Daily report, 2019 March 13

DAILY REPORT Wednesday
March 13, 2019

31st Legislative
Day

House Budget & Research Office (404) 656-5050

The House will reconvene for its 32nd Legislative Day on Thursday, March 14 at 10:00 a.m. The Rules Committee will meet at 9:00 a.m.

Today on the Floor
Motions to Agree
HB 95 Jenkins County; appointment of deputy magistrates; provide Bill Summary: This bill states the chief magistrate and any deputy magistrate of Jenkins County shall be appointed by the county governing authority and shall not be elected officers.

Authored By: Rep. Butch Parrish (158th)

Rule Applied:

Motions to Agree (A motion to agree represents final passage of the bill.)

Rules Calendar
HR 135 Congress; eliminate five-month waiting period for disability insurance benefits for individuals living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); urge
Bill Summary: House Resolution 135 urges Congress to eliminate the five-month waiting period for disability insurance benefits for individuals living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Authored By: Rep. Chuck Efstration (104th) House Committee: Health & Human Services

Floor Vote: Floor Action:

Yeas: 166 Nays: 0 Adopted (Resolution)

Rule Applied: Committee Action: Amendments:

Modified-Open 02-12-2019 Do Pass

SB 99

Department of Natural Resources' Online Licensing System; allow applicants to make an anatomical gift; provide
Bill Summary: Senate Bill 99 allows for any person who applies for a hunting, fishing, or trapping license to make an anatomical gift. The Department of Natural Resources may make the organ donation information available to procurement organizations as provided by the 'Georgia Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act'.

Authored By: Sen. Tyler Harper (7th) House Committee: Game, Fish, & Parks

Floor Vote:

Yeas: 164 Nays: 0

Rule Applied: Committee Action: Amendments:

Modified-Open 02-28-2019 Do Pass

Local Calendar
HB 574 Dawson, City of; provide new charter Bill Summary: This bill provides a new charter for the city of Dawson.

Authored By:

Rep. Gerald Greene (151st)

Rule Applied:

Page 1 of 8

House of Representatives

Daily Report for March 13, 2019

Today on the Floor

House Committee: Intragovernmental Coordination -

Local

Floor Vote:

Yeas: 159 Nays: 0

Committee Action: Amendments:

03-12-2019 Do Pass

HB 584

Cobb County; Superior Court; restyle the executive assistant and the executive secretary of the clerk as administrative managers
Bill Summary: This bill restyles the executive assistant and the executive secretary of the clerk of Cobb County Superior Court as administrative managers.

Authored By: Rep. John Carson (46th)

House Committee: Intragovernmental Coordination Local

Floor Vote:

Yeas: 159 Nays: 0

Rule Applied: Committee Action: Amendments:

03-12-2019 Do Pass

HB 585 Miller County; Board of Commissioners; revise the districts for the election of members Bill Summary: This bill revises the districts of the Miller County Board of Commissioners.

Authored By: Rep. Winfred Dukes (154th)

House Committee: Intragovernmental Coordination Local

Floor Vote:

Yeas: 159 Nays: 0

Rule Applied: Committee Action: Amendments:

03-12-2019 Do Pass

HB 590 Tybee Island, City of; filling of vacancies; provide
Bill Summary: This bill provides for the filling of vacancies of the mayor or councilmembers of the city of Tybee Island.

Authored By: Rep. Jesse Petrea (166th)

House Committee: Intragovernmental Coordination Local

Floor Vote:

Yeas: 159 Nays: 0

Rule Applied: Committee Action: Amendments:

03-12-2019 Do Pass

HB 591 Tybee Island, City of; levy an excise tax Bill Summary: This bill authorizes the governing authority of Tybee Island to levy an excise tax.

Authored By: Rep. Jesse Petrea (166th)

House Committee: Intragovernmental Coordination Local

Floor Vote:

Yeas: 159 Nays: 0

Rule Applied: Committee Action: Amendments:

03-12-2019 Do Pass

SB 111

Magistrate Court of Dooly County; judge of the Probate Court of Dooly County shall also serve as the chief magistrate; provide
Bill Summary: This bill provides that the judge of the Dooly County Probate Court shall also serve as the chief magistrate of the Dooly County Magistrate Court on or after January 1, 2021.

