Updates on Legislation CBA is Tracking

All updates are current as of the writing of the blog.
 
H.B. 149 “S” Corporation Tax bill sponsored by Rep. Bruce Williamson (R), Monroe. The substitute bill was carried in the Senate by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R), Rome. The substitute bill was voted on by the Senate and passed with a vote of 52 – 1.
 
H.B. 244 Food Risk Reduction bill sponsored by Rep. Don Hogan (R), St. Simon’s Island. The bill was presented in the Senate Insurance & Labor committee. There was a brief walkthrough of the bill, and it received a vote of DO PASS
 
H.B. 306 Remote Communication and Meeting bill sponsored by Rep. Stan Gunter (R), Blairsville. A substitute bill was presented in the Senate Full Judiciary committee. There was some confusion since the committee did not have the substitute bill that was being presented. The committee recommended that no action be taken until the committee can look over the substitute bill in time for a later meeting. The substitute bill was presented in the Senate Full Judiciary committee for a second time. There was a brief discussion over the substitute, and its differences to S.B. 168, by Sen. Larry Walker (R), Perry.  This bill includes non-profits where the senate bill did not. The substitute bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
H.B. 317 Innkeeper Taxation bill sponsored by Rep. Ron Stephens (R), Savannah. The substitute bill was presented in the Senate Finance committee. There was some discussion on the substitute bill and how the extra funds would be collected, and where it would go. An amendment was presented that had some controversy about how left-over funds collected could be returned to the municipality it originated. The amendment and substitute bill both received a vote of DO PASS.
 
H.B. 327 Organized Crime Act bill sponsored by Rep. Martin Momtahan (R), Dallas. A new substitute bill was presented in the Senate Full Judiciary committee for a hearing only. Sen. John Albers was present to co-present the bill since he had sponsored a similar bill to this one, S.B. 151, which did not cross over this session. There was a brief walkthrough of the bill followed by some testimony in favor of the bill. Since this was a hearing only, the bill will be brought back up in a later meeting. The substitute bill was presented again in the Senate Judiciary committee. There was more testimony this time, not just against but for the bill. The substitute bill puts back in the provisions for online marketplaces to record and keep its sellers’ current information. The substitute bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
H.B. 333 Georgia Transparency & Campaign Finance Commission bill sponsored by Rep. Chuck Efstration (R), Dacula. The substitute bill was presented in the Senate Ethics committee for a second time. There was a discussion of adding an amendment to correct language regarding how PAC donations would be handled during the legislative session. The amendment and the new substitute bill received a vote of DO PASS. The substitute bill was then presented in the Senate Rules committee to add additional provisions to the bill. It was about to fail, so the Chairman moved to table the bill for a later meeting.
 
H.B. 363 Protection of the Elderly bill sponsored by Rep. John LaHood (R), Valdosta. The bill was presented in the Senate Judiciary Full committee. There was a brief walkthrough of the bill, and it received a vote of DO PASS. The bill was carried in the Senate by Sen. Brian Strickland (R), McDonough. An amendment was presented on the Senate floor for consideration. The amendment is S.B. 196 by Sen. Lester Jackson (D), Savannah. The amendment would revise the offense of improper sexual contact by the employee, agent, or foster parent. The amendment was adopted, and the bill was voted on by the Senate and passed with a vote of 47 – 0.
 
H.B. 451 Finished Good Inventory Tax Exemption bill sponsored by Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R), Armuchee. The substitute bill was carried in the Senate by Sen. Jeff Mullis (R), Chickamauga. The substitute bill was voted on by the Senate and passed with a vote of 53 – 0.
 
H.B. 465 Alarm Contractor False Alarm bill sponsored by Rep. Joseph Gullett (R), Dallas. A new substitute bill was presented in the Senate Rules committee. The new substitute changes the language from the property owner to alarm user for who will be responsible for the fees. The new substitute bill received a vote of DO PASS. The new substitute bill was carried in the Senate by Sen. Randy Robertson (R), Cataula. The new substitute bill was voted on by the Senate and passed with a vote of 41-7.
 
H.B. 477 Qualified Donation of Real Property bill sponsored by Rep. Sam Watson (R), Moultrie. The bill was presented in the Senate Finance committee. The committee recommended an amendment to lower the amount of funding from $30 million to $20 million based on previous performance of the program. The substitute 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 Senate Regulated Industries committee. There was a brief walkthrough of the bill and the qualifications needed to be registered by the state. The bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
H.B. 532 Dept of Labor Employment Security bill sponsored by Rep. Bill Werkheiser (R), Glennville. The substitute bill was presented in the Senate Insurance and Labor. There was a brief walkthrough of the substitute bill, and it received a vote of DO PASS.
 
H.B. 587 Georgia Economic Renewal Act of 2021 sponsored by Rep. Bruce Williamson (R), Monroe. A new substitute bill was presented in the Senate Finance committee. The new substitute will include priorities from the Governor relating to medical devices, pharmaceutical and medicine production, and personal protective equipment manufacturing incentives from H.B. 304 by Rep. Jodi Lott (R), Evans. The new substitute received a vote of DO PASS.
 
