Loading...Legislative Bulletin - February 16, 2007
Welcome to Week 5 of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Legislative Bulletin. The state legislature met Saturday, February 10, for “Family Day” and then Monday through Wednesday, with the House meeting briefly on Thursday to finish out the 21st day of the 2007 session of the Georgia General Assembly. Both houses will return to work on Tuesday as lawmakers continue their duties in the nineteen legislative days that remain.
Below are among the bills that the Georgia Chamber is actively tracking, listed by category, and the status of each.
Compliance
HR 2 - Four Year Terms
Sponsors: Reps. Keown, Benton, Calvin Hill, Royal, Maddox & Jamieson
If passed and approved by Georgia voters, this resolution would allow for four-year terms of office for members of the General Assembly instead of the current two-year terms.
Status: Passed out of the House Government Affairs Sub-Committee on Wednesday, February 14.
Georgia Chamber Position: Under consideration.
SR 279 - Four Year Terms for Senate
Sponsors: Sens. Douglas, Harp, Williams, Brown, Staton & Mullis
This resolution would allow for a vote by Georgians, to allow for four-year terms of office for members of the Senate, with staggered election cycles for odd-numbered and even-numbered Senate districts.
Status: Senate Hopper on Wednesday, February 14.
Georgia Chamber Position: Under consideration.
SB 179 - Public Utilities PAC
Sponsors: Sens. Staton, Powell, Unterman, Hudgens, Murphy & Butler
This bill would allow for public utilities regulated by the Public Service Commission to make political contributions to members of the General Assembly.
Status: Senate Hopper on Wednesday, February 14.
Georgia Chamber Position: Under consideration.
Economic Development and Tourism
HB 451- Georgia Tourism Development
Sponsors: Reps. Lewis, Stephens & Parrish
This bill would provide a tax refund for companies creating certain tourism attractions.
Status: Read in the House for the first time on Wednesday, February 14.
Georgia Chamber Position: Under consideration.
SB 148 - Life Sciences Research
Sponsors: Sens. Shafer, Staton, D. Thomas, Rogers, Heath & Carter
This bill would encourage nondestructive stem cell research from umbilical cords for medical use.
Status: Senate read and referred to the Science and Technology Committee on Tuesday, February 13.
Georgia Chamber Position: Under consideration.
Education
SB 111 - University Revenue Protection
Sponsors: Sens. Harp, Cowsert, Davenport, Staton, Chance & Wiles
This bill would allow revenue collected by institutions in the university system from tuition, departmental sales or services, continuing education fees, technology fees, or indirect cost recoveries not to lapse.
Status: Read in the Senate for a second time on Monday, February 12.
Georgia Chamber Position: Support. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce 2007 legislative agenda supports legislation that would make permanent University System institutions’ ability to carry forward internal funds, including tuition, from one fiscal year to the next.
Federal Affairs
H.R. 800 - Employee Free Choice Act
Sponsors: Reps. Miller of California, King of New York, Andrews, Peterson of Minnesota, Doyle, Murtha & Olver
Status: Currently being reviewed by the House Education & Labor Committee.
Georgia Chamber Position: Oppose. This bill would eliminate secret ballot elections in employee union authorizations. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce supports protecting employee rights with the integrity of a secret ballot.
General Business, Technology & Transportation
HB 130 - Credit Freeze
Sponsors: Reps. Calvin Hill, Mills, Meadows, England & Benton
This bill would allow a consumer to place a security "freeze" on his or her credit report.
Status: Heard in a subcommittee of House Banks & Banking committee on Wednesday, but no action was taken.
Georgia Chamber Position: Under consideration. Many Georgia Chamber members, including those in the retail sector still have major concerns with this bill.
HB 196 - Duplicate Credit Reports
Sponsors: Reps. B. Smith, Roberts & Rogers
This bill would require consumer reporting agencies to automatically provide a consumer the identical report provided to a potential creditor who makes an inquiry concerning the consumer's file with such agency.
Status: Heard this week in a subcommittee of House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs committee where the bill remains.
Georgia Chamber Position: Under consideration.
HB 227 - Consumer Choice for Television
Sponsors: Reps. Lewis, Martin, Stephens, Ehrhart, Watson & Loudermilk
This bill would provide franchise options for cable service providers and video service providers.
Status: There was a second hearing on this bill a subcommittee of House Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications committee on Wednesday, February 14, but no action was taken. A third hearing will be scheduled for the coming week.
Georgia Chamber Position: Support. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce supports the creation of a statewide video franchise that treats all market providers the same.
HB 434 - Regional Transportation Funding
Sponsors: Reps. Martin, Royal, Burns, Benfield, Fludd & C. Johnson
This bill would allow two or more counties to vote on a regional sales and use tax for transportation funding.
Status: Introduced this week, read for a second time on Thursday, February 15 and is awaiting action in House Ways & Means committee.
Georgia Chamber Position: Under consideration. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce has a standing position supporting significant increases in transportation funding and plans to discuss this bill further in the coming week.
Healthcare
HB 249 - Certificate of Need Exemption
Sponsors: Reps Stephens, Channell, Butler & Jackson
This bill would create an exemption for Certificate of Need rules for the development of certain new institutional health services with 50 or fewer beds.
Status: Heard on Tuesday, February 13, but no action was taken. The bill remains in House Special Committee on Certificate of Need (SCCON).
Georgia Chamber Position: Oppose. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce supports inclusion of all hospitals, single specialty hospitals, imaging centers, and ambulatory surgery centers under the same Certificate of Need laws currently applicable to Georgia hospitals, including the requirement for indigent care and Medicaid participation.
