​ATLANTA, GA – The Georgia General Assembly will suspend the 2020 legislative session indefinitely after Friday, March 13, the 29th Legislative Day. The suspension is out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of health and safety of members, staff and the public given the prevalence of the coronavirus. Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan and Speaker of the House David Ralston have mutually agreed to suspend the session and resume at a future date to be determined.
 
“We continue to urge calm and appropriate responses to the coronavirus situation. However, the current environment demands that we take additional preventative action,” said Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan. “Speaker Ralston and I are working diligently to ensure that, at the appropriate time, the General Assembly resumes its critically important work.”
“We do not take this action lightly, but after discussions with Governor Kemp, we feel this is a prudent measure which will ensure an orderly legislative session,” said Speaker David Ralston. “I appreciate very much the cooperation of Lt. Governor Duncan, and working together, our House and Senate stand ready to support the state’s response to the coronavirus. We look forward to resuming the legislative session and returning to the people’s business.”
The House and Senate will reconvene for the 30th Legislative Day at a future date and time to be set by Lt. Governor Duncan and Speaker Ralston under the terms of the joint adjournment resolution adopted by both chambers.
 
Earlier today, both the House and Senate adopted the Amended Fiscal Year 2020 state budget. That budget includes $100 million in funding to address any coronavirus-related needs which may arise.
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Media Contacts:
Hannah Yu
Press Secretary – Lt. Governor’s Office
Hannah.yu@ltgov.ga.gov
Kaleb McMichen
Director of Communications – Speaker’s Office
kaleb.mcmichen@house.ga.gov

Posted March 12th, 2020 in David Ralston, Geoff Duncan. Tagged: Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, Speaker of the House David Ralston.

SB 415 was on the Senate Rules Calendar for a vote on Tuesday.  CBA issued an urgent call to action to our members on Monday evening.  The bill was presented on the Senate Floor by Sen. Steve Gooch (R), Dahlonega.  The bill was highly debated and the debate lasted almost five hours.  At the end of the debate, Sen. Gooch made a motion to table the bill and the motion passed.  On Thursday, a motion was made to remove the bill from the table, but the motion failed with a vote of 18-31.  Therefore, the bill did not crossover.    

This week, the legislature completed days 26 through 29 of the 40 day session.  Thursday was crossover day, or Day 28 of the session.  Crossover day is the last day for legislation to pass the chamber in which it was introduced and transfer to the other chamber for consideration.  Senate bills must pass the Senate and House bills must pass the House.  Any bill that does not receive a vote in its initial chamber by Day 28 cannot move on in the legislative process until the next legislative session. 
 
A new adjournment resolution was passed by both the House and Senate on crossover day prior to the notice of the suspension of the session.  HR 1493 is the adjournment resolution. 
 
HB 452 was introduced in the House by Representative Steven Sainz (R), Woodbine, during last legislative session.  The bill would require financial institutions to provide certain information related to delinquent taxpayers to the Department of Revenue.  The bill was assigned to the Judiciary Committee.  The bill was amended in Committee and passed as a substitute.  The bill was passed by the House with a vote of 115-42. 
 
HB 488 - Prepaid Cards was passed by the House with a vote of 144-15. 
 
HB 865 - Probate Revisions was passed by the House with a vote of 150-12.
 
HB 1008 - Manufactured Homes was passed by the House with a vote of 166-1.    
 
HB 1073 - Regional Development Authorities was passed by the House with a vote of 155-11.    
 
SB 442 - Property Owner Associations was passed by the Senate with a vote of 33-20. 
 
SB 443 - Garnishment Revisions was passed by the Senate with a vote of 47-0.    
 
SB 462 - GILA was passed by the Senate with a vote of 54-0. 
 
SB 493 - Cybersecurity Safe Harbor was passed by the Senate with a vote of 30-18.  

HB 5 - Georgia Prospective Employer Act by Rep. Park Cannon (D), Atlanta.
 
HB 42 - Professional Licensing Boards by Rep. Scot Turner (R), Holly Springs.
 
HB 81 - Contracts by Rep. Todd Jones (R), South Forsyth.
 
