List Legislation

2019/02/15 Report	2019/02/22 Report	2019/03/01 Report	2019/03/22 Report	2019/03/29 Report
Agriculture	Kathleen Bowen	Nat. Res. & the Environment

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 0640

Neutral

Ware County; superior court clerk shall also be state court clerk; provide

John Corbett

1/1/2020

Effective Date

Intragovernmental Coordination

State and Local Governmental Operations

Intern 2

Local Legislation

HB 0777

Neutral

State Building Code - Add "Mass Timber" as a Construction Material

John Corbett

7/1/2020

Effective Date

Agriculture and Consumer Affairs

2020/01/31

2020/02/21 Report

2020/03/06 Report

General County Government

Todd Edwards

This bill amends the state minimum building standards code to authorize the use of "tall mass timber" as a construction material - provided the Department of Community Affairs approves this addition in their rule making process.

HB 0788

Oppose

Sales Tax Exemption - Energy used in Manufacturing Ready-Mix Concrete Equipment

John Corbett

1/28/2020

House Second Readers

Ways and Means

2020/01/31

Larry Ramsey

Property Tax

Revenue & Finance

Under current law, energy used in manufacturing ready-mix concrete equipment is exempt from sales taxes through July 1, 2020. This bill would extend that exemption until July 1, 2025. The substance of this bill has been added to HB 1035.

HB 0846

Support

Interest on Taxes and Direct Sales Tax Pay Permits for Certain Industries

John Corbett

6/30/2020

Effective Date

Ways and Means

Finance

2020/01/31	2020/02/21 Report	2020/02/28 Report	2020/06/19 Report	Larry Ramsey
Property Tax	Revenue & Finance

This bill would lower the interest rate payable on tax refunds, as well as past-due taxes, to the prime rate (currently, prime rate plus 3%). The bill would further establish rules for direct pay permits for certain industries, allowing those companies to directly pay to the Dept. of Revenue sales taxes on their business purchases (rather than paying sales taxes to vendors who then remit those taxes). Finally, local governments would have the option of having any sales-tax refunds to such direct-pay permit holders deducted over the same period of time as the overpayments, thereby avoiding the budgetary impact of having such refunds deducted all at once (as is currently the case). No interest would run on such permit holders' overpayments until they actually submit a refund request (as opposed to running from the time of overpayment). This bill also makes provides a state income tax credit for manufacturers of personal protective equipment (PPE) and updates the state income tax code to track similar federal law changes.

HB 0923

Neutral

Clinch County; Board of Education; modify compensation of members

John Corbett

7/1/2020

Effective Date

Intragovernmental Coordination

State and Local Governmental Operations

Local Legislation

HB 1138

Neutral

Argyle, Town of; elections and procedures; provide