HB 0192 |
Neutral | County Purchasing/Credit Cards & Development Authorities May Spend on Hospital/Health Facilities |
Powell, Alan 32nd |
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7/1/2015 |
Effective Date |
GAff |
SLGO |
- |
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| If a local government issues purchase cards or credit cards to its elected officials, this bill requires cards to be used solely for public duties and officials to follow a written policy to be adopted via a local ordinance on or after January 1, 2016. Said policy must designate the officials authorized to use a card; require the user to sign a cardholder agreement; set transaction limits; describe purchases which are authorized and not authorized; designate a card administrator; and set procedures for addressing violations of card policies and penalties for violations including, but not limited to, revocation of card privileges and misdemeanor prosecution. Penalties for public officials who misuse public funds are clarified and increased. Lastly, language was added clarifying that local development authorities are authorized to expend funds for hospital and health care facilities - which are defined rather broadly. For a more detailed summary, please click here. |
HB 0228 |
Support | Clean Up Legislation Regarding Sheriff's Fees, General Fund |
Jones, Jeff 167th |
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3/11/2016 |
Senate Read Second Time |
Judy |
PUB SAF |
- |
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| The current substitute to this bill (LC 29 6844S) provides that when the sheriff is paid only on a salary basis, all fees collected by the sheriff must be paid to the treasurer or fiscal officer of the county within 30 days. |
HB 0233 |
Support | Georgia Uniform Civil Forfeiture Procedure Act |
Atwood, Alex 179th |
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7/1/2015 |
Effective Date |
Judy |
JUDYNC |
- |
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| This legislation relocates and rewrites the civil procedure by which law enforcement seize and dispose of property or assets involved with illegal activity by state and local law enforcement. For a general summary click here. This legislation was amended to include the language from H.B. 418 which changes the qualifications for persons serving on the grand jury. This legislation will require the sheriff to report on a standardized form, the assets and cash seized and forfeited, and submit to the county commission, as well as the Carl Vinson Institute. Counties should continue to include this form with the budget submission to the Carl Vinson Institute. If the Sheriff fails to comply with reporting requirements their ability to seize assets and forfeitures will be suspended. |
HB 0298 |
Neutral | Repeals the Sunset on the Certification Requirements for Process Servers |
Jacobs, Mike 80th |
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2/23/2015 |
Senate Read and Referred |
Judy |
JUDY |
- |
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| This legislation allows the current method of sheriffs certifying process servers to continue. It currently has a sunset date of July 1, 2015. |
HB 0310 |
Support | Consolidation of all Parole, Probation and Misdemeanor Probation Supervision Into the Department of Community Supervision |
Powell, Alan 32nd |
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7/1/2015 |
Effective Date |
JudyNC |
PUB SAF |
- |
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| This legislation creates the Board of Community Supervision to oversee the newly created Department of Community Supervision (DCS) and the Governor's Office of Transition, Support, and Reentry. All offender supervision activities will transfer from the Board of Pardons and Parole and the Department of Corrections to the new DCS. This legislation also transfers the County and Municipal Probation Advisory Council, the agency tasked with registration and oversight of private misdemeanor probation providers and governmental misdemeanor probation providers to DCS. The bill also includes requirements for increased transparency and financial reporting by the misdemeanor probation providers to the counties of fine collections, which was an ACCG priority. A county commissioner or manager is included as a mandatory board member for the new department. The Board will adopt rules and regulations governing the management and treatment of probationers and parolees, and the operation of misdemeanor probation supervision. Probation and Parole Offices will combine, some counties currently provide space to these entities, and these offices collect fine revenue from probationers to be processed and sent back to local governments. Misdemeanor probation providers (county and private) will be required to submit an annual report to the county commission that contains the amount of fines and fees collected and the nature of such fees, including probation supervision fees, rehabilitation programming fees, electronic monitoring fees, drug and alcohol detection device fees, substance abuse or mental health evaluation or treatment fees, and drug testing fees; the number of community service hours performed by probationer under supervision; and, a listing of any other service for which a probationer is required to pay to attend. |
HB 0330 |
Neutral | Elections- Non-Partisan Elections for Sheriffs |
Sharper, Dexter 177th |
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2/17/2015 |
House Second Readers |
GAff |
- | - |
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| This legislation requires that sheriffs be elected in nonpartisan elections. |
HB 0331 |
Oppose | Firearm Training Required Before Issuance of License - Sheriffs must Provide for Free |
Sharper, Dexter 177th |
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2/17/2015 |
House Second Readers |
PS&HS |
- | - |
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| This legislation requires the sheriff to provide handgun education that meets state guidelines free of charge at least once every sixty days to those seeking firearm carry permits. Individuals seeking a firearm carry license or renewal must complete this training requirement. ACCG has no position on the training, but opposes the mandate that Sheriffs, thus county coffers, provide it for free of charge. |
