Sixteen more days! But, who is counting? Sine Die is quickly approaching, marking an end to Georgia’s 2018 legislative session. Thus, committees in the House and Senate are now meeting in earnest as lawmakers introduce their last minute ideas.

As for long-lasting ideas, Governor Deal announced today that the HOPE Scholarship Program has surpassed $10 billion in total financial aid assistance awarded to Georgia students. According to Deal, the scholarship program has helped 1.8 million students pursue higher education since its inception over 25 years ago.

In today’s Report:

• House Adopts Six Health Bills
• Committee Reports
• New Legislation
• Rules Calendars for Legislative Day 25

House Adopts Six Health Bills

The full House considered and adopted six health-related bills today:

• HB 161, authored by Rep. Betty Price (R-Roswell), provides that persons affiliated with a syringe service program (“SSP”) are not subject to prosecution for certain offenses relating to distribution of hypodermic needles. The House adopted the bill by a 169 to 1 vote.
• HB 646, authored by Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome), extends a pilot program to provide coverage for the treatment and management of obesity and related conditions under a state health insurance plan. The pilot program provides benefits for medically necessary bariatric procedures for participants selected for inclusion in the pilot program. The bill extends the pilot program for three years, to conclude on December 31, 2021. The House adopted the bill by a 142 to 22 vote.
• HB 697, authored by Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville), extends the exemption on sales and use tax in cases of sale or use of tangible personal property to certain nonprofit health centers for five additional years. The House adopted the bill by a 168 to 3 vote.
• HB 769, authored by Rep. Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper), implements recommendations from the House Rural Development Council relating to health care issues. The House adopted the bill by a 173 to 1 vote.
• HB 782, authored by Rep. Trey Rhodes (R-Greensboro), is an agency bill that amends Title 16 relating to the prescription drug monitoring program to clean up statutory provisions and improve implementation. Specifically, the bill allows the Department of Public Health to share information in the PDMP with other states and law enforcement, as well as with a patient’s electronic health record. It also includes provisions that allow unlicensed delegates who work with prescribers and dispensers to register and access the PDMP. The House adopted the bill by a 142 to 22 vote.
• HB 827, authored by Rep. Trey Kelley (R-Cedartown), increases the value of rural hospital organization’s tax credit to 100 percent. The House adopted the bill by a 114 to 53 vote.

Committee Reports

House:

Insurance Committee

The House Insurance Committee, chaired by Rep. Richard Smith (R-Columbus), met today and quickly and unanimously dispatched four bills to the Rules Committee: 

• HB 689, authored by Rep. Rick Williams (R-Milledgeville), allows small life insurance burial policies to be paid without the need to use certain costly small estate proceedings and to shorten the time for payment of the policy proceeds.
• HB 754, authored by Rep. Jason Shaw (R-Lakeland), allows various lines of business to be separated into separate affiliated corporations so each can be sold or bid to reinsurance to other agencies. 
• HB 760, authored by Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee), changes annual notices of insurance nonrenewal to policy change amendment notices to clarify to insured persons their policies were not being terminated.
• HB 818, authored by Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville), permits an individual healthcare provider to choose which form of electronic funds transfer he or she uses with an insurer and to prohibit a requirement from a payor that its own EFT or credit card, with fees, be used.

Insurance Committee – Administration and Licensing Subcommittee

The Administration and Licensing Subcommittee of the House Insurance Committee heard two bills today:

• HB 938 by Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville) is the Department’s bill to streamline licensing. The industry worked on legislation and was reported to be on board with changes. The Subcommittee recommended the bill DO PASS.
• HB 878 by Rep. Heath Clark (R-Warner Robins) addresses requirements to cancel insurance policies. This legislation permits insurers to cancel policies by telephone. Current law requires requires written notice to cancel or submission of policy. The Subcommittee recommended the bill DO PASS.

Education Committee – Academic Achievement Subcommittee

The Academic Achievement Subcommittee of the House Education Committee, chaired by Rep. Joyce Chandler (R-Grayson), met and considered two bills today:

• HB 844, authored by Rep. Penny Houston (R-Nashville), proposes to address the Georgia Commission on Hearing Impaired and Deaf Persons. It seeks to expand the membership of the Commission; establish a task force; require use of existing assessments; monitor individual children’s language and literacy progress; develop a statewide coordinated longitudinal data management system for all children who are deaf or hard of hearing; require information sharing and collaboration among State agencies; provide for integrated and seamless services from birth through literacy; and require public reporting mechanisms. Rep. Houston spoke to the bill and stated that the goal of the bill is to ensure all children are able to read by the third grade. The Subcommittee recommended the bill DO PASS and be sent to the full Education Committee.
• HR 1036, authored by Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia), urges the State of Georgia to fund a public awareness campaign in support of computer science education. The Department of Education is in support of the resolution. The Subcommittee recommended the resolution DO PASS and be sent to the full Education Committee.

