This legislation gives election superintendents the authority to allow voters to cast their votes in any precinct in the county, so long as certain safeguards are provided.

This legislation amends the law prohibiting counties from removing certain monuments from county property. Pursuant to this legislation, counties could relocate monuments honoring or recounting military service when necessary to build or expand buildings, roads and edifices.  If possible, any relocation must be to a site of similar prominence, honor, visibility, availability and access within the county where the monument was originally located. Monuments may not be relocated to a museum, cemetery or mausoleum unless the monument was originally placed in such a location.

Any person or entity "adversely affected" by a violation of this legislation may notify the county, which has 120 to rectify the violation or the person can seek injunctive relief through the courts.  

This legislation authorizes residential and commercial electric customers, including local governments, to install solar technology on their property and utilize such financing mechanisms as leases, private solar energy procurement agreements (whereby payments are based on the output of the system), and authorization for electric companies to finance projects for their customers. Providing solar financing services does not make an entity an electric service provider and the power must be used on site or fed back to the electric utility. The bill does not limit or usurp current local regulatory or land use authority.

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This legislation allows injunctions and declaratory judgment actions to be brought against the county (i.e., it waives sovereign immunity) when the county causes injury to a person by acting in violation of the Georgia Constitution or state law.  This waiver of sovereign immunity does not allow the person bringing the lawsuit to obtain monetary damages, attorney's fees or litigation costs.  HB 59 does not allow inmates or institutionalized individuals to bring injunctions or declaratory judgment actions against counties.  

This legislation prohibits counties from assisting the armed forces of the United States in investigating, prosecuting or detaining any person who was part of or supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban or associated foreces engaged in hostilities against the U.S. or its coalition partners or anyone who commits a belligeraent act against the U.S. or its coalition allies under the law of war if the investigation, prosecution or detention would be in violation of the U.S. Constitution, the Georgia Constituion or any Georgia law.

Respecting Home Rule, this legislation allows local governments to authorize the sale of package beer and wine from grocery stores within 100 yards of a school or school administrative building (which is currently prohibited by law).  Grocery stores must have at least 10,000 square feet of floor space and reserve at least 85 percent of their sales to food or other nonalcoholic items.  To authorize said beer and wine package sales, counties must pass a resolution or ordinance.  

This legislation extends the date for adoption of drug free commercial zones by local ordinance to July of 2015.

This legislation requires law enforcement agencies to destroy all data captured by automatic license plate readers after one year. This bill also makes it clear that license plate reader data is not subject to open records disclosure.

This legislation allows funds in the Local Government Investment Pool to be invested in a separate trust fund to be administered by the state treasurer.  This change is needed for auditing purposes and should not have any impact on county funds invested in the LGIP.

This legislation prohibits counties from entering into any nondisclosure agreements with other parties. Any offers, incentives, terms or conditions would be required to be disclosed without delay. Any citizen of the state may sue to enforce this law and compel the disclosure of the information in the agreement. ACCG believes it is important preserve project and prospect confidentiality prior to the announcement of a project.