Sesión en el pleno de la Cámara de Representantes, 4 de marzo de 2026 (día legislativo 27, PM, parte 1)

Transcripción

603 turnos. Seleccione un tiempo para reproducir ese momento del video.

1. 0:17:04

   All members, all members please come to the floor. We'll get back to work here in just a minute. Mr. Clerk, how about ring the bell so we can go back to work?

2. 0:19:47

   Good afternoon, members. We'll come-- The House will come back to order, and we'll ask the clerk to read the caption to a group of privileged resolutions.

3. 0:19:57

   Honoring the life and memory of Cheyenne Alyssa Spiegel. Recognizing the establishment of Miss Yoon Global Peace Ambassador. Commending the Claxton Enterprise. Recognizing and commending Deborah Van Trease. Recognizing and commending Our Kind of Women. Recognizing and commending Dr. Daniel Black. Recognizing March 14th, 2026 as Black Midwives Day in Georgia.

4. 0:20:28

   Congratulating and commending Phyllis A. Minter for receiving the 2026 Yellow Rose Nikki T. Randall Servant Leadership Award. Honoring Brad Carr for his exemplary leadership as Chair of the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce. Recognizing and commending Logan Crosby for his professional achievements and contributions to Georgia and the arts. Recognizing and commending the Georgia Symphony Orchestra for seventy-five years of ex-exceptional artistry. Congratulating and commending Sherrie Cody for receiving the 2026 Yellow Rose Nikki T.

5. 0:21:01

   Randall Servant Leadership Award. Recognizing and commending Dr. Jackie Walters. Commending and congratulating Ivy Joel Poole. Recognizing September 21st, 2026 as International Day of Peace and Miss Global Peace Ambassador Day.

6. 0:21:22

   Commending Mrs. Sylvia Williams McGee for her lifelong dedication to education, community development, leadership cultivation, and civil engagement in Macon-Bibb County. Recognizing and commending Najah Aziz. Recognizing March 5th, 2026 as Licensed Professional Counselors Appreciation Day at the State Capitol. Recognizing and commending Craig Miller's life, legacy, and lasting impact on the State of Georgia's film industry.

7. 0:21:53

   And commending Halo Skye McGuffey, Drew McGuffey, Shannon McGuffey, and Melody Rain McGuffey for their life, courage, and advocacy and for other purposes. That completes the reading of the privileged resolutions.

8. 0:22:30

   Is there any objection to adopting the privileged resolutions? Hearing none, the resolutions are adopted.

9. 0:22:57

   Members, we're gonna call House Bill 295, but let me give you some, um, some working instructions because we have a number of people who have signed up to speak. We have, um, we will also have a chairman's time and a minority report. So here's what we're going to do. Of course, this, the, uh, author of the bill speaks to the bill, then I'm going to allow 20 minutes for those opposed and 20 minutes for those in favor to speak to the bill.

10. 0:23:27

    And then, of course, we have 20 minutes each for the minority report and for the chairman's time. So we should be able to thoroughly vet this issue. So if you're signed up, that those who are signed up in favor of and opposed, you will, um, you will be required to administer the time so you can allow all of the members that would be, uh, engaged who want to be heard will have an opportunity to be heard. That'll be 20 minutes for those opposed, 20 minutes in favor, and then 20 minutes for the minority report, and 20 minutes for the chair's, chairman's time.

11. 0:24:02

    At this time, we're gonna ask the clerk right here to read the caption to House Bill 295, 295.

12. 0:24:08

    House Bill 295 by Representative Gaines and the 120th is being titled an Act to Amend Chapter 60 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions applicable to counties and municipal corporations so as to provide procedures for real property owners to make claims for compensation from local governments. This bill having been re- referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, that committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute.

13. 0:24:39

    Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

14. 0:24:43

    Members, if you'll find your seats, that'd be a great idea.

15. 0:24:50

    Representative Houston Gaines, the gentleman from Athens, Georgia, is recognized to present House Bill 295. The gentleman's recognized.

16. 0:24:59

    Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 295 is about two simple principles, public safety for our communities and accountability for taxpayers. While I recognize the minority party chose just yesterday to side with local governments over the people and failed to pass meaningful tax, property tax reform, I hope they will join us today for this common sense measure. If a local jurisdiction refuses to enforce the law, whether that means declining to enforce state or local laws related to homelessness, public safety, or illegal immigration, then property owners in those communities deserve a remedy.

17. 0:25:37

    That's common sense. If Georgians are required to keep paying rising property taxes, as requested by the Democrats, the least we can do is ensure their local governments are protecting the value of their property by enforcing the law. And if they don't, this bill ensures there are consequences. Put simply, if a local government refuses to do its job, we're gonna hit that local government in the pocketbook and put the money back in the hands of the property owners who have been harmed. This bill applies when a local government adopts a policy of declining to enforce laws against illegal public camping, loitering, obstructing public thoroughfares, panhandling, drug possession, shoplifting, or public intoxication, urination on private property.

18. 0:26:21

    It also applies when local governments fail to uphold Georgia's prohibition on sanctuary policies or refuses to cooperate with federal immigration authorities as required under state law. We stand for immigration enforcement for a reason, because public safety depends on coordination between local, state, and federal authorities. When a local government chooses ideology over enforcement, it sends the message that our laws are optional. And when we have laws that are optional, public safety suffers.

19. 0:26:53

    The number of times I get calls from my own community when a business owner shows up to his or her business in downtown Athens only to find someone camping directly in their front, in, in front of their door is almost every single day. Small business owners who have to hose down sidewalks before customers arrive because the amount of defecation in front of their business. Restaurant owners who lose customers because families don't feel safe walking past open drug use. Property owners who install additional lighting, fencing, or private security out of their own pocket just to protect what they've worked their whole life to build.

20. 0:27:27

    And then they get their property tax bill to fund the local government that just failed them. That's not right. When policies drive down property values or force owners to incur documented mitigation expenses, they should not be left holding the bill. Under House Bill 295, if that policy causes documented expenses or reduces a property's fair market value, the owner may file a claim up to the amount of ad valorem taxes they paid the prior year. That's not extreme. That's basic fairness.

21. 0:27:58

    Now let me be clear. Georgia has invested heavily in helping homeless individuals. We fund mental health treatment. We fund substance abuse recovery programs. We support transitional housing. We partner with nonprofits and faith-based organizations across this strait, uh, across this state. We want services. We want solutions. We want people restored. But compassion does not mean refusing to enforce the law. Allowing illegal encampments, open drug use, theft, and disorder to flourish is not kindness. It's neglect.

22. 0:28:30

    It harms families, it harms small businesses, and it erodes the very communities we are sworn to protect. House Bill 295 creates a straightforward process. An owner, a property owner files a claim, the local government has 30 days to act, and if it refuses, the property owner may seek relief in the courts. And let me be clear about something else. Our goal is that property owners never have to use this statute. All we want is for local governments to enforce the law. This is a responsible and accountable way, and a way to hold our local governments accountable.

23. 0:29:02

    At the end of the day, this bill says something very simple. Enforce the law, cooperate on immigration enforcement, protect property rights. If a local government chooses not to, taxpayers should not bear the financial burden alone. That's common sense. I'd respectfully ask for your favorable consideration, Mr. Speaker. I'll take a couple of questions. I know we have several folks lined up to speak, but I'm happy to take a couple questions, then I'll yield the well.

24. 0:29:27

    We do, and the gentleman's gonna yield for a couple of quest- Representative Sandra Scott, to your right, is recognized for a question. Representative Scott.

25. 0:29:38

    Does the gentleman yield?

26. 0:29:40

    I will.

27. 0:29:44

    Okay, hold on a minute. Okay, um, can you explain why the state should override local governments' ability to determine how they enforce the laws in their own communities?

28. 0:30:00

    Do you not believe the local government should enforce the laws that are on the books? I mean, that's what the point of this legislation is, is to say the local government should enforce existing law. This doesn't create a new law for them to enforce. It says enforce the existing laws that are on the books. To me, that, uh, is common sense.

29. 0:30:15

    Do, further yield?

30. 0:30:17

    Sure.

31. 0:30:18

    Okay, um, how will the local government protect themselves from excesses of frivolous lawsuits under this bill?

32. 0:30:26

    So the bill has provisions. It says if a, if a property owner files one unsuccessful claim and they keep filing, uh, then, then the local jurisdiction could get back, uh, attorney's fees and expenses incurred. So that, there is provisions to ensure there are not frivolous lawsuits under this legislation.

33. 0:30:43

    Okay. Thank you.

34. 0:30:46

    Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I'll t- take-

35. 0:30:48

    Representative, Representative, um, let's see, the next one. W- Uh, Leader Efstration, right s- in front of you, is recognized for a question.

36. 0:30:55

    Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the gentleman yield?

37. 0:30:57

    I will.

38. 0:30:57

    Sir, is it not true that HB 295 will allow a means of recovery for Georgians who suffer losses due to a local government's refusal to enforce their own ordinances in order to protect the property of their citizens?

