Happy Sunday from a tired Team Evans! We were at the Capitol until 11pm on Thursday for Crossover Day. While there weren’t as many controversial issues this year as there have been in the past, there were still plenty of bills to vote on. The House passed a record 75 bills on Crossover Day. Read the highlights below and stay tuned to a special newsletter in the middle of next week to see a full list of the House bills that crossed over.
Votes This Week
Elections
HB 397: You may recognize this bill from last week’s newsletter, when I questioned the author about provisions that would allow limits on Saturday voting. I’m happy to say that we successfully passed a substitute of the bill that removes those limits. Now this bill establishes the method for removing a member of the State Election Board.
HB 426: This bill makes the election of magistrate judges nonpartisan. I voted yes.
Education
HB 56: Provides educational grants to the family members of firefighters and law enforcement officers who are killed in the line of duty. This bill also adds the families of teachers to this program. I voted yes on this bill and it passed.
HB 127: Increases the number of paid sick days for teachers and school personnel. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 200: Establishes a pilot reading and writing program for elementary school students. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 217: Extends the sunset for the Dual Achievement Program to 2031. This is a wonderful program that allows those that need it to earn a high school diploma while also taking courses at our technical colleges. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 328: Raises the amount of tax credits for school voucher organizations. As a strong supporter of public education, I do not support additional support for voucher programs that take away public school funding. I voted against this bill, but it did pass.
HB 451: Allows 6th-12th graders to be given hunting safety education. These programs are not mandatory. If students are already going to be hunting and using dangerous items, they should be given the resources to do so safely. I voted yes on this bill and it passed.
Healthcare
HB 87: Requires health insurance coverage for medically necessary orthotic and prosthetic devices. Thank you to everyone who reached out about this bill! I voted yes on it and it passed.
HB 89: This bill increases oversight and coordination of maternal care services. The bill would grant the Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) access to psychiatric records of deceased mothers to better understand mental health’s role in maternal mortality. Mental health conditions are a leading cause of death in mothers, and by allowing the MMRC access to mental health records, the committee could make informed recommendations and policy decisions to improve future health outcomes for pregnant women.
HB 219: Allows healthcare professional boards to establish programs monitoring and rehabilitating professionals in their industry who are impaired due to mental or physical illness.
HB 323: Expands Medicaid to cover individuals with ALS and Chronic Kidney Disease. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 506: Adds Medicaid coverage to tobacco cessation treatments. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 563: Allows physical therapists to certify that someone has a disability so that they can get special vehicle decals and access to accessibility services.
HB 567: Allows dentists to use telehealth appointments. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 645: This bill removes the mandate to routinely test employees of long-term care facilities for COVID-19. The CDC guidelines suggest testing for COVID-19 only when someone shows symptoms. The mandate was put in place during the height of the pandemic and prior to the development of the vaccine. I voted for the bill and it passed.
HB 677: Creates a procedure for discharging children from hospital psychiatric care. This is particularly important to care for children whose parents are guardians are not present to pick them up. I voted yes on this bill and it passed.
Protecting Children
HB 79: Safe Storage Tax Credit. This bill provides a tax credit for the purchase of safe storage devices for firearms. While we would have liked to have passed more meaningful gun safety legislation, like HB 1, which would make safe storage mandatory around children, I was happy to add my yes vote to pass this important step.
