indigency the total amount will go to the general treasury. Section 11 deletes existing language that provides that it is the intent of the General Assembly that certain funds are earmarked for the GPDSC. Section 12 provides that a defendant requesting indigent defense services will pay the $50 application fee unless there is a measurable hardship, and that if there is a hardship at the time services are requested the application fee will be paid as a condition of probation. This section also provides that the $50 application fee will be sent to the entity providing legal defense the intent is to send the entire $50 fee to the counties as long as that entity has a procedure in place for verifying indigency. If the county does not have a procedure in place for verifying indigency the $50 fee will be deposited into the state treasury. Section 13 provides that the indigency standard for those accused of a misdemeanor will be 100% of the federal poverty guidelines current law is 125% of the guidelines; this section also removes language referencing a "conflict defender office" so as to be consistent with other parts of the bill that change how conflict cases will be handled. Section 14 changes the make up of the GPDSC Council. Currently there are 11 members; this language would add an additional four (4) members for a total of 15. The new members would all be appointed by the Governor and will be elected county commissioners from different geographic regions of the state. County commission members will serve for four years, will be appointed in consultation with ACCG and will be eligible to serve only while holding elected office. Section 15 authorizes the state auditor to perform an annual audit which will include all expenditures made by GPDSC by revenue source, including each county governing authority's expenditures made for their indigent service expenses. Section 16 changes qualifications for the GPDSC Director, requiring seven years of experience in the practice of law current law requires three years. The Director will also provide assistance with death penalty cases and establish mental health and capital defender programs. This language change is necessary because the mental health and capital defender divisions are brought under the aegis of the GPDSC Director in other parts of the bill. This Section will also give the Director authority to evaluate the job performance of each Circuit Public Defender. Section 17 provides that GPDSC will account for all moneys received from the each governing authority Section 18 removes the requirement that GPDSC promulgate standards, instead requiring that they post proposed rules and regulations for review including the date on which the rule or regulation takes effect. Section 19 removes language to agree with other cross references in the bill Section 20 requires GPDSC to prepare an annual report of funds received and expended including money received from cities and counties as well as a three year cost projection and anticipated revenues. The Section also requires GPDSC Section 21 relates to the Legislative Oversight Committee. It removes language requiring the LOC to approve GPDSC standards and reduces the number of times per year that the LOC will meet from six to three. Section 22 changes language relating to the "selection panel," instead referring to the supervisory panel. This change is necessary for consistency with other parts of the bill. Section 23 changes language relating to the mental health division of GPDSC. The language changes are necessary to bring the mental health division under the aegis of the Director. Currently it is its own department. Sections 24-25 change language related to the capital defender program. o Section 24 moves current language to 17-12-12, but does not make substantive changes this is because the office is being moved under the aegis of the Director of GPDSC o Section 25 does make substantive changes: When there is a conflict of interest in a capital case the Director will appoint counsel and contract with the attorney for payment, when feasible using a flat fee structure current law provides for the judge to appoint counsel and does not contain a fee structure; The payments for capital cases will be split between the state and the counties with the state paying the first $150,000, the next $100,000 will be split between the state and the county 75%/25%, any fees in excess of $250,000 will be split by the state and county 50%/50% The council will establish guidelines for expense requests for fees, expenses, expert witnesses, travel and accommodations and other costs Section 26 changes the make-up of the local supervisory panels. o There will be four additional members appointed by the Governor who will be members of the governing authority of the county o A CPD may be removed without cause by a two-thirds vote of the Council o The supervisory panel will meet at least semiannually to review the performance of the circuit public defender; if the supervisory panel finds that the CPD is not performing up to standard it can adopt a resolution seeking review of their findings by the Council which will take action on the resolution within 15 days and will issue a final action within 60 days. Section 27 allows a CPD to go to another circuit for help in a conflict case. Section 28 requires that a defendant who requires the services of the public defender be seen by the PD within 72 hours (this is current law and was changed back to current law in committee) Section 29 provides that an indigent defense coordinator (see Section 39) will determine whether the detainee is an indigent person and eligible for services. Section 30 provides for salary and cost-of-living increases for public