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Georgia House of Representatives SESSION House Budget & Research Office (404) 656-5050 REPORT 2017 Session Report HB 1 Georgia Space Flight Act; enact By: Rep. Jason Spencer (180th) Through the Judiciary Committee Final Bill Summary: This legislation adds new chapters to Title 51, related to torts, to provide a limited waiver of liability for persons who agree to participate in space flight activities and space flight operations provided the participant signs a written waiver agreeing to those limitations. The bill provides the warning and written agreement that the flight participant shall sign, and it provides a list of what makes the warning and written agreement effective and enforceable. This limit on liability does not cover injuries caused by gross negligence for the safety of the participant or intentional injury. Liability is also not limited for: any other person who is not a participant of a space flight who has not signed the waiver; for breach of contract for the use of real property by a space flight entity; or for an action by the federal government, the State of Georgia, or any state agency to enforce a valid statute, rule or regulation. All space flight lawsuits that occur in Georgia shall be brought in Georgia. HB 5 Courts; compensation of juvenile court judges; change provisions By: Rep. Johnnie Caldwell Through the Juvenile Justice Committee (131st) Final Bill Summary: HB 5 increases the grants to counties for full-time and part-time juvenile court judges to $100,000. HB 14 Courts; sheriff to collect and deposit certain fees; provide By: Rep. J. B. Jones (167th) Through the Judiciary Committee Final Bill Summary: House Bill 14 specifies that all fees collected by Georgia sheriffs who are paid on a salary basis are to be remitted within 30 days to the county treasurer or fiscal officer. HB 31 Jefferson County; Board of Commissioners; levy additional ad valorem tax; provide nonbinding advisory referendum By: Rep. Brian Prince (127th) Through the Intragovernmental Coordination - Local Committee Final Bill Summary: HB 31 provides for a non-binding advisory referendum to determine if the electors in Jefferson County desire the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners to levy an additional ad valorem tax to provide funds for the Jefferson County Hospital Authority's services and facilities and to retire hospital debt. HB 37 Education; private postsecondary institutions in Georgia shall not adopt sanctuary policies; provide By: Rep. Earl Ehrhart (36th) Through the Higher Education Committee Final Bill Summary: HB 37 prohibits any private postsecondary institution eligible for tuition equalization grants from implementing a sanctuary policy. Sanctuary policies include policies that prohibit or restrict employees of postsecondary institutions from working with federal and state officials or law enforcement officers on reporting immigration status information. Any private postsecondary institution that violates this Code section is subject to the withholding of state funding or state administered federal funding. Withholding of state funds includes funding for scholarships, loans and grants for students. Page 1 of 67 House of Representatives End of Session Report HB 39 Real estate professionals; disciplinary actions and sanctions; change certain provisions By: Rep. Alan Powell (32nd) Through the Regulated Industries Committee Final Bill Summary: HB 39 allows for a 10-day grace period for real estate appraisers, brokers, and salespersons to notify their respective board or commission, in writing, when such person is convicted of a crime. Moreover, such board or commission has the authority to revoke the license of that person after 60 days from the date of conviction if no notice has been provided to the appropriate board or commission. HB 41 Architects; allow certain students to take examination; change qualifications By: Rep. Brett Harrell (106th) Through the Regulated Industries Committee Final Bill Summary: HB 41 allows for an education pilot program for students to enroll in an accredited professional Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure degree program and permits the student to take the professional examination needed for licensure while enrolled in that program. HB 42 Elections; election superintendents to correct mistakes and omissions on ballots for a primary or election; authorize By: Rep. Eddie Lumsden (12th) Through the Governmental Affairs Committee Final Bill Summary: House Bill 42 allows election superintendents to make corrections to primary election ballots if they discover a mistake or omission on printed ballots or on the display screens of electronic voting machines. It allows municipalities, if they deem it practical, to hold a special election or run-off election in conjunction with a federal special or run-off election. HB 43 Supplemental appropriations; State Fiscal Year July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017 By: Rep. David Ralston (7th) Through the Appropriations Committee Final Bill Summary: HB 43, the Amended Fiscal Year 2017 budget, recognizes $606.2 