Daily report [Feb. 6, 2013]

HOUSE BUDGET & RESEARCH OFFICE (404) 656-5050 HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS (404) 656-0305

TOMORROW'S FORECAST
* The House will reconvene for its 13th Legislative Day on Thursday, February 7, at 10:00 AM. * 1 bill is expected to be debated on the floor.

GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DAILY REPORT

Wednesday, February 06, 2013
TODAY ON THE FLOOR

12th Legislative Day

There were no bills debated on the floor of the House today.

* The House will reconvene Thursday, February 7, at 10:00 AM, for its 13th Legislative Day.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
COMMITTEE ON RULES
The Committee on Rules has fixed the calendar for the 13th Legislative Day, Thursday, February 7, and bills may be called at the pleasure of the Speaker.
NEXT ON THE FLOOR
HB 3 - Evidence; professional forestry; Department of Public Health; AIDS; provisions
- BILL SUMMARY: HB 3 contains a few legislative fixes.
Sections 1 and 2 contain a legislative fix to the 2011 Evidence Rewrite (HB 24) which went into effect on January 1, 2013. Section 1 adds a board which was inadvertently omitted. Section 3 protects privileged documents and work product from being admissible in court.
Section 3 clears a conflict between two bills which were passed during the 2011 legislative session, HB 24 and HB 214, to clarify that the Department of Public Health now maintains the confidential records. - Authored By: Rep. Wendell Willard of the 51st - House Committee: Judiciary - House Committee Passed: 1/31/2013 - Rule: Modified-Open
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

COMMITTEE ACTION REPORT
Education
HB 115 - Local boards of education; suspension and removal of members under certain circumstances; revise provisions
- BILL SUMMARY: House Bill 115 changes the procedure used by the State Board of Education for suspending members of a local school board following their school system losing accreditation. The bill says that the local board shall notify the State Board within 3 business days of a local system loosing accreditation. It extends the period of time the state board has to conduct the hearing from 30 days to 90 days. Once the hearing has begun, this bill grants the local boards of education, by a majority vote of the members, the ability to petition the state board to continue the hearing. - Authored By: Rep. Tom Dickson of the 6th - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute
Education
HB 116 - Georgia Foundation for Public Education; state board donations, gifts and other property held in trust; authorize transfer
- BILL SUMMARY: House Bill 116 gives the State Board of Education the ability to transfer items that belong to the board (such as donations, gifts, property, etc.) over to the Georgia Foundation for Public Education. In doing so, it gives the authority over the administration and management of those items to the foundation. - Authored By: Rep. Tom Dickson of the 6th - Committee Action: Do Pass
Health & Human Services
HB 50 - Nurses; mandatory reporting; require
- BILL SUMMARY: House Bill 50 requires registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, nursing employers, and state nursing licensing agencies to report to the Nursing Board if they suspect or know of a nurse violating Code Section 43-26-53.
These violations are as follows: 1. Practicing nursing without a valid, current license. 2. Practicing nursing under cover of any illegal or fraudulently obtained diploma or license. 3 . Practicing nursing during the time a license is suspended, revoked, surrendered or administratively revoked. 4. Using any words, abbreviations, figures, letters, title, sign, card or device implying that the person is an RN, LPN, or APN unless that person is licensed as such. 5. Fraudulently furnishing a license to practice nursing. 6. Knowingly aiding or abetting any person violating this code section. 7. Being convicted of any felony or crime involving moral turpitude or related to controlled substances or dangerous drugs. 8. Displaying an inability to practice nursing with reasonable skills and safety due to the use of drugs or alcohol.
No nurse, employer, or agency that, in good faith, either reports or fails to report, will be subject to civil or criminal liability or discipline for unprofessional conduct. No physician or licensed health care professional who examines a nurse at the request of the board will be subject to suit for damages by the nurse examined. - Authored By: Rep. Sharon Cooper of the 43rd - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute
Health & Human Services
HB 68 - Physicians; continuing education requirements licensed to practice orthotics or prosthetics; revise provisions
- BILL SUMMARY: House Bill 68 amends the continuing education requirements for orthotics and prosthetics practice. This bill would change the requirements from 40 hours annually to an amount deemed appropriate by the board, but not more than 40 hours. - Authored By: Rep. E. Culver "Rusty" Kidd of the 145th - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute

