2013 Scorecard Tracker
(as of 3/27/2013)
HB 154: Worker's Compensation Reform
Sponsor: Mark Hamilton 24th
Status: Passed in House and Senate; sent to Governor
Chamber Position: Support; Scorecard
HB 154 is the product of a joint effort between the state worker's compensation board and an advisory council made up of representatives from the business, medical, and legal communities to develop new policies and statutory changes for improving the system.
House Bill 176: Mobile Broadband Structure Leads to Development (BILD) Act
Sponsor: Don Parsons 44th
Status: Passed in House Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee 3/1/13
Chamber Position: Support, Scorecard
HB 176 provides for a streamlined regulatory process for companies investing in new or upgrading existing wireless infrastructure. Wireless and broadband infrastructure is a vital economic development resource to attract business and improve the quality of life for area residents, especially in rural Georgia, and this bill encourages those continued, important investments.
HB 188: Aid to Military Families Seeking Employment Certification
Sponsor: Christian Coomer 14th
Status: Passed in House and Senate, sent to Governor
Chamber Position: Support, Scorecard
House Bill 188 is designed to help qualified military veterans and their spouses seeking employment that have been certified or trained in certain skilled trades to be allowed to obtain an expedited Georgia license or certification in certain professions.
HB 244: Improvements to Georgia’s Teacher Evaluation System
Sponsor: Randy Nix 69th
Status: Passed in House 151-21 on 2/28; Passed Senate on 3/26/13; needs House to agree
Chamber Position: Support; Scorecard
HB 244 would tie state teacher evaluations more directly to student achievement and build a more transparent and uniform system to determine the effectiveness of teachers in Georgia’s classrooms beginning with the 2014-2015 school year. In addition to the vital need of creating an efficient mechanism for teacher performance and accountability, measuring positive student achievement is critical for Georgia to be eligible for future Race to the Top funding. This bill is currently awaiting a hearing in the House Education Committee.
HB 272: Angel Investor Tax Credit Extension
Sponsor: Allen Peake 141st
Status: Passed House Ways & Means with substitute language removing angel investment statue (Passed as part of HB 318 on 3/25/13)
Chamber Position: Support; Scorecard
HB 272 would extend state tax credits on ‘angel investments’ for two additional years – into 2014 and 2015. HB 272 would allow individuals who make qualified investments into high tech Georgia businesses to claim up to $5 million annually ($50,000 cap per investor) of the amount on future tax returns for a 35% credit. One of the Chamber’s top legislative priorities is helping businesses increase access to venture and seed capital – a key element of a healthy business climate.
HB 336: Bad Faith
Sponsor: Jay Powell 171st
Status: House passed 163-0 on 2/27/13; Senate Judiciary Committee favorably reported
Chamber Position: Support, Scorecard
As often happens in personal injury cases, a claimant is injured in an accident, sues the defendant and demands settlement of the full amount of the policy limits within a short period of time -- in some cases as short as 10 days or fewer. If the insurance company does not pay the full amount of the policy limits, plaintiffs' attorneys have used a 1992 court decision, Southern General Insurance Co v. Holt, to claim that the insurance company is acting in "bad faith" and to request payments from the insurance company substantially in excess of the policy limits. These are referred to as "Holt" claims. If the insurer requests more time for additional information for discovery purposes, it is treated under the law as a rejection of the plaintiffs' offer.
HB 336 provides insurers 30 days to respond to an offer for settlement and the ability to seek clarification of the terms of the offer without being considered a counteroffer or rejection. The application of the bill is limited to: motor vehicle claims, offers prior to the filing of a lawsuit and offers prepared with the assistance of an attorney
HB: 361: State Labor Reforms - Paycheck Protection for Union Dues
Sponsor: Edward Lindsey 54th
Status: Passed in House 110-57 on 3/4/2013; Passed Senate 3/25/13; needs House to agree
Chamber Position: Support, Scorecard
HB 361 is designed to protect employee’s rights by requiring that authorization for union dues be renewed to ensure that employees who sign written authorization for payment of dues by paycheck deduction may also revoke that authorization at any time. The Chamber beleives that this legislation creates true freedom of choice for employees on whether or not to remain a member of or financially support a union. The bill will exempt any contract or collective bargaining agreement currently in place as well as any professional association composed exclusively of educators or law enforcement officers.
HB 361 also seeks to clarify and reinforce specific rights under federal law of employers, employees and labor
unions regarding unionization, collective bargaining or other labor relation issues.
HB 419: Changes to Sales and Use Tax Exemption on Energy Used in Manuafacturing
Sponsor: Barry Fleming 121st
Status: Awaiting hearing in House Ways & Means Committee
Chamber Position: Oppose, Scorecard
House Bill 419 seeks to make changes to the sales and use tax exemption for energy used in manufacutring - a key economic development tool for the state and a significant reform measure in last year's tax revisions (House Bill 386)
SB 73: Changes to Transportation Investment Act
Sponsor: John Albers 56th
Status: Senate Read and Referred to Transportation Committee
Chamber Position: Oppose, Scorecard
Senate Bill 73 would make significant changes to the Transportation Investment Act legislation passed in 2010 in which lawmakers set up a process through which every region of our state had the opportunity to choose to make much-needed transportation investments. Both the benefits and the risks were clearly outlined, and local leaders spent a significant amount of time developing project lists and educating the public prior to the vote last July. Three regions passed the referendum based on that legislation and will generate over $1.8 billion in new transportation dollars over the next ten years.
While The Georgia Chamber believes that the state needs to identify additional opportunities to address our state’s transportation needs, it should not be done in a way that backtracks on the commitment made to voters in those regions that passed the referendum last year.
SB 113: Clarifying Laws for Issuing Summons to a Corporate Entity
Sponsor: Emanuel Jones 10th
Status: Passed in Senate 49-0 on 3/7/13; Passed in House on 3/22/13; needs Senate to agree
Chamber Position: Support, Scorecard
Senate Bill 113 seeks to amend Georgia law by codifying an official process as to how a claimant can serve a corporate entity with a legal summons.
SB 125: Landowner Protection against Liability from Trespassers
Sponsor: Jesse Stone 23rd
Status: Passed in Senate; Awaiting Hearing in House Judiciary Committee
Chamber Position: Support; Scorecard
Senate Bill 125 offers landowners liability protection against lawsuits brought upon by trespassers that were unintentionally harmed and injured on the property.
The Chamber believes this legislation is an essential tool to protect property owners from unfair and unwarranted litigation brought by criminals.
SB 213: Flint River Drought Protection Act
Sponsor: Ross Tolleson 20th
Status: Passed Senate on 3/7/13; House Substitute in Rules Committee
Chamber Position: Support, Scorecard
The House substitute to SB 213 amends the current Flint River Drought Protection Act to better assist the agricultural economy in the Lower Flint River basin by protecting water resources during drought conditions. It increases conservation standards for farm irrigation and authorizes EPD to augment stream flows in the Flint River basin when necessary during times of drought. Providing EPD with clarity to ensure stream flows in to protect at risk aquatic life during periods of drought in the Lower Flint will strengthen the state's defenses to challenges from Federal agencies.
SB 224: Invest Georgia Fund
Sponsor: Tim Golden 8th
Status: Passed Senate 49-3 on 3/5/13; awaiting hearing in House Ways & Means committee (Passed as part of HB 318 on 3/25/13)
Chamber Position: Support, Scorecard
Senate Bill 224 directly addresses the critical need for the state to have increased access to venture capital and seed funding to attract and retain growing businesses in Georgia with a public-private mechanism that would provide early- to growth-stage venture capital funding.
