This bill restores county and city ability to regulate the use of bicycles on sidewalks. State law was amended two years ago to prohibit the riding of bicycles on sidewalks by anyone over the age of 12.

HB 90 authorizes the state to convey property that is part of the Heritage Trust Program to a willing local government.  It also establishes DNR procedures to convey said property.     

This bill shortens the duration of in person, no excuse, early voting from 45 days to 21 days, making the early voting period in Georgia consistent for all elections - from city (which is presently 21 days) to county, state and federal. It also brings Georgia closer to the national average of 24 days. To provide an increased opportunity to vote early for those who normally have to work, it mandates that polls must be open the second Saturday prior to an election for early voting. The bill was introduced with bipartisan support. To read more, click here.

This bill requires vendors collecting sales tax based upon the customers address to use a nine digit zip code to more accurately determine the county where the sale is made.

Under current law, it is illegal to remove a gun from certain public safety officers who are acting in the line of duty. HB 123 makes it illegal to remove a stun gun or taser from these public safety officials.

HB 124 clarifies that annexation arbitration panel members are entitled to a per diem of $115 plus reimbursement for mileage.

This legislation changes several definitions in the sales and use tax code to make Georgia eligible to be a full participant in the National Streamlined Sales Tax Agreement.  This membership will provide the state and local governments additional sales tax funds through collections from out-of-state retailers participating in the program.

Current law allows judges to issue a search warrant after conducting a hearing through a video conference. HB 196 requires that a video recording of any oral testimony given in the video conference be maintained. Language clarifies that loss of video recording shall not be a reason for dismissal of charges.

HB 197 requires any hospital or other licensed health care facility which is not party to an emergency health care services contract with a sheriff or governing authority or its agent on July 1, 2011, shall be reimbursed no more than the applicable Georgia Medicaid rate for emergency health care and follow-up health care services provided to a detainee.

Under current law, certain fees are collected by the superior court clerks in conjunction with recording certain property records that are given to the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority to help fund a state-wide uniform automated information system.  This funding mechanism is scheduled to terminate on July 1, 2014.  HB 198 eliminates this sunset. This bill was signed by the Governor on April 16, 2012.

In addition to other issues, HB 200 requires that law enforcement training centers monitored by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and funded by the Georgia Public Safety Training Center are required to include training on methods of identifying, combating and reporting incidents where a person has been trafficked for labor or sexual servitude. Training and materials will also be required to provide proper detention facilities or alternatives to detention facilities for those who have been trafficked for labor or sexual servitude.

After July 1, 2011, HB 202 requires local boards of education to comply with a planning and construction guide regarding site accessibility and flow of traffic published by the Department of Transportation for school properties located on state routes.

HB 202 allows school boards to expend funds for the purpose of roadway improvements necessary to access a school, as well as to use education special purpose local option sales tax funds for road, street, bridge, utility and other improvements.

HB 203 requires the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council to provide notice of any investigation of a peace officer that may result in disciplinary action to the head of the employing law enforcement agency, the district attorney and the solicitor of the judicial circuit where the peace officer is employed.

HB 232 addresses unintended consequences from the ethics reform law which took effect January 10, 2011. First, local officials may now file Campaign Contribution Disclosure Reports and Personal Financial Disclosure Reports with the state either electronically or via paper. It removes the requirement that local officials submit a current email address to the state. The Campaign Finance Commission (formerly the State Ethics Commission) must notify local officials via mail rather than electronically about "the filing of a complaint; a technical defect in a filing; a failure to make a timely filing; or a late fee or other penalty." HB 232 removes the requirement that every county staff person that speaks with a legislator must register as a lobbyist. Now, county staff must register as lobbyists only if they spend more than 10% of their time lobbying or spend more than $1,000 to influence a public officer.

HB 238 restructures the statewide public defender system by clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council (GPDSC) and the Director of the Agency. The legislation also reduces the size and responsibilities of the local supervision panels and has the local circuit public defender reporting to the Director of GPDSC. Reconstitutes the Council from a 15 member to a 9 member Council.  The Governor has five appointments, three of which must be county commissioners, the Lt. Governor and Speaker each have two appointments.

This legislation allows county commissions or city councils to determine if one of their previously approved special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) projects has become infeasible because it is impracticable, unserviceable, unrealistic or no longer in the best interest of the citizens. If a resolution is passed by the governing authority determining infeasibility, the project could be abandoned if approved by the voters in a county wide election held in conjunction with the next SPLOST referendum. The money set aside for those projects could then be used to reduce general obligation debt and/or ad valorem taxes.

HB 247 allows applicants for initial licensure to request that a criminal history records check be conducted by a state or local law enforcement agency or by a private vendor approved by the department  This bill was amended in the Rules Committee to provide authority to the Firefighters Standards and Training Council to refuse to grant a certificate or to discipline a certified firefighter upon the determination that the applicant or firefighter has been convicted of a felony offense.  This bill also requires a criminal background check on potential guardians prior to appointment by the probate court to serve as a guardian by court order.  This bill was signed by the Governor on April 16, 2012.

This legislation changes the method that 9-1-1 fees are assessed on prepaid wireless cellular phones and service, and sets forth a method for distribution of the fees to local governments. The bill provides for a 75 cent fee on each retail purchase of a wireless telephone or purchase of service. The fee will be remitted by the retailer along with sales tax to the Department of Revenue. Fees will be distributed to 9-1-1 centers based on the population of the Public Safety Answering Point. For a full overview and summary of the legislation click here.

This bill creates the 2011 Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform for Georgians to study Georgia's criminal justice and correction system to enhance public safety, reduce victimization, hold offenders more accountable, enhance probation and parole supervision and better manage a growing prison population. The Council would create a report of its findings and recommend legislation no later than January 9, 2012. The Council's recommendations would then be considered by a Special Joint Committee on Georgia Criminal Justice Reform. The joint committee would cause legislation to be introduced incorporating the recommendations without significant changes.

HB 270 requires that elections for sheriff, district attorney and solicitor be by nonpartisan election. It also allows the General Assembly to enact local legislation to allow any other county elected office - including county commissioner - to be nonpartisan.

Current law provides that either party in a juvenile court hearing conducted by an associate juvenile can request a rehearing within five days of the associate judge's order. HB 272 removes the option for a rehearing.  Counties will hire associate judges to relieve caseloads on juvenile court judges. This will allow for a more efficient processing of these cases and will save county resources.

This legislation expands the use of funds collected for 911 systems and operations to include indirect costs and additional equipment. Click here for summary.

The language from HB 304 was added to this bill by the Senate Committee. HB 304 provides clean up language in O.C.G.AS 46-5-124.1 to require all suppliers to register to ensure that telephone service connections are assessed a 9-1-1 fee.

The language from SB 113 was added in the Senate.  SB 113 deals with contract between local governments and vendors.

This bill changes the way that an appeal of a quarantine or vaccine order issued during a public health state of emergency is made and heard.

This bill requires the Department of Corrections to accept electronically submitted sentencing packages on criminal defendants who have been sentenced to serve time in the state prison system. If the inmate is not picked up within 15 days of the Department receiving the sentencing package, then it would be responsible for paying a per diem to the county to help cover some of the costs to the property taxpayers of housing the state inmate in the county jail. This bill would reflect the current the per diem of $22.00 per day in the statute.

This bill shortens the time before an unclaimed cash bail bond is paid into the county general fund from seven years to one year.