GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE ROOM 131, STATE CAPITOL 30334 404-656-5082 1-800-282-5800 
Final Wrap - Up 
Back to PIO The second regular session of the 146th General Assembly of Georgia convened at 10:00 am, January 14, 2002 and adjourned sine die at 3:44 pm, April 12, 2002. This was the longest legislative session since 1885 because lawmakers were saving days so they would have time to redraw legislative maps before sine die. During that period approximately 1,844 House bills and House resolutions were introduced. The Governor has 40 days after the session to veto bills, sign them into law, or allow them to become law without signing. 
Major legislation that passed both the House and the Senate include: 
Final Version of FY 2003 Budget - HB1002 is the state's $16.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2003 that begins July 1, 2002 and ends June 30, 2003. Reflected in the plan are the 5 percent in spending cuts called for by the Governor earlier in the year. Highlights includes a 3.25 percent teacher pay raise and a 2.25 percent state employee pay raise, around $350 million in property tax relief through an expansion of the homestead exemption provision, saving the average homeowner about $200, $6.6 million for Peach Care for Kids Program which provides medical coverage for children in lower income families who do not qualify for Medicaid, $450,000 for 9 positions at the Public Service Commission to monitor and oversee the natural gas industry, $280,000 for pre-trial substance abuse and mental health treatment programs, $300,000 to fund grants for counties to pay for indigent defense and $591,000 to create the Georgia Military Pension Fund. 
Supplemental Budget Final Version - HB 1001 is a revised spending plan for the current fiscal year. It takes state spending from $15.5 billion to $16.2 billion for the next three months ending June 30th. Trying to stimulate the state's economy and taking advantage of low interest rates the measure contains $709 million in bonds for construction projects on technical schools, colleges and roads. It is $16 million less in bonds than what the Governor had originally proposed. Reflected in the plan as well are the 2.5 percent in spending cuts called for by the Governor earlier in the year. Contained in the document is $137.5 million for rural road projects, $54 million for electronic voting equipment in every Georgia precinct, $8.5 million for cleaning up the Tri-State Crematory where hundreds of bodies were found, $5 million in grants for rural hospitals, $2.6 million to purchase land in downtown Atlanta for a multi-modal passenger terminal, $10 million for improving the satellite campuses at Macon State College and Fort Valley State College, $5 million for a riverfront development in Albany and $600,000 for the Indigent Defense Council. 
Classroom Construction - HB 1000 is part of the Governor's Legislative Package and issues $620 million in state bonds to build 5,000 new classrooms for local schools throughout Georgia. Around $420 million was in last year's budget but was not spent. Taking advantage of low interest rates, Governor Barnes wants the money to be provided through 20 year bonds so they 
 
 can be used for budget purposes this year. To view spending proposals click here To go to the Legislative Budget Office click here 
Revised Senate District Map - HB 1667 is a new Senate district map that had to be redrawn because the one adopted last August was rejected by a federal court in Washington. The three judge panel gave approval to the House and Congressional maps drawn. To go to the Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office click here 
Sales Tax Holiday - HB 1312 is part of the Governor's Legislative Package and creates two sales tax holidays. One was March 29-30, providing a stimulus just before Easter, and the next one will be Aug. 2-3, just before schools start. State sales would be exempted on essential clothing and footwear up to $100 each, computer equipment for personal use up to $1,500 and school supplies up to $20 per item. It is estimated to cost $11 million in state revenue and cost local governments statewide $4.4 million in revenue to implement the holidays. To view HB 1312 click here 
Predatory Lending - HB 1361 is a part of the Governor's Legislative Package and protects the elderly and uneducated borrowers from unscrupulous lenders who charge high interest rates and fees. The legislation bans exorbitant prepayment penalties, balloon payments and broker fees for certain high interest loans. Protections would be triggered on high cost loans if an interest reaches 13.5 percent or greater or if fees reach 5 percent for loans greater than $20,000. It also makes it harder for lenders to refinance multiple times within a short period (flipping) and puts a five year statue of limitations on the time borrowers have to file claims against lenders they think have charged them exorbitant fees on high interest loans. Further more, HB 1361 bans the financing of insurance that covers a borrower's payments should they become unable to pay. The bill also requires loan counseling and makes lenders determine whether a borrower has the ability to pay. To view HB 1361 click here 
Natural Gas - HB 1568, the "Natural Gas Consumers' Relief Act;" is a part of the Governor's Legislative Package and effects approximately 1.5 million natural gas customers in Georgia. Most of those reside in metro Atlanta. Some provisions of the plan include a consumers bill of rights that says selling natural gas must be on reasonable terms and at reasonable prices, a gas supplier of "last resort" for low income consumers and those with bad credit, and allowing electric membership corporations (EMCs) to become natural gas marketers. The bill also gives the Public Service Commission authority to impose emergency price regulations in limited situations, establishes a late fee cap of $10 or 1.5 percent of past due balance, establishes a $150 limit on deposits, which must be refunded to consumers and sets a surcharge on large industrial gas users that will pay for low income assistance and will help if the "last resort" supplier has any losses. To view HB 1568 click here 
Identity Theft - SB 475 is a part of the Governor's Legislative Package and allows prosecutors to seek felony charges against those caught twice for certain kinds of identity-related fraud, such as making fake IDs. The felony would be punishable by three to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. And it makes businesses that fail to properly discard personal information collected from 
 
