HB 0031 |
Support | State Fiscal Year 2020 Budget |
David Ralston |
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|
5/10/2019 |
Effective Date |
Appropriations |
Appropriations |
- |
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| House Bill 31, the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, is set by a revenue estimate of $27.5 billion, an increase of $1 billion or 3.95% over the FY 2019 original budget. All education agencies receive 55% of available funds, followed by 22% budgeted for health and human services agencies, 8% for public safety activities and the remaining 15% for economic development and general government agencies. Please click here for an overview of the 2020 Budget. |
HB 0033 |
Neutral | Weapons Permit - Renewal Extension for Active Military |
Eddie Lumsden |
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|
7/1/2019 |
Effective Date |
Public Safety and Homeland Security |
Veterans, Military and Homeland Security |
- |
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| This legislation enables active duty military service members to have an extension on renewing their weapons carry license. If said license expires while the service member is on active duty outside the state, the individual has within six months of their return to renew it, via the presentation of their official military orders, without being required to obtain a new license. |
HB 0076 |
Neutral | Locals May Reduce State Distance Restrictions on Alcohol Sales |
Ron Stephens |
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|
4/2/2019 |
Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute |
Regulated Industries |
Regulated Industries and Utilities |
- |
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| Currently, state law prohibits the sale of distilled spirits within 100 yards of churches and within 200 yards of schools and college campuses. Under this bill, local governments may authorize the sale of packaged alcohol (for consumption off premise) within 200 yards of a college via a less restrictive ordinance; however they cannot enact any greater distances - a more restrictive ordinance. The term "College" shall include, but not be limited to, all buildings, campuses and grounds of a college. |
HB 0093 |
Neutral | Solid Waste Management - Notification Requirements for Coal Ash Pond Dewatering |
Jeff Jones |
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|
6/20/2020 |
Senate - Senate Read Second Time |
Natural Resources and Environment |
Natural Resources and the Environment |
- |
|
|
| The bill requires written notice be required to the local governing authority no later than three days prior to commencing the dewatering of coal combustion residual surface impoundments (coal ash ponds) has begun.
"Dewatering" is a task in the process of closing coal ash ponds.
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HB 0101 |
Neutral | Expand Sales Tax Exemption on All-terrain Vehicles |
Jason Ridley |
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|
7/1/2019 |
Effective Date |
Ways and Means |
Finance |
- |
|
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| This legislation would expand the sales tax exemption on 4-wheel all-terrain vehicles to also include certain 3-wheel ATVs. |
HB 0168 |
Neutral | Sales Tax Exemptions - Nonprofit Health Centers |
Darlene Taylor |
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|
7/1/2019 |
Effective Date |
Ways and Means |
Finance |
- |
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| This bill would extend the sales tax exemption for certain nonprofit health centers for an additional five years, through 2024. |
HB 0174 |
Support | Requirement that License Plates on Vehicles Be Fully Displayed Including all Renewal Stickers |
David Wilkerson |
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|
4/2/2019 |
House Withdrawn, Recommitted |
Motor Vehicles |
- | - |
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| This bill requires that all license plates on vehicles be fully displayed at all times with no obstruction of view by tag holders, etc. |
HB 0182 |
Support | Sales Tax on Out of State Vendors |
Brett Harrell |
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|
4/28/2019 |
Effective Date |
Ways and Means |
Finance |
- |
|
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| Under present law, out-of-state vendors that sell $250,000 or more of goods (or 200 or more transactions) into Georgia must either collect all sales taxes or send the purchaser and the Department of Revenue (DOR) annual notice of those purchases. This bill would lower that threshold to $100,000 or more and would eliminate the notice option, with the result that all such vendors will be required and remit to DOR all sales taxes. |
HB 0183 |
Neutral | Ad Valorem Taxation - Right to Appeal when no Property Tax Return filed |
Brett Harrell |
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|
7/1/2019 |
Effective Date |
Ways and Means |
Finance |
- |
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| This bill provides that a taxpayer is not required to file an annual "return" for property before having the right to appeal the property's assessment. |
HB 0196 |
Neutral | Public Retirement Systems - Board Member Training |
Tommy Benton |
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|
7/1/2019 |
Effective Date |
Retirement |
Retirement |
- |
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| This bill would require specific minimum training for board members of public retirement systems. |
HB 0198 |
Evaluating | Elimination of the Certificate of Need Requirement for all Health Care Facilities Except Long Term Care Facilities |
