The eighth week of the 2024 legislative session commenced on February 26. The House convened for three days of legislative work and one busy committee day. Notably, Thursday marked Legislative Day 28, or “Crossover Day,” a pivotal deadline for bills and resolutions to transition to the next phase in the process to becoming law.
Cottage Food Expansion
Late in the evening on Crossover Day, House Bill 583, which I am proud to sponsor, passed almost unanimously. It creates new law relating to cottage food items and operators. This bill would allow cottage food operators to sell their products to third-party vendors, including restaurants and grocery stores. Currently, they may only sell to consumers directly. The Georgia Department of Agriculture retains authorization to inspect these kitchens and to administer the program. This legislation is important to encourage entrepreneurship particularly in rural areas. It now moves over to the Senate.
Certificate of Need Reform
During this impactful week, we passed HB 1339, focusing on healthcare reform with an emphasis on addressing rural communities’ challenges. Derived from the House Study Committee on CON Modernization of which I was a member, HB 1339 proposes a substantial overhaul of the state’s certificate of need (CON) laws. To bolster accessibility and affordability for Georgians, the bill mandates reviews and updates of the state health plan.. Importantly, by streamlining the CON application process, the legislation shortens the timeframe for submitting applications and expands CON exemptions. Additionally, the bill establishes the Comprehensive Health Coverage Commission to advise on healthcare access and quality. This reinforces our commitment to equitable healthcare delivery. Next, this bill moves on to the Senate.
Gun Safety
With only three dissenting votes, the House championed firearm safety with the passage of House Bill 971. This bill would allow taxpayers to claim a tax credit for expenses related to firearm instructional courses and gun safes. Our goal is to promote responsible gun ownership while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Some organizations have misled many by claiming this is a form of gun control. This could not be further from the truth. These are simply optional tax credits that those interested may choose to claim. It now crosses over to the Senate.
Military Spouse Licensing
Addressing the needs of Georgia’s servicemembers, House Bill 880 ensures compliance with the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The bill enables military spouses to continue practicing their jobs without a license in specific circumstances, streamlining the licensing process for expedited applications. Georgia is known for being a military-friendly state and this bill helps us maintain that reputation. This bill now moves to the Senate.
Patients’ Rights
On Crossover Day, House Bill 663, the “No Patient Left Alone Act,” received unanimous passage. This legislation permits designated caregivers to be present at all times with patients in hospitals or long-term care facilities. Operating rooms and other restricted areas would be exceptions. This bill would ensure emotional support and advocacy during vulnerable moments would be allowed. This bill now passes over to the Senate.
Protecting Minors from Pornography
House Bill 910 would require a website owner to use an age verification method to ensure minors don’t have access to pornography. The entity would be liable for damages and a fine of up to $10,000 per violation. This bill crossed over to the Senate.
Hunting in Blaze Pink
Another bill I am proud to sponsor is House Bill 927, which passed the House on Monday of crossover week. This bill would make fluorescent pink an acceptable outer garment color to wear while hunting in addition to blaze orange. This bill came at the request of a 14-year-old young lady who loves to hunt but wanted an option besides orange. I love that she took the time to research the process and present her idea to her representative. HB 927 moves on to the Senate.
Recourse for Trespassing
House Bill 1017 would create the offense of unlawful squatting when someone enters and resides on the land or the premises without the owner’s knowledge or consent. If the person does not provide proof that they are authorized to be on the land or premises within three business days, they would be subject to arrest for criminal trespass. It moves to the Senate.
