The House and Senate floors remain active as our Report comes online this evening. Legislators continue to work at a fever pitch shepherding their bills and resolutions through the final stages of the legislative gauntlet before the 2021 Legislative Session adjourns sine die. While many in the State Capitol are ready to call it a session, work must continue at least until the General Assembly achieves its single constitutionally-required duty — finalizing a budget for the next fiscal year. After a false start this morning, conferees finally agreed to a compromise spending plan around 2 p.m., and staffers are busy printing copies for legislators’ desks as we type. We’ll share budget highlights on Twitter along with continuing actions on notable legislation until legislators head home later tonight. Follow along using #GoldDomeReport.
In today’s Report:
Floor Action
HOUSE
The House took up the following measures by our publication deadline on Legislative Day 40:
- SB 27 — Professional Licenses; extend the time a member of the military has to qualify for the issuance of a license; electrical contractor, plumber; PASSED 155-0 RETURNS TO SENATE
- SB 115 — Drivers' Licenses; instructional course; educating drivers and the public on best practices to implement when interacting with law enforcement officers; provide PASSED 98-72 PASSED RETURNS TO SENATE
- SB 201 — Revenue and Taxation; financial institutions to provide certain information related to delinquent taxpayers to the Department of Revenue under certain conditions; require PASSED 112-55 RETURNS TO SENATE
- SB 204 — Education; State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia to award high school diplomas; provide [A Rules Committee Substitute will be on the Floor to correct some typographical formatting issues.] PASSED 155-14 RETURNS TO SENATE
- SB 222 — State Symbols; pecan as the official state nut; designate PASSED 170-0 FINAL PASSAGE
- SB 237 — License Plates; specialty license plate supporting members of the United States Army Rangers; establish PASSED 170-0 FINAL PASSAGE
The House also took the following further actions on legislation returning from the Senate:
- HB 43 — Motor vehicles; require registration application forms to include optional information regarding certain conditions which may interfere with a registrant's ability to communicate — AGREED TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- HB 68 - Professions and businesses; certain military certifications; extend time to qualify — FAILED TO AGREE TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE
- HB 94 — Crimes and offenses; provide for the crime of theft by possession of stolen mail — AGREED TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- HB 98 — State government; conditions for meetings and public hearings to be held by teleconference in emergency conditions; provide — AGREED TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- HB 141 — Criminal procedure; requirements for awards made from Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund to medical service providers; provide — AGREED TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- HB 153 — Fair Business Practices Act of 1975; solicitations of services for corporate filings required by the Secretary of State; provide for requirements — AGREED TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- HB 154 — Domestic relations; protection of children; strengthen, clarify, and update provisions — AGREED TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- HB 207 — Motor vehicles; electronic submission of certain documentation required of manufacturers, distributors, dealers, secondary metals recyclers, used motor vehicle parts dealers, and scrap metal processors by the Department of Revenue; provide— AGREED TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- HB 286 — Local government; restrict ability of county governing authorities to reduce funding for county police departments — AGREED TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- HB 290 — Hospitals and nursing homes; policy during a declared public health emergency that limits patients' abilities to be visited by designated family members and friends; provisions — AGREED TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (RETURNS TO SENATE)
- HB 409 — Judicial Legal Defense Fund Commission; establish — AGREED TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (RETURNS TO SENATE)
- HB 449 — Georgia Utility Facility Protection Act; revise — DISAGREED TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE (RETURNS TO SENATE)
- HB 479 — Criminal procedure; revise certain arrest powers; provisions — AGREE TO SENATE AMENDMENT (FINAL PASSAGE)
- HB 488 — Courts; increase minimum compensation for chief magistrates and others; provide — AGREED TO SENATE AMENDMENT AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (RETURNS TO SENATE)
SENATE
The Senate took up the following measures by our publication deadline on Legislative Day 40:
- HB 306 — Corporations, partnership, and associations; corporations may hold shareholders' meetings by means of remote communication; provide — PASSED 52-0, RETURNS TO HOUSE
- HB 317 — Excise tax; revise definition of innkeeper to include marketplace facilitators; provisions — PASSED 31-5, RETURNS TO HOUSE
- HB 443 — Torts; transfer of structured settlement payment rights; provide new requirements — PASSED 51-0, RETURNS TO HOUSE
- HB 454 — Insurance; certain coverage requirements concerning providers that become out-of-network during a plan year; provide — PASSED 49-0, RETURNS TO HOUSE
- HB 517 — Education; calculation of minimum revenue obligations for scholarships and tuition grants; provide for the inclusion of earned interest — PASSED 30-18, RETURNS TO HOUSE
- HB 562 — Criminal procedure; add DFCS case managers to people for whom arrest warrants may be issued only by certain judicial officers — PASSED 50-0, RETURNS TO HOUSE
- HB 577 — Highways, bridges, and ferries; proposal guaranty for bids upon certain projects; provide — PASSED 47-1, RETURNS TO HOUSE
- HB 588 — Transportation; eligible expenditures; Georgia Freight Railroad Program; provisions — PASSED 49-0, RETURNS TO HOUSE
- HB 617 — Postsecondary education; student athletes may receive compensation for use of name, image, or likeness; provide — PASSED 50-2 (FINAL PASSAGE)
- HB 653 — Georgia Pharmacy Practice Act; pharmacy care; revise definition — PASSED 48-0 (FINAL PASSAGE)
The Senate also took the following further actions on legislation returning from the House:
- SB 42 — Education; school climate rating does not include discipline data; provide — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 78 — Invasion of Privacy; prohibition on electronically transmitting or posting nude or sexually explicit photographs or videos for purposes of harassing the depicted person; revise — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 81 — Office of College and Career Transitions; change name to the Office of College and Career Academies — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 85 — "Max Gruver Act"; enact — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 100 — State Government; this state shall observe standard time year round; provide — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 107 — Postsecondary Education Grants; waiver of tuition and all fees, for qualifying foster and adopted students by units of the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia; provide — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 117 — Department of Human Services; offenses of improper sexual contact by employee or agent in the first and second degrees; revise — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 144 — Housing Authorities; ability of city housing authorities to operate outside municipal boundaries without authorization; limit — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 165 — Motor Vehicles; autonomous vehicles from certain vehicle equipment requirements; exempt — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 215 — Regulation of Hospitals; certified medication aides to administer certain medications to nursing home residents; authorize — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 220 — "The Georgia Civics Renewal Act"; enact — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE AS AMENDED
- SB 225 — License Plates; individuals who served in the armed forces for an ally of the United States during active military combat; provide a veteran's license plate — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 235 — Offenses Against Public Order; offense of wearing a mask, hood, or device which conceals the identity of the wearer; revise — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 246 — "The Learning Pod Protection Act"; exemptions applicable to learning pods, student attendance, administrative and judicial proceedings; provide — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 255 — "OneGeorgia Authority Act"; grant program to support border region retail and tourism projects; provide — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SB 260 — Soil Amendments; exclude from regulation — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SR 39 — Charlotte Nash Intersection; Gwinnett County; dedicate — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SR 84 — Airport Infrastructure and Improvements; create Joint Study Committee — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
- SR 102 — Georgia Commission on E-Commerce and Freight Infrastructure Funding; create — AGREED TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (FINAL PASSAGE)