James Hatchett |
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|
4/2/2019 |
House Withdrawn, Recommitted |
Special Committee On Access to Quality Health Care |
- | - |
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| This legislation eliminates the certificate of need requirements for hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, etc. with the exception of certain long term care facilities and services. The bill also provides new reporting requirements for donors and extends the repeal date of the Rural Hospital Tax Credit until December 31, 2024. |
HB 0201 |
Support | Rules and Regulations for Live-Aboard Vessels |
Don Hogan |
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|
1/1/2020 |
Effective Date |
Natural Resources and Environment |
Natural Resources and the Environment |
- |
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This legislation authorizes the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to create rules and regulations to addresses live-aboard vessels including where they can be anchored and how sewage material can be disposed within estuarine areas of the state. |
HB 0208 |
Neutral | Locals Can Contract for Utilities for up to 20 Years |
Tom McCall |
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|
2/26/2019 |
Senate Read and Referred |
Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications |
Regulated Industries and Utilities |
- |
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| This legislation authorizes cities, counties and local government to enter into contracts for utility services (electric, natural gas or water services) for terms up to 20 years. Current law allows local governments/authorities to contract for said services for up to 10 years. |
HB 0213 |
Neutral | Georgia Hemp Farming Act |
John Corbett |
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|
5/10/2019 |
Effective Date |
Agriculture and Consumer Affairs |
Agriculture and Consumer Affairs |
- |
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| This legislation allows for the farming of industrial hemp. The bill authorizes the Georgia Department of Agriculture to issue hemp growers licenses and hemp processors permits as well as requires the Department to create a plan to regulate hemp production. Colleges and universities within the University System of Georgia would be allowed to conduct research on the cultivation and uses of hemp.
Hemp growers and producers would have to get a criminal background check conducted by local law enforcement. In addition, they would be required to give the GBI, Dept of Agriculture and state and local law enforcement access to where hemp is being processed, handled, cultivated or harvested to conduct inspections.
This legislation is in response to a 2018 House Study Committee on Industrial Hemp Production. The study committee meeting details and the final committee report can be found here. |
HB 0215 |
Support | Rules of the Road for Electric Assisted Bicycles (E-Bikes) |
Teri Anulewicz |
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|
4/2/2019 |
House Withdrawn, Recommitted |
Natural Resources and Environment |
- | - |
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| This legislation establishes regulations for electric assisted bicycle, "e-bikes" and defines three classes of e-bikes. E-bikes would follow the same rules of the road as human powered bikes and local governments would have the authority to allow or restrict the use of e-bikes on bicycle paths or shared paths where bicycles are permitted.
For more details, click here for an info sheet prepared by People for Bikes who are in support of the bill. *Language from this bill is was included in HB 454 that passed during the 2019 Session. |
HB 0242 |
Neutral | Framework for the Regulation of Massage Therapy |
Lee Hawkins |
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|
5/6/2019 |
Effective Date |
Regulated Industries |
Regulated Industries and Utilities |
- |
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| HB 242 establishes board certification of massage therapy educational programs, within and outside the state, which meet the standards for training and curriculum set by the rules of the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy. The bill allows the board to request on-site inspections of massage therapy businesses and requires these businesses to continuously maintain liability insurance coverage for bodily injuries and property damages. Further, massage therapy businesses must comply with appropriate advertising. The bill increases fines for non-compliance and unlawful acts. A provision was added that allows local governments to run criminal background checks on owners and employees. The massage therapists themselves will undergo a criminal background check through the secretary of state. |
HB 0276 |
Support | Sales Tax - Marketplace Facilitators |
Brett Harrell |
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|
4/1/2020 |
Effective Date |
Ways and Means |
Finance |
- |
|
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| This bill would expand the definition of "dealers" who are required to collect sales taxes to include "marketplace facilitators", such as online platforms that allow vendors to sell goods or services through those platforms. Annual sales via such a platform of $100,000 or more into Georgia would require the facilitator to collect and remit all state and local sales taxes on all such sales. Franchising operations that have at least $500 million in annual Georgia sales (such as large hotel chains) can decide to have their franchisees collect sales taxes rather than having the franchisor be considered a marketplace facilitator. |
