Legislative Highlights From the 2020 Session
of
The Georga General Assembly
Bill: HB 86
Sponsor: Rep. Benton
Summary: House Bill 86 amends O.C.G.A. 20-2-989.7 to allow teachers to
appeal a summative personnel evaluation of "Unsatisfactory or
"Ineffective"to an independent third party or an administrator in the
system office. Local units of administration must develop a complaint
review policy for teachers to appeal an evaluation by July 1, 2021, and
submit the policy to the Department of Education.
Bill: HB 105
Sponsor: Rep. Watson
Summary: House Bill 105 amends 48-7-27 of the O.C.G.A., relating to the
computation of taxable net income, by providing an income tax exemption
for income received as payments from a disaster relief or assistance
program. The payments must be connected with Hurricane Michael and
administered by the United States Department of
Agriculture.
The bill also adds a new article to Chapter 13
of Tile 48 of the O.C.G.A. and exempts from sales tax all transportation
that is subject to excise tax in the new article. The new article
establishes a $0.50 per ride excise tax on each for-hire ground
transportation trip and a $0.25 cent per ride excise tax on each shared
for-hire ground transportation trip.The proceeds of such excise tax
shall be appropriated to a transit provider to be used
exclusively for transit projects. If the full amount is not appropriated
to the intended provider, the amount of the tax shall be reduced by 50
percent in the following year. If the amount collected is not
appropriated to the intended provider for a second year, this Code
section shall stand repealed.
The bill also amends 48-13-50.3 of the O.C.G.A
relating to additional tax imposed by innkeepers, forms for reporting,
use of funds from additional taxes, and provisions for termination, by
changing the definition of "transportation purposes" to mean activities incident to providing and
maintain an adequate system of public roads and bridges in this state
and for grants to counties for road construction and maintenance and
establishing definitions for "transit" and "non-transit" pojects. The bill allows up to 10
percent of the fees collected from the $5 per night fee on hotel and
motel stays to be appropriated for transit projects.
Bill: HB 195
Sponsor: Rep. Benton
Summary: HB 195 increases the death benefit for members of the Georgia
Firefighters Pension Fund from $5,000 to $10,000. This bill is certified
by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts as a fiscal retirement
bill. The actuarial investigation estimates the first-year cost is
$24,441. The current revenue generated from the one percent tax on
premiums from fire insurance companies is sufficient to cover the cost
of this
legislation.
Bill: SB 426
SPONSOR: Rep. Parsons/Sen. Strickland
Summary: This is a clean air bill that requires
that any spill or release of any amount of ethylene oxide be reported to
the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of
Natural Resources (EPD) within 24 hours. It requires EPD to post the
report or release of the spill of ethylene oxide on its website.
Bill: HB 244
Sponsor: Rep. Stephens
Summary: House Bill 244 requires electric membership corporations (EMCs)
to comply with certain requirements when determining the rates for
attachments to utilitypoles by communications service providers. The
Public Service Commission (PSC) shall publish the rates and conditions
for pole attachments by January 1, 2021. The rates and conditions will
become effective on July 1, 2021 for any pole attachment agreement
entered into by a provider and an EMC, except for a mutual agreement
between the parties, which differs from the PSC rates. The PSC shall
have jurisdiction to enforce compliance with the provisions.
Bill: HB 337
Sponsor: Rep. Blackmon
Summary: HB 337 is known as the "Georgia Peer-to-Peer Car-Sharing
Program Act". A peer-to-peer car-sharing program must assume liability
of a shared vehicle owner for any bodily injury or property damage to
third parties in the amount set forth in the car-sharing program
agreement not less than $25,000 for one person in one accident and not
less than $50,000 for two or more people in one accident, unless the
shared vehicle owner made an intentional or fraudulent material
misrepresentation to the car-sharing program before the loss occurred.
