HB369: HB369 Motor vehicles; sale of food or beverages; provide vehicle equipment standards

26 HB 369/AP House Bill 369 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Sharper of the 177th, Hitchens of the 161st, LaHood of the 175th, Baker of the 64th, Cummings of the 39th, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 primaries and elections generally, so as to provide for the non partisan election of county2 officers and district attorneys in certain counties; to provide for the qualifying for such3 offices; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective4 date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 SECTION 1.7 Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated , relating to elections and8 primaries generally, is amended in by revising paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Code9 Section 21-2-132, relating to filing notice of candidacy, nomination petition, and affidavit,10 reopening qualifying period, payment of qualifying fee, and pauper's affidavit and qualifying11 petition for exemption from qualifying fee, as follows:12 "(2) Each candidate for a county judicial office, a local board of education office, or an13 office of a consolidated government, or the candidate's agent, desiring to have his or her14 name placed on the nonpartisan election ballot shall file notice of candidacy in the office15 of the superintendent no earlier than 9:00 A.M. on the Monday o f the eleventh week16 H. B. 369 - 1 - 26 HB 369/AP immediately prior to the election and no later than 12:00 Noon on the Friday immediately17 following such Monday, notwithstanding the fact that any such d ays may be legal18 holidays;"19 SECTION 2.20 Said chapter is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:21 "21-2-140.22 (a) As used in this Code section, the term:23 (1) 'Consolidated law enforcement county' means any county whe re the elected office24 of county coroner has been abolished.25 (2) 'County office' means any office where the electors of a c ounty elected the26 officeholder. Such term shall include, but not be limited to, members of a county27 governing authority, tax commissioners, clerks of superior court, solicitor-generals, and28 where such offices are elected by the electors of such county, clerk of the state court and29 county surveyor.30 (b) Except as provided for in subsection (c) of this Code sect ion, all candidates to fill31 elected county offices in a consolidated law enforcement county s h a l l b e e l e c t e d i n32 nonpartisan elections.33 (c) The provisions of this Code section shall not apply to:34 (1) The office of county sheriff; or35 (2) Offices of county governing authorities established pursua nt to or authorized by a36 local constitutional amendment.37 (d) County officers provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section shall be elected in38 nonpartisan elections held and conducted in conjunction with th e general primary in39 even-numbered years in accordance with this chapter without a prior nonpartisan primary. 40 Except as otherwise provided in this Code section, the procedur es employed in such41 elections shall conform as nearly as practicable to the procedures governing nonpartisan42 H. B. 369 - 2 - 26 HB 369/AP elections as provided in this chapter. Except as otherwise provided in this Code section,43 the election procedures established by any existing local law w hich provides for the44 partisan election of candidates to fill elected county offices shall be repealed and elections45 for such county offices shall be conducted as nonpartisan elect ions accordance with the46 applicable provisions of this chapter, notwithstanding the provisions of any existing local47 law.48 (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, all candidates to49 fill the office of district attorney for a judicial circuit com prised solely of a consolidated50 law enforcement county shall be elected in nonpartisan elections to be held as part of the51 November election as that term is defined in paragraph (15) of Code Section 21-2-252 without a prior nonpartisan primary. No candidate for any such office shall be nominated53 by a political party or by a petition as a candidate of a political body or as an independent54 candidate. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, th e procedures employed in55 such elections shall conform as nearly as practicable to the pr ocedures governing56 nonpartisan elections as provided in this chapter. All candidates to fill the office of district57 attorney for a judicial circuit comprised solely of a consolidated law enforcement county58 shall qualify with the Secretary of State in the same manner an d at the same time as59 provided for candidates to qualify for the office of judge in Code Section 21-2-138."60 SECTION 3.61 This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2028.62 SECTION 4.63 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.64 H. B. 369 - 3 -