GBAN Legislative Update – March 10, 2017

Legislative Calendar

Monday, March 13^th will be legislative day 32. The legislature will be in session through Thursday, March 16^th for legislative day 35.

Legislation of Interest

• House Bill 192: Banks, trust companies, and corporations; responsibilities and standard of care of directors and officers; change provisions
  • Status: Chamber Scorecard – Support
  • Bill Author: Representative Beth Beskin (R – Atlanta)
  • HB 192 aims to return to an environment that facilitates reasonable decisions by corporate directors and officers. It also encourages companies to incorporate in Georgia, thereby creating opportunities for further economic growth.
  • HB 192 is scheduled for a Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee hearing next Wednesday, March 15^th.
• House Resolution 389: House Rural Development Council; create
  • Status: Support
  • Bill Author: Representative Sam Watson (R – Moultrie)
  • HR 389 creates the House Rural Development Council
  • The Council would hold sessions throughout the state to propose solutions to address rural Georgia’s unique challenges.
  • Aging infrastructure, lack of access to quality healthcare, fewer job opportunities, and significant losses in population, are all issues that the House Rural Development Council will look to address
  • Passed the House on Friday, March 10^th by a unanimous 162-0 margin.
• House Bill 265: Income tax; credit for establishing or relocating quality jobs; revise provisions
  • Status: Support
  • Bill Author: Representative Chuck Efstration (R – Dacula)
  • HB 265 amends the existing Quality Jobs Tax Credit by allowing qualified projects which have at least $2.5 million investment to receive a subsequent quality jobs tax credit.
  • The recipient must create 50 or more new quality jobs above its previous single year high of the average number of jobs created.
  • HB 265 passed the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday, March 8^th.