First readers in House, 2019 April 2

FIRST READERS IN HOUSE TUESDAY, APRIL 02, 2019 FORTIETH LEGISLATIVE DAY
*Rules Suspended
HB 715. By Representatives Blackmon of the 146th, Powell of the 171st, and Harrell of the 106th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 13 of Title 48 of the O.C.G.A., relating to general provisions regarding specific, business, and occupation taxes, so as to eliminate gross receipts as a criterion for classifying businesses and practitioners for purposes of calculating the occupation tax levied by local governments; to remove inapplicable references; to require that the proceeds of local government regulatory fees be used to pay for regulatory activity and not general operations; to remove provisions authorizing calculation of regulatory fees for new construction, renovation, and other construction projects; to remove provisions authorizing alternative occupation tax rates for practitioners of certain professions and occupations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on WAYS & MEANS
HB 716. By Representatives Blackmon of the 146th and Smith of the 134th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 33-24-59.23 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to carrier issuing health benefit plans to pay insurance agent's commissions and regulation authority, so as to provide that carriers issuing a health benefit plan in this state through an agent shall file proposed commission rates with the department; to provide that carriers that do not pay commission during special enrollments shall upon policy renewals pay such commission along with renewal commission; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on INSURANCE
HB 717. By Representatives Mathiak of the 73rd, Barr of the 103rd, Bazemore of the 63rd, Bonner of the 72nd, Rich of the 97th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 31 of the O.C.G.A., relating to health, so as to repeal in its entirety Chapter 26, relating to the practice of midwifery; to amend Title 43 of the O.C.G.A., relating to professions and businesses, so as to provide for the licensure and regulation of midwives; to provide for definitions; to provide for the creation of the Advisory Board for Licensed Midwives; to provide for its membership and duties; to provide for licensure requirements; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on REGULATED INDUSTRIES
Withdrawn from Regulated Industries and recommitted to Health and Human Services
HB 718. By Representative Dollar of the 45th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to incorporate the City of East Cobb; to provide a charter for the City of East Cobb; to provide for incorporation, boundaries, and powers of the city; to provide for other matters relative to the foregoing; to provide for a referendum; to
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provide effective dates; to provide for transition of powers and duties; to provide for directory nature of dates; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
HB 719. By Representatives Silcox of the 52nd, Cooper of the 43rd, Newton of the 123rd, Drenner of the 85th, and Henson of the 86th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 16 of the O.C.G.A., relating to crimes and offenses, so as to provide for the modernization of HIV related laws to align with science to ensure that laws and policies support current understanding of best public health practices for preventing and treating HIV, scientific evidence about routes of transmission, and the public health goals of promoting HIV prevention and treatment; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
HB 720. By Representatives Sainz of the 180th, Efstration of the 104th, Fleming of the 121st, Burchett of the 176th, Momtahan of the 17th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 10 of Title 17 of the O.C.G.A., relating to procedure for sentencing and imposition of punishment, so as to clarify that a term of probation shall follow the mandatory term of imprisonment for persons convicted of a sexual offense; to amend Title 42 of the O.C.G.A.d, relating to penal institutions, so as to make conforming changes;to amend Code Section 16-7-29 of the O.C.G.A., relating to interference with electronic monitoring devices, "electronic monitoring device" defined, and penalty, so as to revise a cross-reference; to provide for a response to Park v. State, 2019 Ga. LEXIS 138 (March 4, 2019); to provide for related matters; to provide for applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL
HB 721. By Representatives Kirby of the 114th, Dollar of the 45th, Williams of the 148th, and Watson of the 172nd: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to retirement and pensions, so as to provide for the transfer of creditable service from the Legislative Retirement System to the Employees' Retirement System for certain members of the Georgia State Employees' Pension and Savings Plan; to provide for related matters; to provide conditions for an effective date and automatic repeal; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on RETIREMENT
HB 722. By Representatives Cooper of the 43rd, Lumsden of the 12th, Houston of the 170th, Benton of the 31st, and Howard of the 124th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 31-2-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to actions against certain applicants or licensees, so as to increase fine amount limits; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
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HB 723. By Representatives Williams of the 145th, Gullett of the 19th, Kausche of the 50th, Hugley of the 136th, Bruce of the 61st, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elections and primaries generally, so as to clarify a term; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
HB 724. By Representatives Wilson of the 80th, Trammell of the 132nd, Beverly of the 143rd, Dreyer of the 59th, Boddie of the 62nd, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 16-13-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to conditional discharge for possession of controlled substances as first offense and certain nonviolent property crimes, dismissal of charges, and restitution to victims, so as to authorize counties to adopt ordinances governing and punishing the possession of one ounce or less of marijuana in the unincorporated areas of a county; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL
*HB 732. By Representatives Jones of the 25th, Welch of the 110th, Carpenter of the 4th, Holcomb of the 81st, and Gravley of the 67th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to imposition, rate, computation, and exemptions from state income tax, so as to provide for a state income tax credit for the purchase or lease of new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles; to revise a tax credit for electric vehicle chargers; to provide for conditions and limitations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on WAYS & MEANS
*HB 733. By Representatives Sainz of the 180th, Burchett of the 176th, Wilson of the 80th, Hogan of the 179th, Meeks of the 178th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 23 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia Judicial Retirement System, so as to remove the prohibition of postretirement benefit adjustments for members who first became members of the retirement system on or after July 1, 2009; to provide for related matters; to provide conditions for an effective date and automatic repeal; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on RETIREMENT
*HB 734. By Representatives Welch of the 110th, Stephens of the 164th, Newton of the 123rd, Barr of the 103rd, Jasperse of the 11th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to commerce and trade, so as to create the Journalism Ethics Board; to provide for its composition, duties, and powers; to provide for promulgation of canons of ethics; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for confidentiality of certain
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matters; to provide for immunity from civil suit; to provide for an interviewee's access to copies of photographs and audio and video recordings taken by members of the media; to provide for the manner of requesting such items and responding; to provide for sanctions for failure to respond or delays in responding; to provide a short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY HR 791. By Representatives Watson of the 172nd, Rhodes of the 120th, LaRiccia of the 169th, Rynders of the 152nd, LaHood of the 175th, and others: A RESOLUTION encouraging the Georgia High School Association to perform a thorough assessment of its operations and practices; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on EDUCATION HR 811. By Representatives Knight of the 130th and Rhodes of the 120th: A RESOLUTION recognizing the unique economic and natural resources of coastal Georgia and the need to carefully study and consider the impacts a commercial spaceport may have on such resources; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT
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