Education Committee – Academic Support Subcommittee

The Academic Support Subcommittee of the House Education Committee, chaired by Rep. Wes Cantrell (R-Woodstock), met and considered the following bills today:

• HB 494 by Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) passed by substitute. The bill addresses DECAL’s comprehensive records checks of directors and employees of 4,700 child care programs. The legislation incorporates federal law changes so the State may draw down federal funds. The meat of the bill is actually Section 12. It requires a satisfactory comprehensive records check determination so that such will no longer be valid for an employee/director who has been separated from employment for more than 180 consecutive days from an early Care education program or any program which receives either directly or indirectly federal funds through DECAL.
• HB 932 by Rep. Tommy Benton (R-Jefferson) passed. The legislation increases the mandatory age for compulsory education moving from age 16 to 17. The legislation came from Fulton County Youth Government. 32 states have raised their age. 100,000 kids did not graduate last year. This would impact that. They also listed financial benefits. For every $1.00 it brings in $3.55. Dr. Garry McGiboney indicated there was a fiscal note on similar proposals - it is expensive. Georgia is four points behind national average on dropout.

The Committee also heard HB 905, authored by Rep. David Clark (R-Buford), and HB 926, authored by Rep. Beth Beskin (R-Atlanta), without taking action.

Juvenile Justice Committee

The House Juvenile Justice Committee, chaired by Rep. Mandi Ballinger (R-Canton), met Tuesday and heard two bills.

• HB 906, authored by Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome), protects foster parents and former foster parents from the public disclosure of personal information, such as addresses and social security numbers.  This legislation gives them the same rights to protect their information as state employees.  There was no discussion and the Committee unanimously voted the bill DO PASS.
• HB 927, Rep. Chad Nimmer (R-Blackshear), requires for certain information be provided to a caregiver by DFCS upon placement of a child.  They amended the bill so as to change the time by which this information must be provided to 15 days from 30 days.  This information must include:
  
  
  • The child’s medical history, including any dental work or psychological evaluations;
  • A description of the steps to enroll the child in school;
  • Description of any financial assistance available to the caregiver or foster parents;
  • A copy of any court scheduling order or the dates and times for any scheduled hearing relating to the child;
  • Health insurance information for the child, including his or her Medicaid number;
  • A description of the reasonable and prudent parenting standard defined in Code Section 49-5-3; and
  • Contact information for a county or district department of family and children services.

The Committee unanimously voted the bill DO PASS.

HB 259, authored by Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell), was removed from the agenda.  It changes the Juvenile Code giving the superior court exclusive jurisdiction of any child 13 to 17 involving aggravated assault.

Senate:

Insurance and Labor Committee

The Senate Insurance and Labor Committee, chaired by Sen. Burt Jones (R-Jackson), met and heard two bills today:

• SB 350, authored by Sen. Larry Walker III (R-Perry), aligns Georgia law with the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act with regard to the privacy notices that must be sent by insurers. The Committee recommended the bill DO PASS unanimously without discussion.
• SB 372, authored by Sen. Greg Kirk (R-Americus), abolishes the file-and-use process and requires automobile insurers to receive approval of rates before use. This returns the law to its form approximately eight years ago before file-and-use was codified. Commissioner Ralph Hudgens testified that this bill gives his office a greater ability to address excessive rates for which his office is receiving increase complaints each year. Bobby Potter, representing the American Insurance Association, spoke in opposition to the bill, contending that rising insurance rates relate to increased costs of repairing vehicles and are driven by the market. Emily Bagwell, representing the Georgia Association of Property and Casualty Insurance Companies, also spoke against the bill and noted that the legislation changes the rate-setting standard for insurers beyond auto insurers. The Committee only heard testimony and took no action on the bill.

