First readers in House, 2021 February 11

FIRST READERS IN HOUSE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021 SIXTEENTH LEGISLATIVE DAY
HB 389. By Representatives Jones of the 25th, Burchett of the 176th, Holly of the 111th, and Gilligan of the 24th: 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 390. By Representatives Thomas of the 65th, Burnough of the 77th, Bruce of the 61st, Jackson of the 128th, Dukes of the 154th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 4 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to vocational, technical, and adult education, so as to provide that the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia shall determine the amount of funds needed to provide for adult technical education programs for agriculture; to include agribusiness and food and agricultural sciences in the industry services training program; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION
HB 391. By Representatives Thomas of the 65th, Holly of the 111th, Mainor of the 56th, Bruce of the 61st, Jackson of the 128th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to labor and industrial relations, so as to require employers to develop, implement, and periodically review
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policies against bullying in the workplace; to provide for definitions; to require employee training; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on INDUSTRY AND LABOR
HB 392. By Representatives Ridley of the 6th, Powell of the 32nd, Erwin of the 28th, Scoggins of the 14th, and Washburn of the 141st: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to alcoholic beverages, so as to provide that licenses for retail sale packages of alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises shall be subject to regulation as to distances from schools as determined by the local governing authority; to provide definitions; to provide an exception; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on REGULATED INDUSTRIES
HB 393. By Representative Stephens of the 164th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 1 of Article 1 of Chapter 8 of Title 48, relating to general provisions for sales and use taxes, so as to revise the definition of "high-technology data center minimum investment threshold" with respect to an exemption; to revise the definitions of "manufacture of tangible personal property" and "manufacturer" to include data processing, hosting, and related services with respect to an exemption for certain machinery, equipment, and energy used in manufacturing; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on WAYS & MEANS
HB 394. By Representative Stephens of the 164th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 11 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to taxes on tobacco and vaping products, so as to revise the rate of taxation for tobacco products and vapor products; to provide for the taxation of certain products that contain nicotine; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on WAYS & MEANS
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HB 395. By Representatives Belton of the 112th, Werkheiser of the 157th, Corbett of the 174th, Lumsden of the 12th, Holcomb of the 81st, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 10A of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists, so as to revise certain licensing provisions; to enter into an interstate compact known as the "Professional Counselors Licensure Compact"; to authorize the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists to administer the compact in this state; to authorize the board to conduct national background checks; to provide for conditions; to provide for eligibility; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short title; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on REGULATED INDUSTRIES
HB 396. By Representatives Greene of the 151st, Campbell of the 171st, and Dukes of the 154th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to repeal an Act creating the South Georgia Regional Information Technology Authority, approved May 29, 2007 (Ga. L. 2007, p. 4336), as amended; to provide for assets and liabilities thereof; to provide for related matters; to provide for effective dates; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on INTRAGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION LOCAL
HB 397. By Representatives Werkheiser of the 157th, Kirby of the 114th, McClain of the 100th, and Marin of the 96th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 34-7-6 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to professional employer organizations and rights, powers, and responsibilities, so as to require specific allocation between a professional employer organization and a coemployer client as to the responsibility to obtain workers' compensation coverage for the employees of the coemployer; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on INDUSTRY AND LABOR
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HB 398. By Representatives Williamson of the 115th, Hatchett of the 150th, Kelley of the 16th, Blackmon of the 146th, Martin of the 49th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 48-7-40.24 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to conditions for taking job tax credit by business enterprises and calculating credit, so as to remove the job cap; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on WAYS & MEANS