HB 0396 |
Neutral | Revenue and taxation; clarify penalty for failure to file return or pay revenue held in trust for the state; provisions |
Knight, David 130th |
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1/11/2016 |
Senate Recommitted |
W&M |
FIN |
- |
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| The current Senate substitute to this bill (LC 34 4684ERS) clarifies the time of imposing the 10 percent penalty for failure to pay taxes. In addition, the bill makes it a misdemeanor to obstruct or hinder the tax commissioner, sheriff, or municipal levy officer in the levy of a tax execution. |
HB 0574 |
Neutral | Twiggs County; manner of fixing compensation of employees of sheriff's office; change |
Epps, Bubber 144th |
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5/12/2015 |
House Date Signed by Governor |
IGC |
SLGO |
- |
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HB 0648 |
Neutral | Clayton County; sheriff; change provisions relating to compensation |
Scott, Sandra 76th |
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3/27/2015 |
Senate Read and Referred |
IGC |
SLGO |
- |
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HB 0669 |
Neutral | Chatham County; provide for compensation of certain officials |
Stephens, Ron 164th |
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5/12/2015 |
House Date Signed by Governor |
IGC |
SLGO |
- |
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| |
HB 0722 |
Neutral | Medical Marijuana Registry and Cultivation |
Peake, Allen 141st |
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3/2/2016 |
Senate Read and Referred |
JudyNC |
H&HS |
- |
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| This legislation creates a new medical cannabis patient registry, as well as would allow for up to six medical cannabis manufacturers in Georgia. |
HB 0832 |
Oppose | Delay of Civil Forfeiture Proceedings until Conclusion of Criminal Proceedings |
Turner, Scot 21st |
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1/27/2016 |
House Second Readers |
Judy |
- | - |
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| This legislation requires a court to pause civil forfeiture proceedings on property involved in criminal proceedings until the criminal proceedings are over. Current law only stays the civil forfeiture proceedings if good cause is shown to the court by either the state or the property owner. If the criminal proceeding ends in an acquittal or dismissal, then the there can be no civil forfeiture. Under current law, civil forfeiture may continue even if the criminal proceeding ends in an acquittal or dismissal. |
HB 0846 |
Evaluating | Requirement of Notification of Victim Prior to Offender Release from Jail or Prison |
Watson, Sam 172nd |
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1/28/2016 |
House Second Readers |
JudyNC |
- | - |
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| This legislation requires jails and correctional institutions to inform crime victims when a prisoner is released to another state or to the federal government. |
HB 0905 |
Evaluating | Child Abuse Protocol |
Ballinger, Mandi 23rd |
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7/1/2016 |
Effective Date |
JudyNC |
JUDYNC |
- |
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| This legislation changes the child abuse protocol committees in multi-county judicial circuits.
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HB 0941 |
Neutral | Grand Jury Review of Peace Officer's Use of Deadly Force |
Golick, Rich 40th |
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7/1/2016 |
Effective Date |
JudyNC |
JUDYNC |
- |
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| This bill makes procedural improvements for grand juries investigating police use of deadly force. Currently officers may attend the entire proceedings, provide statements, and rebuttals. Under the new procedure a court reporter is required to take down the entire proceeding and the officer may provide a statement to the grand jury, but will not be allowed to attend the entire proceeding. This legislation also provides for a 20 day notice to the officer of the proceeding, but eliminates a notice requirement to elected officials of a grand jury proceeding regarding alleged unprofessional conduct. This legislation also removes a population threshold for special grand juries. Under current law, in counties with a population of 70,000 or more, any county elected official and any city elected official may request that the superior court judges convene a special grand jury to investigate any violation of state law or any other matter subject to investigation by grand juries. HB 941 removes the 70,000 population threshold, making it apply to all counties. |
HB 0949 |
Neutral | Purchasing Cards and Credit Cards for Constitutional Officers |
Powell, Alan 32nd |
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7/1/2016 |
Effective Date |
JudyNC |
JUDYNC |
- |
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| This legislation authorizes the sheriff, tax commissioner, superior court clerk and probate judge ("constitutional officers") to develop their own credit card or purchasing card (p-card) policy and user agreement, rather than being issued one by the county. The constitutional officers will be required to develop their own specific guidelines for the use of credit cards or p-cards by their department beginning on July 1, 2016. The policy must designate the officials or employees in the constitutional officer's department who are authorized to use a credit card or p-card, specify a user agreement and transaction limits for the use of the card, include a description of authorized and unauthorized purchases, designate a credit card/p-card administrator, establish a process for auditing and reviewing the purchases made with the cards and outline procedures for addressing a violation of the credit card/p-card policies. A copy of the specific policies promulgated by each constitutional officer must be filed with the board of commissioners. The ordinances, policies, procedures and user agreements with the constitutional officers adopted in 2015 to comply with the original law need to be examined and amended as necessary to remove the constitutional officers. A provision requiring counties to name all of its employees granted p-cards and credit cards in their local ordinance was removed from the bill before final passage. |