Education and Youth Committee

The Senate Education and Youth Committee, chaired by Sen. Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta), met today to consider one proposition. SB 384, authored by Sen. Michael Williams (R-Cumming), authorizes home study students to participate in extracurricular and interscholastic activities in the student’s resident public school system. This was the second hearing for the bill. James Hines, Executive Director of the Georgia High School Association, spoke on the bill and expressed concerns regarding how a home school student’s academic and discipline status would be assessed to determine eligibility to participate. Sen. Fran Millar (R-Atlanta) expressed concern that the speaker was more concerned about the GHSA institution than the total student and inquired as to whether the Association would be amenable to the bill if academic and discipline eligibility concerns were addressed. Sen. Elena Parent (D-Atlanta) inquired whether home school students could participate as a separate team, to which Dr. Hines responded it was possible if eligibility concerns were addressed. Sen. Freddie Powell Sims (D-Dawson) inquired as to whether there are home school constituents asking for this type of accommodation, and Sen. Williams indicated that there were. Sen. Donzella James (D-Atlanta) noted that her parents sent her to private school without athletics, and not participating in school athletics was simply part of the decision parents make in choosing an alternative education model for their child. John Zonner and Robert Costly spoke on behalf of the Georgia School Superintendents’ Association, stating that the legislation would actually limit opportunities to create well-rounded students because certain extracurricular activities have limited slots that could be taken by home school students over students ingrained in the other aspects of school culture. Jimmy Stokes of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders and Scott Bierman of the Georgia School Boards Association also spoke in opposition of the bill. Lou Erste of the Georgia Department of Education expressed similar concerns to the other speakers regarding academic and discipline standards. One speaker spoke in favor of the bill. The Committee took no action on the bill.

Public Safety Committee – General Welfare and Safety Subcommittee

The General Welfare and Safety Subcommittee of the Senate Public Safety Committee, chaired by Sen. Mike Dugan (R-Carrollton), heard two bills today.  As there was no quorum, no bills were passed.

• SB 435, authored by Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta), revises the civil monetary penalties when a driver does not obey traffic laws in regards to school buses.  This bill is intended to clean up the school bus law that was passed in 2011, and helps specify different incidents in which a car can pass a school bus, such as on a divided highway.  One line was struck—“an agent working on behalf of a law enforcement agency.”  A few worries were voiced about whether or not videos that do not portray an incident would be kept.  The author assured that they would not be. 
• HB 671, authored by Rep. Emory Dunahoo (R-Gainesville), establishes a special license plate for the Georgia Beekeepers Association.

New Legislation

The following propositions have been introduced in the House:

• HB 958 – Rep. Dave Belton (R-Buckhead) offered this new Code Section proposal for O.C.G.A. § 19-10A-8 so as to provide for signs to be posted at any medical facility to inform the general public that such facility is an authorized location to leave a newborn child.  The Department of Community Health would be responsible for rules and regulations for such signs and where they would be placed (in or outside of the facility). The bill was referred to the Health and Human Services Committee.
• HB 959 – Rep. Jason Ridley (R-Chatsworth) proposed this initiative concerning inspection of public records, amending O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 and adding subsection (e) so that no agency is permitted to enter into any agreement, contract, or understanding with any private entity which would allow such private entity to exclusively hold public records which are subject to disclosure under Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50 regardless of the limitations imposed.  Any agency which enters into such agreement, contract or understanding with a private entity that may generate public records which would be subject to disclosure is to ensure that the public records are not held exclusively, regardless of limitations, by such private entity. The bill was referred to the Governmental Affairs Committee.
• HB 961 – Rep. Meagan Hanson (R-Brookhaven) authored this legislation which amends Article 1 in Chapter 5 of Title 36, regarding the organization of county government, so as to provide that the chief executive officer/county commission form of government shall not be authorized for county governing authorities in Georgia.  It would also transition existing chief executive officer/county commission types of governing authorities so that such would continue to be in existence until the end of the term of office to which the chief executive officer in office on July 1, 2018 was elected. The bill was referred to the Governmental Affairs Committee.
• HB 962 – Rep. Dan Gasaway (R-Homer) proposed this initiative addressing Article 3 of Chapter 13 of Title 48, concerning excise tax on the furnishing for value to the public of any rooms, lodgings, or accommodations, so as to change provisions regarding the levy and collection of such tax and to provide that certain counties levying a certain form of such tax is only to be authorized to levy a new tax after a certain date. The bill was referred to the Ways and Means Committee.
• HB 963 – Rep. Buzz Brockway (R-Lawrenceville) authored this initiative which addresses the Quality Basic Education Act to provide for the annual development of a promoted list of industry credentials and state licenses that meet certain high-demand or high-wage criteria.  This annual list is to be done by the State Workforce Development Board, in consultation with the Department of Education and the Technical College System of Georgia.  It would also require the local school system to annually report the number of students earning an industry credential or state license by type that is on the annual promoted list to the Department of Education; the Department would then be required to report such to the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives as well as post on its website. The bill was referred to the Education Committee.
• HB 966 – Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) authored this legislation which seeks to add a new subsection (e) to O.C.G.A. § 15-11-17 to change provisions relating to the conduct of hearings so that a child is not to appear in the courtroom in shackles, manacles, leg irons, waist chains, handcuffs, arm chains, or any other type of physical restraint unless the court has issued an order finding that the use of such restraints is necessary for such child.  The court is to take into consideration the child’s history of behavior, the risk of injury such child poses to himself or herself or others, such child’s flight risk, such child’s need for the necessary use of his or her hands to read, handle documents or write for such hearing, any rules issued by the Council of Juvenile Court Judges and input from the sheriff. The bill was referred to the Juvenile Justice Committee.
• HB 967 – Rep. James Beverly (D-Macon) authored this legislation which seeks to add a new subsection to O.C.G.A. § 48-8-96 changing the provisions regarding the levy of the joint county and municipal sales and use tax by consolidated governments – those levying two percent after July 1, 2018 are to allocate 50 percent of the proceeds of the tax in excess of a one (1) percent tax to the general fund of the governing authority of such consolidated government. The bill was referred to the Ways and Means Committee.
• HB 968 – Rep. Mack Jackson (D-Sandersville) offered this bill which seeks to require the transfer of probation supervision to the judicial circuit of the county in which the defendant resides in the case of misdemeanor offenses and to require the transfer of probation supervision to the county or municipality in which the defendant resides in the case of ordinance violations and misdemeanors.  These changes are made in Chapter 8 of Title 42. The bill was referred to the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
• HB 970 – Rep. David Dreyer (D-Atlanta) authored this legislation which seeks to amend O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127, regarding carrying of weapons in unauthorized locations.  It establishes that the offense of carrying a weapon or long gun in an unauthorized location includes carrying a long gun while knowingly participating in the assembly of two or more persons upon any public way or public property. The bill was referred to the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
• HB 971 – Rep. Joyce Chandler (R-Grayson) proposed this legislation which seeks to add a new Code Section at O.C.G.A. § 20-2-324.4 to allow home study and private students to take the PSAT/NMSQT and advanced placement exams through a local school system under certain conditions.  Exams are to be provided at a cost of no more than 10 percent of the cost to public school students.  If special equipment is necessary to take advanced placement exams, the home study student or private school student is to provide such.  It also requires that the local school system and individual school which offers PSAT/NMSQT or advanced placement exams to post on its website the date such will be administered. The bill was referred to the Education Committee.
• HB 972 – Rep. Wendell Willard (R-Sandy Springs) offered this legislation which seeks to make changes in Title 15 and 49 and the powers and duties of the Department of Human Services.  It seeks to allow the Division of Family and Children Services of the Department of Human Services to offer extended care youth services to youths between 18 and 21 years of age. The bill was referred to the Juvenile Justice Committee.
• HB 973 – Rep. Jan Jones (R-Milton) authored this legislation which seeks to amend Chapter 5 of Title 21 to provide that lobbyists shall acknowledge receiving, reading, and agreeing to abide by the sexual harassment policy of the General Assembly as a condition to lobbyist registration.  It also provides that violations of such are grounds for sanctioning such lobbyist and that complaints regarding violations of the sexual harassment policy of the General Assembly by any lobbyist may be reported to the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission by the General Assembly with recommendations for sanctions. The bill was referred to the Rules Committee.
• HB 974 – Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) authored this legislation which seeks to amend Chapter 6 of Title 31 regarding the State’s health planning and development.  It would exempt integrated surgery centers (defined as an ambulatory surgical center built and operated in connection with an integrated athletic training and educational facility for youth, amateur, and professional athletes, medical research activities, and physician training and education for sports medicine) from certificate of need requirements.  It would exemptions in the current law at O.C.G.A. § 31-6-47(a) for such center provided that it provides uncompensated indigent and charity care in an amount equal to or greater than 3 percent of its adjusted gross revenue and provides annual reports in the same manner and in accordance with O.C.G.A. § 31-6-70. The bill was referred to the Governmental Affairs Committee.
• HR 1224 – Rep. Deborah Gonzalez (D-Athens) authored this Resolution which seeks to create the House Study Committee on Establishment of a Living Wage.  The federal Fair Labor Standards Act minimum wage is $7.25; for employees not covered under this Act, the minimum hourly wage is $5.15 in Georgia.  This Study would be conducted by five members of the House of Representative appointed by the Speaker.  Such Committee would stand abolished on December 1, 2018, if adopted. The resolution was referred to the Industry and Labor Committee.
• HR 1253 – Rep. Butch Parrish (R-Swainsboro) proposed this Resolution which recognizes the Sunshine House Regional Children’s Advocacy Center and its executive director, Carol V. Donaldson.

