March 15, 2024 – Issue 09

Things continue to heat up under the Gold Dome as the days wane and Sine Die looms on the horizon. Over the next two weeks, five legislative days remain for lawmakers to try their best to get their bills to the Governor’s Desk for consideration. The days grow longer as House and Senate members compete for each other’s time to hold committee meetings, hear bills from the opposite chamber and find themselves needing to be in multiple locations at the same time. Zombie bills and Christmas trees are popping up left and right, which also causes another level of stress for lobbyists and lawmakers alike.

As a refresher for our readers, zombie bills are measures that were thought to be dead due to not making crossover or passage during the previous session, but they manage to come back to life in the form as a substitute to a germane piece of legislation. On the other hand, Christmas trees are when one bill ends up with multiple bills amended to it.

This week prior to adjourning Thursday for the weekend, the House delivered an education Christmas tree to the Senate that includes the following measures onto SB 232, a bill that failed to pass the House in the 2023 session:

• Establishes a Georgia Education Savings Authority under the Georgia Student Finance Commission to administer a new K-12 voucher program at $6,500 per student. Expenses covered could include tuition at a participating school, tutoring, the purchase of curriculum, professional services, transportation, and other expenses authorized by the State Board of Education
• Codification of Governor Brian Kemp’s teacher pay raises in the statutory QBE formula (HB 941)
• Use of capital funds to build pre-K classrooms (HB 941)
• Provides a limit on tuition that can be charged by receiving school districts. (HB 1221),
• Triples the existing public school tax credit from $5 million to $15 million and designates that $10 million of funds be reserved for schools at the lowest 25% of performance.
• Permits student transfers between local school systems without contracts between the local school system where the student resides and the local school system where the student seeks to enroll (SB 147)

The Senate will have to either agree to the changes or insist on its original position and set the state for a conference committee to work on perfecting the legislation.

Appropriations

Senate appropriators continue to work on their version of the FY 2025 budget after the House sent its mark up to them on March 7. Anticipated changes are coming to the $36.1 billion state budget due to the breaking news last week that the $5 billion Rivian Electric Vehicle manufacturing mega factory has been placed on hold. The project received a reported $1.5 billion in incentives from the state and was projected to create 7,500 jobs in Morgan County, east of Atlanta. The state’s contract with Rivian runs until 2030.

Items of interest in the House FY 2025 budget include:

• $3 million increase to the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB)
• $41 million increase to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s capital programs and an additional $35.8 million in the Routine Maintenance Program.
• $750,000 addition for three federally qualified health center start-up grants for primary care in Union County, behavioral health expansion in Cobb County, and a dental service expansion for multiple counties.
• $373.6 million increase the state base salary schedule for certified teachers and employees by $2,500, for a total adjustment to the state base salary schedule of $9,500 since FY 2020.
• Provides $260 million across all agencies to provide a 4% cost-of-living-adjustment for state employees, not to exceed $3,000.
• $2,000,000 addition for the Georgia Apex Program to expand mental health services in schools

To follow the changes to the state budget, please click here to access the tracking sheet by state agency. The FY 2025 budget will take effect July 1.

Legislation of Interest

SB 171 by Sen. Max Burns
Provides additional training requirements for development authority board members and directors and would limit the length of a development authority director’s hold-over period following the expiration of their term of office.
Passed the House on March 13 – heads to Governor for consideration.

HB 617 by Rep. Rick Jasperse
Codifies a plan to increase investment in our rapidly growing freight and logistics infrastructure network by creating the Georgia Freight 2050 Program. The Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) Director of Planning will work with the GDOT Commissioner to develop a statewide strategic investment strategy in transportation infrastructure projects to strengthen the state’s freight and logistics network.
Passed out of the Senate Transportation Committee on Monday, March 11, and is now eligible for consideration by the full Senate.

