This bill updates a special population act regarding county law libraries in anticipation of the 2010 census.

This bill would remove the state librarian from the list of people entitled to receive a court report.  It also makes some other minor changes to the statute dealing with court reports. 

Amended to include language form H.B. 478 which requires that municipal court judges meet the same requirements as a superior or state court judge.  Judges currently serving will be grandfathered in.

This bill reduces the number of "Georgia Laws" or session law books (i.e., a set of books published each year containing all of the bills and resolutions passed by the general Assembly that year) that are distributed to counties each year after the session.  In the past, one set of books was provided specifically for the county law library.  This copy will no longer be provided.

Probate judges ordering copies of the House and Senate Journals would now be required to pay for these books.

This bill would also require any local law that requires a local referendum to be sent by the Secretary of State to the election superintendent and board of commissioners within sixty days after it is approved or becomes law.

This proposed constitutional amendment allows the owners of real property located in industrial areas to remove their property from the industrial area. The resolution removes the existing requirement that allows voluntary removal only “if the property is located on an island.”

This bill creates procedures for newly formed qualified municipalities to purchase county properties used as police stations, fire stations, cultural property, or vacant properties within the boundaries of the municipality. It further allows newly formed municipalities that are a part of special county districts to elect to continue receiving water and sewer, sanitation, and fire service from the county at the fee level charged to residents of unincorporated parts of the county. It allows provides new procedures for the allocation of bond proceeds for county properties now located within the boundaries of the newly created municipality. 

SB 138 would preclude any private party from filing a lawsuit based upon a state law (or amendment to state law) enacted after the effective date of the bill unless specifically authorized by law.

Under current law, a decision of a county to purchase real property can be challenged within 90 days of the decision. This bill would extend that time period to challenge a land acquisition decision until 90 days after the minutes have been made public. The Open Meetings Law allows the county to keep confidential the portion of the minutes that would identify the property until the property is purchased or the county has abandoned the purchase. SB 143 requires that the entire minutes be made public at the time that a binding agreement is reached to purchase the property. It would also require that the final official action to approve or disapprove a land acquisition be taken in public.

Under this bill, cities and counties are allowed to sell or grant to any holder a conservation easement over any of its real property, including but not limited to any of its real property set aside for use as a park.

Amend Article 4 of Chapter 10 of Title 9 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to personal jurisdiction over nonresidents, so as to change provisions relating to the grounds for exercise of personal jurisdiction over nonresidents involved in domestic relation cases.

Bill amended to include H.B. 545 which provides for a statewide certification and registry of process servers in civil matters.  Sets forth qualifications and requirements for certification; provides for a $80 per application fee to be paid to the sheriff of the county, $30 of which will be forwarded to the Sheriff's Association for maintenance of the Statewide Registry.