With less than a week to go before Crossover Day, the General Assembly continued to advance major propositions through the legislative process on Tuesday. One of those major propositions, Speaker Ralston’s Mental Health Parity Act (HB 1013), made its appearance on the House floor and garnered nearly unanimous support (169-3) as it crossed the rotunda to the Senate. Meanwhile, the Senate signed off on legislation to expand apprenticeships in the state (SB 379) and a proposal purporting to ban social media platforms from censoring users (SB 393).
Time is quickly running out for legislators to get their bills and resolutions through the committee process and onto the floor by Legislative Day 28, leading to packed committee agendas with late arriving notices and substitutes. Tuesday marked the last day that bills could pass out of Senate committees for floor consideration by Crossover Day according to the Senate Rules, and opportunities are fleeting to push bills through the House. We try to make sense of as much of the madness as we can in this #GoldDomeReport.
The House of Representatives took up the following measures on Tuesday:
The Senate took up the following measures on Tuesday:
House Health and Human Services
The House Health and Human Services Committee, temporarily chaired by Representative Houston Gaines (R-Athens), met on Tuesday to consider several propositions:
Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Chairman Ben Watson (R-Savannah) called the Health and Human Services Committee to order on Tuesday afternoon to discuss several bills.
Senator Harrell presented the bill to the Committee, explaining that the legislation is aimed at addressing the substantial waitlists for NOW, COMP, ICWP, and EDWP waivers. She posited that these waitlists stem from the lack of providers due to low reimbursement rates. The bill requires that provider rate studies be conducted every three years beginning in 2024 so that provider rates can be adjusted regularly. The Committee recommended the bill DO PASS and be sent to the Rules Committee.
Senate Education & Youth Committee
The Senate Education & Youth Committee, chaired by Senator Chuck Payne (R-Dalton), met on Monday to consider the following propositions:
The Committee was also scheduled to consider two bills authored by Senator Butch Miller (R-Gainesville), SB 588, limiting how members of the public can be removed from local school board meetings, and SB 601, establishing the Georgia Educational Freedom Act. These bills were deferred until Tuesday’s Committee meeting. The Committee reconvened on Tuesday morning to take up the two bills postponed in Monday’s meeting:
Senate Insurance and Labor Committee
The Senate Insurance and Labor Committee, chaired by Senator Dean Burke (R-Bainbridge), met on Tuesday to consider the following measures:
Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee
Chairman Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) and the Committee reviewed three bills on Monday:
The House Regulated Industries Committee, temporarily chaired by Representative Dale Washburn (R-Macon), met to consider the following propositions on Tuesday:
Chairman Mandi Ballinger (R-Canton) and the Juvenile Justice Committee focused on four proposals on Tuesday. These bills were:
House Ways and Means Public Finance and Policy Subcommittee
Subcommittee Chairman Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) called the Monday afternoon meeting to order.
House Ways and Means Sales Tax Subcommittee
Subcommittee Chairman Chuck Martin called the Monday meeting to order.
House Ways and Means Ad Valorem Subcommittee
Subcommittee Chairman David Knight (R-Griffin) called the subcommittee to order Monday afternoon.
House Ways and Means Income Tax Subcommittee
On Monday afternoon, Subcommittee Chairman Bruce Williamson (R-Monroe) called the meeting to order to hear one bill.
House Ways and Means Tax Revision Subcommittee
Subcommittee Chairman Mark Newton (R-Augusta) called the Tax Revision Subcommittee Meeting to discuss several measures:
House Ways and Means Committee
Chairman Shaw Blackmon called the full Committee to order on Monday evening to quickly vote on legislation that recently passed through the subcommittees. The following measures were passed on to the Rules Committee:
Chairman James Burchett (R-Waycross) and the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee held a couple of meetings on Monday, and in the afternoon discussed the following:
House Governmental Affairs - State and Local Government Subcommittee
Chairman Rick Williams (R-Milledgeville) and the Subcommittee examined these measures:
House Regulated Industries Occupational/Professional Licensing Subcommittee
Chairman Jason Ridley (R-Chatsworth) called the subcommittee to order on Monday to discuss one measure.
House Public Safety and Homeland Security Subcommittee
Chairman J. Collins (R-Villa Rica) called the Subcommittee to order on Monday afternoon to discuss two measures.
House Relations and Aging Committee
Chairman Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) called the House Relations and Aging Committee on Tuesday to order to discuss four bills:
The following legislation of interest has been introduced in the House:
Giving the Gift of Life Act; enact
GA Rep. Jodi Lott (R-GA-122)
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62609
Professions and businesses; amend certain definitions to include consultants as contemplated by Chapter 80 of Title 36
GA Rep. Jason Ridley (R-GA-006)
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62611
GA Rep. Matthew Wilson (D-GA-080)
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62612
Education; provide for HOPE small business grants
GA Rep. Yasmin Neal (D-GA-074)
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62631
Health; minimum staffing requirements in assisted living communities and memory care centers; revise provisions
GA Rep. John LaHood (R-GA-175)
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62632
Agriculture; hemp farming; provide for intent
GA Rep. Jason Ridley (R-GA-006)
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62634
General Assembly; members elected in 2024 and thereafter shall serve four-year terms of office; provide - CA
GA Rep. Angela Moore (D-GA-090)
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62613
House Study Committee to assess "Too Young To Suspend"; create
GA Rep. Henry "Wayne" Howard (D-GA-124)
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62615
The following legislation of interest has been introduced in the Senate:
Employment Security; certain nonprofit organizations have the option of making installment payments to finance unemployment benefits paid to its employees for certain time periods during the COVID-19 public health emergency; provide
GA Sen. Dean Burke (R-GA-011)
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62605
Medical Cannabis; the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission is subject to state procurement laws; provide
GA Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-GA-053)
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62619
Election and Term of Members; implementation of staggered terms of office for members of the Senate; provide -CA
GA Sen. Lindsey Tippins (R-GA-037)
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62603
The General Assembly will reconvene for Legislative Day 26 on Wednesday, March 9 at 10AM.
The House is expected to consider the following propositions on Legislative Day 26:
The Senate is expected to consider the following propositions on Legislative Day 26:
DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.
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