H.B. 611 Small Businesses Definition bill sponsored by Rep. Mike Cheokas (R), Americus. The substitute bill was carried in the Senate by Sen. Bruce Thompson (R), White. The substitute bill was voted on by the Senate and passed with a vote of 49 – 0.
 
H.B. 681 Financial Literacy for Students bill sponsored by Rep. Bill Yearta (R), Sylvester. The substitute bill was presented in the Senate Education & Youth committee for a hearing only. There was a brief walkthrough of the underlying main bill since the substitute changes were not available to the committee. The bill was tabled for a later meeting where the substitute will be addressed. A new substitute bill was presented in the Senate Education & Youth committee for a second time. The new substitute bill will include S.B. 51 by Sen. Bruce Thompson (R), White in its entirety to H.B. 681. The new substitute bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
H.B. 714 was introduced in the House by Rep. Trey Kelley (R), Cedartown. A new substitute bill was presented in the Senate Insurance & Labor committee. The original substitute that passed out of the House late on Crossover was walked through and discussed. Sen. John Kennedy co-presented the new substitute bill and its changes. The new substitute bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
S.B. 6 Tax Credit Return on Investment Act of 2021 sponsored by Sen. John Albers (R), Roswell. A substitute to the bill was reintroduced in the House Ways & Means Full committee. Chairman Blackmon disclosed that the substitute contains two House priority bills, H.B. 586 and H.B. 587, in their entirety have been added to this bill. The new substitute bill received a vote of DO PASS. During the next day’s Rules committee, the substitute bill was reassigned back to the House Ways & Means committee. A new substitute bill was presented in the House Ways & Means committee. Chairman Blackmon presented the new substitute, which included the failed  S.B. 148 by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R), Rome, in its entirety.
Additionally, the language that was added will include a CPA on the council. The new substitute received a vote of DO PASS. The new substitute bill was carried in the House by Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R), Bonaire. The new substitute bill was voted on by the House and passed with a vote of 152 – 14. The Senate moved to DISAGREE to the House substitute bill that they passed.
 
S.B. 49 Building Review Exemptions sponsored by Sen. Clint Dixon (R), Buford. The substitute bill was recommitted back to the House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs committee. The substitute bill was presented in the House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs committee for the third time. There was another walkthrough of the same substitute bill since there were no changes. The substitute received a vote of DO PASS.
 
S.B. 75 Termination of Residential Lease bill sponsored by Sen. Kim Jackson (D), Stone Mountain. The substitute bill was carried in the House by Rep. Houston Gaines (R), Athens. The substitute bill was voted on by the House and passed with a vote of 158 – 0.
 
S.B. 95 Public Hearing Teleconferencing bill sponsored by Rep. Frank Ginn (R), Danielsville. Last week, a substitute bill was presented in the House Governmental Affairs committee. There was a brief walkthrough of the substitute that came at the Governor’s request to included State Agencies, not just local governments but also for state-wide, state of emergencies. The substitute bill received a vote of DO PASS. This week a new substitute bill was presented in the House Rules committee to add language allowing teleconferencing during nonemergency occasions. The new substitute bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
S.B. 114 Professional Licensing Board for Past Crimes bill sponsored by Rep. Randy Robertson (R), Catuala. The bill was carried in the House by Rep. Martin Momtahan (R), Dallas. The bill was voted on by the House and passed with a vote of 152 – 14.
 
S.B. 156 Chief Labor Officer bill sponsored by Sen. Marty Harbin (R), Tyrone. The substitute bill was presented in the House Industry & Labor committee. The substitute bill was presented in the House Industry & Labor committee for the second time. The substitute bill received a vote of DO PASS.
 
S.B. 195 Department of Agriculture Hemp Farming Housekeeping bill sponsored by Sen. Jeff Mullis (R), Chickamauga. The substitute bill was recommitted back to the House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs committee. A new substitute bill was presented in the House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs by Rep. Micah Gravely (R), Douglasville. The substitute would add his H.B. 645 in its entirety to S.B. 195. There was a discussion about the conflict of the bill code section titles they would be changing. The committee recommended removing S.B. 195’s hemp farming language and keep only H.B. 645’s medical cannabis language. The new substitute bill received a vote of DO PASS. A new substitute was presented in the House Rules committee. The new substitute bill will add H.B. 601 by Rep. Ron Stephens (R), Savannah, in its entirety to S.B. 195. The Rules committee’s new substitute bill was carried in the House by Rep. John Corbett (R), Lake Park, but presented in the House by Rep. Micah Gravely (R), Douglasville. The Rules committee’s new substitute was voted on by the House and passed with a vote of 165 – 1.
 
S.B. 238 Georgia Code Revision bill sponsored by Sen. Brian Strickland (R), McDonough. The substitute bill was carried by Rep. Chuck Efstration (R), Dacula. The substitute bill was voted on by the House and passed with a vote of 166 – 0.

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