FIRST READERS IN HOUSE THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 EIGHTH LEGISLATIVE DAY HB 742. By Representatives Trammell of the 132nd, Clark of the 98th, and Singleton of the 71st: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 5 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to vacation of office, so as to provide for the suspension of compensation for certain public officers who are suspended because of indictment for a felony; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS HB 839. By Representatives Jones of the 25th, Werkheiser of the 157th, Park of the 101st, Hill of the 3rd, Holly of the 111th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 8 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to employment security, so as to change the definition of employment to include services performed by an individual for wages unless the Department of Labor makes a contrary determination based upon evidence that such individual has been, and will continue to be, free from control or direction over the performance of such services; to provide for civil penalties; to prohibit retaliation by employers against individuals who report violations of or noncompliance with the "Employment Security Law"; to provide for a civil cause of action for retaliation by employers; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on INDUSTRY AND LABOR HB 840. By Representatives Wiedower of the 119th, Gaines of the 117th, Kelley of the 16th, Sainz of the 180th, and Jones of the 47th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 1A of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions, so as to provide for biennial review of institutions rather than programs; to provide for awards of costs and reasonable attorney's fees in favor of the commission; to provide for alternative review of renewal applications by institutions in good standing with recognized accrediting agencies; to provide for filing a surety bond in the event of a change of ownership of an institution; to provide for the remittal of surety bonds; to provide for assessment of investigation costs incurred by the commission; to provide for related matters; to provide for conforming changes; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION HB 841. By Representatives Scoggins of the 14th, Gambill of the 15th, and Kelley of the 16th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend an Act to provide a homestead exemption from certain Bartow County ad valorem taxes for county purposes in the amount of $5,000.00 of the assessed value of the homestead for certain residents of that county, approved March 24, 1994 (Ga. L. 1994, p. 4058), so as to increase the amount of such homestead -1- exemption to $10,000.00; to provide for related matters; to provide for a referendum, effective dates, and automatic repeal; to provide for applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on INTRAGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION LOCAL HB 842. By Representatives Williams of the 145th, Jackson of the 128th, Mathis of the 144th, Gravley of the 67th, Powell of the 32nd, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding health, so as to prohibit providers from discriminating against potential organ transplant recipients due solely to the physical or mental disability of the potential recipient; to amend Chapter 24 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to insurance generally, so as to prohibit health insurers from discriminating against potential organ transplant recipients due solely to the physical or mental disability of the potential recipient; to provide for a short title; to provide for legislative findings; to provide for applicability; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on INSURANCE HB 843. By Representatives Douglas of the 78th, Trammell of the 132nd, Frye of the 118th, Hawkins of the 27th, Wilensky of the 79th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 15 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to miscellaneous provisions under the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to provide for recess for students in kindergarten and grades one through five; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on EDUCATION HB 844. By Representatives Gullett of the 19th, Knight of the 130th, Yearta of the 152nd, Ehrhart of the 36th, Mathis of the 144th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding ad valorem taxation of property, so as to provide that property tax bills shall include the amounts of assessments levied for each of the three immediately preceding tax years; to provide for applicability; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on WAYS & MEANS HB 845. By Representatives Glanton of the 75th, Nix of the 69th, Stovall of the 74th, and Belton of the 112th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Subpart 2 of Part 6 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to conditions of employment in elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for additional compensation for teachers with special education certification under certain conditions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on EDUCATION -2- HB 846. By Representatives Corbett of the 174th, Harrell of the 106th, Carson of the 46th, Kelley of the 16th, and Williamson of the 115th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to revenue and taxation, so as to provide that interest paid on refunds of overpayments of taxes and past due taxes shall be equal to the bank prime loan rate; to allow political subdivisions to make an election related repayment of certain final refund amounts being made over a period of time; to require the Department of Revenue to establish and maintain a direct pay permit program that permits a qualified taxpayer to accrue and pay directly to the department certain state and local sales and use taxes; to provide definitions; 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 WAYS & MEANS HB 847. By Representatives Corbett of the 174th, McCall of the 33rd, Dickey of the 140th, Pruett of the 149th, and Gilliard of the 162nd: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 23 of Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to hemp farming, so as to provide definitions; to provide for penalties; to provide for criminal background checks; to provide for compliance with federal laws and regulations; to provide for hemp nursery licensees; to provide for license and permit fees; to provide for testing of hemp samples; to provide for destruction of noncompliant hemp; to provide for violations of the state hemp plan; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on AGRICULTURE & CONSUMER AFFAIRS HB 848. By Representatives Blackmon of the 146th, Williams of the 145th, Lumsden of the 12th, Taylor of the 173rd, Shannon of the 84th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 4 of Chapter 5 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to disposition of surplus property, so as to change certain definitions to provide the Department of Administrative Services additional options when disposing of surplus property in the best interest of the state; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS HB 849. By Representatives Douglas of the 78th, Trammell of the 132nd, Hawkins of the 27th, Powell of the 32nd, Howard of the 124th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 8 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to care and protection of indigent and elderly patients, so as to provide for authorized electronic monitoring in long-term care facilities; to provide for a short title; to provide for definitions; to provide consent requirements; to provide for notice to the facility; to provide for cost and installation; to provide for notice to visitors; to prohibit obstruction of electronic monitoring devices; to limit access to recordings; to provide for limited liability; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for a notification and consent form; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES -3- HB 850. By Representatives Ridley of the 6th, Harrell of the 106th, Jasperse of the 11th, Tarvin of the 2nd, Gravley of the 67th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 8 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to sales and use taxes, so as to provide for uniform November referenda and elections for local option sales taxes; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on WAYS & MEANS HB 851. By Representatives Reeves of the 34th, Anulewicz of the 42nd, Setzler of the 35th, Williams of the 37th, Dollar of the 45th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend an Act creating the State Court of Cobb County, approved March 26, 1964 (Ga. L. 1964, p. 3211), as amended, particularly by an Act approved May 2, 2017 (Ga. L. 2017, p. 3677), so as to change the compensation of judges of the State Court of Cobb County; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on INTRAGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION LOCAL HB 852. By Representative Glanton of the 75th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 6-3-21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to lands acquired, owned, leased, controlled, or occupied by local governments deemed for public purposes and effect on ad valorem taxation, so as to revise the taxability of certain publicly held lands; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS HR 874. By Representatives Trammell of the 132nd and Clark of the 98th: A RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Georgia so as to provide for the suspension of the salary of certain suspended public officials; to provide for related matters; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY -4-