First readers in House, 2007 February 1

FIRST READERS IN HOUSE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 01,2007 THIRTEENTH LEGISLATIVE DAY
HB 245. By Representative Barnard of the 166th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to law enforcement officers and agencies, so as to repeal certain provisions relating to a passenger motor vehicle for the warden of Georgia State Prison to be furnished by the Department of Public Safety; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on CODE REVISION
HB 246. By Representatives Hugley of the 133rd, Porter of the 143rd, Smyre of the 132nd, Ashe of the 56th, Murphy of the 120th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 7 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the O.C.G.A., relating to HOPE scholarships and grants, so as to provide for the creation of the HOPE Literacy Scholar Program; to provide for legislative findings and intent; to provide that the Department of Education, the board of regents, and local school systems shall develop a program to utilize college and university students who are receiving HOPE scholarships to assist in reading literacy programs in public pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and elementary schools; to provide for that such students participating in the program who fail to meet grade requirements to maintain their HOPE scholarships shall receive an additional quarter or semester to meet such grade requirements; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION
HB 247. By Representatives Smith of the 113th, Shaw of the 176th, Roberts of the 154th, Stephens of the 164th, England of the 108th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to local government, so as to change certain provisions relating to acquisition and construction of water and sewage systems; to prohibit counties, municipalities, and local authorities from requiring connection with or use of water supplied by a public water system except when other water is unfit; to prohibit charges or fees for services made available but not used; to provide for applicability; to provide for exceptions; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
HB 248. By Representatives McCall of the 30th, Roberts of the 154th, Royal of the 171st, Floyd of the 147th, Channel1 of the 116th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 48-8-3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to exemptions from state sales and use tax, so as to provide for an exemption for a limited period of time from state sales and use tax only regarding the sale or use of liquefied petroleum gas or other fuel used in dairy production by family owned qualified farm products producers; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on WAYS & MEANS

HB 249. By Representatives Stephens of the 164th, Channel1 of the 116th, Butler of the 18th, and Jackson of the 161st: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 31-6-47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to exemptions from state health planning and development provisions, so as to provide findings of the General Assembly; to provide an exemption for the development and offering of new institutional health services by acute cancer hospitals with 50 or fewer beds that specialize in advanced cancer treatment and that have a majority of their patients originating from outside the State of Georgia; to require the provision of a certain amount of uncompensated indigent care for the exemption to be applicable; to provide a definition of a certain term; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON CERTIFICATE OF NEED
HB 250. By Representatives Maxwell of the 17th, Jones of the 46th, Rogers of the 26th, Casas of the 103rd, Dickson of the 6th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 10 of Article 17 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to professional standards, so as to revise certain provisions relating to reports of criminal offenses to local boards of education; to revise certain provisions relating to preliminary investigations of violations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL
HB 251. By Representative Scott of the 153rd: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 18 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to prosecuting attorneys, so as to provide definitions; to provide that prosecuting attorneys shall be subject to discipline and sanctions, including removal from office and involuntary retirement, by the Judicial Qualifications Commission; to provide for certain canons of ethics for prosecuting attorneys; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL
HB 252. By Representative Scott of the 153rd: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to prestige and special license plates, so as to provide a special license plate supporting programs for the treatment of autism; to provide that a portion of the fbnds generated by the sale of such special license plate be disbursed to the Department of Human Resources for the support of programs for the treatment of autism in Georgia; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on MOTOR VEHICLES
HB 253. By Representatives Graves of the 12th, McCall of the 30th, England of the 108th, Roberts of the 154th, Houston of the 170th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 2 of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to standards, labeling, and adulteration of food, so as to redefine a term; to provide certain exemptions from laws relating to adulteration and misbranding of food; to provide certain exemptions from laws relating to food service establishments; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on AGRICULTURE & CONSUMER AFFAIRS

