Legislative update [Feb. 13, 2006]

DTAE - Legislative Updates

2006 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education

The Week Ahead:
Kimberly Wilson, GOAL winner, and Gerald Moody, Rick Perkins winner, will be recognized on the House and Senate floors on Wednesday, February 22.
Ways and Means Committee will meet on Wednesday, February 22 at 8:00 a.m. to address the agency's carry forward legislation.
Senate Higher Education will meet on Wednesday, February 22 at 3:00 p.m. Senate Mezz
Useful Links:
For more information on House and Senate members or to track legislation, log on to www. legis.state.ga.us
To access live committee meeting broadcasts in the House, log on to www. legis.state.ga.us, click on HOUSE, then select Georgia Legislative Network from the Daily Update and select from the menu of broadcasts.
Previous Updates:
January 9, 2006 January 23, 2006 January 30, 2006 February 6, 2006

Week of February 13, 2006
The Legislature ended a week of activity on Thursday, February 16 Day 20 of the 2006 session of the General Assembly. Both houses will recess on Friday, February 17 and Monday, February 20, and will return to work on Tuesday as lawmakers continue their duties in the twenty days that remain. Highlights for the week include:
q The full Senate voted out their version of the supplemental budget which included a reduced amount of the House recommendation for the pest control program ($52,000) as well as full funding for the payroll shift correction. To obtain a full copy of the Senate version, go here. The budget now moves to conference committee negotiators to hash out the minor differences.
q Commissioner Vollmer presented the agency's fiscal year 2007 budget to the House Higher Education Subcommittee of Appropriations on Monday. Vollmer stressed the importance of "level funding" as well as the need for additional MRR and obsolete equipment funds.
q Senator Johnny Grant addressed the Senate Higher Education Committee in support of the agency's legislation which would allow for the suspension of up to two state board meetings per year. Senate Bill 436 passed unanimously out of the committee and subsequently passed by a vote of 46 0 out of the full Senate.
q House Bill 1370, introduced by Representative Porter and others, removes the freeze on HOPE fees as well as the cap on maximum eligible hours for HOPE scholarships/grants. Further, the proposed legislation revises certain provisions relating to the shortfall reserve account, particularly the stipulation that eliminates the book allowance and payment of mandatory fees if reserves fall below prior year balances for two consecutive years.
q House Resolution 1303, introduced by Representative Jennings and others, urges the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Student Finance Commission to ensure that only qualified students receive HOPE scholarships and grants. This legislation appears to be targeted at prohibiting illegal immigrants from benefiting from the HOPE program.
q The Governor's proposed "HOPE Chest" legislation, which restricts the use of lottery proceeds, remains on hold in the Senate but is expected to be heard by the full House early next week.
q House Bill 1157, which would provide additional tax breaks that are

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intended to help financially distressed Delta Airlines, passed out of the House by a vote of 167 0. This legislation will allow Delta to recapture past tax credits ($28 million) issued by the State for the retraining of employees.
q An amended version of Senate Bill 415, which will expand the HERO (Helping Educate Reservists and their Offspring) Scholarship, passed out of the Senate Higher Education Committee on Thursday. The amended version includes coverage to surviving spouses as well as to any member wounded during service, regardless of length of stay.
q House Bill 1294, the department's carry forward legislation, will be heard in the Ways and Means Committee on February 22 at 8:00 a. m.

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