39. 0:31:14

    Absolutely. That's what this, uh, this is all about. I mean, it's jurisdictions where currently property owners are having to, are getting put with the bill of a local government that's not enforcing the law. This allows property owners to seek relief, and, um, so that's spot on. Mr. Speaker, I will yield the well and, uh, and, and look forward to, uh, everybody's favorable consideration of House Bill 295.

40. 0:31:36

    The gentleman has yielded the well. All right, we have a gr- a number of folks want to speak that are opposed. Those that'll speak want to speak in favor. Again, we're gonna allow, allot- allocate, excuse me, 20 minutes for those opposed and 20 minutes for those in favor before we go on to minority report and the Chair's time. So there's one, two, three, four, five, six signed up that are opposed. I'll let y'all take care of allocating your time amongst yourselves. I'll re- recognize Representative Drenner first, then Rep- Representative Ali, you'll be after her, and then Representative Sanchez.

41. 0:32:13

    So that's the three that will be on deck, and there are a couple more as well. So Representative Drenner, the lady's recognized.

42. 0:32:24

    Mr. Speaker.

43. 0:32:24

    Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

44. 0:32:27

    On the order.

45. 0:32:27

    I represent DeKalb County, an urban county, but I want to be clear from the start, this bill is not an urban or a rural issue. It is a local governance issue, and it affects every county in this state. And just yesterday, this body debated legislation about property taxes and financial pressures on local governments, yet today we are considering a bill that adds new legal liability and litigation cost for those same communities.

46. 0:33:14

    The question I keep coming back to on behalf of my constituents in DeKalb is simple: How does this bill actually help us address homelessness? And let me, let me say this. I know what this issue feels like as a parent, and I would not wish that feeling on any of you.

47. 0:33:46

    And let me say that again. I know what this issue feels like as a parent, and I would not wish that feeling on any of you. Homelessness looks different depending on where you live. In DeKalb, it's visible in encampments, cars, and families cycling through shelters. In rural counties, it may be less visible, but it still exists, showing up as overcrowded housing, couch surfing, and people living in unsafe conditions.

48. 0:34:30

    What is the same everywhere is that homelessness is not solved by lawsuits. This bill does not build housing in DeKalb and it does not build housing in rural Georgia. It does not add shelter beds in metro areas and it does not add them in small towns. It does not fund mental health treatment, addiction services or prevention anywhere in this state.

49. 0:35:03

    What it does instead is expose cities and counties to financial liability if they do not enforce certain laws aggressively enough, even when enforcement is not the right or effective response. Now, I know what supporters will say. They will say this bill is about public safety. They will say it's about holding local governments accountable. They will say it's about protecting property owners.

50. 0:35:34

    However, accountability without resources is not accountability, it is punishment. Local governments already have the authority to enforce laws. What they often lack are shelter beds, treatment options and funding. This bill does not provide any of those things. It simply adds the threat of litigation if a city or county chooses outreach, delay or harm reduction over immediate enforcement.

51. 0:36:08

    Supporters may also say if local governments are doing the right thing, they have nothing to worry about. But under this bill, doing the right thing can be s- can be still expensive. A single property owner can trigger a claim. If the local government does not respond fast enough, it can be sued. Sovereign immunity is waived. Attorney's fees are awarded. The burden of proof shifts to the local government.

52. 0:36:39

    That pressure does not fall only on large metro governments. Rural counties with smaller budgets, fewer lawyers and fewer services are even more exposed. Supporters may also say this bill encourages enforcement so conditions can improve, but enforcement without housing does not end homelessness. It displaces it. It moves people from one place to another and it increases the cycle of citations, arrest and incarceration without solving the underlying problem.

53. 0:37:17

    In DeKalb County, we work every day to balance public safety, compassion and limited resources. Rural communities do the same, often with even fewer options. This bill replaces judgment with a one-size-fits-all threat of lawsuits. It tells every local government in Georgia, urban or rural, "If you do not enforce first and figure it out later, you may have to pay." That's not flexibility.

54. 0:37:51

    That's not partnership. You know what that is? That's coercion. If the goal is public safety, let us invest in solutions that actually reduce homelessness. If the goal is protecting property, let us address the root causes. If the goal is accountability, let us not undermine local decision-making through civil liability. From where I sit representing DeKalb County but speaking to the whole state, this bill does not help us solve homelessness.

55. 0:38:26

    It makes it harder for local governments, urban and rural alike, to respond responsibly. For those reasons, I cannot support this bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

56. 0:38:39

    Lady yielded the will. Representative Ali, uh, you have about 14 minutes. Will that hold you? Gentleman's recognized.

57. 0:38:51

    Thank you, Mr. Speaker, members of this house. Today, I rise in dissent of House Bill 295. First, let's acknowledge that we all agree on a common goal. All of us want safer streets. We all want clean sidewalks. We all want communities where we are safe. However, we must c- not confuse the goal of this bill with its impact. This bill can be best summarized as heavy-handed surface level policy that fails to address nuanced pol- problems our cities face. Let me make my point clear.

58. 0:39:21

    It will take one month to bankrupt a city. Cities in our great state have sovereign immunity protecting these entities from being sued for negligence or damages without their consent. Sovereign immunity is a core principle of our state that ensures protections for municipal funds and protects city officials so that they can make difficult policy decisions without fear of constant litigation. This bill converts political decisions into financial liabilities for our cities.

59. 0:39:52

    House Bill 295 is extremely clear on its intention, quote, "The General Assembly hereby waives the sovereign immunity of local governments." End quote. Fellow members, these words are a pitfall for every municipal budget in the state of Georgia. With this legislation, we are not just increasing our list to endless litigation, we are opening the door and welcoming them in. Frivolous lawsuits that will hinder services-

60. 0:40:19

    Right

61. 0:40:19

    ... hinder governance. It will take one month to bankrupt a city, so think about what this means for your district. If you represent a city, do you want your mayor taking orders from a judge in a courtroom that is three counties away? Do you believe that this legal decision should bear on their mind more than community needs? This bill strips the power of the local councilman, the person who shops locally and knows the community needs, all for... All to usurp essential funds from city budgets and cripple their infrastructure.

62. 0:40:55

    So let's be clear, this legislation does not s- give us safer streets. This legislation bankrupts cities. We are simply not talking about the cost of litigation, we are talking about the cost of defense taken as well. Even if a city wins their case, they will lose. They lose the taxpayer money they were sfor- they were forced to spend on legal fees. Members, hear me when I say this, every dollar spent in legal defense is a dollar taken away from officer training. Every dollar spent in legal defense is a dollar taken from mental health services.

63. 0:41:27

    Every dollar spent is a dollar taken away from the for- every form of public safety that this bill claims to support. It will take one month to bankrupt a city. This bill creates an environment where policy is created not in the best interest of the community, but in fear of liability. Now, every mayor and council member's job is not to serve their citizens, it is to serve the courtroom. The inevitable result is a policy that drains city resources. It diverts funds from critical infrastructure at best, and at worse, it will bankrupt them.

64. 0:42:00

    This legislation is both physically irrespon- fiscally irresponsible and legally dangerous. I urge my fellow representatives to vote no. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield the floor.

65. 0:42:10

    Thank you. The gentleman has yielded the floor. Representative Sanchez is recognized. About 10 minutes left on the clock. Gentleman recognized.

66. 0:42:18

    Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. I rise to speak against House Bill 295. This bill postures as a protection for homeowners against government shortcoming, but that is not really the actual effect. This allows landlords or property owners to sue their local government for damages incurred in the event that a local government chooses decency over cruelty, compassion over violence. It actually reminds me of another set of laws from 1793 to 1850 that similarly valued the rights of property over the rights of human beings.

67. 0:42:54

    Those were called the Fugitive Slave Acts, and they were a stain on our history. House Bill 295 seeks to punish municipal governments for work done in the ordinary course of running a city. It acknowledges that non-enforcement of certain laws is typical, expected, and falls outside the boundaries of this law, but bans any policy, pattern, or practice of non-enforcement defined as a pervasive, systemic, or organized standard operating procedure of a generalized nature. I don't see how such a determination could be made, seeing as my colleagues on the other side of the aisle regularly tell me that systemic injustice does not exist in our nation.

68. 0:43:28

    We are proposing a bill that forces cities to pay out landlords when they claim any damages from what exactly? From the mere presence of their homeless neighbors? From the mere presence of immigrants? Are we codifying racist profiling in this bill instead of actually fixing the root cause of the issue or focusing on the actual issue that Georgians are facing, which is housing? Who has been in power for over 20 years in this state? Why are we punishing the most vulnerable in our communities for the failures of the state government?

69. 0:44:01

    This bill demonstrates a poor understanding of the mechanism of local government and is also plainly cruel. It is a direct attack on the most disadvantaged communities in our state, homeless people, immigrants, and poor folks. The inalienable right to property does not come with the right to have more of a say in government of policy than other residents, unless we wanna go back to only property owners having the right to vote. This bill hates immigrants and the unhoused so deeply and uncompromisingly that it leverages against them the wealth and privilege that they are already denied.