defenders Sections 31-32 remove language relating to the Council's budget and require the Council to submit a budget estimate to the director of OPB. Section 33 allows the local CPD office to employ additional staff if provided for by local law and funded by the county governing authority or authorities. Section 34 prevents a CPD or any assistant from also serving in any judicial office. Section 35 adds language related to rules and regulations to comport with other parts of the bill. Section 36 provides that alternative delivery systems will receive the same funds that opt-in circuits receive. Section 37 strikes language to comport with other parts of the bill. Section 38 makes stylistic changes to provisions regarding repayment of attorney's fees and removes language related to the intent of the General Assembly regarding availability of funds through the appropriations process. Section 39 provides that the counties will appoint a person to serve as indigent defense coordinator; it allows the counties to determine the scope of the position and to fund the position, and requires that the governing authority will advise the CPD office of each person who has applied for services within one business day of the application for services o This section also removes language related to the mental health and capital defender offices as that language has been moved to other parts of the Code (see Sections 23-25). - Authored By: Rep. David Ralston of the 7th - House Committee: Judiciary Non-Civil - House Committee Passed: 2/28/2008 - Rule: Modified-Open HB 1281 - Water resources; local government restrictions; more restrictive than state; prohibit - BILL SUMMARY: This bill will require that if a local government wishes to restrict water usage beyond the state's set levels, then they must apply to do so through the state. It also requires that EPD perform a three day turn around on the application by the local government. - This bill allows establishes that the water necessary for upkeep in swimming pool is exempt from water use restrictions. - Authored By: Rep. Terry England of the 108th - House Committee: Natural Resources & Environment - House Committee Passed: 2/27/2008 - Rule: Modified-Structured * The Rules Committee will next meet on Tuesday, March 4, at 09:00 AM, to set the Rules Calendar for the 28th Legislative Day. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ COMMITTEE ACTION REPORT Health & Human Services HB 180 - Prescription drugs; sold by certain Georgia companies; access restrictions; prohibit - BILL SUMMARY: This bill would allow for any drug, service, or product brought to market by a Georgia based biomedical company to be exempted from restrictions such as preferred drug lists or the requirement for prior approval within the State Health Benefit Plan, or any other state administered health product, such as Medicaid or Peachcare for Kids. The measure does this by preventing the Department of Community Health from contracting with Georgia biomedical companies with terms including exclusionary provisions, like PDLs, prior approval, and step therapy. - Authored By: Rep. Carl Rogers of the 26th - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute Health & Human Services HB 906 - Nonprofit corporations; operation of hospital; uncompensated indigent care; provisions - BILL SUMMARY: This bill would require that all non-profit hospitals in the state shall be penalized for not meeting a certain level of indigent/charity care. For the purposes of Certificate of Need, providers now must provide at least 3% of Adjusted Gross Revenue in the form of I/C care. This bill would increase that threshold to 5% AGR. The difference would be met by hospitals falling below that threshold in the form of payments to physicians for rendering I/C care, and via payments into the Indigent Care Trust Fund. Hospitals who habitually fall below the threshold set by this measure would lose their tax exemptions. - Authored By: Rep. John Lunsford of the 110th - Committee Action: Tabled Insurance HB 673 - Insurance; third party's lienholder; provisions - BILL SUMMARY: HB 673 provides that when making any payment to a third party for damage to an automobile for any loss, the insurer shall have printed on the loss estimate, the following: "Failure to use the insurance proceeds in accordance with a security agreement between you and the lien holder, if any, may be a violation of Code Section 16-8-4 of the O.C.G.A. If you have any questions, contact your lending institution." Code Section 16-8-4 is the provision of law pertaining to theft by receiving. - Authored By: Rep. Bill Hembree of the 67th - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute Insurance HB 1221 - Insurance contracts; corporations; employees covered; change minimum number - BILL SUMMARY: HB 1221 changes provisions relating to corporate owned life insurance. Current law requires at least one hundred employees to participate in order for a policy to be bought. This bill will lower that threshold to two employees. - Authored By: Rep. Howard Maxwell of the 17th - Committee Action: Do Pass Insurance HB 1234 - Medicaid Care Management Organizations Act; enact - BILL SUMMARY: HB 1234 enacts the Medicaid Care Management Organizations Act. Provisions of this bill are as follows: Revises Section 33-21A-6 (b) related to payments for emergency services to clarify that if a CMO or DCH has reason to believe that a provider is up-coding or engaging in activity violating program integrity, the CMO will not have to pay the claim, even if it is coded CPT code 99283, 99284 or 99285. This language will allow a CMO that does not believe a claim is coded accurately, to require the hospital to submit the medical record and other