HB 175: Amends state law to require comprehensive background checks for employees of early care and education programs and Head Start programs. The bill would provide for revocation and nonissue of licenses and commissions for early care and education programs for noncompliance. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 268: This bill aims to improve the safety, health and well-being of students and school communities across Georgia. While I feel strongly that any school safety bill should address gun safety, and this one did not, it does take some important steps forward to try to protect our children. The bill places an emphasis on improving the sharing of student records between schools and from state agencies and would require schools to utilize an anonymous reporting app to give students a safe and confidential way to report concerns to allow schools to respond more quickly and effectively to the needs of at-risk students and would create mental health coordinator positions for each school district to connect students facing mental health challenges with available resources. The bill would also establish a statewide behavioral threat assessment indicator to quickly identify potential risks to school safety and address them before they escalate, while also increasing penalties for terroristic threats and mandating that schools suspend and provide counseling for students who make credible threats. Furthermore, HB 268 would require local schools to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), suicide and youth violence prevention training, making sure students are not only protected but also equipped with the tools and resources to manage their behavior and emotions in a healthy manner. HB 268 would also create an Office of Safe Schools to provide resources and training to help schools foster safer environments, develop policies to prevent violence and, by July 1, 2026, coordinate with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) to develop a state-wide behavioral threat management process for local school systems and law enforcement agencies. These behavioral threat management teams (BTAM) would be trained on identifying specific behaviors that are known indicators of a youth at risk and possibly in need of supportive interventions or services. BTAM teams would be formed at the discretion of the local school superintendent and sheriff’s office and would consist of experts in counseling and mental health, school administration and law enforcement. If a student poses a threat of harm, the BTAM team would immediately notify the superintendent, local law enforcement and the Office of School Safety. Additionally, the bill would develop a comprehensive School and Student Safety Database (S3), which would centralize critical information to manage safety concerns related to credible threats against Georgia’s schools and students, while ensuring the privacy and security of such data.
HB 340: The Distraction-Free Education Act limits the use of cell phones for K-8th graders. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 225: This bill repeals the use of cameras to issue speeding tickets in school zones. Many concerns were shared regarding overuse of the cameras, including their usage outside of school hours. But I believe repealing the use of these cameras all together does the opposite of protecting children. We know that speeding in school zones is down 92% since the advent of these cameras. They are very useful and should not be abandoned. I voted no, but the bill passed. See my parliamentary inquiry on this bill below.
HB 651: This bill is an alternative to the total repeal of speed detection cameras in school zones. It revises penalties for school zone speeding violations, so that such tickets won’t limit someone’s ability to renew their tag. It also states that these tickets can only be issued during or around school hours and when someone is going over ten miles per hour over the speed limit. I voted yes on this bill, and it also passed.
Taxes
HB 52: Amend state law relating to homestead exemptions for qualified disabled veterans, which would allow the un-remarried surviving spouse or minor children of a disabled veteran to continue receiving the homestead exemption granted to the disabled veteran, regardless of whether the un-remarried surviving spouse or minor children relocate to any other county in the state. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 266: This bill increases the tax exemption for military retirement income from $17,500 to $35,000 for retired service members who are under 65 years old. The amount of the exemption will increase by $5,000 each year until it reaches $65,000. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 360: Extends a tax exemption for the rehabilitation of historic structures into 2029. I voted yes on this bill and it passed.
HB 370: If you live in a municipality that opted out of the property tax homestead exemption, this bill would add a statement on your property tax bill stating that your government could have saved you money by opting in. This statement is not necessarily true – different municipalities should be able to make the best decision for their citizens without fear of political retribution. I voted against this bill, but it did pass.
HB 429: This bill repeals the “birthday tax,” the tax we all used to pay yearly for tag renewals. You may recall that in 2013 we repealed this tag renewal tax. While anyone who has replaced a car since this time has seen the tag renewal tax disappear, those with cars bought prior to 2013 are still paying the tax. This bill will end the tax for all cars, regardless of when they were purchased. I voted yes on this bill and it passed.
HB 463: This bill allows a local government to adopt an ordinance to allow senior citizens to claim an additional homestead exemption in exchange for volunteer work defined by the local entity. There are limits, such as the exemption can only be up to $500 and may only apply to those 65 and older/. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 652: Provides an exemption to the fuel tax for electric vehicle charging stations that are owned and operated by nonprofits. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 111: This bill claims to be a tax break. However, it will not provide a meaningful break for the majority of people. At the same time, it gives a huge break for the richest among us. The lowest earners could get only $20 back, while the very wealthy will receive tens of thousands of dollars. At the same time, this could limit services that benefit all of us. The bill also ignores that the State did not meet the trigger marks for further tax rate reductions that the Legislature passed last year. I voted against this bill, but it did pass.