Authored By: Sen. Greg Kirk (13th)

House Committee: Intragovernmental Coordination Local

Floor Vote:

Yeas: 159 Nays: 0

Rule Applied: Committee Action: Amendments:

03-12-2019 Do Pass

Page 2 of 8

House of Representatives

Daily Report for March 13, 2019

Committee Actions

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

Governmental Affairs Committee
HB 571 Ben Hill County; Magistrate Court chief judge; provide nonpartisan elections
Bill Summary: House Bill 571 specifies that elections for the office of chief judge of the Ben Hill County Magistrate Court shall be nonpartisan.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Clay Pirkle (155th) Governmental Affairs

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

HB 572 Ben Hill County; probate judge; provide nonpartisan elections
Bill Summary: House Bill 572 specifies that elections for the office of probate judge of Ben Hill County shall be nonpartisan.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Clay Pirkle (155th) Governmental Affairs

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

SB 77

State Flag, Seal, and other Symbols; additional protections for government statues; provide
Bill Summary: Senate Bill 77 provides that any person who damages, destroys, loses, takes, or removes a publicly-owned military service monument is liable for attorney's fees and court costs expended by the public entity, as well as triple the amount of the full cost of repair or replacement of the monument. An agency may relocate a monument if necessary for construction or expansion, but the monument must be relocated to a site of similar prominence. The bill prohibits the relocation of a monument to a museum, cemetery, or mausoleum.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. Jeff Mullis (53rd) Governmental Affairs

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass by Committee Substitute

SB 130 Office of Probate Judge of Johnson County; future nonpartisan elections; provide
Bill Summary: Senate Bill 130 specifies that elections for the offices of probate judge of Johnson County and chief magistrate of the Johnson County Magistrate Court shall be nonpartisan.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. Jesse Stone (23rd) Governmental Affairs

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

SB 154

Georgia Coroner's Training Council; hearing complaints from outside parties regarding coroners; provide
Bill Summary: Senate Bill 154 authorizes the Georgia Coroner's Training Council to review complaints from outside parties and make recommendations regarding the retention, suspension, or removal of a coroner.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. Steve Gooch (51st) Governmental Affairs

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

Page 3 of 8

House of Representatives

Daily Report for March 13, 2019

Committee Actions

SB 171

Courts, Primaries and Elections, and Ad Valorem Taxation; compensation of various local government officials; modify
Bill Summary: Senate Bill 171 increases the minimum salaries for each clerk of the superior court, judge of the probate court, sheriff, tax commissioner, and tax collector in this state, based on population levels established by the decennial census. Minimum salaries will be automatically adjusted annually based on certain increases provided to state employees. The bill increases the additional minimum monthly salary for a clerk of the superior court who serves as clerk of a state court and also for a sheriff who performs additional duties as sheriff for a court or courts. Minimum monthly salaries are increased for the chief deputy registrar and tax collectors or commissioners who perform duties of the sheriff.

As it relates to this section and several other Code sections, the effective date for the census is changed from July 1 to January 1 of the first year after the year that the census was conducted.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. John Wilkinson (50th) Governmental Affairs

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass by Committee Substitute

SB 177

General Assembly; requirements for consideration of local legislation revising existing districts or creating new districts; provide
Bill Summary: Senate Bill 177 provides requirements for local bills which revise or create districts for county boards of commissioners, county boards of education, independent boards of education, or municipal governing authorities. A plan to create or revise districts must be drawn or certified by the staff of the Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office of the General Assembly. When the local government entity wishes to have districts drawn, they must contact a member of the General Assembly who represents the area and request a letter of sponsorship. If a member of the General Assembly proceeds with a local bill containing a district plan that was not drawn or certified by the Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office, a letter from the office will be attached to the bill stating that the district plan has not been certified.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. Matt Brass (28th) Governmental Affairs

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

Industry and Labor Committee
SB 135 Workers' Compensation; certain provisions; change
Bill Summary: Senate Bill 135 provides that any director or administrative law judge of the State Board of Workers' Compensation in office on June 30, 2019, is eligible to be appointed as director emeritus or administrative law judge, respectively, of the board, under certain conditions. The bill provides exceptions to the 400-week limitation for the medical treatment of injuries that are not designated as catastrophic. The compensation maximums are raised for temporarily total injuries, partial but temporary injuries, and deaths.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. Larry Walker III (20th) Industry and Labor

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

Insurance Committee
SB 18 "Direct Primary Care Act" Bill Summary: Senate Bill 18 is known as the 'Direct Primary Care Act.' The bill provides that a direct primary care agreement is not insurance and is not subject to state insurance laws. A physician
Page 4 of 8

House of Representatives

Daily Report for March 13, 2019

Committee Actions

offering, marketing, selling, or entering into a direct primary care agreement is not required to obtain a certificate of authority or license other than to maintain a current license to practice medicine in Georgia.

