This Week in the Senate March 30 - April 2, 2015 Georgia State Senate A Message from Senate President Press O ce Sta Pro Tempore David Shafer During the nal days of the 2015 Legislative Session, the Jennifer Yarber House and Senate came to an agreement on House Bill 76, Director the Fiscal Year 2016 State Budget. e budget re ects our Adam Sweat continued economic recovery with restoration of austerity Sr. Communications Specialist cuts to education that should nally end teacher furloughs and keep students in class the full year. Brittany Wagner Communications Specialist e conference committee report for House Bill 170, the Transportation Funding Brett Johnson Act of 2015, was also approved by both chambers. is bill repeals state sales Broadcast Specialist taxes on gasoline, creates new revenue streams from gasoline excise taxes that are dedicated to transportation, institutes accountability measures for the Georgia De- Gavriella Coffman partment of Transportation and provides a mechanism for broader tax reform. Communications Associate Natalie Rossetti e last week of the legislative session is always the most di cult. I would like to 2015 Legislative Aide o er a special thank you to the Senate sta ers, administrative assistants, aides and interns who worked long hours this week, especially on days 39 and 40. Your e orts Ike Duru are greatly appreciated. 2015 Legislative Intern Tyna Duckett TUESDAY, MARCH 31 Photographer Judge Ronald L. Newton Memorial Highway House Resolution 215, carried by Sen. Steve Gooch (R - Dahlonega) and spon- sored by Rep. David Ralston (R - Blue Ridge), dedicates the section of State Route 60 from Fannin County to McCaysville as the Judge Ronald L. Newton Memorial 201 Coverdell Legislative Offi ce Building Highway. Judge Newton was elected as Chief Magistrate of Fannin County in 18 Capitol Square S.W. 1988 and served as the judge for the City of McCaysville for more than two de- Atlanta, GA 30303 cades. HR 215 passed unanimously. - HR 215 p: 404.656.0028 f: 404.463.6747 End-of-Life Care and Required Coverage for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Carried by Sen. Charlie Bethel (R - Dalton) and sponsored by Rep. Ron Stephens (R - Savannah), House Bill 429 sets parameters for both end-of-life care and the FOLLOW US coverage of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children up to six years of age. e bill prohibits health insurance plans, including Medicaid and State Health fb.com/GeorgiaStateSenate Bene t Plans, from denying coverage for or placing restrictions on end-of-life care. HB 429 also incorporates insurance guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of autism in children under six. HB 429 passed unanimously. - HB 429 @gasenatepress Funding of Local Projects Sen. Je Mullis (R - Chickamauga) carried House Bill 192, which was sponsored @gasenatepress by Rep. Alan Powell (R - Hartwell). Passed in a vote of 45 to 5, HB 192 authorizes local economic development authorities to construct and maintain health care fa- cilities through public and private funding. - HB 192 GeorgiaStateSenate Increase Judicial Compensation House Bill 279, carried by Sen. Charlie Bethel (R - Dalton) and sponsored by Rep. Jay Powell (R - Camilla), passed with a vote of 43 to 9. House Bill 279 provides sal- ary increases for Justices of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, Superior Court Judges, District Attorneys and Circuit Public Defenders. e legislation also creates the Judicial, District Attorney, and Circuit Public Defender Compensation Commission and calls for a fourth Judge in the Western Circuit of Superior Court Judges. - HB 279 Witnessing Deeds, Mortgages and Bills of Sale Carried by Sen. Charlie Bethel (R - Dalton) and sponsored by Rep. Brian Strick- land (R - McDonough), House Bill 322 passed with a vote of 51 to 1. e bill creates a late ! ling penalty of $500 for deed holders who fail to ! le with the con- trolling local governing authority within 120 days of a foreclosure sale. e bill also clari! es the requirements for the o" cial signing of a deed, mortgage or bill of sale. - HB 322 Commercial Driver’s Licenses House Bill 118, carried by Sen. Tyler Harper (R - Ocilla) and sponsored by Rep. Kevin Tanner (R - Dawsonville), aligns Georgia law with the Federal Motor Car- rier Safety Act. is legislation adopts numerous federal guidelines and penalties, including clari! cation that only the Department of Driver Services or the Amer- ican Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators are able to certify examiners to administer the road skills test for Commercial Drivers Licenses. HB 118 passed with a vote of 51 to 1. - HB 118 Two-year Vehicle Registration Sen. Je# Mullis (R - Chickamauga) carried House Bill 147, which was sponsored by Rep. Alan Powell (R - Hartwell). e legislation allows new passenger motor vehicles to be registered for a two-year period with a $40 registration fee. Following