HB 1330 by Rep. Doug Stoner
This legislation seeks to rename the South Cobb Development Authority as the Mableton Development Authority. Although typically regarded as local legislation with its own distinct procedure, due to a member of the delegation being unavailable because of health reasons, this measure is being transferred to the general calendar. The Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee approved the legislation on March 11, making it now eligible for consideration on the Rules calendar in the Senate.

HB 1339 by House Rules Chairman Butch Parrish – Revisions to Certificate of Need (CON)
This past week, the Senate Regulated Industries committee made major changes to the house bill and voted it out on Thursday afternoon. The amended version includes:

• Eliminating certificate of need requirements for capital expenditures;
• Eliminating certificate of need requirements for equipmentvpurchases;
• Broadening existing certificate of need exemptions forvsingle-specialty ambulatory surgery centers;
• Creating a number of new CON exemptions, including but notvlimited to, psychiatric and substance abuse disorder programs; new acutevcare hospitals in rural counties; and birthing centers;
• Streamlining the certificate of need application process;
• Requiring the Department of Community Health to review and update the state health plan at least every five years;
• Creating the Comprehensive Health Coverage Commission to advise the Governor, legislature, and Department of Community Health on issues related to access and quality of healthcare for Georgia’s low income and uninsured populations; and
• Making improvements to and extending the 2024 sunset of the Rural Hospital Tax Credit through 2029.

When the Georgia General Assembly reconvenes next week, it is anticipated that the House will insist upon its version of the bill and a conference committee will be appointed to iron out the differences between the two chambers. The Cobb Chamber supports the House version of HB 1339.

Chamber Members Under the Gold Dome

This week in the House Agriculture Committee, Hillary Thrower, The Home Depot and Cobb Chamber GAC Chairwoman, presented along with Sen. John Albers, SB 427, which requires online marketplaces to collect and verify high-volume third-party sellers who hit 200 or more transactions and $5,000 or more in gross revenues during a 12-month period. If a consumer purchases a product from a retail store or retail website, they know exactly who and how to contact the seller if there is a problem. Consumers should have that same right when buying through a marketplace. The legislation passed out of committee and is now eligible for consideration by House Rules.

Gov. Kemp Announces Incoming Adjutant General of Georgia National Guard

FTCS is excited to share that Gov. Brian P. Kemp today congratulated Major General Richard “Dwayne” Wilson on his selection to become the Adjutant General of the Georgia National Guard, effective May 4, 2024. This follows Major General Thomas Carden's appointment to Deputy Commander of the United States Northern Command/Vice Commander of the United States Element, North American Aerospace Defense Command, at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado. Major General Wilson has served as the Assistant Adjutant General of the Georgia Army National Guard since October of 2020. Colonel Jason Fryman has been selected to fill the role of Assistant Adjutant General for the Georgia Army National Guard, following Major General Wilson's promotion to the Adjutant General. We will miss working with Major General Carden tremendously and thank him for his dedication to Cobb County and the Georgia National Guard.

Next Week at the Capitol

Mon., March 18 – Legislative Day 36
Tues., March 19 – Committee Work Day
Wed., March 20 – Legislative Day 37
Thurs., March 21 – Legislative Day 38
Fri., March 22 – Recess

Secure Your Seat: Legislative Wrap-Up on April 25

Mark your calendars - after the dust settles and our lawmakers have a chance to catch their breath, join us for our annual Legislative Wrap-Up Luncheon where key policymakers will share with us what passed, what stalled, and what might be on tap after the 2024 election cycle. Speakers and program information to come. Only nine seats are left for signature and premier chamber members, so reserve yours today. This event remains a Chairman’s Circle benefit.

For an archive of previous From the Capitol Steps editions covering the 2023 Legislative Session, click here.

If you have any questions about the Cobb Chamber Government Affairs Committee, the Cobb Chamber legislative priorities or legislative advocacy in general, please reach out to Amanda Seals, Executive Vice President of Advocacy and Government Relations.