The following propositions have been introduced in the Senate:

• SB 454 – Sen. Jennifer Jordan (D-Atlanta) offered this legislation revising Part 2 of Article 4 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 so as to make it unlawful for an individual to be in possession and use of a bump fire stock (defined as “any device that replaces or supplements, or is designed to replace or supplement, a weapon’s buttstock or pistol grip and enables, or is designed to enable, such weapon to shoot more than six shots by a single function of the trigger or by recoil of the weapon”)
• SB 456 – Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) authored this Education legislation relating to the Quality Basic Education Act.  It proposes to provide by adding a new Code Section at O.C.G.A. § 20-2-316.4 that no high school receiving funding under Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 can participate in or sponsor interscholastic sports events conducted by any athletic association unless the association has separate regions and playoffs for certain private schools and certain public schools (enrollment of 640 students or less as determined by the full-time equivalent count).
• SB 457 – Sen. Horacena Tate (D-Atlanta) authored this initiative which seeks to amend O.C.G.A. § 20-2-1185 to require that every public school and private school conduct drills on the execution of school safety plans based upon guidance from the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMHSA).  These drills would be conducted on intervals based on guidance from the GEMHSA.
• SB 459 – Sen. Matt Brass (R-Newnan) offered this legislation which addresses Georgia’s Certificate of Need laws in Chapter 6 of Title 31.  Its purposes is to convert a destination cancer hospital (Cancer Treatment Centers of America) to a hospital facility for certificate of need requirements upon certain conditions.  It seeks to:
  
  
  • Eliminate the definition of “destination cancer hospital” in O.C.G.A. § 31-6-2(13) and amends the term ‘health care facility’ in paragraph (17) of this Code Section so that it would mean “hospitals; any facility granted a certificate of need before June 30, 2018, as a destination cancer hospital; other special care units, including but not limited to podiatric facilities; skilled nursing facilities; intermediate care facilities; personal care homes; ambulatory surgical centers or obstetrical facilities; health maintenance organizations; home health agencies; and diagnostic, treatment, or rehabilitation centers, but only to the extend paragraph (3) or (7), or both paragraphs (3) and (7), of subsection (a) of Code Section 31-6-40 are applicable thereto.”
  • Amends O.C.G.A. § 31-6-40(d) so that a certificate of need issued to a destination cancer hospital prior to June 30, 2018, shall authorize the beds and all new institutional health services of such destination cancer hospital as such services were provided on June 30, 2018, including but not limited to inpatient beds, outpatient services, operating rooms, radiation therapy, imaging, and positron emission tomograph (PET) scanning, without any further action by the department or the destination cancer hospital; and thereafter such destination cancer hospital shall be deemed a hospital without any limitations of a destination cancer hospital as previously defined, including but not limited to the 50 inpatient beds and the 65 percent out-of-state patient based, and such hospital will be subject to the provisions under this chapter applicable to hospitals.”
  • Amends O.C.G.A. § 31-6-40.1(c) and (c.1), concerning acquisition of healthcare facilities and will require the destination cancer hospital prior to June 30, 2018 which converts to a hospital is required to provide: 1) uncompensated indigent or charity care which meets or exceeds 3 percent of its adjusted gross revenue; 2) provide services to Medicaid patients; and 3) pay for five consecutive years 1 percent of its adjusted gross revenue or $1 million, whichever is lower, per fiscal year to the Department to be used for purposes of the Indigent Care Trust Fund (it also defines ‘adjusted gross revenue’).
  • Repeals O.C.G.A. §31-6-42(b.1).
  • Amends O.C.G.A. § 31-6-45(5),(6) and(7) regarding revocation of certificate of need (eliminating (7) and its reference to destination cancer hospital and the requirement of the 65 percent patients who reside outside of Georgia for three calendar years)
  • Amends O.C.G.A. § 31-8-154(3) and (4), concerning expenditure of contributed funds, so as to support hospitals participating in the rural hospital stabilization program conducted by the State Office of Rural Health under the Department of Community Health.
  • Amends O.C.G.A. § 31-8-156(b) concerning the appropriation of funds from the Indigent Care Trust Fund.
• SR 804 – Sen. Matt Brass (R-Newnan) authored this Resolution which honors Steve Barker as Georgia’s 2018 School Superintendent of the Year.  Barker is the Superintendent of the Coweta County School System.
• SR 805 – Sen. Dean Burke (R-Bainbridge) authored this Resolution which recognizes March 14, 2018 as Skin Cancer Awareness Day at the State’s Capitol.
• SR 812 – Sen. John Wilkinson (R-Toccoa) proposed this Resolution commending the Georgia Association of PeriAnesthesia Nurses and which also recognizes the week of February 5-11 as PeriAnesthesia Nurse Awareness Week.
• SR 821 – Sen. P.K. Martin, IV (R-Lawrenceville) authored this Resolution to recognize Augusta as an official Cyber Security and Information Technology Innovation Corridor and Savannah as an official Logistics Technology Innovation Corridor.
• SR 832 – Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) proposed this Resolution which seeks to create the Senate Study Committee on Risks Associated with Kratom.  This Study would be conducted by three members of the State Senate who would be appointed by the President of the Senate.  The Study would be abolished on December 1, 2018.
• SR 839 – Sen. Freddie Powell Sims (D-Dawson) offered this Resolution which commends Georgia’s Community Service Boards and recognizes February 27, 2018 as their day at the State’s Capitol.
• SR 865 – Sen. Fran Millar (R-Dunwoody) proposed this Resolution which creates the State of Georgia Council on Respiratory Health Promotion which would look at chronic respiratory conditions (e.g. asthma, COPD, etc.).  This would be a seven person Council which would advise the Department of Public Health a statewide system of services for persons with respiratory disease; develop a statewide plan for treatment, education and training; and work with the Department of Public Health in establishing a surveillance and intervention program for patients with such diseases.