70. 0:44:33

    This bill is yet another example of prioritizing the needs of the wealthy over the needs of everyone else. Maybe this time we'll decide to work with working class Georgians, and if you do, vote down this bill. Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. I yield the floor.

71. 0:44:46

    The gentleman has yielded the floor. Representative Cummings is recognized. About seven and a half minutes or so. Eight minutes. The lady's recognized.

72. 0:44:57

    Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I'll keep it brief. Georgia communities are already struggling with rising housing costs and growing homelessness. Local leaders are working every day to keep families housed and find suitable housing and help keep peop- help get people back on their feet. House Bill 295 moves us in the wrong direction. Through lawsuits, it takes away the very tools that communities need to try to address and solve these problems. It punishes those communities for not moving fast enough to remove the homeless from public view.

73. 0:45:35

    And let's be honest about something. Homelessness is not solved by limiting local solutions and punishing municipalities for not moving fast enough. It's solved by giving communities and municipalities flexibility by helping people, by providing a multitude of services that they often need. When the state punishes local entities, it can mean fewer solutions, fewer partnerships, and fewer pathways to stability for people who are already struggling.

74. 0:46:05

    And policies that make it harder for communities to prevent homelessness does not make the problem disappear. It just makes it someone else's problem. For example, during our committee hearing, one organizer stated that they had arrived to help. They had the bed space. They had the ability to take four people off the streets. They couldn't because the police were busy arresting them and removing them.

75. 0:46:33

    The bill tells the homeless that we just don't wanna see you. Go disappear so that we can act like you don't exist. Well, the homeless don't represent their own failure. The homeless represents our failures.

76. 0:46:50

    Oh.

77. 0:46:55

    Did you know that every penny the city will spend through being dragged in through a lawsuit will be one less penny that will go to a shelter, that will go to a homeless shelter, that will go to take somebody off the street to house them and to provide mental health solutions? I know we've thrown resources at this, but with all due respect, the state has not paid nearly enough to fully and sufficiently address this problem.

78. 0:47:25

    If the state is going to, um, provide more obstacles, then the s- the state should be willing to accept the consequences. And with that, I yield and I urge you to vote no to this bill. Thank you. Thank you, Representative Cummings. Representative Stacey Evans is recognized. Representative Evans, you have about five minutes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I rise in opposition to House Bill 295. Putting aside the great points that my colleagues have made about how this really is a hateful piece of legislation and how we wanna demonize the other, we don't wanna see you homeless, we don't wanna see you, nevermind we don't provide services and we don't invest, put that aside for a second.

79. 0:48:12

    From a practical standpoint, this bill assumes that local governments are not trying to help. It assumes that local governments are encouraging homeless individuals to go and pee and leave fecal matter on the business owner's steps. No. It assumes that the local governments are not trying to keep intersections clears, cleared, that local governments are not trying to move folks from encampments to shelters.

80. 0:48:43

    But guess what, ladies and gentlemen, the one thing this body in here can't do, at least hasn't tried to do yet, is get rid of free will of individuals. Folks can be arrested and removed from an intersection. They can be arrested and removed from a porch where they may have been acting in a way that we would not like them to act and leaving matters that we don't want to see, but they can come back. And the police may not be there because you know what? They have other things to do. We're not providing money for extra police on the streets.

81. 0:49:15

    This assumes that local governments are not trying, and what it does is tells the citizens that we don't think the local governments are trying, so go and flood their legal departments with frivolous claims. And if they don't answer you in 30 days, go to court. Here's what's really, really gets me, ladies and gentlemen, y'all remember last year, we spent a lot of time talking about frivolous lawsuits. This body decided that if a 13-year-old girl is raped in a stairwell,

82. 0:49:51

    unless that family can check off a laundry list of 12 to 15 items that, let's be honest, they can't likely do- Oh, this one ... no liability to the property owner. Never mind if the property owner saw and basically encouraged drug activity, gang activity, convenience store shootings happening on the parking lot because they've encouraged an open air drug den, profited from the fact that this is the spot.

83. 0:50:27

    Young man shot, no lawsuit for you. But by God, if there's poop on your step, welcome to the courthouse. That's the policy that this body is about to adopt if you vote for House Bill 295. Now, here's the thing. If we're worried about homelessness and we really wanna help people, let's do something about corporate ownership of housing. Let's do something to decrease rent, 'cause here's the reality. Here's how we get rid of homelessness and decrease it, is making housing affordable.

84. 0:51:01

    Every $1 increase in rent equals a 9% increase in homelessness. From 2012 to 2022, Georgia rents increased by 60%. What did we think was going to happen? In Georgia, there are only 39 homes affordable that are available for every 100 extremely low income households. Now, instead of addressing that, instead of helping local governments address that, let's go to court.

85. 0:51:34

    Please vote no.

86. 0:51:41

    The lady has yielded the well. That's the 20 minutes for those opposed. Now we'll have up to 20 for those in favor. Chairman Petrie, the gentleman is recognized to speak to the bill. House Bill 295. Representative Fleming, you would be next.

87. 0:52:12

    Gentleman is recognized.

88. 0:52:15

    Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ladies and gentlemen, I rise today to speak for this measure, but first I wanna tell you a story. Um, I have a first cousin that today and for quite a few years now has been homeless, uh, we think now on the streets of Denver. He's, uh, chronically addicted to drugs. He has mental health issues. I love him. I l- I love him. I grew up with him, and it saddens me.

89. 0:52:48

    And we pray for him, and we hope, and we fly out to see him, and we try to do for him, and his family's tried to provide housing for him, and we do everything.

90. 0:52:59

    But that's not where he is in his life right now. So first of all, to this measure, I've dealt with it in my own family and I've cared for people with mental illness my entire career. So to those that have somehow suggested, I heard somebody mention cruel earlier. What is cruel is to allow people to live in squalor and filth and not ensure and encourage local governments to move them to a place where they at least have the fundamentals that every human being should have and the dignity that every being, every human being should have.

91. 0:53:45

    And indeed, my friends, I'm, I'm getting off course, but if you'll look up, there's an article recently about Gavin Newsom's reversal in California, complete reversal of their policies, that after spending $24 billion thinking they were being compassionate, they learned that they had failed. My friends, one of my biggest issues that I hear about in my community is homelessness.

92. 0:54:16

    Representative Gaines spoke about his business folks. I hear from them all the time, defecating on the front stoop, the back stoop, public camping on private property. I got a photo maybe six months ago from a friend, uh, who was with his daughter in one of our squares, our beautiful squares downtown, and a homeless person was laying on a park bench with their, their junk hanging out, and he was very frustrated and frustrated.

93. 0:54:48

    He was frustrated, and he said, "Why don't y'all do something about this?" My friends, he- he- here's what, here's what we need to be talking about. There's a better way to serve people than to just ignore the laws that we have on the books. We need to provide every bit of help we can to provide mental health to everyone. And, and remember, m- the majority of our homeless population are not chronically homeless.

94. 0:55:18

    I've been engaged with this in my community, and we- most homeless people, we migrate them out of that and they move on, and we should celebrate that. But there's this chronic segment that is chronically homeless that we're speaking about today. And we have to remember that your rights end where mine begin. And so when my constituents tell me, "My wife will no longer shop at night at Walmart because she's afraid of aggressive panhandling," I've heard that over and over again.

95. 0:55:54

    That is where the rights of some are infringing on the rights of others. That's not acceptable. And so listen, we should be compassionate. We have made an effort here to focus on mental health. We need to continue to do that. I have tried in my community to push for an endorsed location. I wish every local government had an endorsed site for camping, where people would at least have running water, showers, toilets, and dumpsters.

96. 0:56:26

    There's a better way than to allow some of the things that exist in, in, in this state today. My friends, I think I've said enough about that, but I do wanna tell you a story, a very sad story. Um, a comment was made earlier that somehow this measure assumes local government are not trying. I, I will tell you there are local governments that are not trying, and I'll give you an example from last week.

97. 0:56:58

    Last week in Fairfax County, Virginia, a lady by the name of Stephanie Minter, 41 years old, was fatally stabbed in the neck by a criminal illegal alien named Abdul Jalloh from Sierra Leone. He had been previously arrested in that community 30 times for rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, larceny, con- contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing.

98. 0:57:40

    Local government there refused to honor an ICE detainer and to hand that individual over to federal immigration authorities. Local government did that. Who's culpable in this 41-year-old mother's murder? My friends, Representative, sometimes we can assume local government is not trying. Fairfax County, Virginia wasn't trying. If you have laws on the books that compel you to not allow people to camp on private property or to aggressively panhandle or to stand, as we have in m- our community, in the middle of a four-lane highway panhandling, which is a public safety threat to those individuals, if you don't enforce your own laws, yes, we should compel you to do so.

99. 0:58:35

    That is very simply what I think the Representative is trying to do here, and I support this measure. I hope you will as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield the will.