The car-sharing program must ensure that the shared vehicle owner and
the shared vehicle driver are insured under an insurance policy that
recognizes the vehicle used is made available through a car-sharing
program and provides insurance coverage no less than the policy stated
above. The car-sharing program will assume primary liability for a claim
when the program is in whole or in part providing the insurance or if a
dispute exists as to who was in control of the vehicle at the time of
the loss.
The car-sharing program will collect and verify
records pertaining to the use of a vehicle and must provide that
information upon the request to the shared vehicle owner, insurer, or
the shared vehicle drivers insurer to facilitate a claim overage
investigation. The program must retain records for a period not less
than the applicable personal injury statute of limitations. The
car-sharing program has the sole responsibility for any equipment that
is put in or on the vehicle to monitor or facilitate the car-sharing
transaction. Moreover, the program must agree to indemnify a shared
vehicle owner for any damage or theft of said equipment during the
shared period not caused by the vehicles owner. At the time when a
vehicle owner registers as a shared vehicle, the car-sharing program
must verify that the vehicle does not have any safety recalls on the
vehicle that have not been repaired and notify the owner that the
vehicle is not available unless a safety repair has been made for any
outstanding safety recalls.
Bill: HB 426
Sponsor: Rep. Efstration
Sponsor: HB 426 is the Hate Crime legislation. The bill requires that
the prosecution must give notice to the defendant that an enhanced
penalty is being sought. If the court determines beyond a reasonable
doubt that the victim, group of victims, or any property is the object
of the offense because of the victim's actual or perceived race, color,
religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, mental
disability, or physical disability then the court can apply an enhanced
penalty. HB 426 designates five misdemeanors available for enhancement
and are as follows: simple assault; simple battery; battery; criminal
trespass; and misdemeanor theft. For these misdemeanor offenses, the
sentence imposed is imprisonment for a period of at least six months but
not more than 12 months with a fine not to exceed $5,000. The
enhancement can apply to any felony, with the sentence imposed of
imprisonment for a period not less than two years and a fine up to
$5,000. HB 426 requires the judge to state when he or she imposes the
sentence enhancement and the amount of increase of the sentence is due
to
the hate crime penalty statute. Moreover, when a law enforcement officer
investigates an incident of a crime which appears to the defendant
intentionally selected the victim(s) in violation of the hate crime
statute, the officer must submit to his or her supervisor a written
report of the incident entitled "Bias Crime Report". The report will be
used for statistical purposes only, and when no arrest is made will not
be subject to open records. All law enforcement must report to the
Georgia Crime Information Center all incidents involving alleged
criminal violations of the hate crimes statute, both arrests and
non-arrests. The GBI will compile and analyze the statistics of such
reports and annually publish the findings in the Georgia Uniform Crime
Reports.
Bill: HB 444
Sponsor: Reeves
Summary: House Bill 444 renames the Move on When Ready Act" as the "Dual
Enrollment Act". House Bill 444 limits the number of credit hours the
dual enrollment program will fund to 30 hours. The 30-hour cap applies
to current students who havetaken 18 course credit hours or less.
Students who have taken more than 19 hours may
receive an additional 12 hours. Under the provisions of this bill,
grade-level participation is limited to 11th and 12th graders; however,
to continue producing a skilled workforce, 10th grade students may
participate in dual enrollment courses provided by the Technical College
System of Georgia. Furthermore, 10th grade students who have obtained a
Zell Miller Scholarship score on the ACT or SAT or a ninth grader
enrolled in dual credit courses may take core courses at a postsecondary
institutio during the student's 10th grade year. HB 444 limits the type
of course allowable under the "Dual Enrollment Act" to core subjects. An
eligible core course is an English, math, science, social studies, or a
foreign language as calculated for HOPE purposes according to O.C.G.A.
20-2-157. There are 2,613 eligible core courses and 4,592 CTAE or career
technical agricultural education
courses available under O.C.G.A. 20-2-157.
