Updates on Legislation CBA is Tracking

All updates are current as of the writing of the blog
 
H.B. 63 Lease Vehicle Tax Exemption sponsored by Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R), Bonaire. The bill was voted on by the House and passed with a vote of 166 – 0. The bill was introduced in the Senate and assigned to the Finance committee.
 
H.B. 90 Timber Land Conversion sponsored by Rep. Bruce Williamson (R), Monroe. A substitute bill was presented to the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee. There was some discussion over the purpose of the language changes for the substitute. The bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
 
H.B. 149 "S" Corporation Tax bill sponsored by Rep. Bruce Williamson (R), Monroe. The substitute bill was voted on by the House and passed with a vote of 167 – 0.  The bill was introduced in the Senate and assigned to the Finance committee.
 
H.B. 241 Service Contract Insurance sponsored by Rep. Matthew Gambill (R), Cartersville. A substitute bill was voted on by the House and passed with a vote of 166 – 0.  The bill was introduced in the Senate and assigned to the Insurance and Labor committee.
 
H.B. 244 Food Risk Reduction bill sponsored by Rep. Don Hogan (R), St. Simon's Island. The bill was presented in the House Governmental Affairs committee. Rep. Hogan disclosed that this bill is the same one that passed the committee last session but died because of COVID-19. The bill received a DO PASS.
 
H.B. 292 Board of Equalization Training Requirement bill sponsored by Rep. Noel Williams, Jr. (R), Cordele. The bill was voted on by the House and passed with a vote of 165 – 0.  The bill was introduced in the Senate and assigned to the Finance committee.
 
H.B. 306 Remote Communication and Meeting bill sponsored by Rep. Stan Gunter (R), Blairsville. The bill was voted on by the House and passed with a vote of 169 – 0.  The bill was introduced in the Senate and assigned to the Judiciary committee.
 
H.B. 327 Organized Crime Act bill sponsored by Martin Momtahan (R), Dallas. The bill was presented in the House Judiciary Non-Civil Reeves subcommittee for a hearing only. The bill was extensively discussed and concerns were raised about risk, burden, liability, and lack of language clarity that were shared. There were several who testified in opposition to the bill. The bill will be held in the subcommittee for a later meeting.
 
H.B. 333 Georgia Transparency & Campaign Finance Commission bill sponsored by Rep. Chuck Efstration (R). The bill was presented for the second time in the House Judiciary full committee. Rep. Efstration said this is a substitute that addresses several of the language issues and changes several definitions. During the discussion, an amendment to the bill was presented and language was added to the bill. The substitute bill and amendment both received a vote of DO PASS
 
 
H.B. 336 Hemp Farming bill sponsored by Rep. John Corbett (R), Lake Park. The bill was presented in the House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs committee. An extensive discussion occurred with several testimonies against the bill and how much more restrictive it will be on the industry and its farmers.  The committee decided to add an amendment to the bill and substitute bill received a DO PASS.  The bill was voted on by the House and passed with a vote of 153-12. 
 
H.B. 363 Protection of the Elderly bill sponsored by Rep. John LaHood (R), Valdosta. The bill was presented in the House Judiciary Setzler Non-Civil subcommittee for the second time. There were no additional questions, and the bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
H.B. 389 Employment Security Bill sponsored by Rep. Todd Jones (R), South Forsyth. The bill was presented in the House Industry and Labor committee for a second hearing. Changes to the bill from the previous meeting were presented for feedback, and more work will be need on the bill. The committee will hold on to the bill until a later meeting.
 
H.B. 397 Professional Employer Organization Workers Compensation for the Co-Employed bill sponsored by Rep. Bill Werkheiser (R), Glennville. The bill was presented in the House Industry and Labor committee for a hearing only. There was lots of concern and opposition to this bill by industry stakeholders. It was concluded that there is a gap in workers' compensation insurance, and it needs to be filled, which means someone is going to have to pay it.
 