100. 0:58:46

     Gentleman has yielded the will. Representative Tim Fleming is recognized to speak to the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. Today it's my honor to stand today in support of HB 295. Today we are considering legislation that comes down to a fundamental question.

101. 0:59:03

     Who is responsible when the local government refuses to enforce laws that are already on the books? HB 295 answers that question clearly and fairly. Property owners across Georgia work hard. They pay their taxes on time and trust that governments they fund will carry out their basic duties. Chief among these duties are enforcing laws to preserve safety, order, and the value of private property. When the responsibility is ignored, whether regarding illegal camping, drug activity, theft, obstruction of sidewalks, or cooperation with immigration enforcement, these consequences do not fall on the bureaucracies.

102. 0:59:44

     They fall on the families and the small business owners in these communities across the g- state of Georgia. That is who this bill protects. When customers avoid downtown areas because they do not feel secure, when homeowners and private property owners and business owners have to invest in cameras, fences, and private security simply to protect what they have built and worked so hard for, those are not abstract policy debates. Those are real financial burdens placed on the citizens and the small business owners that are already paying significant k- taxes in the state of Georgia.

103. 1:00:17

     HB 295 says that if a local government adopts a policy of non-enforcement that results in a documented cost or a loss of pro- property value, the property owner deserves a remedy up to the amount of the property taxes they paid that previous year. That is not punitive. It is proportional. It simply ensures taxpayers are not forced to finance policies that directly harm them and their properties and their businesses. This legislation is not about lacking compassion, but compassion and accountability are not opposites.

104. 1:00:51

     Refusing to enforce law against disorder, theft, or illegal encampments does not uplift vulnerable individuals. It destabilizes neighborhoods and discourages investments in these neighborhoods. Likewise, declining to cooperate with immigration enforcement in violation of state law undermines public safety and erodes confidence in government. HB 295 creates a straightforward path for a property owner to file a claim against the local government, and the local government has the opportunity to respond, and if necessary, the courts will provide review.

105. 1:01:26

     The intent of this law is not endless litigation. The intent is compliance and clarity. Local governments should enforce the law, and if they do enforce the laws, this statute will rarely, if ever, be used across the state. At its core, this bill affirms three principles. Public safety matters, property rights matter, and taxpayers deserve accountability from the governments they fund. When governments fail to carry out its duties to its citizens, should not be left carrying the cost alone.

106. 1:01:57

     I urge you to support HB 295. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield the will.

107. 1:02:03

     Gentleman yields the will. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? We'll, um, we'll move on to the, uh,

108. 1:02:15

     minority report. We have three speakers for up to 20 minutes. Representative Cummings, I assume you wanna go first since it's your report. Then we'll have Representative Holcomb and Repres- representative Lim. I'll... The lady can, uh, split up the time as she sees fit. Representative Cummings. Um, thank you. I yield my time to my colleague.

109. 1:02:41

     Representative Scott Holcomb is recognized, sir. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to House Bill 295. I'll begin with a simple construct. Uh, I'm generally troubled by us passing laws to enforce laws and additional ordinances. Um, secondly, we had very robust discussions within the Public Safety Committee.

110. 1:03:12

     We had many experts who help our homeless populations move from being homeless to being housed. They all opposed this bill vociferously, and they pleaded with the committee not to pass it. I think it's very important for us to listen to the experts who work in this space on a daily basis and who are committed to addressing this problem. More than that, in a big picture, this issue is an economic problem.

111. 1:03:50

     We have an understanding of how many people are unhoused. We have an understanding of the cost to then house them. That is one approach. Instead, what we're doing is we are making e- an economic decision, but we're making an economic decision which is not simple to tabulate in terms of costs, and instead will be borne out bit by bit, piece by piece, case by case, and it is going to overall reduce resources that can be spent addressing the problem to begin with.

112. 1:04:29

     So let me walk you through, um, the bill. Um, from my vantage point, it's not clear, and I- I- I'll walk you through in terms of what this would allow would be individuals to file cases when there is a policy, pattern, or practice, and that means a pervasive system, sy- pervasive systemic or organized standard operating procedure of a generalized nature, but shall not include accidental, isolated, or sporadic acts.

113. 1:05:05

     It's going to be very difficult for whoever the trier of fact is to figure out when it is pervasive, when it is sporadic, and none of that is defined in terms of what criteria, if any, should be used to make those decisions and determinations. That's particularly problematic for those who are chronically unhoused and for whom there may be interactions with the system on a regular basis.

114. 1:05:36

     Down on line 37, it says, "The local government adopts and enforces a policy pattern or practice of." It is highly improbable that any city or county government or consolidated government is going to actually adopt a policy. So instead, what that means is how this will take effect will be through a pattern or a practice. It raises the same question. How are you going to determine and define what that pattern and practice is that gives rise to potentially liability?

115. 1:06:15

     The next thing that it does is the policy solution is to criminalize homelessness, and this is what we heard over and over and over in the committee, and that is on page three of the bill, um, starting line 43 on down, and it raises questions in terms of what would be reasonable for actions for law enforcement to take. A law enforcement officer may not want to immediately arrest somebody. They may instead want to try to help that individual find housing, find resources, take, uh, a measure that isn't criminal in terms of, of next steps.

116. 1:06:56

     But this is likely going to promote more arrests, and then there are systemic consequences to that because SB 63, which we passed in 2024, guess what that does? It provides for cash bail for violations of a local ordinance. These people are homeless. They don't have cash to pay jail, so to get out of jail, which then means that we're gonna have what? More people in jail.

117. 1:07:26

     They're already overcrowded. That's already causing costs. And, and so the second and third order effects of this are really problematic and, and are just going to increase more fees. So with respect to that, an individual can file a claim, and what's curious about that provision is that the resources that are needed will be determined by the discretion of the individual, um, and that's on line 57.

118. 1:08:02

     We don't give any definition or criteria in terms of what that might be in terms of reasonable steps to address that. Um, and then i- if, if an individual takes that individualized discretion and incurs costs, those costs could then be potentially shifted to your local governments. With respect to the fair market value, I think it's going to, in practice, be very, very difficult to be able to define with specificity what precise impact this behavior had on fair market value versus other factors, macroeconomic factors, other factors that impact economic performance.

119. 1:08:49

     And then just the claims themselves, they have to respond within 30 days. That's going to take what? More resources, more labor, more money to respond. So everything that we're doing has an economic cost and consequence. Instead of funding more money directly to address homelessness, we are paying more to criminalize homelessness. It is a policy choice, and it is the wrong one.

120. 1:09:21

     So overall, um, this bill has a lot of flaws, and then for

121. 1:09:32

     a local government that denies a claim, another consequence is they are going to then have to spend time in a hearing or in a courtroom, and they're going to have to spend time in a hearing or in a courtroom, not in communities promoting public s- sa- safety. And all that costs money too. So each step of the way, it just doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense when there is another alternative to address the problem and the issue.

122. 1:10:06

     Furthermore, with respect to, um, to some of the timelines, it does not specifically limit all the times that an individual could potentially, um, file claims and potentially resolve them. And then with respect to, um, just homelessness writ large, what also happens, and I think it's an important economic consideration, is homelessness rises when the economy drops and when people lose their jobs and when unemployment goes up.

123. 1:10:47

     What happens then? Revenues and resources for government also drop. So you have this timeless problem of demands for services increase just at the same time that you have less resources to deal with it. So in the end, how can we best spend limited resources to address homelessness? And related issues. And I submit to you that this bill is not it.

124. 1:11:19

     This bill recognizes, it recognizes that money is needed to solve this problem, but we're going to spend our money to criminalize homelessness instead of using a better, more humane, more dignified approach, and that is a policy failure, and I will be voting no. I'm happy to answer any questions.

125. 1:11:44

     Gentleman yield?

126. 1:11:45

     Yes.

127. 1:11:46

     Um, Representative Roberts. Representative Shea Roberts to your left.

128. 1:11:50

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the gentleman yield?

129. 1:11:52

     Yes.

130. 1:11:53

     During the committee hearings, did any appraisers testify as far as how you might calculate the fair market value of the damage?

131. 1:12:01

     I don't recollect that happening, but I'm a litigator, and I can tell you that I can't figure it out, and I'm not on the, uh, left side of, you know, the intelligence curve.

132. 1:12:12

     Uh, will you yield for one more?

133. 1:12:14

     Yes.

134. 1:12:15

     So what happens if the encampments are happening under overpasses or on state highways within our cities? Um, is the state also going to be equally liable for these claims?

135. 1:12:29

     It doesn't say. It just puts the burden on your, your local governments.

136. 1:12:34

     But isn't it true that that's not their purview, so these things could still be happening in those areas and they wouldn't be responsible for them?

137. 1:12:42

     Yes.

138. 1:12:43

     Thank you.

139. 1:12:43

     You're welcome.

140. 1:12:45

     Gentleman has no further questions.

141. 1:12:47

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield the well.

