| HB 0041 |
Neutral | Water Rates to Outside Customers |
Willard, Wendell 51st |
|---|
|
3/28/2013 |
House - House Withdrawn, Recommitted |
GAff |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation changes the Service Delivery Strategies Act to prohibit a water service provider from charging higher water or sewer fees to customers outside their political jurisdiction - unless otherwise provided by a contract. It applies only to cities created since January 1, 2000, and others that may be created in the future. The water service provider shall have no obligation to serve the outside customers/entity if an agreement is not reached, and that service could be cut off with a 6-month written notice. |
| HB 0099 |
Neutral | Home Beer Makers Allowed to Brew More |
Spencer, Jason 180th |
|---|
|
7/1/2013 |
House - Effective Date |
RegI |
RI&Util |
- |
|
|
| Under current law, an individual may produce 50 gallons of malt beverages in a year in their home without having to be licensed or pay excise taxes so long as the malt beverages are not sold or offered for sale. This legislation allows the home brewer to make as much as 200 gallons per year and up to 25 gallons may be transported out of the home for special events regulated by the State Revenue Commissioner. Local Governments (in which the sale of malt beverages is lawful) may issue home-brew special event permits, to include contests, tastings and judgings, but cannot charge more than $50 for said permits. |
| HB 0126 |
Support | Crime to Interfere with a Park Ranger Executing their Duties |
Hamilton, Mark 24th |
|---|
|
7/1/2013 |
House - Effective Date |
JudyNC |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation makes it a misdemeanor to interfere with a federal, state or county employee (other than law enforcement officers) enforcing ordinances and regulations regarding the use of a park. If said interference takes the form of a threat or aciton of violence, then it is a felony. |
| HB 0127 |
Support | Redirected Fees - Having Fees Appropriated for Designated Purposes |
Powell, Jay 171st |
|---|
|
3/5/2013 |
Senate - Senate Read and Referred |
App |
APPROP |
- |
|
|
| This legislation, one of ACCG's top priorities, seeks to halt the now-common state practice of redirecting fees from their designated purposes to the state's general fund for other uses. If fees for the Solid Waste Trust Fund, Hazardous Waste Trust Fund, Indigent Defense, Peace Officers and Prosecutors Training Fund and teen driver's education are not appropriated for their intended use, the fees will be reduced or eliminated, proportionate to the amount that is redirected.
While the Senate once again halted this legislation, HB 276 did pass both chambers, applying the above fee-reduction mechanism to the Hazardous and Solid Waste Trust Funds.
Click here for ACCG's HB 127 Press Release
Click here for ACCG's sectional summary of HB 127
Click here for ACCG's implementation timeline for HB 127 |
| HB 0189 |
Support | DNR to Give Counties Notice of Park Closings |
Buckner, Debbie 137th |
|---|
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7/1/2013 |
House - Effective Date |
GF&P |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
|
This legislation requires the Department of Natural Resources to provide at least a 60-day notice to a county or city before the State closes a park or recreation area, decreases its operating hours or services by 50 percent or more, or permanently changes a primary operational function within the local's jurisdiction. This is simply to give notice, providing the county some time to decide whether it wants to assume any responsibilities in operating the park or recreation area.
