BILL YEARTA: Capitol Connection: A recap of key legislation

Greetings from under the Gold Dome. Although the legislative session concluded April 1, we continued our work with the governor’s office in hopes of getting our bills signed into law. Per Georgia law, Gov. Kemp is given 40 days after the session adjourns to either sign or veto proposed legislation. If no signature or veto was taken by this year’s May 11 deadline, the legislation automatically becomes law, effective July 1.

This year we acted on a number of important measures such as education, health care and public safety. Below you will find a highlight of major bills passed during our 40 days under the Gold Dome!

HEALTH CARE

HB 567 authorizes the Department of Public Health to create a newborn screening system for the prevention of serious illness, severe physical or developmental disability, and death caused by inherited metabolic and genetic disorders.

HB 307 authorizes health care providers to provide telehealth services from home and patients to receive telehealth services from their home, workplace or school.

HB 128 creates Gracie’s Law to establish provisions to prevent discrimination of individuals with disabilities from receiving an anatomical gift or organ transplant.

SB 215 allows for nursing homes to use certified medication aides to administer physician-ordered oral, ophthalmic, topical, otic, nasal, vaginal and rectal medications; insulin, epinephrine, and B12; medications via an inhaler; blood glucose testing; disposable enema; and self-administration medications. Nursing homes using certified nursing aides must also have a licensed pharmacist perform quarterly reviews of each nursing home resident’s drug regimen.

EDUCATION

House Bill 32 creates an income tax credit for a teacher recruitment and retention program managed by the State Board of Education. Eligible teachers include those with a bachelor’s degree in education from a post-secondary institution in Georgia that has a teacher certification program certified by the PSC.

SB 88 allows the Georgia teacher of the year to serve as advisor ex-officio to the State Board of Education.

HB 606 will allow the inclusion the Georgia Independent School Association in the list of accepted accrediting agencies for the purposes of establishing HOPE eligibility for private high schools.

SB 66 creates a nonprofit corporation in order to receive private donations to fund grants to public schools. Grants given will be awarded for the implantation of academic and organizational innovations to improve student achievement. This legislation also authorizes an income tax credit for education donations.

SB 153 directs the General Assembly to study alternative education models and funding focused on dropout prevention, high school credit recovery, and education services of adult and incarcerated students during 2021 and 2022 and make recommendations back to the General Assembly upon conclusion.

REGULATION AND TAX REFORM

HB 114 increases the current income tax credit for adopting foster children from $2,000 to $6,000 per foster child for the first five years of adoption and returning to $2,000 per year until the child reaches the age of 18. Unused credits are non-refundable and cannot be carried forward to a future year’s tax liability.

HB 265 provides an increase in the deductibility of medical expenses, charitable contributions, and business meals as well as clarification of the tax treatment of loan forgiveness from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

HB 593 increases the standard deduction beginning in tax year 2022 for taxpayers who file single and head of household from $4,600 to $5,400; taxpayers who are married and file a joint return from $6,000 to $7,100; and taxpayers who are married and file individual returns from $3,000 to $3,550.

SB 6 includes the Tax Credit Return on Investment Act of 2021, the Georgia Economic Renewal Act of 2021, and the Georgia Economic Recovery Act of 2021.

♦ Establishes an additional tax credit for jobs created by a medical equipment and supplies manufacturer or a pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturer.

♦ Repeals the 4,500 job cap for the job tax credit

♦ Additional tax credit to attract high-impact aerospace defense projects to our state.

PUBLIC SAFETY

HB 286 prohibits counties and municipalities from reducing their police force budgetary appropriations by more than 5% unless specified conditions exist. The bill requires state and local governments to provide, when requested, payroll deductions to public safety employees to purchase insurance.

HB 534 establishes a crime and penalty for promoting, organizing or participating in illegal drag racing or laying drags, as well as reckless stunt driving.

SB 60 requires indemnification payments to be made to a public safety officer who suffers a heart attack, stroke, or vascular rupture while the officer was: performing work related activity; on duty after performing work-related activity; or no more than 24 hours after performing work-related activity.

MILITARY & VETERANS AFFAIRS

HB 105 authorizes the Department of Defense to provide compensation to Guardsman who volunteer for active duty.

HB 268 enters Georgia into the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, pending passage of required legislation in 10 total U.S. states. The compact allows practitioners, including active-duty military personnel and their spouses, who are licensed in a member state to more easily practice in the other member states.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the bills listed above, or other legislation passed this session, may visit, www.legis.ga.gov and click on the legislation tab. Although the session is adjourned for the remainder of the year, our schedules will remain hectic with study committees, constituent issues, legislative panels and district events. If you have questions regarding our efforts in working toward simple, smart and effective government, don’t hesitate to contact us.