Rules Calendars for Legislative Day 25

The House will take up 14 propositions on Thursday:

• HB 695 – (Rep. Bubber Epps, R-Dry Branch)  Special License plates; Georgia Forestry Foundation; establish
• HB 714 – (Rep. Terry Rogers, R-Clarkesville)  Motor vehicles; reference date to federal regulations regarding the safe operation of motor carriers and commercial motor vehicles; update
• HB 721 – (Rep. Alan Powell, Hartwell) 32 Motor vehicles; criteria by which the Department of Driver Services shall authorize licensed driver training schools to administer on-the-road driving skills testing; revise
• HB 743 – (Rep. David Clark, R-Buford)  Jeremy Nelson and Nick Blakely Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act; enact
• HB 785 – (Rep. Randy Nix, R-LaGrange)  Solid waste management; certain definitions; modify and enact
• HB 787 – (Rep. Scott Hilton, R-Peachtree Corners)  Education; certain provisions relative to charter schools; revise
• HB 814 – (Rep. Rick Williams, R-Milledgeville)  Coroners; county governing authority may establish salaries and benefits; provide
• HB 826 – (Rep. Geoff Cauble, R-Locust Grove)  Law enforcement; alarm monitoring company may contract out certain requirement; provide
• HB 835 – (Rep. Jodi Lott, R-Evans)  Revenue and taxation; issuance of special event tobacco permits to dealers; provisions
• HB 840 – (Rep. Bill Hitchens, R-Rincon)  Revenue and taxation; penalties and interest in the event of military service in a combat zone; provide exemption
• HB 853 – (Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome)  Quality Basic Education Act; children placed in psychiatric residential treatment facilities may not be charged tuition; provide
• HB 876 – (Rep. John Corbett, R-Lake Park)  Buildings and housing; counties and municipalities proscribing the use of wood in the construction of certain buildings when state minimum standard codes are met; prohibit
• HB 907 – (Rep. Barry Fleming, R-Harlem)  Public officers and employees; appointment and election of successor in event of vacancy in the office of district attorney; provide
• HB 918 – (Rep. Chuck Efstration, R-Dacula)  Revenue and taxation; Internal Revenue Code; provisions     

The Senate will take up 2 bills on Thursday:

• SB 397 – (Sen. Ben Watson, R-Savannah) Real and Personal Property; municipalities to hire state licensed real estate brokers to assist in sale; allow
• SB 401 – (Sen. Lindsey Tippins, R-Marietta) Individual Graduation Plans; guidance in career oriented aptitudes and career interests; provide