On Monday, March 6th, the Georgia General Assembly met for the 28th day of the 2023 Legislative Session, also known as “Crossover Day.”
On Monday, March 6th, the Georgia General Assembly met for the 28th day of the 2023 Legislative Session, also known as “Crossover Day.” This is the final day for bills to pass out of the House or Senate in order to move forward this session. Bills that do not cross over are unlikely to become law this year.
Below are some of the bills MAC’s Public Policy team has worked on or tracked this session and their status as of Crossover Day.
BUSINESS CLIMATE
HB 18 (Rep. Jon Burns) – amends the budget for fiscal year 2023. Highlights include appropriations for $1.6 billion state income tax refund to individual taxpayers; $950 million in property tax rebates; and $166.7 million to help fund large economic development projects, including new Rivian and Hyundai car plants. FINAL PASSAGE
HB 19 (Rep. Jon Burns) – appropriates funds for fiscal year 2024. EXEMPT FROM CROSSOVER RULE
HB 86 (Rep. Trey Rhodes) – extends the sales tax exemption on the purchase of materials related to aquarium and zoo expansions. CROSSED OVER
HB 128 (Rep. Soo Hong) – eliminates duplicative registrations to be classified as a minority, veteran, and women-owned businesses for state contracts. CROSSED OVER
HB 162 (Rep. Lauren McDonald) – provides a one-time $1.6 billion tax credit to individual taxpayers. CROSSED OVER
HB 170 (Rep. Kasey Carpenter) – taxes the purchase of digital goods owned by the user, such as e-books and online video games. CROSSED OVER
HB 191 (Rep. Ron Stephens) – increases the tax on the sale of tobacco products from 37 cents to 57 cents. DID NOT CROSS
HB 408 (Rep. Bruce Williamson) – extends the sales tax exemption for major economic development projects of regional importance to 2026. CROSSED OVER
HB 481 (Rep. John Carson) – requires fiduciaries for public retirement systems to consider only pecuniary factors in investment decisions. DID NOT CROSS
HB 482 (Rep. Steven Sainz) – revises the ability for non-profit organizations to utilize the quality jobs tax credit. CROSSED OVER
HB 530 (Rep. James Burchett)/SB 200 (Sen. Bill Cowsert) – “Apex Doctrine” allows a court to grant a protective order prohibiting the deposition of high-ranking corporate officers or government officials who lack unique, personal knowledge of any matters relevant to the lawsuit. HB 530 CROSSED OVER/SB 200 – DID NOT CROSS
HB 549 (Rep. Tyler Paul Smith) – establishes the statewide music business office administratively housed within the Georgia Department of Economic Development. DID NOT CROSS
HB 568 (Rep. Beth Camp) – creates a private cause of action for a lawful weapons carrier who is harmed while on private property where weapons are prohibited. DID NOT CROSS
HB 581 (Rep. Shaw Blackmon) – revises the annual tax credit audit procedure for the General Assembly. CROSSED OVER
SB 42 (Sen. Mike Hodges) – increases penalties for businesses that fail to comply with required human trafficking signage requirements. CROSSED OVER
SB 44 (Rep. Bo Hatchett) – establishes mandatory minimum sentences for gang recruitment. CROSSED OVER
SB 73 (Sen. Blake Tillery) – provides for class action lawsuits and damages against certain persons for violating provisions relating to telephone solicitations. CROSSED OVER
SB 113 (Sen. Randy Robertson) – establishes procedures for transfer of services and property to a newly incorporated municipality that is formed from a previous municipality. DID NOT CROSS
SB 114 (Sen. Randy Robertson) – allows for a referendum to incorporate the City of Buckhead City from the City of Atlanta. DID NOT CROSS
SB 126 (Sen. Billy Hickman) – restricts payment card networks from applying an interchange fee on the sales tax portion of a purchase. DID NOT CROSS
SB 153 (Sen. Brandon Beach) – levies a 2% stadium surcharge fee on the purchase of tickets at eligible venues with capacities over 9,500. DID NOT CROSS
SB 196 (Sen. Ben Watson) – allows failure to wear a seat belt to be considered in any civil action. DID NOT CROSS
INFRASTRUCTURE
HB 18 (Rep. Jon Burns) – appropriates $1.1 billion for Georgia Department of Transportation funding to backfill ten months of suspended motor fuel excise taxes. FINAL PASSAGE
HB 19 (Rep. Jon Burns) – appropriates funds for the fiscal year 2024 budget to include funding for the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District. EXEMPT FROM CROSSOVER RULE
HB 189 (Rep. Stephen Meeks) – increases the maximum weight for timber and agricultural trucks from 84,000 to 88,000 pounds. CROSSED OVER
HB 406 (Rep. Rick Jasperse)/SB 146 (Sen. Steve Gooch) – moves the regulation of electric vehicle chargers from the Public Service Commission to the Department of Agriculture and establishes a framework for taxing electricity used to charge vehicles. HB 406 – CROSSED OVER/SB 146 – CROSSED OVER
HB 514 (Rep. Dale Washburn) – preempts municipalities and counties from imposing moratoria on zoning decisions longer than 180 days. CROSSED OVER
HB 517 (Rep. Dale Washburn) – preempts municipalities and counties from adopting ordinances pertaining to design standards for single family houses. DID NOT CROSS
HB 617 (Rep. Rick Jasperse) – directs the planning division of the Georgia Department of Transportation to develop a statewide freight and logistics implementation plan. DID NOT CROSS
HR 66 (Rep. Matthew Gambill) – ratifies Governor Kemp’s executive orders that suspended the collection of motor fuel excise taxes. CROSSED OVER
SB 165 (Sen. Russ Goodman) – increases the maximum weight for commercial trucks from 84,000 to 90,000 pounds. DID NOT CROSS