 customers susceptible to civil penalties. 
Combating Bioterrorism - SB 385 is part of the Governor's Legislative Package and is a very broad proposal updating a law passed in 1951. Under the bill, the Governor could call a public health emergency in the case of an outbreak of infectious disease which would put in action planned quarantine and vaccination measures by the Department of Human Resources. The bill also states the General Assembly must be called into session after the declaration to approve or vote down the emergency declaration. The measure grants the Governor several other powers after an emergency declaration as well. Some of these include the power to restrict sales and transportation of guns, explosives and alcohol and the ability to make hospitals to provide medical services or the use of their facilities if necessary for the response to a public health emergency. There will be no limitations on legally owned guns. 
Domestic Terrorism - SB 320 enhances penalties for crimes motivated by domestic terrorism. It says any defendant convicted of a crime that involves planning to injure or kill 10 or more victims or that involves any plan or act likely to injure or kill that many people must serve a maximum sentence. Probation or Parole could not be granted as well. Also, in death penalty cases, evidence that the motivation of the crime was domestic terrorism could be used as a factor in the sentencing phase of the trial. 
Provisional Voting - SB 414 allows for provisional voting and clarifies procedures for the state to use electronic voting machines instead of punch card ballots in elections. The General Assembly has earmarked $54 million in the recently passed supplemental budget for the electronic upgrades. For provisional voting, the bill allows people who are not on a voter list at a precinct but claim to be registered, to cast a provisional ballot. To qualify, they would have to swear under oath they are eligible to vote and they had not voted that day. Their ballot would only be counted if the oath is determined to be valid. Georgia is one of only thirteen states that do not allow provisional ballots. 
Health Care - SB 476 is a part of the Governor's Legislative Package and requires insurance companies to have staff available 24 hours a day to authorize certain non-emergency treatments. Insurance companies would have to make staff available to authorize procedures that are not emergencies but might be necessary after normal business hours or on weekends as well under the bill. The measure also limits insurance companies to an 18-month window in which they can request a refund from a doctor on a claim submitted within 90 days of service, gives consumers 60 days to continue using a physician after a doctor's contract with a insurance company has been canceled and makes coverage for pregnancies apply throughout the pregnancy and as long as six weeks after the birth. 
Retired Teachers - HB 210 is trying to help alleviate the teacher shortage in Georgia by allowing retired teachers to return to the classroom full time in low performing schools with a regular salary and retain full retirement benefits, for up to five years. To qualify, retired teachers must be at least 60 years of age or have put in 30 years of service. Currently, retired teachers who want to go back into the classroom may teach only 49 percent of a full-time schedule. The bill also stipulates that once a retired teacher is back in the classroom no additional retirement credit could be earned and school systems would have to prove that they've tried to find a 
 
