Weekly summary [No. 6 (2007)]

GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Communications Office
Room 609, Legislative Office Building Atlanta, GA 30334 404-656-0305 Phone 404-656-5639 Fax
WEEKLY SUMMARY

February 20-22, 2007

Legislative Week # 6

This week the House of Representatives welcomed 4 members of the United States Congress to speak to the Georgia General Assembly. U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop, and U.S. Representative Hank Johnson each commended Georgia for sending a bi-partisan delegation Washington to discuss ways to fix the PeachCare funding crisis.

On Tuesday the House of Representatives passed 5 bills. House Bill 134 increases the amount of money from $300,000 to $750,000 that local governments can accept in letters of credit in lieu of a bond. In cases of construction and maintenance of buildings, House Bill 136, closes a loop hole that allows insurance contracts to hold harmless contractors whose sole negligence is the cause of bodily injury or property damage to another individual. House Bill 168 would insure that associate juvenile court judges have the same qualifications required for a judge of the juvenile court. House Bill 239 would update the date for the term "rules and regulations" referred to in the Board of Natural Resources, from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2007, bringing the code into alignment with the Board's hunting season dates insuring full criminal authority is granted in code. House Bill 153, relating to children under the control of DFACS, will require notice to be given to a parent, guardian, other custodian or attorney of record, when a change is being proposed for a child 14 years or older, that would affects the child's case plan or permanency plan in order to give that guardian time to request a hearing for the court to review the case.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives debated on 4 bills. House Bill 155 would require criminal background checks be made on individuals seeking to obtain a license to own or operate a personal care facility, private home care provider, or community living arrangement.

House Bill 192 would raise the limit which the DOT can be allowed to negotiate construction contracts for public road maintenance from $50,000 to $100,000 in order to give the DOT the ability to move quicker on construction projects. House Bill 233 would clarify the definition of "exploitation" of a disabled or elderly adult. House Bill 318 increases the percentage of fund in Georgia's public retirement system that can be invested in foreign corporations. The original bill increased the allowable percentage to 20 percent but an amendment accepted on the floor lowered that to 15 percent. Another amendment adopted on the floor provides that no investments be made with corporations involved in terrorist organizations pre-determined by the Department of Homeland Security of the United States or the US Department of Defense. As amended, the bill failed because it did not receive the constitutionally required majority of 90 votes necessary to pass. A motion to reconsider the bill was made and in accordance with House rules, the House took up that motion on the next legislative day.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed 3 House Bills and 2 house Resolutions. House Bill 319 increases the salary for district attorneys addressing a pay disparity between superior court judges and district attorneys. House Bill 90 takes the burden of displaying actual caskets in a funeral home away and allows for models or mocks of caskets to be displayed as long as 8 caskets are on the premises and available to be delivered with in 24 hours. House Bill 240 increases the delinquency charge acquired when retail installment contracts or revolving accounts payments are 10 or more days late. House Resolution 57 would transfer property that the state owns to the City of Elberton for a more beneficial use. House Resolution 171 would designate a portion of State Route 116 to honor the late Carson and Virginia Callaway re-naming it "Carson and Virginia Callaway Conservation Highway." The House voted to reconsider its actions from the previous day on House Bill 318. That bill now moves back to the General Calendar and may be brought back to the floor for another vote by the full House at a later date. All bills debated on the floor except House Bill 318 have been sent to the Senate for their approval.
This is Jessica Zarter reporting from the Georgia Legislative Network.