Summary: Week 8 of 2022 Session
The Georgia House of Representatives reconvened for another impactful week of legislating on Monday, February 28. The House had a full schedule all week, and we are counting down the days until Crossover Day, which is the last legislative day that a bill can pass out of one chamber and still be eligible for consideration this year. As such, we worked diligently to pass dozens of bills on the House floor in preparation for this critical deadline.
On Legislative Day 22, my colleagues and I passed historic tax relief legislation that would help millions of hardworking Georgians in our state. Our state’s economy has bounced back exponentially over the last year. House Bill 1302 would fulfil the governor’s plan to give these funds back to Georgia taxpayers. This legislation would provide a one-time tax credit for eligible Georgia taxpayers who filed income tax returns in both 2020 and 2021. If HB 1302 is signed into law, the refund would be automatically credited once a taxpayer files an income tax return for 2021.
The House unanimously passed another bill to keep more dollars in the pockets of Georgians and reinforce our standing as a military-friendly state. House Bill 1064 would exempt up to $17,500 in military retirement income from state income taxes for retired service members under 62 years old. We are honored that so many U.S. military retirees have already chosen to call Georgia home, and this legislation would greatly benefit these individuals, especially as the cost of living and inflation has increased recently.
In an effort to curb vaping inside public spaces, my colleagues and I passed House Bill 1348, which would add vaping to the Georgia Smoke-free Air Act and align our vaping laws with our cigarette smoking laws. Like smoking, vaping would be prohibited inside most public areas, such as restaurants and government buildings, under this bill. Additionally, businesses would be able to designate enclosed areas for vaping that would be separate from non-vaping areas, and individuals who vape in prohibited public spaces would face a $100 to $500 fine.
Last year, the House Study Committee on Childhood Lead Exposure met extensively to examine how our current laws could be updated to promote early detection and treatment of lead exposure in children. This study committee’s final report recommended that our state laws be updated to align with the most recent standards of both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This week, House Bill 1355 was passed on the House floor to update several provisions regarding lead poisoning testing and remediation based on the study committee’s recommendations.
Additionally, my colleagues and I passed two bills this week that would encourage hands-on agricultural experiences for Georgia students. First, House Bill 1303 would authorize the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) to implement agricultural education programs in all public elementary schools. This bill would also require schools to hire an agricultural education teacher for these programs, and the GaDOE would evaluate the success of the program at the end of this year. We also passed House Bill 1292 to ensure that students would not be counted absent from school when they participate in our state’s invaluable 4-H activities and programs. Under HB 1292, a school could request documentation from a 4-H representative if a student was absent due to involvement in 4-H. Both of these bills seek to educate and expose more Georgia students to our state’s agriculture industry and hopefully, encourage more students to explore one of the many careers in agriculture.
During week eight of session, the following House bills were also passed and are now under consideration in the Senate: House Bill 389, which would codify existing case law to determine whether work classifies a person as an employee or an independent contractor, and this bill would create an enforcement mechanism by adding a civil penalty paid to the Georgia Department of Labor if an employer misclassifies its employees; House Bill 508, which would make it unlawful for a person to advertise or conduct a performance or production in Georgia by using any false, deceptive or misleading affiliation, connection or association without authorization; this bill would also create the Georgia True Origin of Digital Goods Act to require websites that distribute commercial recordings or audiovisuals to consumers to clearly disclose its physical address, telephone number and email address on such website or online service; House Bill 974, which would require recorded instruments, such as deeds, mortgages, liens,maps/plats and state tax executions, to be filed electronically or delivered in person to superior court clerks, and this bill includes certain instructions for these filings; House Bill 1084, or the Protect Stu dents First Act, which would prevent the use of and reliance on curricula or training programs in state public schools that espouse “divisive concepts” that are specifically included in this bill, and the bill would require each local board of education to adopt a complaint resolution policy to address complaints or violations of this new policy, as well as establish an appeal process for violations through the State Board of Education; House Bill 1178, or the Parents' Bill of Rights, which would codify a parent’s fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their minor children, create certain standards to prevent schools from infringing upon these fundamental rights, as well as require the school board or its governing body to consult with parents, teachers and administrators to develop and adopt policies that promote parental involvement in public schools; House Bill 1183, which would clean up existing Georgia law and revise the timeline for bond remissions in criminal cases by providing more time for the court to bring in defendants; House Bill 1188, which would revise the crimes of “child molestation” and “sexual exploitation of children” to specify that each individual violation of the crimes can be charged as its own count; * House Bill 1216, which would enhance the penalties for fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.
In other news, we were joined by Kirby Smart, head football coach for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, in the House Chamber on Tuesday. The House was proud to recognize Coach Smart for leading the Dawgs to their 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship victory, and we wish his team the best of luck as they defend their national championship title next season.
It is hard to believe that we are now in the final month of the 2022 legislative session. While I am legislating on behalf of our community over this next month, I hope you reach out to me with any questions or concerns you have about the legislative process or bills that may be pending. My Capitol office number is 404-656-0195, and my email is robert.pruitt@house.ga.gov.
As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative.
As the State Representative for District 149, Robert Pruitt serves Dodge County, Telfair County, Wheeler County, Cadwell, and Hazlehurst.
By Rep. Robert Pruitt (District 149)