 qualified teacher for that position. 
Increasing Unemployment Benefits - HB 342, which is part of Governor's Legislative Package, increases the maximum weekly unemployment benefits for jobless workers to $295 a week on July 1 and $300 a week on July 1, 2003. The bill also increases the amount of money an unemployed person can earn from $30 a week to $50 a week while still qualifying for unemployment compensation. The measure also makes technical changes in how benefits are computed and in employer contributions to the unemployment compensation trust fund. 
Sovereign Immunity - HB 1128 would allow citizens to sue their governments for up to $700,000 per vehicle crash by 2008. Property damages would be limited to $50,000 under the bill, which phases in the changes starting in 2005. The bill covers only vehicle-related injuries. The law would bring local government in line with state government, which gave up its immunity in 1992 and now pays liability up to $1 million per incident. 
Faith Based Charities - HB 1407, which is a part of the Governor's Legislative Package, allows faith-based organizations to use taxpayer funds to provide certain charitable services. Funds could only be used for administrative purposes. Religious organizations would not be allowed to deny services to applicants based on their religious beliefs. The money could not be used for religious instruction or proselytizing. 
Crematories - HB 1481 makes every crematory subject to state inspections. It also makes abuse of a dead body a felony and bolsters rules governing the tagging of cremated remains. 
Asthmatic Children - SB 472 would allow children who suffer from asthma to use inhalers without getting permission from a teacher or a nurse. The bill also requires the children to have a prescription from a doctor and permission from their parents to use the inhalers themselves. 
Mental Health - HB 498 restructures the regional mental health/mental retardation service boards into planning entities and reduces their number to no more than six or seven. The Department of Human Resources would have a chief administrator in each region to take over the contracting and budgeting powers that now rests with the regional boards. 
College Savings Plan - HB 1434 is part of the Governor's Legislative Package and removes the yearly contribution limit for the Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan. It also raises the size of the accounts to $235,000. Currently, the yearly contribution limit is $8,000 and accounts are capped at $120,000. Cost for this are estimated at $10 million over the next fifteen years. 
Tracking Sexual Offenders - SB 433 requires convicted sexual offenders to register with a college or university before they can enroll or work there. Sexual offenders who do not register with the GBI would also see increased penalties of a felony instead of a misdemeanor and one to three years in prison. 
Autopsy Photos - SB 110 makes autopsy photos only available to immediate family members and law enforcement. A next of kin to the deceased could give permission to release the photos. The press could ask a judge to release the photos if it is in the public interest as well. 
 
 Safe Place For Newborns - HB 360 allows mothers of newborn infants who choose not to care for them to leave the babies with hospital workers within seven days. 
Nursing Mothers - SB 221 removes a provision in current law requiring mothers breast feeding to act in a discreet and modest way. However, the bill also says breast feeding is only permissible where a mother and baby are allowed access. 
Statue of Limitations - HB 410 extends the statute of limitations on violent crimes for DNA evidence. The measure also extends the time limit for crimes committed against children from four years to seven. 
Victims of Violent Crime - HB 1142 increases the maximum compensation given to victims of violent crime from $10,000 to $25,000. 
Victim's Family Notification - HB 1070 would require the state to provide the families of murder victims an update on the case at least every six months. It would only apply in capital cases where the family requests it be done. The state now is required to notify victims' families of any direct appeals but there is no requirement for notification of other litigation and things considered collateral attacks such as a petition for habeas corpus. 
Driver's License Renewals - HB 1368 allows drivers licenses to be renewed by mail or the Internet. The Department of Motor Vehicle Safety will offer the mail-in renewals beginning July 1 and the Internet renewals Sept. 1. Drivers will be notified about 60 days in advance. Those with out-of-state licenses still will need to wait in line at a testing station. It is estimated the mailin and Internet renewal system will cost the state $3.6 million this year. 
Car Towing Near Bars - SB 334 prevents the towing or booting from midnight until noon of vehicles parked in paid private parking lots within 500 feet of businesses serving alcohol 
Hope Scholarships for Home Schooled - HB 961 adds home schools accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Independent Study to the list of those eligible for Hope scholarships and grants. 
Stopping Littering - HB 1343 makes first time offenses of littering carry fines of not less than $200. 
Upgrading Atlanta's Sewer System - HB 1444 allows residents in Fulton and Dekalb Counties to vote to increase sales taxes by 1 percent to pay for sewer upgrades for the city of Atlanta. 
Breast Cancer Awareness - HB 1402 allows for a new license plate to raise money for breast cancer awareness. The new tag would cost $25 and proceeds would go to breast cancer detection. 
National Rifle Association Tags - HB 1295 allows for the printing of a special license tag in Georgia supporting the National Rifle Association and bearing the phrase "The Right to Keep and Bear Arms Shall not be Infringed". The tags would cost $25. 
 
 Diabetes Coverage - HB 1492 requires insurance companies doing business in Georgia to provide coverage for diabetes medicine, testing supplies and self management training. 
Colerectal Cancer - HB 1100 mandates general medical insurance coverage of colorectal cancer screenings. 
Cross Bow Hunting - HB 1174 lifts bans on the use of crossbows for hunting small or big game. 
Computer Disposal - HB 2 establishes an advisory council to make recommendations on how the state can best dispose of outdated computer equipment. The advisory council will be abolished after 2005. 
Air Bag Installment - HB 1192 requires mechanics to follow federal guidelines for installing air bags. Violators of the law would be charged with a high misdemeanor. 
Charter Schools - HB 1200 encourages innovative approaches to education by facilitating the creation of charter schools throughout the state. 
Dog and Cat Sterilization License Tags - HB 945 authorizes the issuance of a special license plate for a $25 fee. The proceeds of which will fund a statewide dog and cat sterilization program. 
Grits - HB 1297 makes grits the official prepared food of the State of Georgia. 
To view legislation click here 
Georgia House of Representatives Public Information Office