Bill: HB 487
Sponsor: Rep. Bonner
Summary: House Bill 487 allows state employees, under the "Disaster
Relief Volunteer Act" who are certified volunteers of the Civil Air
Patrol United States Air Force Auxiliary to be granted paid leave for no
more than 15 workdays in a 12-month period. Upon the employee's agency
approval, this leave will be specifically used for participation in
specialized emergency services operations for the Civil Air Patrol upon
the request of the
patrol after activation by a county emergency management agency, the
Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, or a
comparable federal agency for that employee's services.
Bill: HB 538
Sponsor: Rep. Todd Jones
Summary: House Bill 538 requires courts and the Georgia Tax Tribunal to
decide all questions of law regarding the proper interpretation of
revenue and taxation-related statutes or regulations without deference
to the Department of Revenue's interpretation of the statute or
regulation in dispute.
Bill: HB 752
Sponsor: Rep. Belton
Summary: HB 752 requires psychologists, physical therapists, and
physical therapist assistants to submit a fingerprint record check
report conducted by the Georgia Crime Information Center and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation as a requirement for licensure to practice
within Georgia. The results of such background checks will not be shared
outside the state of Georgia.
Bill: HB 779
Sponsor: Rep. Blackmon
Summary: House Bill 779 amends O.C.G.A. 48-5C-1, relating to alternative
ad valorem taxes on motor vehicles, by modifying the distribution of
proceeds to the counties, municipalities, and school districts. For
motor vehicles registered in the incorporated areas of the county, the
percent of proceeds going to the county governing authority is decreased
from 28 to 23 percent, the percent of proceeds going to the municipal
governing authority is increased from 23 to 28 percent, and the
remaining 49 percent of proceeds continue to go to the county school
district; however, if there is an independent school district in the
municipality: 23 percent of the proceeds shall go to the county
governing authority; 34 percent of the proceeds shall go to the
municipal governing authority; and the remaining 43 percent of the
proceeds shall go to the independent school district.
Bill: HB 793 – FY 2021 Budget
Sponsor: Speaker Ralston
Summary: The FY 21 Budget was crafted in response to the Covid-19
pandemic and represents the General Assembly's commitment to being
fiscally responsible. This budget reflects a revised revenue estimate of
$25.9 billion, including $250 million from the Revenue Shortfall
Reserve. Below are highlights from the FY 21 budget:
- Restoration of over $20 million to state law enforcement and
investigative programs, including nearly $900,000 in new funding to
develop a gang database and taskforce.
- Adequate funding for the Department of
Agriculture to ensure that the safety of
our food.
- The FY 21 budget maintains full funding for Georgia’s Pre-K program.
- Inclusion of $10 million to the Governor’s Emergency Fund to allow for
a quick response to COVID-19 and other unforeseen emergencies
- The addition of over $19 million to provide six months of postpartum
Medicaid coverage to address maternal mortality.
- Over $12 million in new funding for the Rural Hospital Stabilization
program to help combat rural healthcare issues.
- Preventing furloughs of the University system’s 55,000 employees by
restoring $78 million in funding.
- Restoring over $53 million to DBHDD, DHS, and DVS to avoid cuts and
furloughs to those agencies.
Bill: HB 823
Sponsor: Rep. Gaines
Summary: House Bill 823 provides that a person who knowingly uses a
commercial motor vehicle in the commission of sexual or labor
trafficking crimes will be disqualified as a commercial motor vehicle
driver for life.
Bill: HB 838
Sponsor: Rep. Hitchens
Summary: The legislation gives the right for a civil suit to be brought
by a peace officer against any person, group of persons, organization,
or corporation, for damages suffered during the officer's performance of
official duties, or for filing a false complaint against the officer.
Further, this bill creates the new offense of bias motivated
intimidation when such person maliciously and with the specific intent
to intimidate, harass, or terrorize another person because of that
person’s actual or perceived employment as a first responder. House Bill
838 renames the recently established Office of Public Safety Officer
Support at the Department of Public Safety to the Office of Public
Safety Support.