HB 0973 |
Neutral | Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety to Regulate Towing Providers on Interstate |
Coomer, Christian 14th |
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2/29/2016 |
Senate Read and Referred |
Trans |
GvtO |
- |
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| This legislation authorizes the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety to issue permits to towing companies to provide towing services on the Interstate highways. It allows the commissioner to set a fee for the application and gives him the authority to approve, deny or revoke permits. |
HB 1011 |
Neutral | Cobb County; chief deputy, assistant chief deputy, and executive assistant to the sheriff; change compensation |
Carson, John 46th |
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4/28/2016 |
House Date Signed by Governor |
IGC |
SLGO |
- |
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HB 1034 |
Evaluating | Tow Truck Weight Limits - Add "Replacement" Vehicle to Permit |
Coomer, Christian 14th |
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2/19/2016 |
House Second Readers |
Trans |
- | - |
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| This legislation changes the "commercial wrecker emergency tow permit," which currently allows heavy tow trucks to move disabled, damaged, abandoned or wrecked commercial vehicles, to a "commercial wrecker tow permit." The new permit now allows these large tow trucks to also tow a "replacement" commercial vehicle to the location of the commercial vehicle that is disabled, damaged or wrecked to replace the disabled, damaged or wrecked commercial vehicle. No weight limits are increased. |
HB 1059 |
Support | Creation of Local Government 9-1-1 Authority |
Hitchens, Bill 161st |
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2/23/2016 |
House Second Readers |
EU&T |
- | - |
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| This legislation was developed over several years and incorporates many of the recommendations from the Governor’s Commission on 9-1-1 Modernization and Balanced Funding as well as recommendations from the Senate Study Committee. It is estimated the 9-1-1 centers could see as much as a 20 to 25 percent increase in revenues and double the prepaid fees that are collected at the point of sale and remitted to the Department of Revenue.
The Authority is made up of local officials, representatives from the telecommunications industry, and a GEMA representative, for a total of 15 members.
The Authority will provide statewide coordination of 9-1-1 activities in the state; provide planning; oversee compliance by carriers and service providers; audit service providers to ensure all fees are paid; and collect and distribute 9-1-1 fees through a centralized location. ALL 9-1-1 FEES COLLECTED IN A JURISDICTION WILL BE DISBURSED BACK TO THE JURISDICTION FROM WHICH IT CAME.
The Authority may retain UP TO 3% for administration, for activities such as financial services, auditing and legal services.
The legislation eliminates the cost recovery charges that are billed back to jurisdictions by the wireless providers. It does allow the providers to bill their subscribers for cost recovery, but it will not come out of the 9-1-1fees received for the operation of the 9-1-1 center.
It also sets the 9-1-1 fees for landlines, wireless and prepaid, to $1.50 across the board.
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SB 0110 |
Neutral | Repeal Sunset Provision for Certification of Process Servers |
Bethel, Charlie 54th |
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1/11/2016 |
Senate Recommitted |
- | JUDY |
- |
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| This legislation eliminates the sunset on the current method of certifying process servers by the sheriff.
|
SB 0171 |
Neutral | Probate Court of Cobb County; change the compensation of the chief deputy, assist. chief deputy, and executive assist. to the sheriff |
Tippins, Lindsey 37th |
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5/12/2015 |
Senate Date Signed by Governor |
IGC |
SLGO |
- |
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| |
SB 0241 |
Neutral | Chatham County; provide for the compensation of certain Chatham County officials |
Jackson, Lester 2nd |
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3/16/2016 |
House Second Readers |
IGC |
SLGO |
- |
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| |
SB 0276 |
Evaluating | Georgia Personal Data Security Act |
Albers, John 56th |
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1/21/2016 |
Senate Read and Referred |
- | S&T |
- |
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| This legislation requires local governments to comply with the Georgia Personal Data Security Act. Because counties maintain electronic and physical copies of personal information, they must provide individuals with notice of any breach of security of the system that houses the personal information as soon as possible after the breach is discovered, but in no case later than 45 days. If the county uses a third party to store the personal information, the third party must notify the county within 72 hours of any data breach, so that the county can meet its notification requirements. If law enforcement determines that notification would impair an ongoing criminal investigation, notification can be delayed. If the county, after investigation and consultation with relevant federal, state or local law enforcement, determines that the breach was not likely to result in identify theft or financial harm to an individual, notification will not be necessary. The county will be required to provide a written certification within 30 days to the attorney general and to maintain a copy of the written certification for at least five years. |