requested documentation to enable the CMO to determine whether or not the claim was properly coded. If the hospital disagrees with the CMOs determination, the hospital can appeal, first through the CMOs administrative appeals process and then to an ALJ or a neutral arbitrator. Revises Section 33-21A-6 (d) related to payments for emergency services provided by non-contracted (out of network) providers to provide that CMOs shall also be required to pay out-of-network providers for "Post stabilization services" at the same rate paid by DCH for Medicaid claims it reimburses directly. The Substitute uses the same definition of "Post stabilization services" that is in the contract between DCH and each CMO. Adds a new Section 33-21A-6.1, related to Critical Access Hospitals ("CAHs")to require each CMO to contract with all CAHs in its service region and to pays CAHs their allowable costs. These requirements are already included in the DCH-CMO contracts. This provision will clarify that CMOs must use the same cost report process currently used by DCH to ensure they comply with their contractual obligations to pay CAHs their allowable costs as set forth by Medicare. The cost report process involves using the most recent available Medicare cost report for each CAH to prospectively determine rates for the following year. Once the actual Medicare cost report for a given year is available, the CMO must reconcile the CAHs actual costs for that year with the costs included in the cost report used to prospectively establish the rates for that year. A settlement is then made to pay the CAH any money owed if the rates paid were less than the CAHs actual costs. Adds a new subparagraph (b) to 33-21A-7, related to payment for services to newborn infants, to require that when an infant is discharged from a CMO after birth and enrolled in fee for service Medicaid, the CMO must continue to provide coordination of care for that infant until the baby is discharged from the hospital and placed in an appropriate care setting. This happens when an infant is found to have a disability after birth. Disabled infants are covered by SSI instead of the CMOs, but the CMO with whom the baby is initially enrolled should be required to continue the care coordination for that baby throughout the inpatient stay. Revises Section 33-21A-8 (d) related to web site functionality and electronic payments at the request of DCH to allow CMOs to submit remittance advices to providers the next business day after payment is made, rather that requiring the submission of remittance advices on "the same day" payment is made. At the request of DCH, deletes Section 2, related to the definition of a "Care Management Organization" relative to quality assessment fees that is currently in O.C.G.A. 31-8-171. DCH expressed concerns that changing this definition to be consistent with the new definition in this Medicaid Care Management Organizations Act might have an unintended negative impact on the department's eligibility for federal matching funds from the quality assessment fee. By deleting this Section, the current definition in 31-8-171 will remain as is. - Authored By: Rep. Mickey Channell of the 116th - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute Insurance HB 1277 - Health insurance plans; education personnel; consider charter school employees; provide - BILL SUMMARY: HB 1277 allows teachers and other school employees of charter schools participate in the State Health Benefit Plan. - Authored By: Rep. Margaret D. Kaiser of the 59th - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute Special Rules HB 790 - School Bus Safety Week; declare - BILL SUMMARY: Amends Chapter 4 Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annoted. Declares the third week in October as "School Bus Safety Week". - Authored By: Rep. Amos Amerson of the 9th - Committee Action: Do Pass Special Rules HB 791 - School Bus Drivers Appreciation Day; declare - BILL SUMMARY: Amends Chapter 4 Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. Declares the fourth Monday in October to be "School Bus Drivers Appreciation Day". - Authored By: Rep. Amos Amerson of the 9th - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute * Bills passing committees are reported to the Clerk's Office, and are then placed on the General Calendar. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE 11:00 AM 2:00 PM 11:30 AM 1:30 PM 12:00 PM 1:00 PM 1:30 PM 3:00 PM 1:30 PM 3:30 PM 1:30 PM 3:00 PM 1:30 PM 3:30 PM 2:00 PM 3:00 PM 2:00 PM 4:00 PM 2:00 PM 5:00 PM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM 3:30 PM 4:30 PM 3:30 PM 4:30 PM Monday, March 03, 2008 Judiciary Civil Subcommittee (Tumlin) Appropriations Human Resources Subcommittee Health & Life Subcommittee of Insurance Judiciary Non-Civil Subcommittee (Mumford) APPROPRIATIONS Ways & Means Income Tax Subcommittee Judiciary Non-Civil Subcommittee One (Knox) BUDGET & FISCAL AFFAIRS OVERSIGHT Judiciary Civil Subcommittee One (Lindsey) GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS Academic Achievement Subcommittee of Education Ways & Means Ad Valorem Tax Subcommittee Appropriations Health Subcommittee 415 CLOB 230 CAP 515 CLOB 216 CAP 341 CAP 133 CAP 132 CAP 515 CLOB 415 CLOB 606 CLOB 406 CLOB 133 CAP 506 CLOB * This schedule is accurate at the time of this report, but meeting dates and times are subject to change. To view the most up to date meeting schedule, please visit http://www.legis.ga.gov and click on Meeting Notices. To view the live streaming video of the meeting, please visit the Georgia Legislative Network website. ____________________________________________________________________________ CONTACT: BRENT CRANFIELD (404) 656-0305 Brent.Cranfield@house.ga.gov