Daily report [Feb. 18, 2015]

Georgia House of Representatives

DAILY REPORT 17th Legislative Day

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

House Budget & Research Office (404) 656-5050

House Communications Office (404) 656-0305

The House will reconvene for its 18th Legislative Day on Thursday, February 19 at 10:00 AM. The Rules committee will meet at 12:00 PM. Eight bills are expected to be debated on the floor.

Today on the Floor

Rules Calendar
HB 87 Retirement and pensions; Code Revision Commission; revise title
Bill Summary: HB 87 revises, modernizes, and corrects errors or omissions in Title 47, relating to retirement and pensions, in furtherance of the work of the Code Revision Commission.

Authored By: Rep. Wendell Willard (51st) House Committee: Judiciary

Floor Vote:

Yeas: 170 Nays: 0

Rule Applied: Committee Action: Amendments:

Modified-Open 02-10-2015 Do Pass

HB 90

Code Revision Commission; repeal portions of said Code, or Acts; provisions
Bill Summary: HB 90 revises, modernizes, and corrects errors or omissions in the Code and reenacts the statutory portion of the Code, as amended, in furtherance of the work of the Code Revision Commission. The bill repeals portions of the Code which have become obsolete, have been declared to be unconstitutional, or have been preempted or superseded by subsequent laws.

Authored By: Rep. Wendell Willard (51st) House Committee: Judiciary

Floor Vote:

Yeas: 169 Nays: 0

Rule Applied: Committee Action: Amendments:

Modified-Open 02-10-2015 Do Pass by Committee Substitute

HB 104 State Properties Code; applicability of public bidding processes for certain conveyances; clarify
Bill Summary: House Bill 104 amends the "State Properties Code" by clarifying the applicability of public bidding processes for certain conveyances and correcting any cross-references.

Authored By: Rep. Emory Dunahoo (30th) House Committee: State Properties

Floor Vote:

Yeas: 170 Nays: 0

Rule Applied: Committee Action: Amendments:

Open 02-11-2015 Do Pass

HB 119

AIDS; disclosure of such information under certain circumstances; change provisions
Bill Summary: HB 119 authorizes a probate judge to disclose AIDS confidential information to a peace officer regarding a mentally ill person who is in the peace officer's custody for an examination pursuant to OCGA 37-3-41.

Authored By: Rep. Albert Reeves (34th) House Committee: Judiciary

Floor Vote:

Yeas: 157 Nays: 13

Rule Applied: Committee Action: Amendments:

Modified-Structured 02-10-2015 Do Pass

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Daily Report for February 18, 2015

Next on the Floor

Next on the Floor from the Committee on Rules
The Committee on Rules has fixed the calendar for the 18th Legislative Day, Thursday, February 19, and bills may be called at the pleasure of the Speaker. The Rules Committee will next meet on Thursday, February
19, at 12:00 PM, to set the Rules Calendar for the 19th Legislative Day.

HB 95

Local government investment pool; trust fund managed by state treasurer; provide
Bill Summary: House Bill 95 relates to the Local Government Investment Pool and amends the code section that allows for local government investment pool funds to be consolidated with state funds under the control of the state treasurer for investment purposes. It provides that the state treasurer may also place these consolidated funds in a separate trust fund to be administered by the state treasurer pursuant to policies established by the State Depository Board.

Authored By: Rep. Kevin Tanner (9th) House Committee: Governmental Affairs

Rule Applied: Committee Action:

Modified-Structured 02-11-2015 Do Pass

HB 100 Education; date by which a child must reach a certain age in order to be eligible for enrollment in certain educational programs; change provisions
Bill Summary: House Bill 100 requires a child be 5 years old by August 1st to begin school for the 2017-2018 school year and by July 15th thereafter. The bill also makes changes to a number of other enrollment deadlines to reflect August 1st instead of September 1st.

Authored By: Rep. Tom Dickson (6th) House Committee: Education

Rule Applied: Committee Action:

Modified-Open 02-11-2015 Do Pass by Committee Substitute

HB 117 Employment security; modify definition of the term most recent employer; change certain provisions
Bill Summary: House Bill 117 relates to employment security and is the annual "housekeeping" bill for the Georgia Department of Labor. It clarifies who is meant as "the most recent employer" as it relates to unemployment insurance law. It increases the statute of limitations, from four years to seven years, which is the amount of time the Commissioner of Labor has to collect over payments on claims or claims that were otherwise erroneously collected. Finally, it provides an exception within the unemployment code that would allow victims of family violence to voluntarily leave their jobs and still collect benefits. Unlike other claims, these claims would be charged to the unemployment insurance fund rather than the employer of the victim.