Bill: HB 888
Sponsor: Rep. Hawkins
Summary: HB 888, also known as the “Surprise Bulling Consumer Protection
Act”. This bill seeks to protect consumers in Georgia from incurring
out-of-network charges when receiving treatment at an in-network
facility or emergency treatment at an out-of- network facility.
Additionally, no health care plan may deny or restrict the provision of
covered benefits from a participating provider to a covered individual
solely because the covered individual obtains treatment from a
non-participating provider leading to a balance bill. The insurer
provides notice of this protection in writing to the covered individual.
Finally, HB 888 provides the process for dealing with disputed bills by
allowing for arbitration, and sets forth the various rules for such
arbitration proceedings.
Bill: HB 912
Sponsor: Rep. Reeves
Summary: HB 912 allows a foster parent to arrange for an occasional
short-term babysitter of a child in foster care for up to 72 consecutive
hours when the foster parent uses a reasonable and prudent standard in
selecting an appropriate babysitter. The bill gives hearings involving
dependency issues to take priority over cases involving
jury trials. The Department of Family and Child Services may work with
child placement agencies regarding the hours of training required for
foster and respite families. This bill also provides for specific data
to be collected through the Juvenile Court.
Bill: HB 914
Sponsor: Rep. Heath Clark
Summary: House Bill 914 requires professional licensing boards to issue
an expedited license to a military spouse or transitioning service
member who holds a current license, in good standing, with another
state; examinations to demonstrate required knowledge may be required.
Bill: HB 918
Sponsor: Rep. Cooper
Summary: House Bill 918 amends; "The Pharmacy Audit Bill of Rights"; to
exclude the cost of claims by prescription number as a criterion in
determining which claims to audit. Audits will not include more than 100
prescriptions per audit and an entity will not audit more than 200
prescriptions in any 12-month period. A pharmacy is not responsible for
any penalty or fee in connection with an audit. There is no recoupment
of funds from a pharmacy in connection with claims for which the
pharmacy has already been paid without first complying with these
requirements. There is no recoupment from a pharmacy except in cases of
fraud, a miss-filled prescription, or an error that resulted in an
over-payment, in which case the recoupment is limited to the amount
over-paid. Additionally, this bill limits the auditing of a pharmacy to
no more than once every six months.
Bill: HB 946
Sponsor: Rep. Knight
Summary: This bill prohibits a PBM from employing or contracting with a
physician for the purpose of advising on or making formulary development
or management, step therapy, or prior authorization, unless the
physician is (1) licensed by the Georgia Medical Board; (2) has actively
seen patients within the past 5 years; and (3) has
practiced in the same specialty area for which the physician is
providing advisement within the past five years.
The Department of Insurance will be given regulatory authority over
PBM’s, and will require that PBM’s submit a report every three months
detailing all drugs appearing on the national average drug acquisition
cost list at 10 percent above and below the average. The PGM must also
provide the following for each drug listed in the report: (1) the month
is was dispensed; (2) the quantity dispensed; (3) the amount the
pharmacy was reimbursed per unit/dose; (4) whether the pharmacy was an
affiliate; (5) whether the drug was dispensed pursuant to state or local
health plans; and (6) the national average acquisition cost on the day
the drug was dispensed. Further, HB 946 requires PBM’s do not reimburse
a pharmacy at a lower rate than they would an affiliate pharmacy. PBM’s
are also required to pass on 100% of all rebates from pharmaceutical
manufacturers to the health plan, and they must charge a health plan the
same price for a prescription drug as it pays a pharmacy for the same
drug.