million in additional revenue or 2.5 percent over the original Fiscal Year 2017 budget. This brings the total appropriation for Amended FY 2017 to $24.3 billion. The bill, tracking sheet and highlights may be found on the House Budget and Research Office website: http://www.house.ga.gov/budget. HB 44 General appropriations; State Fiscal Year July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018 By: Rep. David Ralston (7th) Through the Appropriations Committee Final Bill Summary: House Bill 44, the Fiscal Year 2018 budget, is set by a revenue estimate of $24.9 billion. This represents an increase of $1.25 billion, or 5.3 percent, over the FY 2017 original budget. The bill, tracking sheet and highlights may be found on the House Budget and Research Office website: http://www.house.ga.gov/budget. HB 50 Livestock; liability protection for certain activities; provide By: Rep. Clay Pirkle (155th) Through the Judiciary Committee Final Bill Summary: HB 50 amends Title 4, relating to inherent risks associated with equine and llama activities, by expanding such liability protections to include activities involving livestock. "Livestock" is defined as swine, cattle, sheep, and goats. Currently, a "livestock activity sponsor," any entity that sponsors, organizes, or provides facilities for a "livestock activity," which is any event in which participants engage in the care or maintenance of livestock such as grazing, herding, and feeding; is not liable for an injury to or the death of a participant resulting from the inherent risks of such animal activities, so long as the participants are not charged a fee for their participation, unless the fees charged are used exclusively for educational, scholarship, or training purposes for participants who are 23 years of age or younger; the care and maintenance of the equipment, tack, or livestock in use during such participation; or for facility overhead costs. In order to invoke such immunity, the livestock activity entity must provide a warning statement notifying the participant that the entity is not liable for such injuries or death resulting from the inherent risks of the activity in the form of a sign placed on the premises, as well as placing such a warning in every contract between the entity and participant. The limits on liability for livestock, equine, and llama activities do not apply to liability under product liability law. Nothing in this Code section or any other state law recognizing the inherent risks of these animal activities may serve as the basis for liability on any person who encourages, promotes, or instructs others in animal activities. Page 2 of 67 End of Session Report House of Representatives HB 58 Motor vehicles; reference date to federal regulations regarding the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles and carriers; update By: Rep. Terry Rogers (10th) Through the Motor Vehicles Committee Final Bill Summary: House Bill 58 updates the reference date in Georgia Code to the federal regulations regarding the safe operation of motor carriers and commercial motor vehicles from January 1, 2016 to January 1, 2017. HB 73 Income tax credit; incentives to promote the revitalization of rural Georgia downtowns; provide By: Rep. Penny Houston (170th) Through the Ways & Means Committee Final Bill Summary: House Bill 73 creates tax credit incentives to promote the revitalization of vacant rural downtowns. The commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs and the commissioner of the Department of Economic Development are provided with the authority to designate an area as a revitalization zone. The commission may designate up to 10 revitalization zones in any given year with no more than 50 revitalization zones in existence at any time. To be eligible, local governments with a population of fewer than 15,000 must: prove economic distress; vacancy of the downtown area or blight; have a concentration of historic commercial structures at least 50 years old in the downtown area; conduct a feasibility study or market analysis identifying businesses which can be supported in the area; and have a master plan designed to assist private and public investment. The bill provides a $2,000 per full-time equivalent employee tax credit to business owners within a revitalization zone who hire two or more new employees. This credit is capped at $40,000 per year for each business owner. A property development tax credit is also included. This credit is for investors who acquire and develop property within a revitalization zone, so long as an eligible business is located in the property and qualifies to receive the employee tax credit provided in this Code section or an eligible business is located in the property and maintains at least two full-time equivalent jobs. The property development tax credit is for 25 percent of the purchase price, up to $125,000, and is prorated over five tax years. The bill also allows for a rehabilitation tax credit. The rehabilitation project must meet minimum historic preservation standards, which are to be identified with assistance of the Department of Natural Resources' Historic Preservation Division.