H.B. 451 was introduced in the House by Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R), Armuchee. The bill was presented in the House Ways & Means, Ad Valorem Tax subcommittee. The Department of Revenue had an issue with the language that the subcommittee agreed on about being sure the exemption was only for COVID-19 related impact. The language will be corrected before full committee in a substitute. The bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
H.B. 470 Sub-Condominium Plat Recording bill sponsored by Rep. Dale Washburn (R), Macon. The bill was presented in the House Judiciary Gunter subcommittee. Clarifying questions were asked and discussed on the bill and the new process it will put into place. The bill received a vote of DO PASS by the subcommittee. The bill was then presented to the House Judiciary Full committee. The bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
H.B. 477 Qualified Donation of Real Property bill sponsored by Rep. Sam Watson (R), Moultrie. The bill was presented in the House Ways & Means, Income Tax subcommittee. Rep. Watson disclosed that this is only an extension of the already in place bill. It was disclosed that the previous bill saved over 50,000 acres of land. The bill received a vote of DO PASS by the subcommittee. The bill was then presented in the House Ways & Means Full committee. There was not much discussion, and the bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
H.B. 480 Registered Interior Designer Lien bill sponsored by Rep. Dale Washburn (R), Macon. The bill was presented in the House Judiciary Gunter subcommittee. Discussion over the qualifications needed to become a registered interior designer was clarified. The bill received a vote of DO PASS by the subcommittee. The bill was then presented to the House Full committee. The presenter explained the current process and what this bill would resolve. The bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
H.B. 482 Agricultural Land Prospect Tax bill sponsored by Rep. Marvin Lim (D) Norcross. The bill was presented in the House Ways & Means, ad valorem subcommittee for a hearing only. There was some clarifying discussion on the bill about the tax incentive process for condemned property to be converted to agricultural land. The subcommittee decided to table the bill for a later meeting.
 
H.B. 497 was introduced in the House by Rep. Chuck Efstration (R), Dacula. The bill was presented in the House Code Revision committee. It was disclosed this bill was the annual Code departments bill and there was not further discussion. The bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
S.B. 116 Maternity Support Housing Bill sponsored by Sen. Randy Robertson (R), Catuala. The bill was voted on by the Senate and passed with a vote of 32 - 17
 
S.B. 143 Lien Conformity Statute bill sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Tippins (R), Marietta. The bill was presented in the Senate Judiciary Full committee. The author explained that he was changing the language for conformity, and the bill received a vote of DO PASS. The bill was voted on by the Senate and passed with a vote of 53 – 0. The bill was introduced to the House and assigned to the Judiciary committee.
 
S.B. 148 2021 Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness for Georgians and the Special Joint committee on Georgia Revenue Structure bill sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R), Rome. The substitute bill was voted on by the Senate and passed with a vote of 54 – 0. The bill was introduced in the House and assigned to the Budget & Fiscal Affairs Oversight committee.
 
SB 156 Chief Labor Officer bill sponsored by Sen. Marty Harbin (R), Tyrone. The bill was presented with an amendment to the Senate Insurance & Labor committee. There was a discussion on the bill concerning if too much government overreach about having a hired individual having the same powers and abilities as the elected Commissioner of Labor. The bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
S.B. 168 Telecommunication Meeting bill sponsored by Larry Walker III (R), Perry. The bill was presented in the Senate Judiciary committee. The committee decided to add an amendment to the bill for a single word change. The bill and amendment received a DO PASS by committee substitute.
 
S.B. 193 Mobile Home Property Tax Sticker bill sponsored by Sen. Jeff Mullis (R), Chickamauga. The bill was presented in the Senate Finance committee. The bill was explained that it would remove the requirement for mobile homes to display a decal showing they have paid their ad valorem taxes. The committee had no questions, and the bill received a vote of DO PASS. The bill was voted on by the Senate and passed with a vote of 52 – 0. The bill was introduced in House and was assigned to the Ways & Means committee.
 
S.B. 195 Department of Agriculture Hemp Farming Housekeeping bill sponsored by Sen. Jeff Mullis (R), Chickamauga. The bill was presented to the Senate Agriculture & Consumer Affairs committee. It was explained that the bill would correct certain unintentional loopholes in the current system. There was a discussion over the list of approved hemp farming practices. The Agriculture Commissioner has looked over and approved the bill's changes. The bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
S.B. 201 Dept. of Revenues, Financial Institution Data Match bill sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R), Rome. The bill was presented in the Senate Finance committee. The bill would create a process for the Department of Revenue to request account information from financial institutions for delinquent taxpayers. The bill received a vote of DO PASS.  The bill was voted on by the Senate and passed with a vote of 47-1.  CBA still has concerns with language in this bill and plans to talk with members of the House to make changes to the bill in committee hearings.  

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