Finally, this bill prohibits PBM’s from:
engaging in steering practices; charging pharmacies a fee for network
enrollment; withholding coverage or requiring prior authorization for a
lower cost equivalent drug to an insured or failing to reduce the
insured’s cost-share when they select a lower cost drug; and removing a
drug from a
formulary or denying coverage of a drug for purposes of incentivizing an
insured to seek coverage from a different health plan. This law would go
into effect 1/1/2021.
Bill: HB 987
Sponsor: Rep. Cooper
Summary: HB 987 is a senior care enhancement bill that will bring safer,
reformed, and enhanced care for our senior citizens living in Georgia
licensed care homes and assisted living communities that have a minimum
of 25 beds by doing the following:
- Requiring initial and annual training for direct care staff;
- Maintaining one (1) direct care staff per fifteen (15) residents
during waking hours and one (1) per twenty (20) residents during
non-waking hours;
- Providing sixty (60) days notice to DCH for any bankruptcy or eviction
proceeding and fourteen (14) days notice for any change of ownership
affecting care;
- Upon application for licensure the submittal of a financial stability
affidavit
affirming ability to operate for two years; and
- Assisted living homes must maintain at least two direct care staff at
all times and an RN or LPN between eight and forty hours per week based
upon total
occupancy.
This bill also places additional certification
requirements on memory care units by required the following staff:
- One (1) dementia trained staff person for every twelve (12) residents;
- One (1) licensed social worker or professional counselor at least
eight hours per month;
- One (1) RN, LPN, or certified medication aide at all times;
- Two (2) or more direct care staff at all times;
- One (1) or more RN or LPN between eight and forty hours on-sire based
on total occupancy; and
- Initial and annual dementia specific training.
Finally, the bill imposes a mandatory minimum fine of $5000, and
increases the maximum daily fine from $1000 to $2000 with a cap of
$40,000 for any violation causing serious physical injury or death of a
resident.
Bill: HB 1037
Sponsor: Rep. Dollar
Summary: The bill requires all productions claiming credits to be
audited by either an independent auditor or the Department of Revenue.
Beginning January 1, 2021, all projects seeking a credit greater than
$2.5 million must comply with the audit requirements. Beginning January
1, 2022, all projects seeking a credit greater than $1.25 million must
comply with the audit requirements. Beginning January 1, 2023, all
projects seeking a credit of any amount must comply with the audit
requirements.
Bill: HB 1090
Sponsor: Rep. Silcox
Summary: House Bill 1090 requires employers to provide break time to
employees who need to express breast milk. Additionally, this bill
allows the labor commissioner to set the amount of deductible earnings
related to a person's unemployment up to $300 and grants the
commissioner of insurance the authority to adopt emergency rules during
a declared statewide emergency and authorize a work-sharing
program.Bill: HB 1114
Sponsor: Rep. Cooper
Summary: House Bill 1114 requires the Department of Community Health to
provide Medicaid coverage, and pursue a waiver if needed, to provide
coverage for lactation care and services to pregnant and lactating
women, children who are breastfeeding or receiving their mother's
milk, and postpartum care for mothers for a period of up to six months
following birth. This bill will become effective only upon the effective
date of a
specific appropriation of funds by the General Assembly.
Bill: HB 1125
Sponsor: Rep. Kelley
Summary: House Bill 1125 requires the Department of Community Health and
the Georgia Composite Medical Board to identify and compile information
on an annual basis that identifies individuals at high risk for breast
cancer. Additionally, the bill requires the State Health Benefit Plan to
include coverage for breast cancer screening
for women ages 30 or older who are at high risk of breast cancer.
Bill: HR 882
Sponsor: Clark
Summary: HR 882 urges the American people to support President Donald J.
Trump, the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, and
intelligence agencies on their successful military operation that
neutralized Qasem Soleimani.