the initial two-year period, the vehicle will need to be registered annually. HB 147 passed with a vote of 41 to 1. - HB 147 Georgia’s O! cial State Mammal Carried by Sen. Ed Harbison (D - Columbus) and sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Hugley (D - Columbus), House Bill 70 passed in a vote of 49 to 1. e bill names the white-tailed deer, scienti! cally named the odocoileus virginianus, as Georgia’s o" cial state mammal. - HB 70 Insurance Compliance Self-Evaluative Audits House Bill 162, carried by Sen. P. K. Martin (R - Lawrenceville) and sponsored by Rep. Jason Shaw (R - Lakeland), allows an insurance company to audit itself in order to ensure practices are legally compliant. e bill would make the ! ndings of those audits restricted except in special circumstances. HB 162 passed unanimous- ly. - HB 162 Zoo Atlanta, Georgia Aquarium, and Fernbank Museum Tax Exemption Sen. Je# Mullis (R - Chickamauga) carried House Bill 428, which was sponsored by Rep. Ron Stephens (R - Savannah). Current law provides tax exemptions for certain projects by Zoo Atlanta and the Georgia Aquarium, and these exemptions are scheduled to sunset on June 30, 2015. HB 428 extends the sunset date to Janu- ary 1, 2017, and also allows Fernbank Museum to use the same tax exemption. HB 428 passed in a vote of 40 to 11. - HB 428 Principle-Based Reserving for Life Insurance Companies Carried by Sen. Burt Jones (R - Jackson) and sponsored by Rep. Jason Shaw (R - Lakeland), House Bill 185 passed with a vote of 49 to 3. HB 185 extensively revises Georgia’s Standard Valuation Law to require life insurers to adopt the Prin- ciple-Based Reserving (PBR) method. PBR is the new standard for calculating life insurance reserves from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. ! e bill also establishes how domestic mutual insurance companies can reorganize as a mutual insurance holding company. - HB 185 Revision of State House Districts House Bill 566, carried by Sen. Bill Cowsert (R - Athens) and sponsored by Rep. Randy Nix (R - LaGrange) changes seventeen state House districts in Chatham, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Hall, Lowndes, Newton and Spalding Counties. HB 566 passed with a vote of 39 to 14. - HB 566 Distance Requirements For Selling Beer and Wine House Bill 85, which was carried by Sen. Burt Jones (R - Jackson) and sponsored by Rep. Brett Harrell (R - Snellville), allows local governments to decide whether or not grocery stores may sell beer and wine near school grounds. HB 85 also spec- i" es the distance requirements for selling or o# ering alcohol to a person con" ned in a correctional facility, in the Central State Hospital or in a building of the Georgia War Veterans Home. HB 85 passed in a vote of 35 to 17. - HB 85 Pure Captive Insurers and Federal Home Loan Bank Sen. P. K. Martin (R - Lawrenceville) carried House Bill 552, which was sponsored by Rep. Bruce Williamson (R - Monroe). HB 552 makes several changes to current pure captive insurance company statutes. A pure captive insurance company is a licensed insurance company with one corporate owner and insures only the risks of the parent organization. ! ere are currently no pure captive insurers operating in Georgia and HB 552 is an attempt to attract more of these entities. HB 552 passed with a vote of 48 to 2. - HB 552 Regulations on Sale of Metal to Recyclers Carried by Sen. Renee Unterman (R - Buford) and sponsored by Rep. Jason Shaw (R - Lakeland), House Bill 461 clari" es the documentation a secondary metal re- cycler must maintain and receive in order to purchase secondary metals, like copper wire and coil. ! e transaction must include proof of registration and a signed state- ment that all documentation was present at the time of the sale. HB 461 passed unanimously. - HB 461 Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of Disabled Adults and Elderly House Bill 72, carried by Sen. Renee Unterman (R - Buford) and sponsored by Rep. Wendell Williard (R - Sandy Springs), adds a new section to the Georgia Racketeer In$ uenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act to protect disabled or elderly adults. ! e bill revises reporting requirements and also expands Georgia’s Good Samaritan Laws to include protections for someone who rescues an endangered individual from a locked car. HB 72 passed in a unanimous vote. - HB 72 Rehabilitation of Historic Structures Tax Credit House Bill 308, carried by Sen. Judson Hill (R - Marietta) and sponsored by Rep. Ron Stephens (R - Savannah), amends the current de! nition of “certi! ed structure” to include historic buildings and structures located in nation- al historic districts or listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. Furthermore, this legislation also amends the de! nition of “quali! ed rehabilitation expenditure” to include the de! nition provided in the Internal Revenue Code. HB 308 passed with a vote of 36 to 10.