HB 116 - Minimum Wage by Rep. Dewey McClain (D), Lawrenceville.
 
HB 402 - Handicapped Persons by Rep. Houston Gaines (R), Athens.
 
HB 497 - Trusts by Rep. Bonnie Rich (R), Suwanee.
 
HB 523 - Local Government by Kasey Carpenter (R), Dalton.
 
HB 532 - Banking and Finance by Rep. Jeff Jones (R), Brunswick.
 
HB 552 - Local Government; Banking Improvement Zones by Rep. Spencer Frye (D), Athens,
 
HB 729 - Land Installment Contracts by Representative Debra Bazemore (D), South Fulton.
 
HB 762 - FDIC Assessment Tax Deduction for Large Banks by Representative John Carson (R), Marietta.
 
HB 763 - FinTech Sandbox by Representative Todd Jones (R), South Forsyth.
 
HB 768 - Rights of Military Personnel by Representative Sandra Scott (D), Rex.
 
HB 769 - Veteran Housing Assistance by Representative Sandra Scott (D), Rex.
 
HB 776 - Servicemember Foreclosure Relief by Representative Billy Mitchell (D), Stone Mountain.
 
HB 785 - Electronic Notary by Representative Joseph Gullett (R), Dallas,
 
HB 955 - Elder Abuse by Representative Chuck Efstration (R), Dacula.
 
HB 978 - Prohibition of Retaliation Against Elder Abuse Reporters by Representative Bee Nguyen (D), Atlanta.
 
HB 1089 - Tort Reform by Representative Tom McCall (R), Elberton.
 
HB 1097 - Elder Financial Abuse Task Force by Representative Calvin Smyre (D), Columbus.
 
HR 875 - Cannabis Finance Study Committee by Representative Dar’shun Kendrick (D), Lithonia.
 
HR 876  - Resolution Urging Federal Action RE: Cannabis Banking by Representative Dar’shun Kendrick (D), Lithonia.
 
HR 933 - HOA Study Committee by Representative William Boddie (D), East Point.
 
HR 1093 - Cybersecurity Study Committee by Representative Don Parsons (R), Marietta.
 
SB 178 - Specialized Land Transactions by Senator P.K. Martin IV (R), Lawrenceville.
 
SB 286 - Anti-Discrimination Against Racial Hairstyles by Senator Tonya Anderson (D), Lithonia.
 
SB 309 - Local Government Infrastructure Financing by Senator Jesse Stone (R), Waynesboro.
 
SB 329 - Motor Vehicle Title Loan Act by Senator Randy Robertson (R), Cataula.
 
SB 390 - Tort Reform by Senator Steve Gooch (R), Dahlonega.
 
SB 444 - Condemnation by Senator Harold Jones II (D), Augusta.

SB 415 was presented to the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee on Tuesday by Sen. Steve Gooch (R), Dahlonega.  The bill was passed by the Committee. 
 
For more information on the bill and the issues that it addresses, please visit https://www.balancethescalesga.com/.    We urge you to contact your Senators and ask that they vote for SB 415.
 
HB 1089 was introduced in the House by Rep. Tom McCall (R), Elberton on Tuesday.  There were over 40 sponsors on the bill.  The bill was assigned to the Special Committee on Access to the Civil Justice System.  This bill is similar to SB 415; however, there are some key differences. 
HB 1089 includes language to revise the “Temporary Health Care Placement Decision Maker for an Adult Act” that would all a person who exercised the power to consent to a transfer, admission, or discharge to or from a nursing home to also execute a binding arbitration agreement.  CBA will continue to monitor the progress of this bill.

​This week, the legislature completed days 22 through 25 of the 40 day session.  Next week, we will have crossover day, or Day 28 of the session.  Crossover day is the last day for legislation to pass the chamber in which it was introduced and transfer to the other chamber for consideration.  Senate bills must pass the Senate and House bills must pass the House.  Any bill that does not receive a vote in its initial chamber by Day 28 cannot move on in the legislative process until the next legislative session. 
 
