Respecting Home Rule, this legislation allows local governments to authorize the sale of package beer and wine from grocery stores within 100 yards of a school or school administrative building (which is currently prohibited by law).  Grocery stores must have at least 10,000 square feet of floor space and reserve at least 85 percent of their sales to food or other nonalcoholic items.  To authorize said beer and wine package sales, counties must pass a resolution or ordinance.  

This legislation authorizes up to four casino gaming establishments in Georgia: two in Metro Atlanta and two in other parts of the state.  The state would levy a 20 percent tax on casino revenues; require substantial investment and licensing fees in order for a casino to operate; set aside at least 90 percent of state revenues for the HOPE scholarship program; designate 1-2 percent of revenues for problem gambling organizations; and distribute 1-3 percent of revenues to the local government hosting the casino for infrastructure and public safety purposes.       

HR 807 is a Constitutional amendment that must be passed by Georgia voters in order for HB 677 to take effect.      

This legislation now authorizes the use of fireworks on any day of the year between 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. (with the exceptions below). Local governments may adopt ordinances allowing or regulating their usage from 9:00 p.m. until midnight.  On July 3, July 4 and Dec. 31, fireworks may be used statewide from 10:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., and on Jan. 1 fireworks may be used statewide from midnight to 1:00 a.m. and from 10:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. For a more detailed summary of the legislation, please click  here.

This legislation authorizes brewpubs to offer, as a souvenir, up to 72 ounces of sealed malt beverages to those taking brewery tours for consumption off premises. Brewpubs may also offer up to 36 ounces of malt beverage samples, for on-premise consumption, to those taking the tour. Brewers are to pay taxes on all souvenirs and samples.  Once permitted, distilleries are authorized to give away, as a souvenir which will be taxed, one 750 milliliter bottle of spirits to those taking a distillery tour and may provide up to three 1/2-ounce samples of their spirits (also taxed) during on-premise tastings.           

The current House substitute to this bill, LC 34 4943S, is a MAJOR revision of the MARTA tax and TSPLOST. The bill no longer contains any provisions regarding fireworks, although the summary for that version appears at the end of this new summary. 

The new transportation funding version of this bill does many things, including:

1) The City of Atlanta ONLY is allowed to levy an ADDITIONAL MARTA tax up to .50%, that will run concurrently with the existing 1% MARTA tax, if approved in a referendum.

2) The current single county TSPLOST is now available ONLY to counties which are not "metropolitan county special districts". In other words, this TSPLOST is available to all counties EXCEPT Fulton. This TSPLOST continues to not count towards the 2% local sales tax cap.

3) 159 special districts are created and a new TSPLOST at the rate of up to .75% is allowed for each special district that constitutes a "metropolitan county special district" defined as a county in which the 1% MARTA tax is currently levied AND in which 80% or more of the geographic area is made up of qualified municipalities (meaning a qualified municipality for SPLOST purposes). So the reality is this TSPLOST is for Fulton County ONLY. This new TSPLOST will not count towards the 2% local sales tax cap.

4) 159 special districts are created and yet another new TSPLOST at the rate of up to .75% is allowed for each special district that constitutes a "metropolitan municipality special district" defined as a city in which the 1% MARTA tax is currently levied AND in which 15% or more of the geographic area is made up of a metropolitan county special district. The second condition is meaningless since the City of Atlanta is the ONLY city allowed to levy the MARTA tax under the MARTA local constitutional amendment. So the reality is this TSPLOST is for Atlanta ONLY. This new TSPLOST will not count towards the 2% local sales tax cap.

THE FOLLOWING NO LONGER PERTAINS TO THE BILL: 

Prior to the House substitute, this legislation did not allow local governments to determine the hours of fireworks usage, which ACCG continues to advocate.  However, the bill makes several significant and beneficial changes to Georgia's fireworks law, including limiting the usage of fireworks from between 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., extended to 11:59 p.m. on January 1, July 3, July 4 and December 31, and until 1 a.m. on New Year's Day.  Local governments may extend these hours at their discretion.  Areas prohibited from usage are extended, and local governments determine whether to permit usage on their public property. There are various changes to the licensing of fireworks vendors, and local governments are clearly authorized to enforce state fireworks laws.            

This legislation enacts a moratorium on issuing new licenses to narcotic treatment programs.