Highlights

During Thursday's legislative session, a Republican lawmaker filed a bill that would block illegal immigrants from collecting unemployment benefits.

Sen. Bill Heath, R-Bremen, introduced Senate Bill 65, which prohibits noncitizens from collecting benefits unless they were legally residing in the U.S. during employment.

In the House, two representatives filed a bill that would allow counties to abandon local-option sales tax projects that have become unfeasible.

House Bill 240 would allow counties to hold another referendum vote to cancel the projects and use the money to pay down debt or roll back property taxes.

Senate

SB 66: Revise continuing education requirements relative to clinical perfusionists; to revise the definition of "perfusion" and to revise requirements relating to renewal of licenses for clinical perfusionists.
SB 67: Prohibit the use of the title "nurse" unless licensed as a registered professional nurse or a licensed practical nurse.
SB 68: Enact the "Parent Trigger Act." Provides for petitions from parents for interventions for low-achieving schools; to provide for notice by the local board to the state board regarding petitions; to provide for a maximum number of petitions; to provide for limitations on when local boards are not required to approve petitions.

House

House Bill 208: Under the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, "board" means the board of trustees.
HB 209: Require the official organ of each county to list the addresses of property advertised for nonjudicial foreclosure each week in alphabetical or numerical order.
HB 210: Under real estate transfer taxes, impose a tax of $1 for the first $1,000 and 10 cents for each additional $100.
HB 211: Under Georgia's general rules for revenue and taxes, "agency" means any department, commission, institution, office or officer in Georgia.
HB 212: Require the Department of Revenue to fall under state revenue commissioners, enforce revenue laws and hold an office in Fulton County.
HB 213: For coin-operated amusement machines, "applicant" or "licensee" means the business or owner of the machine.
HB 214: Establish a Department of Public Health to promote health in Georgia and take over the duties of the Division of Public Health of the Department of Community Health.
HB 215: Prevent someone who is convicted of a crime against a minor from driving vehicles that transport 16 or more people.
HB 216: Change chairperson selection for the Public Service Commission and allow the news chairperson to take office by Jan. 16.
HB 217: Exempt motorcycles, all-terrain and utility vehicles from the definition of "motor vehicle" in relation to motor vehicle franchises.
HB 218: Allow a $10,000 homestead exemption in the city of Emerson for residents who are 62 and older.
HB 219: Allow a $40,000 homestead exemption in the city of Emerson for residents who are 65 and older.
HB 220: Allow a $10,000 homestead exemption in the city of Emerson for residents of any age.
HB 221: Allow a $28,000 homestead exemption in the city of Emerson for residents who are disabled and whose household income does not exceed $20,000.
HB 222: Allow the transfer and distribution of unused conservation credits under income tax credits.
HB 223: Exempt agriculture and farm buildings from the state's minimum standard building codes.
HB 224: Require motor vehicle registration for off-road recreation vehicles, including motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, dune buggies, dirt bikes and go-carts.
HB 225: Create a statewide policy to support sustainable agriculture.
HB 226: Require regulation of individual development accounts under the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities.
HB 227: Authorize a student to carry and self-administer auto-injectable epinephrine. Provide for local board of education policies authorizing school personnel to administer auto-injectable epinephrine to students who are having an anaphylactic adverse reaction.
HB 228: Repeal certain provisions regarding limitations on the state revenue commissioner's authority to make certain distributions.
HB 229: Relating to administrative hearings and appeals under Medicaid, provide that in certain matters, the decision of the administrative law judge shall be the final administrative decision of the commissioner.
HB 230: Require annual instruction in certain grades in criminal law in Georgia as it relates to school-aged children.
HB 231: Provide community alternatives to institutionalized care for treatment of mental illness, alternatives to hospitalization for treatment of alcoholics and drug dependent people, change provisions relating to the emergency treatment of mental illness and alcoholic and drug dependent individuals.
HB 232: Prohibit contingency compensation of lobbyists, so as to provide that such prohibition will not apply to bona fide commission salespersons and that salespersons not be required to register as lobbyists or otherwise be considered to be lobbyists.
HB 233: Change certain provisions regarding applicability of sales and use tax to motor fuel sales; to provide for an exemption from sales and use tax on the sale or use of diesel fuel used to propel locomotives.
HB 234: Eliminate the sunset from the exemption regarding the sale or use of engines, parts, equipment or other tangible personal property used in the maintenance or repair of certain aircraft.
HB 235: Establish job creation and convention services areas within certain parts of the state; to provide criteria for such areas based on the existence of convention and tourist attraction facilities and to authorize the levy of state sales and use taxation within such areas for the purpose of enhanced infrastructure upon approval by the commissioner of community affairs.
HB 236: Tax commissioners, tax collectors, tax receivers and all employees in their offices who first or again take office or become employed on or after July 1, 2012, shall not be members of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia by operation of law. The governing authority of each county may elect to include such officers and employees in their retirement system.
HB 237: Revise the definition of "mortgage lending process" to provide for investigative and subpoena powers of district attorneys and the attorney general relative to residential mortgage fraud.
HB 238: Relating to legal defense for indigents, change certain provisions relative to the powers and duties of the council; change certain provisions relating to the director and the director's responsibilities; change provisions relating to council members' responsibilities; provide for the director to appoint circuit public defenders; change certain annual reporting requirements; change provisions relating to the circuit public defender supervisory panel; change provisions relating to appointing attorneys in conflict of interest cases.
HB 239: Provide the Department of Banking and Finance the power to require dissolution of a financial institution; to provide for the effect of failure to maintain five members on a board of directors; to provide for service on a credit committee by a director of a credit union in certain cases; to provide for the payment of a P.O.D. account to an incorporated entity; to provide for penalties for making false statements; and to provide that certain attorneys must be licensed to practice law in Georgia.
House Resolution 248: Express intent to fund nationally board-certified teachers.
HR 250: Urge district attorneys to invest in public safety and prevention, not death penalties.
HR 251: Support a cruise ship terminal facility in the Savannah Harbor.

Both chambers also passed various resolutions to recognize special days and people.

— Carolyn Crist, Melissa Weinman