Weekly Update

The legislature completed days 26 through 29 of the session.  Only 11 legislative days to go until sine die on April 2nd.  The calendar has been set for the remainder of the session and numerous Committee Work Days have been included within the calendar so Committees have enough time to work on bills that crossed over. 
 
New Bills that CBA is tracking:
 
HB 532—Banking and Finance, relating to money transmission transactions, by Rep. Jeff Jones (R), Brunswick, was introduced in the House.  This bill relates to the sale of payment instruments, so as to provide for the imposition of certain fees upon money transmission transactions completed by financial institutions for individuals; to amend Article 3 of Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the O.C.G.A., relating to income tax returns and furnishing of information, so as to provide for a tax credit for residents in the amount of certain assessed money transmission transaction fees paid by such residents; to provide for a reimbursement for certain residents in the amount of certain assessed money transmission transaction fees paid by such residents; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.  This is the annual wire transfer fee introduced by Rep. Jones.  The language is very similar to the language included in HB 12 and HB 66 that were introduced in the previous legislative session.  Since the bill was introduced so late in the session, the bill did not have a hearing in the House Ways & Means Committee and did not crossover.  CBA will continue to monitor other bills to make sure that language does not get inserted into another bill that did crossover.
 
HB 552—Local Government; Banking Improvement Zones by Rep. Spencer Frye (D), Athens, was introduced in the House.  This bill has the exact language that is in SB 20 by Sen. Michael ‘Doc’ Rhett (D), Marietta.  This bill would provide for the establishment of banking improvement zones to encourage opening of financial institutions in areas underserved by financial institutions; provide for application and standards of approval for a banking improvement zone; provide for establishment of an agreement for the deposit of public funds in financial institutions within a banking improvement zone; and for other purposes.  Since the bill was introduced so late in the session, the bill did not have a hearing in the House Banks & Banking Committee and did not crossover. 
 
Update to bills that CBA is tracking that crossed over:
 
HB 193—Banking and Finance, relating to the savings promotion raffles offered by state-charted banks and credit unions was presented by Rep. Emory Dunahoo (R), Gainesville, was read in the Senate and assigned to the Senate Banking & Financial Institutions Committee. 
 
HB 212–Manufactured Homes by Rep. Clay Pirkle (R), Ashburn, was passed by the House with a vote of 170-1 on Monday.  The bill was read in the Senate and assigned to the Senate Banking & Financial Institutions Committee.
 
HB 239–Georgia Business Court by Rep. Chuck Efstration (R), Dacula, was passed by the House with a vote of 156-8 on Tuesday.  The bill was read in the Senate and assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
 
HB 288–Superior Courts by Rep. Alan Powell (R), Hartwell, was passed by the House with a vote of 170-0 on Thursday.  The bill was read in the Senate and assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. 
 
HB 307—Abandoned Motor Vehicle Act by Rep. Alan Powell (R), Hartwell, was passed by the House with a vote of 167-4 on Thursday.  The bill was read in the Senate.
 
HB 314—Georgia Uniform Certificate of Title for Vessels Act by Rep. Ron Stephens (R), Savannah, was passed by the House with a vote of 154-10 on Tuesday.  The bill was read in the Senate and assigned to the Senate Finance Committee. 
 
HB 490—Banking & Finance by Rep. Jason Ridley (R), Chatsworth, was passed by the House Banks & Banking Committee on Monday.  The bill was passed by the House with a vote of 165-1.  The bill was read in the Senate.
 
SB 20 -Counties and Municipal Corporations; establishment of banking improvement zones by Sen. Michael “Doc” Rhett (D), Marietta, was read in the House and assigned to the House Banks & Banking Committee. 
 
SB 37—Statute of Frauds by Sen. William T. Ligon, Jr. (R), Brunswick, was read in the House and assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. 
 
SB 52—Code Revision Commission by Sen. William T. Ligon (R), Brunswick, was passed by the House with a vote of 148-0 on Monday.  The bill now goes to the Governor for signature.
 
SB 92--Professional Licensing Board by Sen. Brandon Beach (R), Alpharetta, was passed by the Senate Higher Education Committee on March 1st.  The bill was passed by the Senate with a vote of 51-0 on Tuesday.  The bill was read in the House and assigned to the House Appropriations Committee.
 
SB 110—Statewide Business Court by Sen. Jesse Stone (R), Waynesboro, was passed by the Senate with a vote of 52-2 on Thursday.  The bill was read in the House.
 
SB 120—Georgia Tax Credit Business Case Act by Rep. John Albers (R), Roswell, was read in the House and assigned to the House Ways & Means Committee.
 
SB 186—Trusts by Sen. Bill Cowsert (R), Athens, was passed by the Senate Banking & Financial Institutions Committee on Monday.  The bill was passed by the Senate with a vote of 36-18 on Thursday.  The bill was read in the House.
 
SB 202—Title Insurance by Sen. William T. Ligon, Jr. (R), Brunswick, was passed by the Senate with a vote of 53-0 on Tuesday.  The bill was read in the House and assigned to the House Insurance Committee. 
 
Bills that CBA is tracking that did NOT crossover this session:

• 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; items to be reported by financial institutions by Rep. Houston Gaines (R), Athens
• HB 488—Commerce and Trade by Rep. Martin Momtahan (R), Dallas
• HB 497—Trusts by Rep. Bonnie Rich (R), Suwanee
• HB 523—Local Government by Kasey Carpenter (R), Dalton

• SB 178—Specialized Land Transactions by Sen. P.K. Martin IV (R), Lawrenceville, was presented on the Senate Floor on Thursday.  The author of the bill moved to table the bill after his presentation.  No vote was taken and the bill did not crossover.

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