Rep. Alan Powell – 2024 Legislative Newsletter – Week Eight

By State Representative Alan Powell, HD 33

During week seven of the session, we met in the House Chamber for three days and continued to do the people’s business by voting on key legislation that aims to better the lives of Georgians:

 House Bill 993, to introduce criminal penalties for individuals who knowingly and intentionally groom minors and use electronic means to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce them into committing sexual offenses or acts of human trafficking.

 House Bill 994, to hold boat operators liable for injury or damage when negligence occurs on the part of the operator; a rented boat operator would be held liable for negligent operation; boat livery owners would be required to carry insurance with coverage of at least $250,000 per person per occurrence and $500,000 per event.

 House Bill 986, The “AI Transparency Protection Act,” introduces felony offenses for the creation/solicitation of deep fake content using artificial intelligence (AI) generated campaign advertisements aimed at election interference intended to deceive voters and influence the outcome of an election.

 House Bill 1077, to establish a student loan repayment program for behavioral health practitioners including licensed psychiatrists, addiction medicine specialists, psychologists, social workers, professional counselors and marriage and family therapists completing their internships in qualified programs, and to incentivize these providers to treat Medicaid patients, as providers would receive more loan repayment assistance based on the number of Medicaid patients served.

 House Bill 579, to amend current law relating to the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act to allow students who previously qualified for the scholarship to remain eligible throughout the students' education and require the Department of Education to electronically deposit payments into the accounts of participating schools.

 House Bill 793, allows an applicant for a license in social work, enrolled in the last semester of their master’s degree program, to sit for the master’s social work licensing examination.

 House Bill 843, to create a definition for special entertainment district as a contiguous set of properties, either currently receiving financing or received public financing in the past, containing a minimum of 200,000 square feet of leasable space for retail sales and entertainment; to authorize municipalities in these districts to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises Saturday nights from 11:55 P.M. to 2:55 A.M. the following Sunday morning, as well as Sundays from 11:00 A.M. to midnight.

 House Bill 904, to modernize and update the licensing law for electrical contractors, plumbers, conditioned air contractors, low voltage contractors, and utility contractors.

 House Bill 907, to require drivers on a two-lane road to pull to the edge or curb of the road to give a funeral procession the right-of-way; both lead and rear vehicles must display flashing hazard lights.

 House Bill 1170, requires government buildings and courthouses that contain Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to provide opioid antagonists in the event of an opioid overdose on those premises.

 House Bill 1020, to amend current law relating to tax credits for businesses in less developed areas, to eliminate language requiring a qualifying census tract that contains a federal military installation to also contain an industrial park owned and operated by a governmental entity.

 House Bill 1073, to repeal hearing and notice provisions relating to zoning decisions for halfway houses, drug rehabilitation centers, or drug dependency treatment centers.

 House Bill 1203, entitles a landlord to use an off-duty sheriff, sheriff's deputy, marshal, or POST (Peace Officer Standards & Training Council) certified officer with jurisdiction to execute a writ of possession at the landlord’s sole cost and expense when an on-duty official is unable to execute the writ within 14 days of the landlord’s
application or request for execution.

The Georgia House of Representatives will resume Monday, February 26 with only two legislative days until we reach “Crossover Day,” February 29, the last day legislation can pass out of its chamber of origin and remain eligible to be signed into law this year.

With this deadline rapidly approaching, I encourage you to visit your Capitol or call my Atlanta office at 404-463-3793; email [email protected] or [email protected]. When writing, please include your address and phone number. As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your State Representative.