Authored By:

Rep. Mark Hamilton (24th)

House Committee: Industry and Labor

Rule Applied: Committee Action:

Modified-Open 02-05-2015 Do Pass

HB 164 Professional Standards Commission; professional learning requirements for certification renewal; extend the suspension
Bill Summary: House Bill 164 would extend the suspension of professional learning requirements for certification renewal by the Professional Standards Commission from July 1, 2015 to July 1, 2017. This bill would apply to already certified personnel and paraprofessionals.

Authored By:

Rep. Chuck Martin (49th)

House Committee: Education

Rule Applied: Committee Action:

Modified-Open 02-11-2015 Do Pass by Committee Substitute

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Daily Report for February 18, 2015

Next on the Floor

HB 198 Jason Flatt Act-Georgia; enact
Bill Summary: House Bill 198 creates the Jason Flatt Act-Georgia. This act requires all certificated public school personnel receive annual training in suicide awareness and prevention. Local school systems must adopt a policy on student suicide prevention and identify appropriate materials to fulfill training requirements.

Authored By: Rep. Katie Dempsey (13th) House Committee: Education

Rule Applied: Committee Action:

Modified-Open 02-11-2015 Do Pass

HB 227 Sales and use tax; programmable thermostats from the definition of Energy Star Qualified Product for purposes of the state sales tax holiday; remove
Bill Summary: HB 227 amends the energy efficient sales tax holiday sales tax exemption to remove "programmable thermostat" from the list of exempted items.

Authored By: Rep. Geoff Duncan (26th) House Committee: Ways & Means

Rule Applied: Committee Action:

Structured 02-12-2015 Do Pass

HB 292 Revenue and taxation; Internal Revenue Code; define terms; incorporate certain provisions of federal law into Georgia law
Bill Summary: HB 292 amends the Revenue code, to incorporate changes which were made at the federal level. The legislation conforms the Revenue Code to seven items that were passed by Congress, all of which HB 292 would conform to with the exception of changes relating to Section 179. The changes to Section 179 enacted by HB 292 would allow for a deduction of up of $250,000, rather than the $500,000 enacted by Congress, the phase out of the Section 179 deduction would be effective at $800,000.

Authored By: Rep. David Knight (130th) House Committee: Ways & Means

Rule Applied: Committee Action:

Structured 02-17-2015 Do Pass

SB 5

Georgia Ports Authority; provide for powers; acceptance of loans/grants from United States upon certain terms and conditions
Bill Summary: SB 5 reasserts the power of the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) to comply with the terms of federal loans and grants, explicitly including the power to provide indemnification on behalf of the GPA or any other state agency or instrumentality that is an equal participant as a sponsor of a congressionally authorized civil works project. This language is viewed as a necessary measure for the receipt of more than $400 million in federal funding for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project.

Authored By:

Sen. Bill Cowsert (46th)

Rule Applied:

House Committee: Economic Development & Tourism Committee Action:

Modified-Structured 02-12-2015 Do Pass

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Daily Report for February 18, 2015

Committee Actions

Committee Actions
Bills passing committees are reported to the Clerk's Office and are placed on the General Calendar.

Code Revision Committee
HB 252 J. Calvin Hill, Jr., Act; enact
Bill Summary: HB 252 repeals obsolete and outdated Code provisions as well as Code provisions that have been deemed unconstitutional, and updates obsolete and outdated terminology.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Michael Caldwell (20th) Code Revision

Committee Action:

02-18-2015 Do Pass by Committee Substitute

Governmental Affairs Committee
HB 192 Local government; counties, municipal corporations, school districts, and consolidated governments be reimbursed for expenses only through submission of expense reimbursement requests; provisions
Bill Summary: House Bill 192 amends the Official Code of Georgia by adding a new Code section that relates to the general provisions regarding counties, municipal corporations, and other governmental entities. It states that an elected official of a county, municipal corporation, local school system, or consolidated government shall be prohibited from the use of a government purchasing or credit card unless: (1) Such purchases are solely for items or services relating to such official's public duties; and (2) Such purchases are in accordance with guidelines that are adopted by the county, municipal corporation, local school system, or consolidated government. Purchases made by government purchasing or credit card shall be available for public inspection and each county, municipal corporation, local school system, or consolidated government must promulgate specific policies regarding the use of government purchasing or credit card no later than January 1, 2016; with such policies including: designation of officials who may use such purchasing or credit cards; a requirement that authorized users must sign a cardholder agreement; transaction limits; a description of purchases that shall be and shall not be authorized; designation of a card administrator; a process for auditing and reviewing purchases made; and procedures and penalties for addressing violations made with such cards.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Alan Powell (32nd) Governmental Affairs

Committee Action:

02-18-2015 Do Pass by Committee Substitute

Health & Human Services Committee
HB 195 Pharmacists and pharmacies; substitutions of interchangeable biological products; provide
Bill Summary: HB 195 allows a pharmacist to substitute a biological product with an interchangeable biological product. A biological product, as defined by the bill, is a virus, therapeutic serum, toxin, antitoxin, vaccine, blood, blood component or derivative, allergenic product, protein, or any other trivalent organic arsenic compound, applicable to the prevention, treatment, or cure of a disease or condition of human being. An interchangeable biological product is a biological product that meets safety standards set forth by the Public Health Service Act. The pharmacist must indicate the substitution for an interchangeable biological product on the prescription label, and must notify the prescriber of such a substitution within 48 hours of dispensing the product.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Sharon Cooper (43rd) Health & Human Services

Committee Action:

02-18-2015 Do Pass by Committee Substitute

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Daily Report for February 18, 2015

Committee Actions

HB 212

Pain management clinics; health care professionals who must be on-site for the clinics to provide medical treatment or services; revise a provision
Bill Summary: HB 212 allows a pain management clinic to provide medical treatment if a certified registered nurse anesthetist is on-site.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Tom Weldon (3rd) Health & Human Services

Committee Action:

02-18-2015 Do Pass by Committee Substitute

SB 53

Mental Health; authorizing licensed professional counselor to perform certain acts; revise sunset prov.; repeal in its entirety June 30, 2018
Bill Summary: This legislation revises the sunset provision for licensed professional counselors set forth in Act No. 546 by extending it from March 15, 2015, to June 30, 2018.
Senate Bill 65 (Act No. 546) was passed during the 2014 Legislative Session. Senate Bill 65 amended O.C.G.A. 37-3-41 by adding "licensed professional counselors" to the group of health professionals who have the authority perform an emergency examination of a person and to certificate whether a person is a mentally ill person requiring involuntary treatment. Senate Bill 65 also amended O.C.G.A. 37-7-41 by adding "licensed professional counselors" to the group of health professionals with the authority to perform an emergency examination of a person who appears to be an alcoholic, drug dependent individual, or drug abuser, and to certificate whether the person requires involuntary treatment.
O.C.G.A. 37-3-41 and O.C.G.A. 37-7-41 currently provide that a physician may include any "psychologist, clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, or clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric/mental health" for the purposes of performing emergency examinations and certifications of mentally ill, alcoholic, drug dependent, or drug abusing persons.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. Greg Kirk (13th) Health & Human Services

Committee Action:

02-18-2015 Do Pass

Judiciary Non-Civil Committee
HB 89 Drug-free commercial zones; date of incorporation of local ordinances by reference; change
Bill Summary: Annual update to drug-free commercial zones. Incorporates all-drug free commercial zones that had been properly adopted by municipal or county ordinance since 2013.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Roger Bruce (61st) Judiciary Non-Civil

Committee Action:

02-18-2015 Do Pass

HB 211 Controlled substances; Schedule I, III, and IV; change certain provisions Bill Summary: This is the annual update to the list of prohibited controlled substances.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Bruce Broadrick (4th) Judiciary Non-Civil

Committee Action:

02-18-2015 Do Pass

HB 304

Criminal procedure; fixing of sentence; clarify service of consecutive sentences
Bill Summary: This bill instructs the Department of Corrections, when computing the length of consecutive sentences, to begin mandatory probation periods only after the confinement portion of the sentences is served.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Dustin Hightower (68th) Judiciary Non-Civil

Committee Action:

02-18-2015 Do Pass

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Committee Actions

Retirement Committee
HB 217 Investments; public retirement systems to invest in mutual funds, commingled funds, collective investment funds, common trusts, and group trusts; authorize
Bill Summary: HB 217 amends O.C.G.A. 20-2-83 relating to the certified and uncertified forms of investment and real estate investment under the Public Retirement System Standards. The bill expands the list of allowable investments that can be used for public retirement funds to include mutual funds registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission , under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and commingled funds and collective investment funds regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency of the United States Department of Treasury, including common and group trusts. HB 217 has been certified as a nonfiscal retirement bill by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Howard Maxwell (17th) Retirement

Committee Action:

02-18-2015 Do Pass by Committee Substitute

HB 256

Georgia Firefighters' Pension Fund; provide new definitions; provisions
Bill Summary: HB 256 amends O.C.G.A. 47-27-1 relating to the Georgia Firefighters' Pension Fund. The bill does the following:

o Defines active member, inactive member, retired member, suspended member, and withdrawn member;

o Modifies the structure of the Board;

o Allows a member to select up to five beneficiaries for optional benefits or for death benefits of an active member;

o Increases the maximum fine for false statements from $500 to $2,000;

o Authorizes the board to order a member to forfeit all rights and benefits entitled to under the Fund if they make false statements, obtain benefits they are not entitled to receive, or obtain an amount than they are entitled to receive beginning on or after July 1, 2015;

o Clarifies that a member's break in service greater than 30 days must meet certain criteria for active status to be reinstated;

o Details that an active member who leaves may file for a leave of absence in which the member would become inactive and would be required to reapply for a leave of absence every two years; and

o Explains that an inactive member may be reinstated as an active member provided they meet the eligibility criteria for membership.

HB 256 has been certified as a nonfiscal retirement bill by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Howard Maxwell (17th) Retirement

Committee Action:

02-18-2015 Do Pass

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Daily Report for February 18, 2015

Committee Actions

HB 266

Retirement and pensions; investment authority of local retirement systems; correct certain provisions
Bill Summary: HB 266 amends O.C.G.A. 47-1-12 relating to investment and reinvestment of assets of local retirement systems, valuation and limitation on investments, and duties of the state auditor. The bill refers the terms, conditions, limitations, and restrictions from "the laws of this state upon domestic life insurance companies" to the code section relating to "Public Retirement Systems Investment Authority" (Article 7 of Chapter 20 of Title 47). HB 266 has been certified as a nonfiscal retirement bill by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Paul Battles (15th) Retirement

Committee Action:

02-18-2015 Do Pass

Transportation Committee
HB 170 Transportation Funding Act of 2015; enact
Bill Summary: House bill 170 provides for elimination of the state sales tax on motor fuels and moves to a flat excise rate. Local option sales taxes that do not expire will no longer be levied on motor fuels but will move to a rate of 1.25 percent after July 1, 2015. For Special Purpose Local Option Sales Taxes, the rate will remain at 1 percent and will continue to be levied on motor fuels. If reauthorized by voters upon expiration, the revenue generated from local taxes on motor fuels will be required to be used on transportation purposes. This legislation also requires that the board of the Georgia Infrastructure Bank give greater consideration for tier one and tier two counties when determining eligibility for loans and financial assistance.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Jay Roberts (155th) Transportation

Committee Action:

02-18-2015 Do Pass by Committee Substitute

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Daily Report for February 18, 2015

Committee Actions

Committee Meeting Schedule
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.

Thursday, February 19, 2015 10:00 AM FLOOR SESSION (LD 18) HOUSE CHAMBER 8:00 AM NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT - 606 CLOB 1:00 PM RULES - 341 CAP 1:00 PM Telecommunications Subcommittee of Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications - 415 CLOB 1:00 PM Academic Innovations Subcommittee of Education - 515 CLOB 1:00 PM JUVENILE JUSTICE - 406 CLOB 1:00 PM REGULATED INDUSTRIES - 606 CLOB 2:00 PM TRANSPORTATION - 506 CLOB 2:00 PM JUDICIARY CIVIL - 132 CAP 2:00 PM BANKS & BANKING - 406 CLOB 3:00 PM INTERSTATE COOPERATION - 403 CAP 3:00 PM PUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND SECURITY - 406 CLOB 3:30 PM Driver Safety Subcommittee of Motor Vehicles - 515 CLOB

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