Bill: HR 1023
Sponsor: Rep. Welch
Summary: House Resolution 1023 proposes an amendment to the Georgia
Constitution to waive sovereign immunity for actions in the superior
court seeking declaratory relief from acts of the state, or any county,
consolidated government, or municipality of this state, outside the
scope of lawful authority or in violation of the laws of the Georgia
Constitution or the Constitution of the United States. A court awarding
declaratory relief may enjoin such acts to enforce its judgment. The
waiver applies to past, current, and prospective acts that occur on or
after January 1, 2021. Actions against the state shall be brought
exclusively against the state and in the name
of the State of Georgia. Actions against any county, consolidated
government, or municipality shall be brought exclusively against the
named entity.
Bill: SB 123
Sponsor: Sen. Ligon/Rep. Dickey
Summary: SB 123 raises the required local government surcharge on a
municipal solid waste disposal facility operated by a private enterprise
from $1.00 per ton to $2.50 per ton. The bill removes an exception for
the same facilities that accept coal combustionresiduals and raises the
required surcharge from $1.00 to $2.50 per ton of coalcombustion
residuals. The percentage of surcharges collected by local governments
specifically designated to offset repairs is lowered from 50 to 20
percent. The bill allows for any permitted municipal solid waste
landfill operating by July 1, 1997 to expand its operation within two
miles of a federally restricted military air space used
for a bombing range.
SB 123 removes language to lower the surcharge
on the disposal of waste at a solid waste disposal facility from $0.75
per ton of solid waste to $0.51 per ton. The surcharge's sunset date is
June 30, 2025. The bill strikes language to lower the fee on all new
replacement tires from $1.00 to $0.38 per tire sold. The fee sunset date
is June 30, 2025.
Bill: SB 211
Sponsor: Rep. Harper/Rep. McCall
Summary: SB 211 prohibits labeling or advertising food that is not
derived from the flesh, offal, or other by-product of an animal as meat
unless the labeling clearly states one of the following: "lab-grown",
:lab-created","grown in a lab"; if it is made of cell cultured products;
or, "vegetarian"; "veggie", "vegan", "plant based", or other similar
term if it is a plant-based product.
Bill: SB 249
Sponsor: Sen. Albers/Rep. Gravley
Summary: SB 249 allows jail officers who are certified by the Georgia
Peace Officer Standards and Training Council to become members of the
Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund. The monthly member
contribution increases from $20 to $25 per month. The benefit increases
from $17.50 to $25.15 for each full year of creditable service on July
1, 2020, and automatically increases to $30 per month for each year of
creditableservice on July 1, 2021. SB 249 revises the fee structure for
forfeited and collected bonds on any quasi-criminal case from a
graduated fine to the greater of $10 or 10 percent. The bill also
revises fees collected before pretrial diversion in any quasi-criminal
case to $5 or five percent, whichever is greater. This bill is certified
by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts as a fiscal retirement
bill. The actuarial investigation determines the first-year cost is
$13,798,000, with an estimated total cost to the fund of $27,838,000;
however, the new fee structure generates $29,772,000 in revenue, and the
fund will continue to meet minimum funding standards.
Bill: SB 288
Sponsor: Sen. Tonya Anderson/Rep. Gaines
Summary: Senate Bill 288 expands the ability of individuals convicted of
certain misdemeanors or convicted of non-serious or non-sexual felonies
and are later pardoned to petition for the restriction and sealing of
their criminal history recordinformation. Specific misdemeanor offenses
along with violent or sexual felonies are
excluded. Exceptions are provided to allow for criminal history record
information that was previously restricted and sealed to be unrestricted
and unsealed for certain purposes.
Bill: SB 303
Sponsor: Sen. Watson/Rep. Newton
Summary: Senate Bill 303 requires each insurer, except health
maintenance organizations, to make available on its website an
interactive mechanism for members of the public to: compare the payment
amounts accepted by in-network providers for health care services;
obtain an estimate of the average amount accepted by in-network
providers for the health care services; obtain an estimate of the
out-of-pocket costs that a person will owe his or her provider for a
health care service; and compare quality metrics applicable to
in-network providers for major diagnostic categories.