HB 112: This bill provides a tax refund of $250 for an individual filer and $500 for a couple filing jointly. As this bill would provide meaningful and equal relief for everyone, I voted yes and it passed.
Updating and Protecting Essential Systems
HB 141: Allows businesses to file affidavits of CPAs instead of tax returns to local governments when determining business license or occupational license taxes. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 154: Designates EMS as an essential service. This one gets filed under “how was that not already the law!” I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 179: I co-sponsored this legislation, which seeks to address the shortage of court reporters available to transcribe and create transcripts from trials in state courts. The bill allows for the digital recording of certain cases and at a judge’s discretion. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 262: Creates a grant program to provide backup generators to rural hospitals, responding to a need that was made clear during Hurricane Helene. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 296: Allows for the use of electronic Driver’s Licenses. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 425: This is another example of the ways we are responding to the needs made clear by Hurricane Helene. This bill provides a tax credit for grocery stores and nursing facilities that purchase emergency power generators. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 465: Creates the Autism Missing Person Alert System. I voted yes and this bill passed.
Law and Order
HB 123: This bill would eliminate the death penalty as a punishment when sentencing individuals who have intellectual disabilities. Under current Georgia law, those with intellectual disabilities can be subject to the death penalty if found guilty of a crime in capital cases, meaning cases where the defendant could face the death penalty. Under HB 123, the accused individual would be able to file a pretrial notice asserting their intellectual disability, which could lead to a pretrial hearing. The court could then determine whether the person has an intellectual disability based on a preponderance of the evidence. Currently, the defendant would have to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that they have an intellectual disability, but HB 123 would move the standard of proof to a “preponderance of evidence,” meaning that the defendant would need to prove that their claim is more likely true than not. If the defendant is found to have an intellectual disability, the state would be barred from seeking the death penalty as punishment. This bill is simply about fairness and decency. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HR 128: You might recognize this one, too! The two resolutions I introduced to compensate two gentlemen who were wrongly convicted, imprisoned, and later exonerated were combined with three other compensation resolutions into this one. They all passed.
HB 325: Allows military judges to issue protective orders to protect the victims of stalking and family and dating violence.I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 447: I co-sponsored this bill, which creates the crimes of gift card theft, forgery, and fraud. I voted yes on this bill and it passed.
HB 460: I co-sponsored this bill. Did you know that attorney-client privilege does not currently apply to communications that are monitored by a jail or prison? It should! This bill extends it to all attorney-client communications, a protection that many people already believed existed. I voted yes on this bill and it passed.
HB 531: Limits the amount of money that a city or municipality can be ordered to pay in a tort case. You may remember a similar bill from an earlier newsletter that I spoke against in the Judiciary Committee. I am happy to say that the questioning in Judiciary Committee was effective in causing the author to file this bill, which made the changes we asked for in committee. I voted yes on this bill and it passed.
HB 535: I co-sponsored this bill. If someone’s probation is revoked, this bill will count the prison time they served after revocation towards their full prison sentence. We do not need to unnecessarily duplicate the prison time people are serving. I voted yes and the bill passed.
HB 582: The Georgia Survivor Justice Act. This bill allows those accused of a crime to show evidence of family violence and dating violence perpetrated against them by the alleged victim when presenting their defense. This is an important step in protecting survivors who are too often prosecuted for protecting themselves. I voted yes on this bill and it passed.