SB 260 (Sen. Bo Hatchett) – establishes the Statewide Georgia Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Commission to promote electric vehicle and component manufacturing in Georgia. DID NOT CROSS
SB 97 (Sen. Jason Anavitarte) – creates the Georgia Cyber Command Division under GEMA/HS, which shall be the lead state entity for strategic planning, facilitation and coordination of information security in Georgia. CROSSED OVER
TALENT DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION
HB 19 (Rep. Jon Burns) – appropriates funds for fiscal year 2024. Talent development and education highlights include expanded funding for computer science classrooms in K-12 schools, continued support for child care subsidies (CAPS program), increases for school counseling, and expansion of College Completion Grants (see HB 249 below). EXEMPT FROM CROSSOVER RULE
HB 131 (Rep. Kasey Carpenter) – establishes a modified in-state tuition rate for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students. DID NOT CROSS
HB 249 (Rep. Chuck Martin) – lowers the required credit hours completed for students to qualify for College Completion Grants, allowing greater eligibility for students in various programs including two-year programs. CROSSED OVER
HB 269 (Rep. Shaw Blackmon)/SB 26 (Sen. Greg Dolezal) – authorizes workforce boards to conduct meetings via teleconference. CROSSED OVER
HB 392 (Rep. Rick Jasperse) – creates the Georgia Endowment for Teaching Professionals in the Technical College System that endows postsecondary teaching positions in high-demand courses. CROSSED OVER
HB 506 (Rep. Ginny Ehrhart) – changes the rules by which local school districts receive accreditation. DID NOT CROSS
SB 3 (Sen. John Albers) – requires the Department of Administrative Services to assess hiring requirements for all state employee jobs. CROSSED OVER
SB 88 (Sen. Carden Summers) – prohibits adults from discussing gender identity with a child without parental consent. DID NOT CROSS
SB 157 (Sen. Brian Strickland) – requires transparency in occupational licensing for applicants with a criminal background. CROSSED OVER
SB 235 (Sen. Sonya Halpern) – creates the Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) Economic Prosperity Planning Commission. DID NOT CROSS
THRIVING COMMUNITIES
HB 30 (Rep. John Carson) – defines the term “antisemitism,” and requires state agencies to consider antisemitism for acts of discrimination. CROSSED OVER
HB 231 (Rep. Joseph Gullet) – creates the Prosecuting Attorneys Oversight Commission. CROSSED OVER
HB 334 (Rep. Tyler Paul Smith) – clarifies the record restriction provisions in Georgia’s Second Chances law passed in 2020. DID NOT CROSS
HB 380 (Rep. Marcus Wiedower) – legalizes and regulates sports betting as a lottery game underneath the Georgia Lottery Corporation and directs revenue to education funding. DID NOT CROSS
HB 398 (Rep. Scott Hilton)/SB 183 (Sen. Greg Dolezal) – removes the ability for entertainment venues to restrict the resale of tickets. DID NOT CROSS
HB 450 (Rep. Stan Gunter) – reestablishes the Criminal Case Data Exchange Board (CDX Board) as an advisory board to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and requires the AOC, at the recommendation of the CDX Board, to issue standards regarding the transmission of criminal history data to the Georgia Crime Information Center. DID NOT CROSS
HB 520 (Rep. Todd Jones) – authorizes a study of referral processes to psychiatric treatment residential facilities and prohibits health benefit plans from implementing step therapy protocol for medications prescribed to treat severe mental illness. CROSSED OVER
HB 606 (Rep. Sharon Cooper) – repeals the certificate of need law which regulates new health-care facilities or provision of new medical services. DID NOT CROSS
SB 42 (Sen. Mike Hodges) – increases fines for businesses or establishments that fail to display mandated human trafficking signage. CROSSED OVER
SB 57 (Sen. Billy Hickman) – legalizes and regulates sports betting and horse racing as a lottery game underneath the Georgia Lottery Corporation. DID NOT CROSS
SB 62 (Sen. Carden Summers) – compels counties and municipalities to enforce bans on unauthorized public camping and similar behavior. The bill also mandates a state audit of public money spent on homelessness programs in Georgia. CROSSED OVER
SB 63 (Sen. Randy Robertson) – expands the list of criminal offenses that require cash bail. CROSSED OVER
SB 92 (Sen. Randy Robertson) – creates the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission. CROSSED OVER
SB 140 (Sen. Carden Summers) – bans the procedures for gender dysphoria, sex reassignment, and hormone replacement therapies for minors. CROSSED OVER
SB 174/SR 140 (Sen. Bill Cowsert) – if approved by voter referendum, this constitutional amendment and accompanying enabling legislation would legalize sports betting under the Georgia Sports Betting Commission and provide for both retail and online mobile sports betting. DID NOT CROSS
SB 180 (Sen. Ed Setzler) – incorporates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act into Georgia code. DID NOT CROSS
SB 221 (Sen. Max Burns) – bans absentee ballot drop boxes as part of a larger omnibus election bill. DID NOT CROSS
SB 222 (Sen. Max Burns) – prohibits donation or acceptance of private funds to election boards. CROSSED OVER
SB 272 (Sen. John Kennedy) – reestablishes the Criminal Case Data Exchange Board (CDX Board) as an advisory board to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and requires the AOC, at the recommendation of the CDX Board, to issue standards regarding the transmission of criminal history data to the Georgia Crime Information Center. CROSSED OVER