HB 254. By Representatives Roberts of the 154th, Black of the 174th, Shaw of the 176th, McCall of the 30th, Sheldon of the 105th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 40-5-64 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to issuance of limited driving permits for certain offenders, so as to allow for issuance of a limited driving permit to a driver between 18 and 2 1 years old who has his or her license suspended for driving 24 or more miles per hour but less than 34 miles per hour over the speed limit; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on MOTOR VEHICLES
HB 255. By Representative Bridges of the 10th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 47-1-20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to definitions, so as to expand the definition of the term "public employment related crime"; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL
HB 256. By Representatives Brooks of the 63rd, Benfield of the 85th, Williams of the 165th, Mosby of the 90th, Stephenson of the 92nd, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to retirement and pensions, so as to provide that no public retirement system shall invest funds in public obligations of companies doing business with or in the Republic of Sudan; to provide for divestiture of such investments; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on RETIREMENT
HB 257. By Representatives Yates of the 73rd and Knight of the 126th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 3 of Article 4 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to carrying and possession of firearms, so as to change certain provisions relating to carrying deadly weapons to or at public gatherings; to provide for constables to carry pistols in publicly owned or operated buildings; to exempt constables from the prohibition of carrying weapons within school safety zones, at school functions, or on school property; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL
HB 258. By Representatives Jacobs of the 80th, Walker of the 107th, Geisinger of the 48th, Davis of the 109th, Bearden of the 68th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 50-8-7.1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general powers and duties of the Department of Community Affairs, so as to provide that planning procedures with respect to developments of regional impact shall include at least one public hearing; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on STATE PLANNING & COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

HB 259. By Representatives Geisinger of the 48th, Lindsey of the 54th, Oliver of the 83rd, Smyre of the 132nd, Barnard of the 166th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to gambling and related offenses, so as to provide that certain nonprofit organizations may give away certain noncash prizes to advance the purposes of such nonprofit organization; to provide conditions for the giving of such prizes by nonprofit organizations and businesses; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL
HB 260. By Representatives Jacobs of the 80th, Scott of the 2nd, Lindsey of the 54th, Millar of the 79th, Chambers of the 8lst, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 82 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to revenue bonds, so as to require that certain authorities of this state obtain the approval of the governing authority of certain counties or municipalities prior to issuing revenue bonds or spending revenue from such bond issue; to provide for a definition; to provide for an exception; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on WAYS & MEANS
HB 261. By Representatives Manning of the 32nd, Smith of the 113th, Reese of the 98th, and Scott of the 2nd: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 6 of Chapter 3 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to property owners' associations, so as to provide for changes to the limitations on amendments to covenants running with land; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY
HB 262. By Representatives Martin of the 47th and Stephens of the 164th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for a full-day kindergarten program for a minimum of 170 days per school year; to provide a short title; to change the minimum number of required days in a school year for public elementary and secondary schools to 170 days; to change certain provisions relating to the base pay of school food and nutrition personnel for purposes of conformity; to change certain provisions relating to a residential high school program for gifted youth for purposes of conformity; to change the definition of "school year" relating to teacher contracts for purposes of conformity; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on EDUCATION
HB 263. By Representatives Chambers of the 81st, Knox of the 24th, Coan of the 101st, Ehrhart of the 36th, Smith of the 131st, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to health, so as to repeal the certificate of need program; to provide for legislation findings; to repeal Chapter 6 regarding State Health Planning and Development; to eliminate references to the certificate of need program; to remove the requirement for a certificate of need for certain facilities; to amend Article 7 of Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to medical assistance generally, so as to eliminate reference to interest on penalties related to certificate of

need; to amend Chapter 26 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to housing and finance authority, so as to remove the requirement for a certificate of need of a project financed by an authority; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON CERTIFICATE OF NEED
HR 149. By Representatives Epps of the 128th, Buckner of the 130th, and Nix of the 69th: A RESOLUTION creating the Joint Study Committee on the Viability of Commuter Rail Service from Atlanta to West Point; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on TRANSPORTATION
HR 150. By Representatives Epps of the 128th, Buckner of the 130th, and Nix of the 69th: A RESOLUTION creating the House Study Committee on the Viability of Commuter Rail Service from Atlanta to West Point; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on TRANSPORTATION

SENATE FIRST READERS IN HOUSE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 01,2007 THIRTEENTH LEGISLATIVE DAY
SB 10. By Senators Johnson of the lst, Rogers of the 21st, Weber of the 40th, Schaefer of the 50th, Hill of the 32nd, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, so as to enact the "Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act"; to provide for a short title; to define certain terms; to provide for scholarships for public school students with disabilities to attend eligible private schools; to provide for qualifications and criteria for the scholarship program; to establish certain requirements for private schools that participate in the scholarship program; to provide for the amount of scholarship and method of payments; to authorize the State Board of Education to promulgate certain rules; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Cornittee on EDUCATION