142. 1:12:49

     Well, you have one, uh, one popped up, did you wanna take from Rep- Representative Williams? Re-

143. 1:12:54

     I'll take it

144. 1:12:54

     ... William Richardson, I'm sorry. Representative Richardson is recognized.

145. 1:12:58

     Does the gentleman yield?

146. 1:12:59

     Yes.

147. 1:13:01

     Yes, sir. Is it not true that I have a innercenter, inner-city business that some mornings when I pull up there's somebody laying in the front door of that business and that it continues to run my customers off? And, uh, is it not also true that my tax bill continues to go up and my revenue continues to go down?

148. 1:13:26

     I don't have personal knowledge if that's true or not true, but certainly I'll accept your representation. And I will say I should have done this. I should have acknowledged that the problem definitely exists, and so I think we have agreement on the existence of the problem. We just have a very strong difference in terms of how to solve that problem, and I don't think the best way to solve it is to criminalize homelessness, and it's just going to add more cost. We know that there is a cost to solve this. I would rather that cost be to help those homeless individuals get on a better path than locking them up.

149. 1:14:00

     Because if we lock them up, that's going to make it even harder for them to turn their lives around and get to a place where they can be productive.

150. 1:14:07

     Gentleman yield for one more question?

151. 1:14:09

     I will.

152. 1:14:10

     At what point does the business owner, uh, when he loses his total in- he or her loses their total investment and the business is closed down, what benefit is that to a community?

153. 1:14:23

     I would ask some questions, or I'd wanna have some more information in terms of what specific steps has the owner done to contact local leaders, to contact police, how long that's happened, what other measures could particularly be taken. So your, your question in the abstract is difficult for me to answer. Um, we don't want businesses to not succeed. We want businesses to succeed, but at the same time, we don't wanna lock up homeless people just for being poor.

154. 1:14:50

     Thank you, sir.

155. 1:14:51

     Thank you.

156. 1:14:54

     Thank you for the information. Representative Lim, Representative Marvin Lim is recognized to speak. Uh, Representative Lim, you have sev- seven and a half, seven, eight minutes.

157. 1:15:06

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to start, as I typically do, with a point of agreement. Some of the social problems in this legislation that it's attempting to solve, public camping, panhandling, et cetera, are very much issues we should be addressing. The problems that the bill sponsor mentioned are happening not only in his district, they're not happening only in mine, but many if not most or all of ours. Going a step further, civil ordinances on these issues, depending on how they're worded and enforced, can play a part in mitigating and reducing these issues in any given place.

158. 1:15:40

     And as yet another attorney, I can say that I love the sensible use of, say, private and public nuisance suits to hold entities accountable that create dangerous conditions for our residents as a complement to suits by public government. I know some of my felly, uh, fellow attorney colleagues here have used these mechanisms, for example, to go after those actively creating conditions that lead to human and sex trafficking. The challenge with this particular legislation is that it does open the door for people who undoubtedly are very much affected by these issues, that is important to recognize again, to misunderstand how difficult it is for local government to address these problems even when they are trying.

159. 1:16:21

     I can speak to this with a lot of experience as someone who has worked closely with constituents and neighbors as well as local county code enforcement, law enforcement, and nonprofit partners on numerous encampments in my part of the county that does have the highest housing cost burdens and very much sees homelessness. In these cases, well-meaning private residents to whom I am grateful because they have been largely sensitive to the dignity of those struggling around them, nevertheless themselves are struggling with the ill effects, even possible actual dangers.

160. 1:16:54

     Ones as simple but as deadly as fires in wooded areas that impact them and their families. What almost always happens, to the credit of my local government and their partners, is that they will immediately go out to check the situation in as swift and as sensitive manner as possible. In some of these cases, the people who are engaging in encampments are not there to be found. I cannot tell you the number of times a constituent has stated that they have directly made a complaint, even have photographic evidence, and even though enforcement got there quickly, in respect of our plain sight code enforcement laws under Title 36 and our Fourth Amendment limitations on private property searches, enforcement sees nothing when they get there, can't do anything, and have to come back.

161. 1:17:41

     Where these cases almost always go after, at least in case encampments are on private property, which are most of the cases I see in my area, is that even when the reported behavior is seen, the private property owner is not the one complaining, but the one who simply does not care and ultimately cannot be found to be fined for the conditions they are creating. And in many cases where they might be fined will simply take, hit a fine after fine after fine, which if, for code is limited to $1,000 per state law.

162. 1:18:12

     And this, to be clear, is with a more robust code enforcement regime than many other local government authorities have. They still very much struggle. Simultaneously, while I'm grateful that we have been able to do outreach to people in these encampments, many of whom in my personal experience have families, jobs, and are attempting to get themselves out of this situation they don't wanna be in, because the need far outpaces the available resources, whether that's permanent supportive housing, of which there are, for my county of over a million people, only 150 units, behavioral health supports, or simply affordable rental housing, what ends up happening is that these folks are simply displaced, or in some cases put in jail for a little bit, then put back out, and then still displaced, and the cycle continues.

163. 1:19:01

     What this all leads to is that from the outside looking in, say I had constituents who were less sensitive to the plight of those dealing with housing insecurity, it may seem like local governments aren't doing anything, and I get that frustration at the state level. We all get complaints all the time about problems, the solutions to which at our level we have very little control over. We are not congressmen. We get addressed like that all the time. Misunderstanding is rampant. But I can attest, at least in my experience, that there are local governments that are constantly attempting to answer the call to address the issue and to make bona fide attempts to give individuals and families long-term solutions.

164. 1:19:43

     Yet because of the larger structural issues, which this bill does not address, they cannot make inroads beyond addressing one encampment only to see it pop up somewhere else, colloquially known as whacking a mole. Of course, we can always do better. And as we move forward, I certainly encourage more local, local governments, excuse me, to adopt policies and principles to ensure that when they are addressing these issues, they have actual consistent procedures in place that ensure that whenever any given incident is addressed, they do so in a way that is safe, locally and culturally sensitive and appropriate, and not just reactive to the one situation right in front of them.

165. 1:20:22

     And I certainly encourage this body to take necessary steps to make it easier for local governments to, among other things, again, find and hold accountable hard-to-find private property owners that are profiting from creating these conditions, to create more funding mechanisms for programs like permanent supportive housing, to shore up the dying profession of code enforcement, which to me does not get enough attention, to expand law assessment diversion or lead programs and other similar programs to help ensure those who are incarcerated for reasons related to their homelessness don't just again cycle back in and out, and overall to work to address so many of the underlying condrish- conditions that lead to these problems.

166. 1:21:02

     If we do that and we still have these problems, we can have a good faith, honest conversation. But it is clear to me that we have not even begun to address the many structural barriers, many of whom, many of which local governments directly face. For those reasons, I am voting no, and I ask you to give serious consideration to these remarks. Uh, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield the will.

167. 1:21:27

     The gentleman has yielded the will. That completes all our speakers on the minority report. Now we'll take up chairman's time up to maximum less than 20 minutes. Chairman Crowe is recognized to speak to the bill at the chairman's time. House Bill 295, the chairman is recognized.

168. 1:21:48

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I clearly received the message that you were sending about the time. Uh, I rise in support, strong support of House Bill 295. As chairman of the committee, uh, we heard this bill's journey through the committee, and I wanna take just a few minutes to respond, uh, to some of the things I've heard and to talk about why I believe this legislation is not only appropriate but necessary. Public safety is not a partisan issue. Every Georgian, regardless of party, regard- regardless of zip code, deserves to live and work in a community where the law is enforced.

169. 1:22:21

     That is a foundational promise of government, and House Bill 295 is about holding local governments accountable when they break that promise. We'll talk a little bit about what it does and doesn't do. What it does is it creates a civil remedy for property owners when local government formally adopts a policy of non-enforcement, when that policy causes documented financial harm. We're not talking about a single officer using discretion or the department temporarily being understaffed. We're talking about deliberate, written, intentional policy choices by local governments to decline enforcing laws.

170. 1:22:56

     Specifically, the bill applies when a local government adopts a policy of declining to enforce laws against illegal public camping, loitering, obstruction of public thoroughfares, panhandling, drug possession, shoplifting, and public intoxication or urination on private property. It also applies when a local government fails to uphold Georgia's prohibition on sanctuary policies or refuses to cooperate with federal immigration authorities as already required under state law. When these conditions are met, and only when they are met, a property owner who can document either reduced fair market value or out-of-pocket mitigation expenses may file a claim against that local government.

171. 1:23:35

     That claim is capped at the amount of ad valorem taxes the owner paid the prior year. The local government has 30 days to act. If it refuses, the owner may seek relief in the courts. That is the process. It is measured. It is documented. It is not a blank check. It is a backstop And Mr. Speaker, some of my colleagues looked at this bill and chose to respond with hyperbolic rhetoric about what it does. I wanna tell you what I see. I see the small business owner who has invested everything, saving, retirement, years of work, into a storefront downtown, like Representative Richardson mentioned earlier, who shows up Monday morning to open for the week and finds that someone has been camping in the doorway.