Additionally, a physician providing health care services under a direct care primary agreement may decline to accept a patient if the provider is unable to provide the appropriate level and type of health care services needed by the patient.
Furthermore, a physician may discontinue care for a patient under the direct primary care agreement if the physician or the physician's medical practice discontinues operation as a direct primary care practice or if the patient: fails to pay the periodic fee or any additional fees specified by the agreement; performs an act of fraud; or presents an emotional or physical danger to staff or other patients.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick (32nd) Insurance

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

SB 118

Insurance; Georgia Telemedicine Act; modernize; Telemedicine Act the Telehealth Act; rename
Bill Summary: Senate Bill 188 modernizes the 'Georgia Telemedicine Act' by renaming it to the 'Georgia Telehealth Act'. The bill requires that each insurer that issues a health benefit policy provides coverage for the cost of healthcare services provided through telehealth or telemedicine services.

The bill requires that insurers not exclude a service for coverage solely because the service is provided through telemedicine services and is not provided through in-person consultation or contact between a provider and a patient for services appropriately provided through telemedicine services.

Additionally, insurers are required to reimburse the provider for the diagnosis, consultation, or treatment of the insured delivered through telemedicine services on the same basis and at least at the rate that the insurer is responsible for coverage for the provision of the same service through inperson consultation or contact.

Furthermore, no insurer will impose any annual or lifetime dollar maximum on coverage for telemedicine services other than an annual or lifetime dollar maximum that applies in the aggregate of all items and services covered under the policy. The bill also requires that no insurer will require its insureds to use telemedicine services in lieu of in-person consultation or contact.

Additionally, the bill adds a new definition of "telehealth" and redefines the current definition of "telemedicine". The bill becomes effective January 1, 2020.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. Renee Unterman (45th) Insurance

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass by Committee Substitute

SB 156 Insurance; division of a domestic insurer into two or more resulting domestic insurers; provide
Bill Summary: Senate Bill 156 provides that any domestic insurer may divide into two or more resulting insurers pursuant to a plan of division.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. P. K. Martin (9th) Insurance

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

Page 5 of 8

House of Representatives

Daily Report for March 13, 2019

Committee Actions

SB 202

Title Insurance; lender's security interest; personal property taken by the lender as collateral for a commercial loan; allow
Bill Summary: Senate Bill 202 allows title insurance to be procured on a lender's security interest in personal property taken by the lender as collateral for a commercial loan.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. William Ligon, Jr. (3rd) Insurance

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

Intragovernmental Coordination Committee
HB 595 Jenkins County; Probate Court judge; provide nonpartisan elections
Bill Summary: House Bill 595 provides that future elections for the office of the judge of the Jenkins County Probate Court shall be nonpartisan.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Butch Parrish (158th) Intragovernmental Coordination

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

Intragovernmental Coordination - Local Committee
HB 594 Waverly Hall, Town of; Municipal Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee
Bill Summary: This bill authorizes the assessment and collection of a technology fee by the municipal court of the town of Waverly Hall.

Authored By: House Committee:

Rep. Debbie Buckner (137th) Intragovernmental Coordination Local

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

SB 87

Toombs County Development Authority; qualifications of members of said authority; provide
Bill Summary: This bill provides for the qualifications of the members of the Toombs County Development Authority.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. Blake Tillery (19th) Intragovernmental Coordination Local

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

Special Rules Committee
SB 170 State and Other Flags; Honor and Remember flag as the state's emblem of the service and sacrifice of the members of the armed forces; designate
Bill Summary: SB 170 designates the Honor and Remember flag as the state's emblem of the service and sacrifice of the members of the armed forces who have given their lives in the line of duty. Designated areas where the flag may be displayed for visibility to the public is also included in the bill. Local governments may display the flag at any local government building and any department or agency may adopt guidelines as necessary.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. Bruce Thompson (14th) Special Rules

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

Page 6 of 8

House of Representatives

Daily Report for March 13, 2019

Committee Actions

SR 264 Joint Emergency Medical Services Study Committee; create Bill Summary: SR 264 creates the Joint Study Committee on Emergency Medical Services.

Authored By: House Committee:

Sen. Jeff Mullis (53rd) Special Rules

Committee Action:

03-13-2019 Do Pass

Page 7 of 8

House of Representatives

Daily Report for March 13, 2019

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, March 14, 2019
8:00 AM JUDICIARY (NON-CIVIL) 132 CAP 8:00 AM Insurance Life & Health Subcommittee 415 CLOB 9:00 AM RULES 341 CAP 10:00 AM FLOOR SESSION (LD 32) House Chamber 1:00 PM EDUCATION 606 CLOB 1:00 PM JUVENILE JUSTICE 406 CLOB 2:00 PM TRANSPORTATION 506 CLOB 2:00 PM JUDICIARY (CIVIL) 132 CAP 2:00 PM Occupational/Professional Licensing Subcmte. of Regulated Industries 515 CLOB

Page 8 of 8