Rep Alan Powell 2024 Legislative Newsletter – Week Four

By State Representative Alan Powell, HD 33

The Georgia House of Representatives returned to the Gold Dome for the third week of the 2024 legislative session on Monday, January 22.

The House Rules Committee held its first meeting; we voted on our first set of bills of the session; and House committees held meetings. As we are in the second session of the 157th General Assembly, bills that did not receive passage in 2023 remain eligible for consideration. This week, we gave final passage to several measures that carried over from the last session:

House Bill 502: Updates the definition of “cosmetic laser services” in state law; allows cosmetic laser practitioners at the assistant laser practitioner level to practice without on-site supervision of a senior laser practitioner; however, a senior laser practitioner would still provide a supervisory role.

House Bill 804: Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue two distinct license plates to ambulance and hearse owners: one for ambulances that indicates “Ambulance” and one for funeral vehicles that indicates “Hearse.” For each motor-driven hearse and motor-driven ambulance, the cost of the license plates would remain at $20 annually. If signed into law, this becomes effective on January 1, 2025.

House Bill 434: Creates the licensure of radiologist assistants. The Georgia Composite Medical Board would establish criteria for licensure and renewal for radiologist assistants and establish rules and regulations related to qualifications, scope of practice, and supervision of these healthcare workers.

House Bill 30: Addresses antisemitism in our state and adds antisemitism as a category covered by our hate crimes law. The internationally recognized definition of “antisemitism,” as adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) would become part of state law; requires all state agencies that enforce criminal or noncriminal law or regulation prohibiting discrimination to consider the definition of antisemitism during that enforcement. The bill heads to the Governor for signature.

House Bill 881: In 2023, lawmakers created the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission and empowered it to sanction prosecutors once the state Supreme Court approved rules to guide the panel. The Supreme Court had “grave doubts” it had the constitutional authority to approve rules and standards of conduct for the commission, as required by the law. To fix the constitutional problem, HB 881 was introduced to remove the requirement that the rules be approved by a third party. An interesting point to me is this bill became a partisan, divisive issue on the House floor, but is the identical bill the Democratic party dropped four or five years ago.

The Senate is pushing to legalize sports gambling without a constitutional amendment. Legalized gambling requires a two-thirds vote in the legislature and majority approval by voters in a statewide referendum. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Senate leaders have backed Senate Bill 386 for sports betting to be overseen by the Georgia Lottery Corporation; an approach that wouldn’t require a constitutional amendment. Currently, legislators don’t have the authority to define how a “lottery” operates without a constitutional amendment. More to come on this issue in the near future.

My number one job is to be your voice at the Capitol. I encourage you to visit your Capitol and call me if you have any questions or concerns.

My capitol number is 404-463-3793. My email is [email protected] or [email protected]. When writing, please include your address and a phone number where you might be reached. As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your State Representative.