Consumer Protections
HB 331: Makes it unlawful for any individual to engage in the transfer of a dog, cat or domestic rabbit in public spaces including roadsides, public right of ways, parkways, medians, public or commercial parking lots or sidewalks, parks, recreation areas, fairs, transient and seasonal flea markets or other transient markets and outdoor locations. This would not apply to people or entities that may be able to produce a valid animal shelter license, transfers at a residence or veterinary office, transfers as part of an event sanctioned by certain agricultural exhibitions or prearranged transfers that take place at law enforcement facilities. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 398: Authorizes and regulates the sale of cottage foods, which are foods manufactured in a home kitchen. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 399: Requires out-of-state landlords owning or operating 25 or more rental properties in the state to employ a licensed broker, that may or may not reside in this state, and at least one person located within the state for purposes of managing and responding to communications from the landlord’s tenants related to property issues. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 449: Creates definitions for covered water system, service water, water services and water systems and would restrict covered water companies from having an increase of 15 percent or more in their rates or charges. If their rates or charges do increase by 15 percent or more from the lowest amount of such rate or charge over a period of three years, a hearing by the Public Service Commission would be in order. The commission would be further allowed to produce rules and regulations and would conduct regular assessments over covered water companies. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 577: The Georgia Nicotine Vapor Products Directory Act. This will help enact regulations on nicotine vape products to protect the heath of Georgia consumers. I voted yes on this bill and it passed.
HB 618: Requires those selling property to disclose any flood damage to that property. I voted yes on this bill and it passed.
Miscellaneous
HB 455: Allows applicants to conduct bingo games at multiple locations and clarifies that these games could be played on property leased by the non-profit, tax-exempt organization and which could be used for purposes other than the operation of a bingo game. Further, the bill would allow a licensee to operate 31 bingo sessions per month and would award a maximum of $6,000 in cash or gifts of equivalent value. The maximum amount that could be paid to individuals assisting in the operation of bingo games would be increased to $150 per session. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 614: This bill allows local governments to prohibit the use of fireworks near horse stables. I voted yes and this bill passed.
HB 638: Prohibits parking or stopping in a transit vehicle lane in the City of Atlanta unless authorized by an official traffic control device, occurs during an emergency situation or is otherwise authorized by law, and it provides for enforcement by automated transit vehicle lane monitoring devices. The bill would also establish civil monetary penalties for violation differentiated by whether the violation was enforced via a law enforcement officer or an automated transit vehicle lane monitoring device with recorded images. I voted yes on this bill and it passed.
What (Seems to Have) Died on Crossover
If a bill does not cross either the House or the Senate prior to Crossover Day, it is dead for the Session. There is an exception: language can always be added to bills that did “cross over” from one chamber to the other, but it should be germane to the subject-matter of the legislation it is amended onto.
A few notable items did not seem to survive Crossover Day: a constitutional amendment to legalize sports betting in Georgia, a bill that would withhold public funding from any K-12 public school, college or university that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”) programs, and a bill that would have suspended students’ HOPE scholarships if they were convicted of crimes involving unlawful protest. Financial aid for higher education is life changing to many students and should not be political fodder. See my questioning of the bill sponsor below. I’m very glad this bill did not make it out of the Rules Committee.
Page Shoutout
Paging on Crossover Day is no small feat! Thank you to Wyatt Guitar for being such a trooper. Wyatt is an 8th grader and plays several musical instruments, including guitar like his name!
A Bit of Crossover Day Fun
Crossover Day is long, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have fun! This Thursday, we were joined by some very special guests: Grimace and the Hamburglar!
Save the Date: March 12 Town Hall
Crossover Day has come and gone. Hear all about what has crossed over and what’s next at my town hall with Sen. Sonya Halpern on March 12 at 7pm. Register to join us at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/SkgLYjUAQHadGDN3mnGf_g
Friends Keep Friends Informed
Thank you for staying involved! Now it’s time to bring your friends along with you. You can invite someone to subscribe to this newsletter via our website. You can get in-depth information on current bills, committee meetings, and watch livestreams of session at https://www.legis.ga.gov/.
Your questions, concerns, and needs are important to me. Please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. You can follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more updates. All of my constituents are welcome to visit my office at the Capitol. We encourage you to stop by!
My office is located at:
18 Capitol Square, SW
409-D, Coverdell Legislative Office Building
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Thank you for allowing me to continue to serve you,