|
| HB 0196 |
Neutral | GDOT; Prior Notice to Municipalities of Tree Removal |
Bryant, Bob 162nd |
|---|
|
3/28/2013 |
House - House Withdrawn, Recommitted |
Trans |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation requires the Department of Transportation to notify cities with landscape and tree ordinances before removing trees along a state highway within the city. |
| HB 0199 |
Neutral | Expand GEFA's Reservoir Fund for Leak Detection and Conservation |
Lindsey, Edward 54th |
|---|
|
1/13/2014 |
Senate Recommitted |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation expands the uses of the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority's Reservoir Fund to cover leak-detection, conservation-type and other water supply system assets. The Reservoir Fund will be renamed the "Georgia Reservoir and Water Supply Fund." While ACCG certainly recognizes the importance of leak detection and conservation, GEFA currently has about $318 in loaning capacity available for these purposes via its Georgia Fund, Clean Water and Drinking Water loan programs; whereas the Reservoir Fund only has $41 million in loaning capacity. |
| HB 0225 |
Oppose | General Assembly must First Approve All EPD Rules |
Kirby, Tom 114th |
|---|
|
2/8/2013 |
House - House Second Readers |
NR&E |
- | - |
|
|
| Current law provides that the General Assembly can stay and override rules and regulations of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), except in cases where EPD is following federal directives as part of its delegated powers. This legislation would require that the General Assembly first approve any EPD rules and regulations before they can take effect. |
| HB 0226 |
Neutral | Revising Used/Scrap Tire Transportation Storage and Disposal Laws |
Nix, Randy 69th |
|---|
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4/30/2013 |
House - Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation adds several definitions to aid in EPD's enforcement of organics management and the hauling and storage of scrap tires. The bill defines compost and composting as an aerobic process and defines and limits who can transport used and scrap tires, not new tires. It authorizes, but does not require, local law and code enforcement agencies to enforce Georgia's used/scrap tire laws and limits the amount of scrap tires that can be stored by tire retailers, tire retreaders, salvage yards and the general public. Local governments would be exempted from the tire hauling registration and quantity restrictions. |
| HB 0276 |
Support | Hazardous Waste Trust Fund - Fixing the Redirection of Fees |
Nimmer, Chad 178th |
|---|
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5/7/2013 |
House Date Signed by Governor |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation renews the fees that make up the Hazardous Waste Trust Fund (hazardous waste transporting, disposal, and the state's 75-cent-per-ton solid waste tipping fees, among others) for five years, from July 1, 2013 to July 1, 2018. Since 2004, over 60 percent of these fees have been redirected to the state's general fund, not going toward their statutorily-dedicated purpose of cleaning up hazardous sites, including old county landfills.
The bill applies a fee-reduction mechanism (also found in HB 127) to fix the redirection of HWTF and Solid Waste Trust Fund fees. If fees for these two trust funds are not appropriated for their designated purposes, then the fees will be proportionately reduced the following year.
Addressing the redirection of these fees was one of ACCG's policy priorities this legislative session.
Click here for a chart and summary of the HWTF's redirected fees since 2004. Click here for a chart and summary of the SWTF's redirected fees since 2004. |
| HB 0320 |
Support | Inert Landfills - Exempt from DNR Rule |
Harden, Buddy 148th |
|---|
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7/1/2013 |
House - Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| In January of 2013, the Board of Natural Resources adopted rules taking inert landfills out of the "permit-by-rule" category and requiring facility owners to instead obtain a solid waste handling permit which entails additional, substantive regulations and costs. This bill exempts from that new rule any inert landfill, public or private, which as of January 1, 2014 is certified by a professional engineer as being in full compliance with all permit-by-rule requirements as they previously existed before the DNR rule change. |
| HB 0357 |
Neutral | Hazardous Sites - Revisions to Voluntary Remediation Program |
McCall, Tom 33rd |
|---|
|
2/20/2013 |
House - House Second Readers |
NR&E |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation is identical to SB 176. In 2009, Georgia passed the Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) as a public/private partnership program to clean up hazardous sites. This legislation makes significant revisions to the VRP, allowing it to be used for HSRA, Brownfields and RCRA sites as well. It also changes cost recovery mechanisms for contaminated ground water clean up; strengthens credential requirements of those implementing a VRP corrective action; streamlines/reduces the VRP application and reporting provisions; alters how restrictive covenants are used by the EPD Director; limits liability for some property owners; allows the option of basing groundwater cleanup on current and reasonably foreseeable future use; alters liability for land purchasers who apply within 30 days after closing; and allows Georgia citizens the right of appeal under HSRA, among other provisions. Please let ACCG know of any concerns you may have with this bill. |