Industry and Labor
HB 154 - Worker's compensation; awarded and benefits; change certain provisions
- BILL SUMMARY: HB 154 is the product of the Advisory Committee process of the State Board of Worker's Compensation. It caps medical payments for non-catastrophic cases at 400 weeks; it requires insurers to reimburse for mileage expenses within 15 days (down from 30); it changes the interest rate from 7% to 5% on advances on settlements; it requires a good faith effort for an employee to try a job made available to him or her within the restrictions from their physician; it increases the maximum Temporary Total Disability (TTD) and Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) rates to $525 and $350 per week, respectively. - Authored By: Rep. Mark Hamilton of the 24th - Committee Action: Do Pass
Juvenile Justice
HB 182 - Juvenile court administration; hearing on the order of an associate court judge; delete provisions
- BILL SUMMARY: The bill eliminates the 2nd hearing a juvenile may have with the elected or appointed juvenile court judge after an associate juvenile court judge has issued an order/decision. - Authored By: Rep. Tom Weldon of the 3rd - Committee Action: Do Pass
Regulated Industries
HB 124 - Local elections; votes cast for disapproval of Sunday alcohol sales by retailers shall not nullify prior election results; provide
- BILL SUMMARY: House bill 124 relates to the local authorization and regulation of sales of alcoholic beverages on Sundays by upholding past electoral decisions. The legislation states that if more than one-half the votes cast on the question of Sunday package sales were against the matter, their rejection will not nullify the prior election results allowing retailers of malt beverages and wine to allow the sales of said beverages on Sundays between the hours of 12:30 P.M. and 11:30 P.M. The legislation defines a "retail package liquor store" as a retail business establishment owned by an individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other business entity primarily engaged in the retail sale of distilled spirits, malt beverages, and wine in unbroken packages, not for consumption on the premises which derives at least 75% of its total annual gross sales from a combination of these beverages. - Authored By: Rep. Brett Harrell of the 106th - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute
Regulated Industries
HB 132 - Georgia Board of Pharmacy and Georgia Board of Dentistry; administratively attached to Department of Community Health; provide
- BILL SUMMARY: House bill 132 transfers the administration of the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy and the Georgia Board of Dentistry from the Secretary of State to the Department of Community Health. These changes will take effect on July 1, 2013. This legislation also provides additional powers of the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency, including the ability to employ personnel who are not special agents and may contract with licensing boards to conduct investigations. - Authored By: Rep. Lee Hawkins of the 27th - Committee Action: Do Pass by Committee Substitute
Retirement
HB 71 - Georgia Municipal Employees Benefit System; total percentage of investments permissable in real estate investments; increase
- BILL SUMMARY: HB71 allows the Georgia Municipal Employees Benefit System and any other association of like political subdivisions which contracts with its members for the pooling of assets to invest up to 10 percent of the total assets of its fund in real estate. Current law states that such systems may invest an amount up to 5 percent of the total assets of its fund in real estate. This is a nonfiscal retirement bill. - Authored By: Rep. Lynne Riley of the 50th - Committee Action: Do Pass
* Bills passing committees are reported to the Clerk's Office, and are then placed on the General Calendar.

COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE

TBD 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Thursday, February 07, 2013 Floor Session (LD13) NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT Ramsey Subcommittee of Judiciary Non-Civil Rules Subcommittee Academic Innovations Subcommittee of Education Highway Regulations Subcommittee of Transportation General Government Subcommittee of Governmental Affairs JUDICIARY CIVIL TRANSPORTATION GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS INTRAGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION INSURANCE

HOUSE CHAMBER (10:00am) 606 CLOB 132 CAP 606 CLOB 415 CLOB 506 CLOB 515 CLOB 132 CAP 506 CLOB 515 CLOB 403 CAP 506 CLOB

* This meeting schedule is up to date at the time of this report, but meeting dates and times are subject to change. To keep up with the latest schedule please visit www.house.ga.gov and click on Meetings Calendar.