Bill: SB 306
Sponsor: Sen. Seay/Rep. Belton
Summary: Senate Bill 306 establishes the Audiology and Speech-Language
Pathology Interstate Compact. The compact allows Georgia to facilitate
interstate practice of audiology and speech-language pathology.
Bill: SB 321
Sponsor: Sen. Hufstetler/Rep. Powell
Summary: Senate Bill 321 authorizes an advanced practice registered
nurse to order radiographic imaging tests in non-life threatening
situations if delegated to do so by a physician. The bill also brings
parity to the number of advanced practice registered nurses and
physician assistance that a physician may supervise in a nurse protocol
agreement to four.
Bill: SB 359
Sponsor: Sen. Hufstetler/Rep. Kelley
Summary: Senate Bill 359, the "Georgia COVID-19 Pandemic Business Safety
Act provides for certain immunities from liability claims regarding
COVID-19. No healthcare facility, healthcare provider, entity, or
individual shall be liable for damages in an action involving a COVID-19
liability claim, unless the claimant proves that the healthcare
facility, healthcare provider, entity, or individual showed: gross
negligence, willful and wanton misconduct, reckless infliction of harm,
or intentional infliction of
harm.
A rebuttable presumption of assumption of the
risk by a claimant exists if signage containing certain language is
posted at a point of entry on the premises of a healthcare facility,
healthcare provider, entity, or individual. Entities or individuals may
also establish such rebuttable presumption by providing certain language
on tickets or
wristbands issued to a claimant for entry on to the premises of the
entity or individual.
Bill: SB 367
Sponsor: Sen. Martin/Rep. Jasperse
Summary: Senate Bill 367 amends O.C.G.A. 20-2-281, relating to
assessments, by reducing the number of state assessments given to
students. SB 367 eliminates the fifth grade end-of-grade social studies
assessment and reduces the number of end-of-course assessments in high
school from eight to four. School systems must administer the state
required end-of-grade assessment for grades three through eight within
25 school days
of the last day of school. The Department of Education is authorized to
conduct an analysis of locally implemented assessments and provide
guidance to eliminate redundant assessments to improve student
achievement.
Bill: SB 375
Sponsor: Sen. Mullis/Rep. Rich
Summary: SB 375 brings Georgia tobacco laws in compliance with federal
regulations that makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to
possess tobacco and vapor products. Further, the bill establishes excise
taxes of five cents per milliliter on consumable vapor products in a
closed system and seven percent of the wholesale cost
price on vapor devices and vapor devices that contain any consumable
vapor product at the time of sale and are not intended to be refilled.
Finally, the bill sets forth regulations regarding the sale of vapor and
alternative tobacco products.
Bill: SB 402
Sponsor: Sen. Robertson/Rep. Todd Jones
Summary: SB 402 renames the release of a person on his or her own
recognizance without a purported dollar amount through secured means or
property as an "unsecured judicial release." The bill specifies that a
person charged with a bail-restricted offense shall not be released on
bail on unsecured judicial release for pretrial release programs,
release and diversion programs, or intervention and diversion programs.
Additional
refere nces in the Code to the release of a person on his or her own
recognizance arereplaced with unsecured judicial release. Any bond
issued by an elected judge or judge sitting by designation that purports
a dollar amount shall be executed in the full-face amount of the bond
through secured means or shall be executed by use of property. This
shall not prohibit a sheriff from releasing an inmate from custody in
cases of medical emergency with consent of the judge.
Bill: SB 416
Sponsor: Sen. Mullis/Rep. Jasperse
Summary: Senate Bill 416 amends O.C.G.A. 45-7-4 relating to the annual
salary of the lieutenant governor and the members of the General
Assembly. The lieutenant governor's salary will be reduced by 14 percent
for the 2021 fiscal year and the members of the General Assemblys salary
will be reduced 10 percent for the 2021 fiscal year.
END OF UPDATE
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