Rep. Alan Powell – 2024 Legislative Newsletter – Week Seven

By State Representative Alan Powell, HD 33

The Georgia House of Representatives completed our sixth week and with Legislative Day 28, “Crossover Day,” approaching, the House focused on perfecting legislation for consideration on the House floor and voted on a number of measures now headed to our Senate counterpart. Here are some highlights:

House Bill 1037: Creates the Georgia Commission on Maternal and Infant Health, assigned to the Department of Public Health. Appointees include an obstetrician, either a pediatrician or neonatologist, a midwife, and a representative of a
perinatal facility; tasked with making policy recommendations; establishing a way to measure the quality and effectiveness of perinatal care in Georgia.

House Bill 1022: The Colton-McNeill Act, fortifies protections for disabled minors by elevating penalties for acts of cruelty against them; imposes harsher consequences for perpetrators who target vulnerable children, with the severity of the offense determining the length of imprisonment.

House Bill 282: Enhances career preparedness among middle and high school students in Georgia, focusing on equipping students with essential skills for the workforce. The Department of Education would be tasked with assembling comprehensive resources and materials on career readiness and employability.

House Bill 874: Requires every public school in Georgia to have a functional automated external defibrillator (AED) on premises of school grounds at all times; during all school-related functions; create a written emergency action plan; conduct at least two emergency action practice drills annually; designate an internal response team to provide
necessary training to team members and potential users of an AED.

House Bill 461: Requires the proceeds of regulatory fees collected by a local government to be used for the related regulatory activity, not for general operations of the local government; eliminates the ability for local governments to impose a fee for construction projects classified as renovation based on the cost of the project; requires the use of square feet for calculation of a fee for an extensive renovation project, defined as a project valued at $75,000 or more.

House Bill 872: Allows dental students to be eligible for the service cancelable loan program when they agree to practice in rural counties with a population of 50,000 or less.

House Bill 873: Codifies the ability of juvenile courts to establish a juvenile treatment court division as an alternative to the traditional judicial system for juvenile delinquency cases or child in need of services (CHINS) cases. A case may be assigned to these new courts: 1) if the prosecutor or other petitioner consents prior to the entry of adjudication or disposition; 2) as part of a disposition in a case; 3) upon modification or revocation of probation or a new petition. Juvenile treatment court divisions would establish a planning group, develop a work plan, and would be required to include judges, prosecutors, sheriffs, public defenders, community supervision officers, and probation officers.

House Bill 909: Automatically restricts and seals the record of an individual’s offense after July 1, 2024, if sentenced under the First Offenders Act. If first offender status is revoked, then a court would unseal the records, and courts, law enforcement agencies, jails, and detention centers could disseminate the records. Those exonerated of guilt and
discharged as a first offender prior to July 1, 2024, could petition the court to have the records sealed.

House Bill 912: Changes the definition of multipurpose off-highway vehicles  to mean any self-propelled, motorized vehicle originally intended for off-highway use and does not include any all-terrain vehicles, low-speed vehicles, passenger cars, or personal transportation vehicles; creates an exemption for multipurpose off-highway vehicles from ad valorem taxation, beginning January 1, 2025.

House Bill 1033: The “Utility Worker Protection Act,” adds enhanced penalties for protection of utility workers harmed while acting within the course/scope of their employment or while performing official duties; includes a definition for
utility worker, to include independent contractors (private and public); applies to all offenses committed on or after July 1, 2024.

House Bill 1044: Increases the contract value amount from $100,000 or less to $250,000 or less for specified contracts that are exempt from specified contracting and bidding requirements.

House Bill 1058: Addresses federal regulations for safe operations for drivers and vehicles transporting hazardous materials and changes the effective date from January 1, 2023, to January 1, 2024.

I encourage you to visit your Capitol and call me if you have any questions or concerns. My Capitol office number is 404-463-3793; email is [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.