Legislative update [Mar. 6, 2006]

DTAE - Legislative Updates

2006 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education

The Week Ahead:
The Legislature will meet Monday Thursday and will recess on Friday, March 17.
The House Higher Education Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 14 at 2:00 p.m.
The Senate Higher Education Subcommittee of Appropriations will meet on Tuesday, March 14 at 2:00 p.m. (Room 310, CLOB)
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 February 13, 2006 February 20, 2006 February 27, 2006

Week of March 6, 2006
The Legislature ended a week of activity on Thursday, March 9 Day 29 of the 2006 session of the General Assembly. Both houses will return to work on Monday as lawmakers continue their duties in the eleven days that remain. Highlights for the week include:
q Monday, March 13 (the 30th day of the session), is "crossover day", the deadline for getting a piece of legislation adopted by the chamber where it was introduced. Technically, "crossover day" for the General Assembly is the 33rd day, but legislative leaders have made this administrative decision to push the calendar forward
q The House approved an $18.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2007 on Wednesday (see below for details).
q Both chambers finally reached closure on the fiscal year 2006 amended budget which included $52,000 for the pest control program as well as full funding for the payroll shift correction.
q The Senate Finance Committee approved an amended version of House Resolution 1081, legislation that would establish a study committee to review the current financing and expenditures for the University System as well as the Department of Technical and Adult Education. The modified version, which designates that the Chair of the Committee shall be elected from the membership, now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
q The Governor's proposed "HOPE Chest" legislation, which restricts the use of lottery proceeds, remains tabled in both the House and the Senate.
q Commissioner Vollmer testified before the Senate Higher Education Subcommittee of Appropriations on Friday. Vollmer stressed the significance of "level funding" as well as the importance of an annual allocation for minor repair and renovation and obsolete equipment funds.
q Senate Bill 506, legislation which establishes mandatory fees for HOPE scholarships and grants for eligible public postsecondary institutions created after January 1, 2004, passed out of the Senate on Thursday and now moves to the House for consideration.
q Senate Bill 562, legislation which creates a new state authority (the Georgia Higher Education Facilities Authority) to address construction funding needs at the state's public colleges, universities and technical colleges, passed out of the Senate on Thursday and now moves to the House for consideration.

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DTAE - Legislative Updates
MS Word version of this update
For questions regarding information contained in this bulletin, please contact:
Laura Gammage
lgammage@dtae.org (404) 374-6557

q House Bill 1294, the department's carry forward legislation, currently awaits scheduling by the House Rules Committee for a floor vote.

Fiscal Year 2007 Budget House Version
1. Annualize $8.6 million in personnel services for the payroll shift correction.
2. Reduction for enrollment decline - ($1,250,000)
3. Recommend a 2% reduction in DTAE Central Administration Program: -$171,380
4. Provide additional funds for Augusta Technical College satellite campus - $135,000
5. Pest Control Certification Program - $52,000
6. Funding for Shirley Smith Learning Center - $500,000
4. Capital Outlay:
Major Projects Recommended
1. Okefenokee Technical College Allied Health Building - $10,297,000 2. Savannah Technical College Technology Building - $15,326,000 3. Lanier Technical College, Forsyth Campus Classroom Building $11,172,000 4. Chattahoochee Technical College, Paulding County Campus Classroom Building $11,259,000 5. Flint River Technical College Industrial Training Building - $7,550,000 6. Middle Georgia Technical College Child Development Building - $3,300,000 7. Columbus Technical College Health Science Building - $13,705,000 8. South Georgia Technical College Expansion of the Crisp County Satellite - $3,950,000 9. North Metro Technical College Allied Health and Technology Center - $10,350,000
Minor Projects Recommended
1. West Central Technical College, Douglasville Campus Classroom Building $4,999,000 2. Ogeechee Technical College CDL and Fire Science Building - $1,623,000 3. Okefenokee Technical College Renovate Alma Center - $2,115,000
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DTAE - Legislative Updates
New Facilities Equipment Projects Recommended - $7,660,000 1. Heart of Georgia Technical College Classroom Building 2. Southeastern Technical College, Glennville Campus Renovation 3. Augusta Technical College, Columbia County Campus 4. West Georgia Technical College Raytheon Building Renovation
Statewide Equipment Obsolete Equipment $5,000,000 Statewide Minor Repairs and Renovation $7,000,000 5. Recommendation for a 4% Pay Increase for DTAE faculty and staff and no increases in Health Benefit Premiums
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