It was a short but busy week as we look ahead to the “Crossover Day” deadline on Thursday, February 29, which is the last day that legislation can be passed out of its respective chamber and remain “alive” for the rest of the year (with a few exceptions).
If you haven’t already, please register for our Post-Crossover Day Town Hall, where we will discuss the results of this upcoming week in detail.
Representative Penny Houston Announces Her Retirement
After decades of devoted service to her district and hometown of Nashville, GA, Penny Houston announced her retirement from the General Assembly after her current term. I will miss watching Penny’s ability to kill a bill with a carefully worded question – all said with a sweet Southern smile!
Mark your Calendars- Town Hall
We will be having our second town hall of the 2024 Legislative Session on March 7th, at 7pm! State Senator Sonya Halpern and I will bring you the latest news from the Gold Dome post-Crossover Day and answer any of your questions. Please register here for this virtual event.
Passed in the House
Regulated Industries
HB793 would allow an applicant for a license in social work who is enrolled in the last semester of their master’s degree program for social work to sit for the master’s social work licensing examination. I voted yes.
Healthcare
HB1072 would address pharmaceutical expiration dates, as well as the ratios of pharmacy technicians to pharmacists in connection with the drug repository program. The bill states the General Assembly’s intent that settlement proceeds and appropriations would be proportionately distributed based on program participation rates. I was glad to see this bill pass.
Finance
HB1020 would amend current law relating to tax credits for businesses in less developed areas to eliminate language requiring a qualifying census tract that contains a federal military installation to also contain an industrial park owned and operated by a governmental entity. I voted yes.
Judiciary
HB993 would introduce criminal penalties for individuals who knowingly and intentionally groom minors and use electronic means to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce them into committing sexual offenses or acts of human trafficking. Perpetrators of this crime would face felony imprisonment ranging from one to five years, and those who commit these heinous acts could be charged regardless of whether crimes are committed within or outside of our state if it involves a minor who lives in Georgia. This bill is one of a few this session to attempt to address the dangers of the internet on minors. This is a difficult and complicated problem to solve and I’m glad to see this step in the right direction.
Education
HB995 would require the administration of a nationally recognized multiple-aptitude battery assessment that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military to public school students in grades 11 and 12 who choose to participate. This would help address declining military recruitment numbers by guiding students towards military career paths best suited to their abilities and offering them a no-cost opportunity to make the most informed decision on where their abilities may be best matched in the armed forces. I voted yes.
HB579 would amend current law relating to the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act to allow students who previously qualified for the scholarship to remain eligible throughout the students’ education. This bill would require the Department of Education to electronically deposit payments into the accounts of participating schools. This is a good common sense piece of legislation to allow families to better plan.
Technology and Infrastructure
HB986 or the “AI Transparency Protection Act”, would introduce felony offenses for both the creation and solicitation of deep fake content through artificial intelligence-generated campaign advertisements aimed at interfering with elections. The term deep fake refers to a video recording, video file, sound recording, sound file, electronic image or photograph that is created through technological means, rather than through the ability of another person to physically or verbally impersonate such person, and appears to depict a real person’s speech or conduct that did not occur in reality. I’m skeptical that prosecutors will be able to catch those who create “deep fakes,” but I support the need to address the negative impacts of AI on our elections.
Friends don’t let friends be uninformed
Help your neighbors stay informed and encourage them to subscribe to the newsletter. You can check the boundaries of District 57 here to find friends who may want to keep up with the goings on under the Gold Dome. Anyone (in the district or not) can subscribe to this newsletter by visiting my website and filling out the form on the front page. Each one reach one!