Other Bills that passed during crossover
Among the bills that passed out of the House during Crossover week include:
- House Bill 625, which would update the salary schedule for the office of coroner and would provide compensation guidelines for deputy coroners. The bill would establish certain conditions under which the coroner and deputy coroner would receive additional employment benefits from the county governing authority;
- House Bill 808, which would amend current law relating to the personal property tax exemption to change the ad valorem taxation exemption on tangible personal property from $7,500 to $20,000. If signed into law, the bill must be approved by Georgia voters during the November 5, 2024, general election;
- House Bill 827, which would increase the penalty for the crime of livestock theft to between two years and 15 years imprisonment and would increase the maximum fine to $10,000. If the fair market value of the livestock is $100 or less, then the punishment would be increased to a high and aggravated misdemeanor. The Department of Agriculture commissioner would also be provided with authority to enforce this crime;
- House Bill 924, which would prohibit insurance companies from requiring the practice of “white bagging” by in-network providers for certain specialty medications. “White bagging” is the practice of requiring that these drugs be purchased through third-party pharmacies;
- House Bill 1053, which would prohibit governmental agencies from accepting a payment using a digital currency issued by a federal reserve bank or foreign central bank and would prohibit governmental agencies from participating in any test of a central bank digital currency;
- House Bill 1105, or the ‘Georgia Criminal Alien Tract and Report Act of 2024.’ The bill would require that Georgia law enforcement officials work in conjunction with federal immigration authorities and to send, receive and maintain information relating to the immigration status of any individual as reasonably needed for public safety purposes. Any sheriff’s office or law enforcement agency of a local governing body that acts in violation would be subject to the withholding of certain state funding or state administered federal funding As a condition of funding, the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Transportation or any other state agency that provides funding to local governing body would require certification of compliance with requirements in Code Section 50-36-4 for submission of annual immigration compliance reports. The bill would provide that a first violation of the requirements in this Code section would be a misdemeanor. Any second or subsequent violation would be a misdemeanor of high and aggravated nature;
- House Bill 1185 would allow for a statewide homestead exemption. Local governments may approve it by local ordinance without action from the General Assembly. Then, voters must approve this exemption via a referendum. The homestead exemption would be equal to the amount the current year’s assessed value exceeds the previous adjusted base year value. The bill would also require the commissioner of the Department of Revenue to create a standardized method for determining annual inflationary index rates;
- House Bill 1341, which would designate the white shrimp as the official crustacean of the State of Georgia;
Many Visitors to the Capitol
House district 156 was represented from east to west last Wednesday to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the oldest state agriculture department in the United States. Handy Kennedy of HK Farm in Cobbtown spoke at the ceremony. Jason Dunn, Melissa Dark, and Tara Smith visited from Fitzgerald were present.
Heather Williams, Sexual Assault Coordinator at the Refuge, testified before the House Judicial Non-Civil Committee regarding House Bill 1367. She and my friend, Rep. Karen Lupton (D-Chamblee), did a phenomenal job and the bill passed unanimously out of committee.
Michael Plowman, Pastor at Liberty Baptist Church in Lyons, and his brother-in-law visited the Gold Dome for Pastors’ Day. He is committed to encouraging Christians to engage with their government.
CEO Matt Hasbrouck, CNO Jeffrey Harden, and VP of Operations Mike Hagan of Memorial Health Meadows Hospital joined us at the Capitol for Georgia Hospital Association Day.
I was so happy to see Toombs County Superintendent Barry Waller and Vidalia City Superintendent Garrett Wilcox at the Capitol. I’m grateful for their hard work and dedication to educating the children of our community.
The annual Vidalia Onion Festival is drawing near, and the committee came to the Gold Dome to accept a proclamation from Governor Kemp.
Conclusion
With Crossover Day concluded, the House will shift its focus to reviewing Senate-passed legislation and pushing our House bills through the Senate. The commitment to legislative transparency and accessibility remains a priority as we approach the final weeks of the session. I encourage you to connect with me via email at Leesa.Hagan@house.ga.gov to discuss matters significant to you and your family. If you have questions regarding committee meetings, legislation, or visiting the Capitol, please visit my Constituent Services page. You will find answers to frequently asked questions there. Thank you for entrusting me with the privilege of serving as your representative.
Regards,