HB 0313 |
Neutral | Ad Valorem Taxation - Exemption for Certain Charitable Institutions |
Spencer Frye |
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|
2/19/2019 |
House Second Readers |
Ways and Means |
- | - |
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| This bill would exempt from ad valorem taxation real property held by a tax-exempt charity for the purpose of building/repairing single-family homes that will be financed by that charity to individuals using no-interest loans. This bill is specifically designed for Habitat for Humanity. The text of this bill has been added to HB 344. |
HB 0314 |
Support | Boat Titles |
Ron Stephens |
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|
7/1/2020 |
Effective Date |
Ways and Means |
Finance |
- |
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| This bill would require the issuance of ownership titles for all watercraft used in state waters. Title applications would be processed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. An amendment in House committee eliminated the proposed sales tax cap in boat sales as was proposed in the original version. |
HB 0315 |
Neutral | Local Bids - Consultants Who Help Draft Must Disclose any Conflict of Interest |
Mark Newton |
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|
7/1/2019 |
Effective Date |
Governmental Affairs |
Government Oversight |
- |
|
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| This legislation requires consultants who help draft local governments' bid, proposal, procurement or purchasing specifications to disclose and detail whether they or their family have any possible conflicts of interest or financial interest with a firm who may respond to the bid/proposal. There are exceptions for confidential economic development activities and economic development authorities, and while attorneys must disclose the existence of a conflict, they do not have to provide details. |
HB 0316 |
Support | Elections - Voting Machine Replacement and Elections Bill of 2019 |
Barry Fleming |
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|
4/2/2019 |
Effective Date |
Governmental Affairs |
Ethics |
- |
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| This omnibus elections legislation provides that the state will provide new, uniform voting machines for every county in Georgia "as soon as possible". Voting equipment would consist of ballot marking devices (electronic devices, similar to the DRE interface currently used) which produce a paper ballot that is then scanned into a recording device that tabulates votes. Among other election revisions, the bill provides additional notice before a voter's registration is rejected, before a felon is removed from the rolls, and to those appearing to have moved to another state; changes from 3 to 5 years the period of inactivity before a voter is removed from the rolls, also requiring notification prior to removal; requires counties to provide additional notice of any precinct changes; provides a cure period if a voter's signature on an absentee ballot does not mirror that used in registration; and lifts the 10-voter limit on persons assisting disabled or other individuals complete absentee ballots. Lastly, the bill enrolls Georgia in a 25-state collaboration - the Electronic Registration Information Center - to share voting information in order to track and cancel voters who move out of state. For a more thorough summary of HB 316, please click here.
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HB 0317 |
Support | Removal of Collection Receptacles - Jurisdiction Removed from Superior Court and Given to Magistrate and Municipal Courts |
Dewayne Hill |
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|
4/2/2019 |
House Withdrawn, Recommitted |
Judiciary |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation transfers the jurisdiction of removal petition of collection receptacles from the superior court to magistrate or municipal court. |
HB 0322 |
Support | Georgia Procurement Registry - Revisions to Local Government Mandate |
Tom McCall |
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|
4/28/2019 |
Effective Date |
Governmental Affairs |
State and Local Governmental Operations |
- |
|
|
| Following up on last session's HB 489, this bill makes changes to local requirements on posting bids and proposals on the Georgia Procurement Registry (GPR). Under current law, if a local government extends a bid or proposal for goods or services valued at over $10,000, they must also advertise them on the GPR. This bill increases that monetary threshold to only goods or services valued at over $100,000. In return, however, locals must advertise the bid/proposal on the GPR for the same period of time “as set by ordinance or practice” of the local government. |
HB 0328 |
Neutral | Sets Forth Permitting Requirements for Body Artists and Body Art Studios (Tattoo Studios) |
Karen Mathiak |
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|
4/2/2019 |
House Withdrawn, Recommitted |
Regulated Industries |
- | - |
|
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| This legislation requires that all body artists and body art studios be permitted and regulated by the local health departments. |
HB 0352 |
Neutral | Sales Tax Exemption - Projects of Regional Significance |
Albert Reeves |
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|
7/1/2019 |
Effective Date |
Ways and Means |
Finance |
- |
|
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| This bill would extend through 2024 the existing sales tax exemption for projects of regional significance. |