172. 1:24:18

     They spend the first hour of their workday cleaning the sidewalk before customers arrive, who has started keeping a log because it happens so often they've lost count. I see the restaurant owner whose dining room used to be full on Friday nights, and who now watches families walk past the window, look inside, but keep walking because they don't feel safe passing the group that's gathered outside. Revenue's down, staff hours are cut, a business that may not survive the next year. And then I see the property owner who installed additional lighting and a fence, and hired private security out of pocket because the local government stopped doing its job and somebody had to.

173. 1:24:56

     And then that same property owner opened the tax bill funding a government that just failed her. These are not hypotheticals. These are real Georgians. These are people that we heard from, and they told us their stories, and they deserve a remedy. Now, I wanna address some of the opposition, 'cause there'll be some of those who say that this bill is an attack on local control, and I wanna respectfully disagree. Local control is a principle that I take seriously, but local control has its limits.

174. 1:25:27

     When a government adopts a formal policy that violates state law, including prohibition on sanctuary policies, that is not local control, that is nullification, and the general assembly has both the authority and the obligation to respond. An earlier speaker mentioned local control in not only this yu- this issue, but the issue we debated yesterday in House Resolution 1114. And in my opinion, in both of those cases, it does not get any more local than the individual taxpayer or property owner who it seems the opposition is intent on ignoring the voices of on these two issues.

175. 1:26:07

     We're not gonna do that. There'll also be those who argue that non-enforcement policies represent compassion for vulnerable populations, and I want to be clear to that. This legislature has invested heavily in actual compassion. We fund mental health treatment, we fund substance abuse recovery programs, we support transitional housing, and we partner with nonprofits and faith-based organizations across this state. We want people restored. But permitting illegal encampments, open drug use-

176. 1:26:34

     Gentleman, would you suspend for a moment?

177. 1:26:36

     Yes, sir.

178. 1:26:43

     Thank you, members. Gentleman will proceed.

179. 1:26:46

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Permitting illegal encampments, open drug use, theft, and public disorder is not compassion. It's neglect. It harms the very individuals it claims to help by leaving them in dangerous, unsanitary conditions without accountability or services, and it harms the communities around them. Real compassion means connecting people to help, not looking the other way while they suffer in public. Now earlier, Representative Evans mentioned free will and enforcement, and she's right. If they remove people and they choose to come back, they can't always stop people from returning, but what they can do is continue to attempt to enforce those laws, and that's what we're asking them to do.

180. 1:27:26

     Representative Holcomb mentioned about the advocates that came and spoke before our committee, and we did hear from many of them, and we told them the same thing that I'll tell you now, that this is not an issue where we're trying to criminalize homelessness. But what we are doing, and who we haven't been listening to, are the property owners who are begging for help to get these people removed from their private property who are violating the law. But I will agree with him on one thing. In opening his statement, he said that us having to make a law about enforcing laws is a little bit ridiculous, and I would agree with that.

181. 1:28:02

     It is a shame that we're having to do that, but that's exactly what we're having to do. And finally, there'll be those who call this extreme. And I'll ask you, what's extreme about requiring a local government to enforce the law? What is extreme about giving a property owner 30 days notice and a court process before any remedy attaches? What's extreme about capping recovery of the taxes already paid? This bill is not extreme. It's proportionate, it's procedurally sound, and it's constitutional. And finally, Mr.

182. 1:28:33

     Speaker, the goal of this bill is not to generate litigation. It's not to punish local governments. The goal is deterrence. We want local governments to look at this bill and decide before the first claim is ever filed that they're going to enforce the law. We want property owners to never need this statute. But if local governments choose ideology over enforcement, if they choose to formally adopt policies that leave their residents unprotected and property owners holding the bill, then those property owners deserve a remedy, and this bill provides one. Enforce the law, cooperate, protect property rights.

183. 1:29:06

     It's not a radical agenda. That is the basic compact between government and the people it serves. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote yes on House Bill 95, and I yield the rest of my time to Chairman Rob Leverett.

184. 1:29:20

     Gentleman's yielded the well. If gentleman will suspend just for a moment. I'll just remind all members, you're making your presentations from the well, that you are to refer to not directly or by name to members of this body, by my colleague or whatever, by representative. And that's the proper way that we should do that, and that applies, obviously, everyone in this room. And I apologize that I was in a conversation myself, and so w- but let's proceed that way. The gentleman's recognized.

185. 1:29:49

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ladies and gentlemen, I-

186. 1:29:52

     Nicole. Okay, we'll work on it

187. 1:29:55

     Okay. Need to bring a heavier coat evidently. The ice slipping from the ceiling. We don't wanna go there. It's cold. It is cold, I agree. We'll leave it at that. I have a space heater down here. If anybody's feet are cold, you can come borrow it for a little while. Uh, Mr. Speaker, I, I, I will be very brief. I know, uh, I think opinions are fairly set on the bill. I just did wanna address a f- a, a few statements made. I greatly respect, uh, everyone who spoke on this bill.

188. 1:30:26

     We all often disagree here, but we do so civilly, and I appreciate that. But I, I, I don't believe some of the characterizations of the process that is set up in this bill are completely fair. First of all, there has to be a pervasive, broadly applicable conscious decision by a particular jurisdiction not to enforce specific laws that are set out in the statute, things like public urination, shoplifting, possession of a controlled substance.

189. 1:30:57

     Those specific crimes are what are at issue here. And, and I, I think the, the, the policy we're trying to project is just doing nothing is not a good policy. Doing nothing is not a good, a, a good way to address these issues. There needs to be something done. Now, i- if, if it is a decision of a district attorney or someone else other than the local government, there's an exception for that. The local government wouldn't have any liability for that. And individual acts of executive clemency or exercising prosecutorial discretion on a case-by-case basis is excluded from the scope of the bill.

190. 1:31:30

     So this doesn't p- prevent that kind of activity. Secondly, a, a, a lot of discussion has been made about lawsuits and litigation explosion. The, the, the bill does permit filing a written claim, but you've gotta file that with the local government first, so they have a chance to see what relief you're seeking and, and how you're, uh, that you have some options here about the damages you can recover. And so you have to give that notice to the local jurisdiction, and then they can grant the claim or they can deny it. If they deny it, you then appeal to superior court.

191. 1:32:01

     And I, I, I, I was a little surprised to hear the discussion about a, a, a court a few counties away. It's, it's a superior court in, in the jur- circuit that you're in. So it's not like it's gonna be some far off court. It's, it's the court that you, uh, uh, you know, that that particular jurisdiction is located in. Secondly, there are limits on the type of damages that can be recovered. There's a s- fairly specific formula in there. I agree with my friend from the 101st. Where'd he go? I, I, uh, oh, there he is. Um, I'm, I'm, I'm always happy to agree with him.

192. 1:32:33

     It's much funner than disagreeing. But I agree with him that it's gonna be a challenge to show a reduction in fair market value. I feel certain that after a few minutes of calling potential expert witnesses, you'll find one, though, who can come up with a methodology for you. But it will be a challenge, I agree. It'll be a challenge to show that the expenses you incurred are reasonably necessary. But I would submit to you that's, that's kind of the point here. We do want to limit, um, the recovery of things that are real and not speculative and not fanciful.

193. 1:33:05

     And so some of those guardrails are here contained in the bill. So I don't believe there's gonna be, uh, just this... It's not like this is gonna be an un- unlimited liability on local jurisdictions. Also, the, the amount that could be recovered is capped at whatever your property tax bill was. So this is not gonna be, uh, some kind of bonanza for the trial bar, I believe. And finally, I, I'm, uh, well, and I mentioned some of the exceptions in, on the final page of the bill, th- this doesn't prohibit individual case-by-case discretion.

194. 1:33:36

     In, in my view, some of the criminal statutes are the way you can try to get people who are homeless to utilize certain services and get treatment so that you can try to help them improve their situation. So I, I, I, I, I acknowledge we can still agr- disagree about the policy, but I do believe this is a reasonable approach at trying to make sure our, our cities and counties are doing something instead of just doing nothing and e- refusing to enforce the law. And with that, Mr. Speaker, I yield the well.

195. 1:34:15

     Gentleman has yielded the well.

196. 1:34:19

     That completes our minority report and the chairman's time. The previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to adopting the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no. And Mr. Clerk will unlock the

197. 1:35:28

     machine. Have all members voted?

198. 1:35:44

     For what purpose does Chairman Carpenter rise? Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry, sir. Is it not true that I'm sick and tired of hearing people say that helping small business is somehow protecting the wealthy?

199. 1:35:59

     Spoken like a true small businessman right there, no doubt about that. For what purposes Representative Earnhardt rise? Ehrhardt, I'm sorry. Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Mr. Speaker, is it not true that this member was rather shocked to hear another member of this body declare that enforcement of some laws is not appropriate?

