Committee Work Picks Up as General Assembly Passes the Halfway Point

ACCG spent much of the week keeping a watchful eye on legislation and working with House and Senate members as bills moved through legislative committees and subcommittees.The Georgia General Assembly passed the halfway point of the 40-day legislative session on Wednesday and has a full two weeks ahead leading up to Day 29 on March 5. Legislators are working hard to get their bills through the House and Senate committees and onto their respective chamber’s floor in advance of crossover day on Day 30. Legislation that has not passed in either the House or the Senate by that time may no longer be considered in its current form during this legislative session.  As a result, many bills are on a fast track and are expected to move quickly in the next several days. 

County priority initiatives are doing well, but ACCG continues to monitor several issues of concern. As the legislative session progresses, please watch for ACCG action alerts if county input is needed on specific bills. Make sure that you know how to get in touch with your legislators quickly as there is often a very narrow window of time to get in contact with them when legislation is heading to the House or Senate floor.

Title Ad Valorem Legislation Stalls in the Senate

The legislation (HB 80) that sets forth changes to the title ad valorem tax (TAVT) system has stalled in the Senate Finance Committee. At the same time, counties are working hard to prepare for the implementation of this new system which is set for March 1, 2013. With each passing day, it will become more and more difficult to get changes put into place for this new statewide system prior to its rollout. It is important for county tax commissioners to monitor this legislation and watch for guidance from the Department of Revenue on any changes that may need to be enacted quickly if it passes the Senate and is signed by the Governor prior to March 1. For more information on the title advalorem tax system, click here. 

Ethics Legislation Heads to the House Floor on Monday

ACCG has closely monitored the ethics legislation (HB 142 and HB 143) as it has progressed through the House.  This week, these bills were discussed and passed out of the House Rules Committee and are scheduled to be considered on the House floor on Monday, February 25. 

More to Come on Juvenile Justice Reform Next Week

The juvenile justice reform legislation (HB 242) cleared the House Judiciary Committee this week. This legislation is a combination of some of the provisions from the Juvenile Code Rewrite and the recommendations from the Criminal Justice Reform Council in regards to juvenile justice. The bill restructures the juvenile code to improve the process for practitioners and judges. For a section by section summary, please click here. 

Get More of "The County Scoop"

Besure to watch the County Scoop videos which provide additional details about legislation that is working its way through the Capitol. To view the videos, click on the arrows in the boxes above. For a link to all of this week's videos, click here.