| HB 0402 |
Neutral | Shore Protection and Coastal Marshlands Protection Acts - Revisions |
Stephens, Ron 164th |
|---|
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7/1/2013 |
House - Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation provides a variance procedure under the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act to allow for temporary activities within protected areas (i.e., television and movie sets/filming). |
| HB 0403 |
Oppose | Municipal Sales Tax for Water and Sewer Emergencies |
Carter, Amy 175th |
|---|
|
3/28/2013 |
House - House Withdrawn, Recommitted |
W&M |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation would expand the use of the special water and sewer projects and costs sales tax to cities under an order of a state or federal court or agency to improve its water and sewer infrastructure if the city is located in a presidentially declared disaster area. |
| HB 0408 |
Oppose | State Regulation of Local Water Rates |
Jacobs, Mike 80th |
|---|
|
2/22/2013 |
House - House Second Readers |
GAff |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation mandates that a local jurisdiction's water rate charged to a multi-family dwelling served by a master meter be no more than the water rate charged to a single family dwelling. ACCG is working with the Georgia Association of Water Professionals to understand the impact of this bill, any rate differentials, and will be commenting to the General Assembly. |
| HB 0495 |
Neutral | Conveyance of State Property; modify |
Hill, Calvin 22nd |
|---|
|
4/22/2014 |
House Date Signed by Governor |
SProp |
SI&P |
- |
|
|
| This legislation changes the way that the state conveys property. |
| HB 0501 |
Neutral | Remove Trees in Right of Way Near Interstates |
Williams, Al 168th |
|---|
|
3/28/2013 |
House - House Withdrawn, Recommitted |
Trans |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation requires the Department of Transportation or a third party to remove any trees capable of falling on an interstate or limited access highway. |
| HB 0515 |
Support | Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District; prohibition on interbasin transfer from certain rivers; provide exemption |
Geisinger, Harry 48th |
|---|
|
3/4/2013 |
House - House Second Readers |
NR&E |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation allows the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District to study and plan for interbasin transfers from rivers with an annual average flow of at least 15 billion gallons per day at the withdrawal point so long as it is approved by the county in which the withdrawal point is located.
|
| HB 0549 |
Support | Water Pollution Spills - Counties to Assist in Public Notice |
Burns, Jon 159th |
|---|
|
7/1/2014 |
Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation requires county emergency management agencies and health departments (once they are notified by the Environmental Proteciton Division) to place a public notice when there is a spill of pollutants that is reasonably expected to be a hazard to the public health and safety, to private and public drinking water supplies, or to animals, birds or aquatic life. |
| HB 0595 |
Oppose | Eliminate Local Government's Ability to File a Tax Lien for Deliquent Garbage Bills |
Harrell, Brett 106th |
|---|
|
3/14/2013 |
House - House Second Readers |
NR&E |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation prohibits counties, cities and other government authorities from putting a lien against a property for unpaid solid waste disposal taxes, fees or assessments.
|
| HB 0679 |
Oppose | Ad valorem taxation; subject to referendum approval, all crop dusters shall be exempt; provide |
Cheokas, Mike 138th |
|---|
|
1/13/2014 |
House Second Readers |
W&M |
- | - |
|
|
| |
| HB 0741 |
Support | Septage Land Application Sites - Consistent with Local Zoning |
Kevin Tanner |
|---|
|
4/23/2014 |
House Date Signed by Governor |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation requires those applying for septage land application permits to provide the EPD with a letter verifying that the proposed site complies with a jurisdiction's local zoning and land use ordinances. If a public hearing is held in the application process, it must occur in the same jurisdiction where the proposed site is to be located. |
| HB 0743 |
Support | Supplemental Appropriations FY 2014 |
David Ralston |
|---|
|
2/26/2014 |
House Date Signed by Governor |
App |
APPROP |
- |
|
|
| This legislation amends the state's FY 2014 budget. Please click here for a breakdown of items of interest to counties. |
| HB 0744 |
Support | FY 2015 State Budget July 1, 2014-June 30, 2015 |
David Ralston |
|---|
|
4/28/2014 |
House Date Signed by Governor |
App |
APPROP |
- |
|
|
| This legislation establishes the state's FY2015 budget. Please click here to see breakdown. |
| HB 0762 |
Neutral | Motor Vehicles; Procedure For Passing Sanitation Vehicles |
Brett Harrel |
|---|
|
3/10/2014 |
Senate Read Second Time |
MotV |
PUB SAF |
- |
|
|
| This legislation requires drivers to leave an empty lane between their vehicle and the vehicle of a sanitation worker flashing yellow, amber, white or red lights when passing. If such a lane change is not possible, legal or safe, then the driver must reduce their vehicle speed and be prepared to stop. This only applies to sanitation workers collecting or transporting solid waste and recyclable as authorized by a county or city. |