200. 1:36:22

     I'm sure the lady truly believes that. Further inquiry? One more inquiry. Is it not true that this member also wonders that if some laws are not worthy of enforcement, I, I, I'm curious as to whether or not that is a representative opinion of the entire party, and if that is indeed the case, it might be helpful for our members to have a list of the laws that, that this member does not feel are worthy of enforcement. I'm sure the lady's point to what she's, um, making her inquiry about. Thank you.

201. 1:36:54

     For what purposes Representative Edna Jackson rise?

202. 1:37:01

     Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry, ma'am. As I sat here today, and I listened to everything that people are saying, it seems like we have a time of putting all the responsibility on the homeless. And as I, as I served as the mayor of the city of Savannah, I saw with these eyes when we had people coming into our community, they wanted us, and I can give you a good example.

203. 1:37:32

     Developers came in, and they wanted to build townhomes and what have you. And I asked them, of those areas where they're moving people out, those are the areas where our, some of our less fortunate people, uh, have to live. So is that not true?

204. 1:37:58

     I'm sure the lady seen, has seen a lot in her life. I, I- She saw a lot at, in the city of Savannah. That's right. So I respect your opinion, your, what you've seen. Thank you. Thank you for that. And is it not true that when I was the mayor of Savannah, we would meet with those individual that wanted to improve the city, but they did not want to share the buildings that they were going to redo and give part of the apartments to our senior citizens who lived in those areas.

205. 1:38:33

     You want to know what happened there, and I look at it all of the time. They waited until I went out of office, and they did not... Is it not true? Do it again. It sounds like your successor didn't do what you did. The lady's- That it not- For what purposes Representative Olaleye rise? Am I- Parliamentary inquiry. Do you have another parliamentary inquiry? Excuse me, Representative Olaleye. No problem. Repres- Representative Jackson, you have another parliamentary inquiry?

206. 1:39:06

     I'm, everybody's talking to me. But my question is- Does the lady have another parliamentary inquiry? Yes. The one thing- State your inquiry ... that w- as we look at what is being s- done here today, we need to, we, and I'm talking about all of us, we need to sit down or go in those areas. Homeless people do not want to be homeless. I ask that you vote against this bill. Is that right? That's good.

207. 1:39:36

     Thank you very much. Is that- Thank you. Thanks for your parliamentary inquiry. Representative Olaleye, now let's hear from you. Mi- Mr. Speaker, is it not true that a- Is this a parliamentary inquiry? Parliamentary inquiry. Yes, sir. State your inquiry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is it not true that increasing lawsuits on local governments and criminalizing poverty as opposed to focusing on the real issue, which is increasing housing and services, uh, would only make our homelessness, uh, challenge more difficult to solve?

208. 1:40:10

     I think the gentleman has a good opinion, and I'm gonna call this vote. But I'll let you know, certainly there's, there are concerns all around, but certainly this, this body has certainly been supportive of, of, uh, appropriating funds for issues that are important to all of us, and one of them is homelessness. All members voted. If so, Mr. Clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of House Bill 295, the yeas are 98. The yeas are 98, the nays are 75. This bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed.

209. 1:40:44

     Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to House Bill 1138, 1138. House Bill 1138 by Representative Camp on the 135th and others being titled an Act to Amend Article 3, Chapter 4, Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to practice of pharmacy so as to authorize pharmacists in certain circumstances to dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives. This bill having referred to the Committee on Health, that committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute.

210. 1:41:16

     Good afternoon. The lady is recognized. Representative Camp is recognized to present House Bill 1138. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

211. 1:41:28

     Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. I bring to you today House Bill 1138, and this bill will allow pharmacists to dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives like the pill and also administer hormonal contraceptives, injectables like progesterone shots. It does amend the state's insurance code to allow insurers to provide coverage for extended supplies, so no longer would someone go and simply get a month. They could get three months or a year, um, which is important for people who lack transportation or, or who are unbanked.

212. 1:42:00

     Um, and it also amends the article within the state's medical board to waive liability allowing pharmacists acting under the bill's protocol not to face malpractice or discipline by simply following the expanded provisions. It does change Georgia's Medical Assistance Program to amend a previous law allowing Medicaid and state-funded programs to cover contraceptives in extended supply. Um, Mr. Speaker, they're doing, pharmacists are prescribing contraceptives in 36 other states successfully, and in 32 other states, individuals are allowed to get extended supplies, um, up to a year.

213. 1:42:34

     And I'm open for any questions, Mr. Speaker.

214. 1:42:39

     Yes, ma'am. The lady yield for a question? Representative Park Cannon to your left is recognized for a question.

215. 1:42:46

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Do you yield?

216. 1:42:48

     I do.

217. 1:42:49

     Will the public schools in Georgia that currently teach abstinence-only education be updated about this new over-the-counter option?

218. 1:43:00

     Well, I really don't address the over-the-counter option in this bill because anyone can go to a pharmacist and, and ask for the over-the-counter option. This is actually being prescribed by a pharmacist. In the bill, it does say the only way to absolutely ensure no pregnancy and not to contract a sexual transmitted disease is abstinence. Uh, it has no bearing on what is taught in schools.

219. 1:43:24

     Do you further yield?

220. 1:43:25

     I do.

221. 1:43:26

     Do you understand the possibly confusing messages that we could be sending to our students if at the same time that we're saying you can trust a pharmacist for this medicine and also that you should be abstinent?

222. 1:43:45

     I don't think those are contradictory statements at all. This bill is not a morality bill. This is a medication that someone simply can go to a pharmacist, just like they can go to a physician, just like right now they can go to a health department or a number of other places and receive access to contraception. That's all this bill does. This is not a morality bill. This is a medication bill that allows further access, especially since we have 82 counties in our state that do not have an OBGYN. Oftentimes the only healthcare provider in an area is gonna be a pharmacist.

223. 1:44:17

     They're very li- They're licensed, they're very well-trained. We had, um, someone from UGA Pharmacy School come speak. They are taught all three years of pharmacy school things about contraception. So to me, I think this is an access bill, and I'm excited that Georgians will have more access to contraceptives. We passed a bill recently involving another drug, um, that is gonna be available via prescription from pharmacists that Dr. Newton carried, and I'm very excited that we're moving in this direction.

224. 1:44:52

     Lady, you yield for another question?

225. 1:44:54

     I do.

226. 1:44:55

     Representative Mary Frances Williams right here to your left.

227. 1:45:01

     Does the gentlelady yield?

228. 1:45:03

     I will for my friend.

229. 1:45:05

     So, um, first of all, I wanna thank you for helping pharmacists out with this bill. I come from a family of pharmacists. I'm not one, but everybody else was. And also for, um, doing what you can to make access to these products, um, easier for folks. So thank you for bringing this bill forward.

230. 1:45:27

     Thank you so much, Representative Williams.

231. 1:45:29

     You have one last question. That's from Chair Lady Hagan to your right, out in front of you. Lady's recognized.

232. 1:45:36

     Does the gentleya- lady yield?

233. 1:45:37

     I will for my friend.

234. 1:45:39

     I do wanna thank you for bringing this legislation. I feel like it does address a very important issue, and that is in the many parts of the state, including many rural counties, we do have a shortage of OBGYN and access to other healthcare professionals, and this gives, uh, people an option when they are looking for, um, contraception. And, um, I do know that our pharmacists provide much care in these areas because it is the healthcare provider that they see most often, and I feel like this is an incredibly appropriate measure to bring to, to get some a- additional care to our, to different parts of the state where they need it so much.

235. 1:46:17

     Thank you for bringing it.

236. 1:46:18

     Thank you. And the gentlelady knows of what she speaks.

237. 1:46:22

     Lady has no further questions.

238. 1:46:23

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask for the members' favorable consideration on this bill. Thank you.

239. 1:46:28

     Lady's yielded the will. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to withdrawing the committee substitute? Chair hears none. The committee substitute is with- is withdrawn. Is there any objection to adopting the substitute offered by the Committee on Rules? Hearing none, the Rules Committee substitute is adopted. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass?

240. 1:46:58

     All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no. And Mr. Clerk will unlock the machine.

241. 1:47:29

     Have all members voted? All members voted? If so...

242. 1:47:46

     Have all members now voted? If so, Mr. Clerk will-

243. 1:47:51

     Just on the way

244. 1:47:51

     ... lock the machine. On the passage of House Bill 1138, the yays are 162, the nays are four. This bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed.

245. 1:48:17

     Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to House Bill 1000?

246. 1:48:25

     House Bill 1000 by Representative Gamble of the 15th and others to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to income taxes so as to provide a one-time tax credit for individual taxpayers who filed income tax returns for the 2024-2025 taxable years. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, that committee recommends that this bill do pass.

247. 1:48:51

     Representative, Representative Matthew Gamble. Representative Gamble is recognized to speak to the bill.

248. 1:48:57

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 1000 is a repeat of three pieces of legislation that we have done before, uh, from 2022, 2023, and then again from 2025. The value of this tax refund is approximately $1.17 billion. The funds are included in the amended budget, and again, it will benefit $250 for an individual filer, $375 for heads of household, and $500 for those married filing jointly off of their state income tax return.

