GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE ROOM 131, STATE CAPITOL 30334 404-656-5082 1-800-282-5800 
Weekly Wrap-up #4 
Back to PIO The House of Representatives reconvened Monday, February 10, 2003 at 10:00 am after recessing Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week to work on the Supplemental Budget. Lawmakers will be in session Monday and Tuesday of next week but voted to recess Wednesday the 19th, Thursday the 20th , Friday the 21st Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th to allow House budget writers to work on the state spending plan for 2004 that begins July 1st. The House will reconvene Wednesday the 26th at 1:00 pm. Friday, February 14th, Valentine's Day, was the 17th day of the 40-day session. 
Supplemental Budget: On Thursday the House passed the supplemental budget, which is a revised spending plan for the current fiscal year that ends June 30th. The bill, which is HB 121 and was adopted 151-23, is a $16 billion budget that makes up a $640 million revenue shortfall. 
Highlights include: $35 million in bond funds for new highways built under the Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP). $35 million in bond funds to the Board of Regents for building repairs and renovations, $9.4 million to fund a specialized foster care program for children with specific mental health needs, $6.1 million increase in funding for the state's widely popular and highly successful Pre-K program, $14.2 million in bond funds to the Department of Technical and Adult Education to replace obsolete equipment at technical schools, $2.9 million to close the Fulton and Dekalb Emergency shelters which have been plagued by poor management and substandard security, $1.7 million in the Board of Regents budget to fund extension services programs and agricultural experiment programs statewide, $329,650 for the training of state troopers, approximately $300,000 to prevent cutbacks in funding for critical access hospitals, which are small healthcare facilities serving rural areas of the state, $225,000 so that Secretary of State Cathy Cox can move the state archives to Clayton County, $100,000 for the Labor Department to continue operating sheltered workshops that provide job training for mentally and physically disabled workers, and $200,000 in additional funding so the PeachCare for Kids health insurance program will not have to limit enrollment. To go to the House Appropriations Committee click here To go to the Legislative Budget Office click here 
Bengal Cats: On Thursday the House passed HB 227 by a vote of 169 - 2. The measure legalizes ownership of Bengal cats by exempting them from a list animals that require a wild animal permit. Bengal cats originate from breeding an Asian leopard cat with a domestic cat. They have markings resembling a leopard, can weigh up to 18 pounds and cost between $500 and $2,000. 
Other Legislation Passed this Week 
 
 Tuesday, February 11th, 2003 - Fourteenth day of the Session HB 108, A bill to amend Article 4 of Chapter 9 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to fraud and related offenses, so as to change certain provisions related to failing to pay for natural products or chattels; passed 166 - 0. HB 140, A bill to amend Code Section 35-3-36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to duties of state criminal justice agencies as to submission of fingerprints, photographs, and other identifying data to the Georgia Crime Information Center, so as to limit data on outstanding warrants to certain offenses; passed 169 - 0. 
Wednesday, February 12th, 2003 - Fifteenth day of the Session 
HB 266, A bill to amend Code Section 47-4-101 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to retirement benefits paid upon normal, early, or delayed retirement under the Public School Employees Retirement Fund, so as to provide that, under certain conditions, the board of trustees of such retirement fund may increase the retirement benefit; to clarify the effect of specific appropriations in amounts less than that required to fund fully the maximum level of benefits; passed 175 - 0. HB 268, A bill to amend Article 3 of Chapter 17 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to membership in and contributions to the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund, so as to increase the amount of dues paid by members of such fund; passed 172 1. HB 270, A bill to amend Code Section 47-11-70 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to eligibility and application for retirement benefits and early retirement under the Judges of the Probate Courts Retirement Fund, so as to provide that if a member submits his or her application for retirement more than 90 days following the date he or she leaves service, benefits shall begin on the first day of the month after such application was submitted; passed 175 - 0. HB 177, A bill to amend Chapter 39A of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to real estate appraisers, so as to change certain definitions; to change the manner in which appraiser classification criteria are determined; to change certain provisions relating to the surrender or lapse of a license; to change certain provisions concerning hearings and service of orders; to provide certain sanctions for violations; to amend Chapter 40 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to real estate brokers and salespersons, so as to add certain definitions; to provide requirements for nonresident licenses; passed 173 - 0. HB 91, A bill to enact the "2003 Fairness in Arbitration Act"; to amend Title 9 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to civil practice, so as to provide for a challenge to the neutrality of an arbitrator; to provide for vacation of an arbitration award based on an arbitrator's manifest disregard of the law; passed 172 - 1. 
Friday, February 14th - Seventeenth day of the Session HB 45, A bill to amend Code Section 31-43-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to selection of the presiding officer of the Commission on Men's Health, so as to change the length of term of office of such presiding officer; passed 153 - 7. HB 54, A bill to amend Chapter 23 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to eye banks, so as to change the provisions regarding who may operate eye banks; passed 160 - 2. 
 
 HB 87, A bill to amend Code Section 16-12-60 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to rules and regulations regarding bingo, so as to increase the amount of money that may be paid to individuals assisting in the conduct of bingo games; to increase the number of organizations in which a person is authorized to participate in the bingo operations thereof; passed 153 - 6. HB 225, A bill to amend Article 2 of Chapter 9 of Title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Geo. L. Smith II Georgia World Congress Center Authority Overview Committee, so as to change certain provisions relating to the creation, composition, officers, and duties of the committee; passed 155 - 11. 
Georgia House of Representatives Public Information Office