Bills in Senate
On Monday, March 3, the General Assembly reached Day 30, otherwise known as Crossover Day. Day 30 is a significant milestone for the Georgia General Assembly because it is the final day a bill can be considered in its primary chamber before moving to the opposite chamber.
Any bill that did not receive a passing vote in its original chamber will not move forward in the legislative process and must be re-introduced next year.
On Crossover Day, 27 bills received favorable passage, and although the day was long, we adjourned in the Senate before 7 p.m. After Day 30, the Senate began taking up House bills—and vice versa. With only five days left on the legislative calendar, the Senate is working hard to review and pass bills prior to the Day 40 deadline.
After bills began making their way over to the House for further review, the legislature narrowed its focus on passing a fiscally-responsible budget for FY 2015. On Day 33, the Senate approved $20.8 billion in funding for the FY 2015 General Budget. The budget will head to a conference committee next week to iron out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.
This week I had the privilege to welcome and speak with students from Baldwin Leadership. Meeting with promising students and leadership groups this week, was a reminder of how bright Georgia’s future is. I enjoyed speaking with students about the legislative process and the daily happenings of the Capitol; I wish them all continued success in and out of the classroom.
Being that all the Senate bills are now in the House and vice-versa, I was honored to carry two House Bills for Representatives on the Senate side. House Bill 229 passed the Senate 32-17 and seeks to eliminate the requirement that a company insuring homes, cars, and businesses (property and casualty insurance) must submit an annual report to the Insurance Commissioner detailing its policies written within Georgia; the bill still allows the Insurance Commissioner to require reports by rule or regulation.
I also carried House Bill 375 which would allow an insurer to cancel a policy under if the insured individual does not comply with a rate audit or investigation requested by the insurer. HB 375 passed the Senate 49 to 0.
Senate Legislation Passed on Crossover Day:
Senate Bill 98 bars health plans offered through a Georgia state or federal health care exchange, as well as the State Health Benefit Plan, from covering abortion services except in the case of a medical emergency.
Senate Bill 268 allows a physician to delegate the prescribing of Schedule II controlled substances to a physician assistant.
However, a physician will not be able to delegate this authority if the prescription calls for more than a 30 day supply.
Senate Bill 281 would require the State Health Benefit Plan to offer at least one high deductible health plan paired with a health savings account.
Senate Resolution 783 proposes an amendment to the Georgia Constitution to prevent the Georgia General Assembly from re-enacting future ad valorem taxes. The ad valorem tax is a minor source of revenue in Georgia, reaching a peak of only $80 million prior to its phase out. Currently, the state’s largest revenue streams include the individual state income tax and the sales and use tax.
The constitutional amendment prohibiting the collection of ad valorem taxes will not apply to public utilities, railroad companies or airlines, or administrative functions that are subject to local ad valorem taxation.
With only six legislative days remaining in the 2014 Legislative Session, the Georgia General Assembly is finally in the homestretch. I will continue spending a lot of time at the Capitol working for you. If there are any issues you wish to have addressed, I would love to hear from you.
It remains a pleasure to serve you, the constituents of the 25th Senate District. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 404.656.0082 or via email at burt.jones@senate.ga.gov.