The activities at the Gold Dome today included a series of committee meetings, substitutions, amendments and fast talking. The rush for the 30th day
crossover really has the bills flying. After today, there will only be 13 days left in this session.The full House and Senate are scheduled to debate and vote on three major bills that we have been following. Senate: SB133
and SR287,
substitutes the Opportunity School District. These bills will allow the state to take over failing schools in the
state. House:HB170,
the substitute for the Transportation Funding Act of 2015 will be debated and
voted on. The bill will change the way
fuel taxes are used in the state for transportation projects. This bill will affect school system funding. HB372,
the Utopian Academy for the Arts Act. Please remember that amendments may be added to the original
bills as they move through committees and the floor. If these bills do pass, they will move to the other chamber for further debate and perfection. The conversations will continue. HB243, the Education Savings Account Act. This bill was taken up on Wednesday in the House Ways and Means Sub Committee. A hearing was held with no vote taken. The Sub Committee may meet tomorrow when the fiscal note arrives. The full Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday afternoon. A similar bill on the Senate side was assigned to a subcommittee and referred to the Governor’s reform committee. HB243, if passed out of the House, will have a hard time in the Senate. The Senate Education Committee acted on the following bills on Wednesday.SR393, encourage the Department of Education to make
revisions to allow computer programming courses to count toward graduation
requirements; HELD NO VOTE HB91,
eliminate the Georgia High School Graduation Test as a graduation requirement;
PASSED SB116, celebrate Freedom Week, posting of historical documents; Replaced “shall to strongly encourage”. Permissive in nature. PASSED AS AMENDED. SB147, impose requirements on certain contracts and
purchases by local boards of education; WITHHELD BY AUTHOR - NO VOTE SB157, establish limitations and requirements regarding
student data. NOT HEARD SB161,
revision to the automatic expulsion of students for possession of a firearm or
dangerous weapon; PASSED AS AMMENDED. SB176, Helmet Requirement bill; Amended to “strongly urge”. PASSED SB187, expand eligibility of the Georgia Special Needs
Scholarship to include refugees. Discussion of funding level. Limit funds to ESOL funding level. PASSED AS AMENDED. The House Education Committee heard the following bills:HB474, provide for enrollment priorities for educationally
disadvantaged students and military students in charter schools. PASSED AS AMENDED HB209, change the attendance requirements of the Georgia
Special Needs Scholarship from the prior school year attendance, to the prior
semester. PASSED AS AMENDED. Need to notify parents in IEP meeting of the
Georgia Special Needs Scholarship. HB401, regarding restrictions on persons with criminal
records as pertaining to child, family, or group care facilities. PASSED AS AMENDED HR4, authorize the establishment, by local law, of an
independent school system. PASSED IN SUBCOMMITTEE BUT NOT HEARD BY FULL
COMMITTEE HB414, the establishment and implementation of policies
and requirements of student data collection and disclosure. NOT HEARD HB502, Title
20 clean-up bill to update and clarify provisions and repeal obsolete
provisions. PASSED AS AMMENDED HB313, limited paid leave by public employees for the
purpose of promoting education. PASSED AS AMMENDED The House and Senate will convene for the 27th
day of the session on Thursday, March 5, 2015.The House Ways and Means Committee may hear HB243.The legislators will not be in session on Friday. However, there will be a Senate Education Appropriations meeting on Friday.The legislators will return to the Gold Dome on Monday, March 9th. Please remember that amendments may be added to the original
bills as they move through committees. |