SB 53 - Certificate of Need Exemption
Sponsors: Sens Williams, Hamrick, Seabaugh, Harp, Tolleson & Douglas
This bill would create an exemption for Certificate of Need rules for the development of certain new institutional health services with 50 or fewer beds.
Status: Heard on Tuesday, February 13, but no action was taken. The bill remains in Senate Health and Human Services committee.
Georgia Chamber Position: Oppose. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce supports inclusion of all hospitals, single specialty hospitals, imaging centers, and ambulatory surgery centers under the same Certificate of Need laws currently applicable to Georgia hospitals, including the requirement for indigent care and Medicaid participation.
Judiciary
HB 119 - Judge Salaries
Sponsors: Reps Willard, Ralston, Lindsey, Fleming, Tumlin & Porter
This bill would bring in line the annual salaries of Supreme Court Justices, Court of Appeals Judges, and superior court judges by allowing for a conservative increase.
Status: Passed in the House on Monday, February 12. Introduced in the Senate and placed in Senate Appropriations committee.
Georgia Chamber Position: Support.
HB 120 - Judge Travel Expenses
Sponsors: Reps Willard, Ralson, Lindsey, Fleming, Tumlin & Porter
This bill would provide Supreme Court Justices and Court of Appeals Judges a budget for travel.
Status: Passed in the House on Monday, February 12. Introduced in the Senate and placed in Senate Appropriations committee.
Georgia Chamber Position: Support.
SB 43 - Firearms in Parking Lots
Sponsors: Sens. Rogers, Whitehead, Williams, Johnson, Heath & Mullis
This bill, an effort to diminish the rights of private property owners, would prevent employers from implementing reasonable rules for the workplace, specifically restrictions of guns on their premises. A Georgia Trial Lawyers Association amendment to the bill also allows an employer to be held liable in court if they “should have known” that an act of violence might occur. In effect, this leaves employers in a "catch 22" where any action they take -- or don't take -- can make them liable for the gun-related acts of employees. If an employer takes action against an employee that they think might be dangerous and that employee responds with a violent, gun-related act, the employer may be liable. Conversely, if the employer does nothing and the individual commits a violent act with a gun, the employer may be liable because he "should have known" such an act would occur.
Status: Passed Senate Judiciary committee on Thursday, February 8. Awaiting action in Senate Rules.
Georgia Chamber Position: Oppose. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce opposes attempts to pass a law requiring private property owners and employers to permit firearms on their premises.
NOTE: The Georgia Chamber of Commerce issued an “Urgent Employer Alert” on Tuesday, February 13, urging members to contact lawmakers and ask them to oppose this anti-business legislation. Please keep up your hard work! There is a possibility that this bill will appear before the Senate for a vote within the next week. Be mindful of additional action alerts. Your voice will be needed to prevent passage of this bill that is a clear erosion of Georgia's Employment at Will Doctrine.
Small Business
SB 137 - Sunday Sales of Alcohol for Off-Premise Consumption
Sponsors: Sens. Harp, Stoner, Adelman, Bulloch, Fort & C. Thompson
This bill would provide counties and municipalities the opportunity to hold a referendum on the retail sale of alcohol on Sunday for off-premise consumption if the county or municipality currently allows for such on Monday through Saturday. If referendum passes, sales would only be allowed after Noon on Sundays.
Status: Referred to the Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee on Saturday, February 10.
Georgia Chamber Position: Support. The retail Sunday sale of alcohol for off-premise consumption was included on the 2007 Georgia Chamber Legislative Agenda and will be pursued in this legislative session.
SB 138 - Sunday Sales of Alcohol for Off-Premise Consumption
Sponsors: Sens. Harp, Stoner, Adelman, Bulloch, Fort & C. Thompson
This bill would provide counties and municipalities the opportunity to hold a referendum on the retail sale of beer, wine and distilled spirits on Sunday for off-premise consumption. If referendum passes, sales would only be allowed after Noon on Sundays.
Status: Referred to the Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee on Saturday, February 10.
Georgia Chamber Position: Support. The retail Sunday sale of alcohol for off-premise consumption was included on the 2007 Georgia Chamber Legislative Agenda and will be pursued in this legislative session.
Workers’ Compensation, Labor & Employment
SB 13 - Minimum Wage Increase
Sponsor: Sen. Brown
This bill would make it mandatory for employers to pay employees no less than $7.25 per hour. The minimum wage would be increased by the increase in the cost of living each year. On September 30, 2008, and on September 20 of each successive year thereafter, the Georgia Department of Labor would measure the increase in the cost of living.
Status: There was a hearing to discuss SB 13 scheduled for Wednesday, February 14 in Senate Insurance and Labor committee, but it was postponed. The hearing will likely take place in the coming week and the Georgia Chamber will weigh in on the issue.
Georgia Chamber Position: Oppose. The Georgia Chamber opposes an increase in the minimum wage at this time when the state’s economy is rebounding from a national economic depression. Economic stability and growth are important for the continued vitality of Georgia and its people. Mandated wages and employment benefits, which create disparities between local governments, produce an anticompetitive marketplace that has a negative effect upon job growth, business relocation and expansion.
SB 96 - Drug Free Work Screening
Sponsor: Sens. Golden & Stoner
This bill would strengthen the Drugs Don't Work employer program by allowing for oral screening onsite.
Status: Read on Thursday, February 1 and referred to Senate Insurance and Labor committee.
Georgia Chamber Position: Support. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce upholds the right of employers to ensure a safe, drug-free workplace and will work together with the authors of this bill to shepherd it through the legislative process.
For a full listing of bills being considered for action by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, visit: www.gachamber.com/gov/hotissues.html.
