The 2015 Georgia Assembly is in session, and each week new bills are added, modified, or are scrapped altogether. Below are a few of the ones that we are watching. We have put in a very short description, but please click on the name of the bill to be taken to a header page for the legislation that also links to the full text. Note that the Georgia Constitution requires that bills be only on a single subject, so most of these bills are very short (three pages or less) and fairly easy to read.
IMPORTANT – Friday, March 13th is “Crossover Day” and these bills must move over to the other legislative body by midnight on the 13th or they will be dead for this legislative session.
SB 6 -Georgia Road Safety and Driver’s License Integrity Act. Ensures that those who came into our country illegally do not have the privilege of getting a license in Georgia under DACA or DAPA. Pending: Senate Public Safety Committee. PLEASE contact the OFFICE OF Senator John Albers: Phone: (404) 463-8055 info@senatoralbers.com and the OFFICE OF Lt. Governor Casey Cagle: Phone: (404) 656-5030mailto:casey.cagle@ltgov.ga.
HR 34 – Georgia Right to Try Act. This would allow terminally ill patients to try medicines and treatments that have not yet been approved by the FDA.
HB 46 – Elections Change. A candidate in an election or primary shall be entitled to inspect and reproduce absentee ballots for a certain period of time after election or primary. Pending: House Governmental Affairs Committee.
HR 106 – A RESOLUTION (by our good friend Timothy Barr) encouraging Congress to Convey Title and Jurisdiction of Federal Public Lands.
HB 171 – American Laws for America Courts – Ensures that Sharia Law will not be used in Georgia. Pending: House Judiciary Committee.
HB 29 – Preventing Government Overreach on Religious Expression Act. – A very important bill. It was pulled for a bit but we hear it will be back. Some would argue that we already have these rights and passing a law diminishes those rights, but we think it clarifies them. Appears this bill may be in trouble.
HR 224 – Provide for Election of State School Board Members. Currently these very important positions are appointed. Pending: House Governmental Affairs Committee.
HB 142 – Changes to Georgia Scholarship Program – Make christian schools who “discriminates in hiring or admission on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity” ineligible for the Georgia Student Scholarships. Pending: House Education Committee
SB 49 – This bill would effectively repeal Georgia’s Stand your Ground act. Pending: Senate Judiciary Committee.
SR 80 – Attempt to fix the very bad AP US History program that is now in place in Georgia schools. Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute.
SB 44 – Allow illegal aliens not deported under part of Obama’s Executive Amnesty (DACA) to get in-state tuition and fees at Georgia colleges. Looks like this may not go anywhere.
HB 170 – Transportation Funding Act of 2015 – Massive change in the way Georgia collects taxes for transportation. This bill is receiving a lot of attention and is changing weekly.
Bills that we think are just interesting:
HB 15 and HB 110 – Repeal the ban on fireworks and allow sales in Georgia that match surrounding states. Pending: House Regulated Industries Committee.
HB 10 – Hands Free Only – Provide that only hands-free telephone calls shall be conducted by a driver of a motor vehicle. Pending: House Motor Vehicles Committee.
SB 113 – Autonomous Vehicles – Paves the way (pardon the pun) for companies who want to test ‘robot cars’ in Georgia. Interesting especially in combination with HB 10.
HB 70 – Makes the Gray Fox the State Mammal. Pending: Senate Government Oversight Committee.