HB 488 was on the House Rules Calendar for Day 25; however, a motion was made to recommit the bill to the Rules Committee. 
 
HB 781 was presented to the Senate Banking & Financial Institutions Committee on Tuesday by Rep. Bruce Williamson (R), Monroe.  The bill was passed by the Committee. 
 
HB 847 was passed by the House with a vote of 159-7 on Thursday. 
 
HB 865 was presented to the House Judiciary Kelly Subcommittee on Monday by Rep. Mitchell Scoggins (R), Cartersville.  A substitute bill was presented that included changes to the language as it impacts financial institutions at the request of CBA.  The bill was passed by the Committee. 
 
HB 968 was passed by the House with a vote of 165-0 on Monday.
 
HB 969 was passed by the House with a vote of 168-0 on Wednesday.
 
HB 987 was introduced in the Senate on Monday and assigned to the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee.
 
HB 1008 was presented to the House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee on Tuesday.  The bill was passed by the Committee. 
 
HB 1073 was introduced in the House by Rep. Sam Watson (R), Moultrie.  The bill was assigned to the Governmental Affairs Committee.  This bill relates to development authorities and creates regional development authorities. 
 
HB 1097 was introduced in the House by Rep. Calvin Smyre (D), Columbus.  The bill was assigned to the Human Relations & Aging Committee.  The bill creates an Elder Financial Exploitation Task Force and provides for members of the Task Force.  While Georgia Bankers Association and Georgia Credit Union Affiliates along with the Commissioner of the Department of Banking & Finance are names as members, CBA was not listed as a member.  CBA has been in discussions with the author of the bill and anticipates being added as a member of the task force in a substitute bill.
 
SB 315 was introduced in the House and assigned to the House Regulated Industries Committee.
 
SB 329 was presented to the Senate Finance Committee on Monday by Sen. Randy Robertson (R), Cataula.  This bill relates to Motor Vehicle Title Loans and authorizes the Department of Banking & Finance to license and regulate motor vehicle title lending.  The vote on the bill by the Committee was four to four with Chairman Chuck Hufstetler (R), Rome, issuing the tie break vote to pass the bill. 
 
SB 390 was presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday by Sen. Steve Gooch (R), Dahlonega.  Language included in SB 390 that was also included in SB 415 was stripped out in a committee substitute.  What remains was mostly civil procedure reforms.  The substitute bill was passed by the Committee.
 
SB 429 was passed by the Senate with a vote of 54-0 on Wednesday. 
 
SB 442 was presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday by Sen. William T. Ligon, Jr. (R), Brunswick.  The bill was passed by the Committee.  The bill was placed on the Senate Rules Calendar for Day 26. 
 
SB 443 was presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday by Sen. Jesse Stone (R), Waynesboro.  The bill was passed by the Committee.    
 
SB 444 was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Harold Jones II (D), Augusta.  The bill was assigned to the Government Oversight Committee.  The bill provides for an alternative process for county, municipality, or consolidated government to condemn certain blighted properties.  CBA has concerns with provisions of this bill relating to occupancy status.  Language indicates that if the property has not been legally occupied, has not had a tenant, or has been empty for ten consecutive years or has been less than 30% occupied for at least 20 years then it is considered condemned.  CBA will continue to monitor the progress of this bill.
 
SB 462 was introduced in the Senate on Monday.  The bill was presented to the Senate Banking & Financial Institutions Committee on Tuesday by Sen. John Kennedy (R), Macon.  The bill was passed by the Committee.  The bill was placed on the Senate Rules Calendar for Day 26.
 
SB 493 was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Bruce Thompson (R), White.  The bill was assigned to the Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security Committee.  The bill provides standards for cybersecurity programs to protect businesses from liability.  The bill was passed by the Committee.

 ICBA is calling on community bankers to voice support for a proposal to exempt USDA and SBA guaranteed loans from proposed environmental impact statement requirements under the National Environmental Protection Act. ICBA's custom letter to regulators on its Be Heard grassroots action center says all guaranteed loan programs should be exempt from NEPA requirements because they are financed by the private sector. Comments are due Tuesday, March 10. Submit comments today.