Current law requires county animal shelters which impound an animal to notify the owner immediately upon impoundment, then go through certain steps if the owner cannot be reached.  This bill additionally requires animal shelters to immediately post a photograph of the animal, along with the animal's breed, on the animal shelter's website.   ACCG believes there is indeed good intent behind this legislation; however, there are many counties that simply lack the resources to do this and there are too many variables and challenges which make this infeasible.  

Mirroring SB 66, this is the compromise Small Cell (5G) legislation.  By way of background, over the past two years, ACCG has opposed legislation which would have greatly preempted local government of the public's rights of way for the placement of small cell (5G) poles, antennas and equipment.  At the urging of the General Assembly, ACCG, GMA, Verizon and AT&T negotiated this reasonable compromise over the 2018 interim that has incorporated many safeguards which ACCG had called for in previous legislation.  

Key points of this ACCG compromise include: incentives for collocation in order to limit new poles; protections for historic districts and residential areas; the requirement that telcoms share build-out plans prior to deploying new facilities; a safe-harbor in case the current FCC order preempting state and local regulation of 5G deployment is overturned; the prohibition of speculative permit requests by third parties; and safeguards for local aesthetic and decorative pole conditions, among many others.  For a summary of the bill's key provisions, please click here. 

For a detailed, section-by-section summary of the bill, please click here.  

This bill significantly reduces the amount of franchise and other fees that cities may charge for telephone/fiber/video wires running through their jurisdictions.  Ironically, the same limits do not apply to the State Department of Transportation’s rights of way, creating yet another state/local double standard in the administration of fees.  

This legislation alters the process by which Georgia’s Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs) determine the fees charged to communications service providers which place telecommunications equipment on EMC utility poles.  The fee/rate will be determined by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) after the PSC considers what is just, reasonable, nondiscriminatory and commercially reasonable.  The PSC will promulgate, by January 1, 2021, the rules explaining how the above factors will be determined.  Current PSC charges will remain in effect until the date of their natural or lawful determination.           

Among many revisions to Georgia’s election law, this bill authorizes to register to vote at polling places during advance voting or on election day; requires the state to provide adequate funding for regular updates to voting equipment; adds a week to advance voting, statewide; prohibits any law which changes the duties of any elected office between the date of an election and the official taking office; and establishes the Georgia Voting Rights Commission.  The Commission will advise the state on Reapportionment; suggest improvements on voting systems; examine means to increase voter turnout; provide guidance to local elections superintendents; and advise the state on other elections enhancements, among other duties.