HB 399. By Representatives Clark of the 147th, Singleton of the 71st, Belton of the 112th, Williams of the 168th, Holcomb of the 81st, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 48-7-27 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the computation of taxable net income, so as to provide that deductions previously taken by a taxpayer for contributions to the Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan shall not be recaptured if a withdrawal from the savings trust account is made by an account owner upon or after the beneficiary's successful completion of two years of active duty service in any branch of the armed forces of the United States; 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 400. By Representatives Dollar of the 45th, Powell of the 32nd, Jasperse of the 11th, Anulewicz of the 42nd, and Holly of the 111th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 44 of the O.C.G.A., relating to property, so as to allow for vehicle immobilization devices or boots to be applied to motor vehicles on private property under certain circumstances; to provide for definitions; to provide for rules and standards of operation; to provide for booting fees; to provide for notice and sign requirements; to require a regulatory permit issued by a local government for the lawful operation of vehicle immobilization services; to provide for certain preemptions of local regulation; to provide for criminal penalties; to provide for regulatory fees to be paid to certain local governments; to provide for revocation of permit; to provide for certain causes of action; to provide for applicability; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND SECURITY
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HB 401. By Representatives Ehrhart of the 36th, Newton of the 123rd, Jasperse of the 11th, Gravley of the 67th, Carson of the 46th, 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 prohibit certain licensed, certified, or registered professionals from engaging in certain acts upon minors; to provide for a short title; to provide for definitions; to provide for exceptions; to provide for a penalty and private cause of action; to explicitly waive sovereign immunity, qualified immunity, and official immunity for such a private cause of action; 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 HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
HB 402. By Representatives Davis of the 87th, Drenner of the 85th, Evans of the 83rd, Mitchell of the 88th, Scott of the 76th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding public officers and employees, so as to revise provisions regarding whistleblowers; to broaden the scope of persons who may report information to public employers; to expand the definition of the term "retaliation"; to extend the statute of limitations regarding public employer retaliation; to provide for a misdemeanor offense for violations; to provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
HB 403. By Representatives Wiedower of the 119th, Reeves of the 34th, Gaines of the 117th, Hutchinson of the 107th, Oliver of the 82nd, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 11 of Chapter 11 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the "Georgia Child Advocate for the Protection of Children Act," so as to revise the duties of the Child Advocate for the Protection of Children and the Office of the Child Advocate for the Protection of Children in regard to legal representation in dependency proceedings; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUVENILE JUSTICE
HB 404. By Representatives Kennard of the 102nd, Werkheiser of the 157th, McLaurin of the 51st, Kendrick of the 93rd, Holcomb of the 81st, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 35-3-37 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to review of individual's criminal history record information,
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definitions, privacy considerations, written application requesting review, and inspection, so as to revise the handling of arrest-only criminal history record information; to provide for the automatic restriction of an individual's criminal history record information upon arrest; to provide that such criminal history record information shall be made publicly available only upon the issuance of an indictment, accusation, or other charging instrument; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL
HB 405. By Representatives Wilensky of the 79th, Rich of the 97th, Oliver of the 82nd, Scoggins of the 14th, Holcomb of the 81st, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding superior courts, so as to revise when superior courts are authorized to use alternative locations; to provide for criteria; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY
HB 406. By Representatives Wade of the 9th, Blackmon of the 146th, Ridley of the 6th, Williamson of the 115th, Gambill of the 15th, 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 provide for audits of certain primaries and elections; to provide for procedures; to provide for access to election records for such auditors; to provide for public access to the results of such audits; to provide for the audit of specific elections; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ELECTION INTEGRITY
HB 407. By Representatives Wade of the 9th, Thomas of the 21st, Glanton of the 75th, McDonald of the 26th, Gambill of the 15th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to income taxes, so as to exempt retirement income received
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as retirement benefits derived from service in the armed forces of the United States and the reserve components thereof from taxation; 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 408. By Representatives Cooper of the 43rd, Rich of the 97th, Evans of the 57th, and Holcomb of the 81st: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 7 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to dispossessory proceedings, so as to revise procedures for the initiation of dispossessory actions; to require a demand by the owner and a tenant's opportunity to cure; to provide for notice and service; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY
HB 409. By Representatives Gunter of the 8th, Fleming of the 121st, Efstration of the 104th, Reeves of the 34th, Kelley of the 16th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 4 of Chapter 15 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to counsel for public officials and agencies, so as to provide for a process for state-funded representation of certain judges in legal actions resulting from performance or nonperformance of their official duties; to provide for a definition; to establish the Judicial Legal Defense Fund; to establish the Judicial Legal Defense Fund Commission; to provide for appointments and duties; to provide for requirements; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY
HB 410. By Representatives Lumsden of the 12th, Hitchens of the 161st, Collins of the 68th, Scoggins of the 14th, and Jackson of the 128th: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to bingo, so as to transfer regulatory authority over bingo from the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to the Secretary of State; to revise definitions; to provide for transfer of authority and continuity of regulations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL
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HB 411. By Representatives Gullett of the 19th, England of the 116th, Burns of the 159th, Gravley of the 67th, Burchett of the 176th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding prosecuting attorneys, so as to create the Prosecuting Attorneys Oversight Commission; to provide for definitions; to provide for the powers, composition, appointment, and confirmation of such commission; to provide for commission members' terms, vacancies, and removals; to provide for procedures and confidentiality; to provide for related matters; to provide for effective dates; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL
HR 129. By Representatives Neal of the 74th, Evans of the 57th, and Nguyen of the 89th: A RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to authorize the General Assembly to provide for the net proceeds of one or more lottery games to support economic development purposes and programs to provide for direct loans to small businesses located in Georgia; to provide for authorized purposes; to provide for appropriations; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM
HR 130. By Representatives McDonald of the 26th, Jones of the 25th, Cantrell of the 22nd, Wade of the 9th, and Gilligan of the 24th: A RESOLUTION ratifying the action of the Board of Community Affairs approving of the transfer of Forsyth County from the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission to the Atlanta Regional Commission.
Referred to the Committee on GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
HR 131. By Representatives Bennett of the 94th, Hugley of the 136th, Kendrick of the 93rd, Beverly of the 143rd, and Wilkerson of the 38th: A RESOLUTION creating the House Study Committee on Health in Georgia; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
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HR 142. By Representatives Greene of the 151st and Pirkle of the 155th: A RESOLUTION authorizing the lease of certain state owned property located in Baldwin County; authorizing the conveyance of and granting of easements on certain state owned real property located in Columbia County; authorizing the conveyance of certain state owned property in Hall County; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on STATE PROPERTIES HR 143. By Representatives Greene of the 151st and Pirkle of the 155th: A RESOLUTION authorizing the granting of nonexclusive easements for the construction, installation, operation, and maintenance of facilities, utilities, roads, and ingresses and egresses in, on, over, under, upon, across, or through property owned by the State of Georgia in Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Camden, Chatham, Glynn, Harris, Macon, Montgomery, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Rabun, Talbot, Troup, Walton, Ware, and Washington Counties; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on STATE PROPERTIES
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SENATE FIRST READERS IN HOUSE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021 SIXTEENTH LEGISLATIVE DAY
SB 44. By Senators Thompson of the 14th, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Mullis of the 53rd, McNeill of the 3rd, Hufstetler of the 52nd, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 40-2-86 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to special license plates promoting or supporting certain worthy agencies, funds, or nonprofit corporations with proceeds disbursed to the general fund and the agency, fund, or nonprofit corporation, so as to establish a specialty license plate honoring Support Our Troops, Inc.; to provide for related matters; to provide for compliance with constitutional requirements; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on MOTOR VEHICLES SB 60. By Senators Thompson of the 14th, Albers of the 56th, Mullis of the 53rd, Robertson of the 29th, Payne of the 54th, and others: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 1 of Article 5 of Chapter 9 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia State Indemnification Fund, so as revise when indemnification shall be paid in instances of a heart attack, stroke, or vascular rupture suffered by a public safety officer resulting in certain disabilities or death; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Referred to the Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND SECURITY
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