249. 1:49:32

     So that's what the legislation does. You're very familiar with it because we've done it before. And Mr. Speaker, uh, I'd entertain any questions and ask for this bo- uh, body's favorable consideration.

250. 1:49:43

     Gentleman has no questions.

251. 1:49:45

     Thank you. I yield the will.

252. 1:49:46

     Gentleman's yielded the will.

253. 1:50:06

     Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no.

254. 1:50:38

     And Mr. Clerk will unlock the machine.

255. 1:50:58

     Have all members voted? For what purpose does Representative Wilkerson rise? Wait, wait a minute. Let's get you.

256. 1:51:09

     Par- parliamentary inquiry.

257. 1:51:11

     State your inquiry, sir.

258. 1:51:12

     Is it not true that it is exciting to see a green board lit up as we relieve tax, well, taxpayers of their, uh, give them back their hard-earned money, that Democrats as well as Republicans in this chamber believe that a tax cut that is given to everyone equally, not on a percentage, is a great way to go, and we thank the governor for working with all of us to do this? Is that not true?

259. 1:51:36

     I think the gentleman knows what he speaks. I'm, he's getting across to tax cuts. It's good to see, good to hear you. Have all members voted?

260. 1:51:48

     If so, Mr. Clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of House Bill 1000, the yeas are 172, the nays are zero. This bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed. Which re- restroom?

261. 1:52:19

     Members, there is a set of keys for a BMW that was in the couch in the ante room, if that's yours. Don't everybody get up at once.

262. 1:52:32

     We have them up here if they're yours. Y'all can come up for something else. We won't let anybody drop, let you know you're driving a Beamer. You're doing well on your salary.

263. 1:53:26

     If nobody claims it by the time we adjourn, I'm gonna take it.

264. 1:53:32

     I'll just walk through the parking deck and blow, see which horn blows. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to House Bill 1159, 1159.

265. 1:53:45

     House Bill 1159 by Representative Gamble of the 15th and others being entitled an act to amend Article 2, Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to the imposition, rate computation, exemptions and credits relative to income taxes to those exempt from taxation all income received by individuals, corporations and partnerships under the Farm and Bridge Assistance Program. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, that committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute.

266. 1:54:17

     Representative Gamble is recognized again to present House Bill 1159. Gentleman's recognized.

267. 1:54:23

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is another piece of legislation, part of the governor's package. On December the 8th, 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture announced a $12 billion in one-time bridge payments to the American farmers in response to temporary trade market disruptions and high input costs and increased production costs. We've certainly talked a lot about that this session in terms of agriculture and its impact on, on our state. So in essence, what this bill does is it will provide, um, farmers in our state with a state income tax deduction equal to any payments they receive as income through this program.

268. 1:55:05

     This is similar to what we did last year with the Hurricane Helene package. And, uh, I was just talking to one of our farmers a minute ago, and they were already talking about how, uh, fuel and fertilizer costs have increased drastically, even in just the last week. So these are realities that our farmers deal with regularly, and this bill will help support agriculture on our state and that continuing to be the number one industry in our state. So with that, Mr. Speaker, I will, uh, ask for this body's favorable consideration and yield the well.

269. 1:55:37

     Gentleman has yielded the well. He did have a question, but he's yielded the well. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to adopting the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the pass- passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no.

270. 1:56:08

     And Mr. Clerk will unlock the machine.

271. 1:56:27

     Have all members voted?

272. 1:56:29

     No.

273. 1:56:30

     For what purpose does Representative Wilkerson rise?

274. 1:56:33

     Uh, parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.

275. 1:56:35

     State your inquiry.

276. 1:56:36

     Is it not true that I feel really good about Democrats again giving tax relief to our hardworking farmers, that we will continue to support unanimously any tax legislation that benefits all Georgians, especially our hardworking farmers that we talked about yesterday? Is that not true?

277. 1:56:55

     No, that's not true, because I know a lot of farmers who live on a homestead, and you didn't support that one.

278. 1:57:07

     For what purpose does Representative Meeks rise?

279. 1:57:10

     Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Rule 133, I ask to be excused from this vote.

280. 1:57:16

     Vote.

281. 1:57:20

     The gentleman has that right, and the journal will so reflect. If you can't have a little fun while you're working, why work, right? All members voted. All members voted. If so, Mr. Clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of House Bill 1159, the yeas are 170, the nays are two. This bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed. Thank you, members. That's an important bill for our agricultural families across the state.

282. 1:57:52

     Thank you for supporting that. Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to House Bill 1220, 1-2-2-0?

283. 1:58:01

     House Bill 1220 by Representative Ballard of the 147th and others, to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 2A, Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to student scholarship organizations so as to revise provisions for student eligibility and maximum scholarship amounts. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Education, that committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute.

284. 1:58:29

     Representative Ballard, the lady from Warner Robins, is recognized to speak to the bill. Representative Ballard. Give the lady your attention, please.

285. 1:58:40

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, I have House Bill 1220 that waives the six-week public school attendance requirement for students with an IEP, a 504 plan, dyslexic and autistic students, as well as children of active duty military. This bill also allows some flexibility in how scholarship funds can be used without raising the overall program cap. Uh, that is the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and if there are no questions, I will yield the well.

286. 1:59:11

     You do have a couple of questions, lady. Will you yield?

287. 1:59:13

     Okay.

288. 1:59:14

     Representative Berry is recognized to your left, kind of in the back. Gentleman's recognized.

289. 1:59:19

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the gentlelady yield?

290. 1:59:21

     I wi- I do.

291. 1:59:22

     Thank you. I still have great concerns because public schools are mandated to have support for students with IEPs and 504 plans, but our private schools in our state, they do not follow by the same federal regulations. So how do we provide those same basic safety protections for those students that are entering this program?

292. 1:59:38

     Well, what I would submit to you is if a parent has made the choice to take their child out of a public school, their special needs child out of a public school, and put them into a private school, that parent is satisfied with the special needs services that are in that school. Um, s- so while they do not have to, um, have an IEP in a private school, they do follow the 504 plan because that is federal law.

293. 2:00:11

     Further inquiry.

294. 2:00:12

     Okay.

295. 2:00:13

     So how sh- are we as a state going to ensure that these schools that are in this program are helping our students?

296. 2:00:20

     Well, this program has been around since 2008, so I think the state is pretty satisfied that they, that this program is helping our children.

297. 2:00:31

     Thank you.

298. 2:00:32

     Representative Scott Hilton to your left is recognized for a question.

299. 2:00:36

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the gentlelady yield?

300. 2:00:38

     I yield.

301. 2:00:39

     As a father of a child with special needs who's in public school right now, doesn't this bill help not only, uh, help our community, anybody with a documented disability, uh, allow them to pursue the education that will help their child and family flourish for a long time to come?

302. 2:00:54

     It absolutely does.

303. 2:00:55

     Thank you so much.

304. 2:00:56

     Thank you.

305. 2:00:56

     Representative Burnell is recognized for a question to your left.

306. 2:01:03

     Thank you, Mr. Sp- Speaker. Does the gentlelady yield?

307. 2:01:06

     I do.

308. 2:01:07

     Okay. Um, my mother was an educator, and she was a public school educator, and so she had to go into the p- uh, private schools to provide those services. So are you saying that those students that go to those private schools will no longer be entitled to receive services from a public school?

309. 2:01:30

     Well, nobody is forcing children to go into these private schools. It is a choice made by their parents. So their parent is putting their child in the best place for them. So I think that the parent will ma- will ensure that they're getting the services. Otherwise, they wouldn't be moving them out of the public school.

310. 2:01:49

     Can I ma- ask you one more question?

311. 2:01:51

     Yes.

312. 2:01:51

     Okay. I understand what you're saying. It's a choice. It was a choice that my mother, we went to private school and we went to public school. But if a child had to have a learning dis- had a learning disability and they were in a private school, at that time and still now, that child can receive services from public education. So are you saying that if they choose to go to that school, that the public education schools will not have to provide those services, that all their services will be received at the private school of their choice?

313. 2:02:26

     Again, this program has been, um, around for-

314. 2:02:30

     Since 2008. So I think that the schools will be c- carrying on with the programs as that they have been doing it for the 20-something years.

315. 2:02:43

     And Mr. Speaker, if there are no further questions, I will yield the well. You got one more. There's a couple more. One more. But Representative Martin, Chairman Martin has a question. Representative Ballinger, i- isn't it true that this is enabling legislation? Yes. Isn't it tr- further true that you're not asking parents to do anything they don't wanna do? Exactly. This is, uh, this is a place, this is a way for parents to do the best thing for their child. I- Is, isn't it true that we, we do trust parents to do that? And i- isn't it true that the questions that have been asked by, by our colleagues on the floor today are important, and each parent gets to make that determination for themselves after they make that their choice, as Representative Hilton said, for their child and the best interest?

316. 2:03:26

     And we're taking nothing away, nor are we directing them away from public schools, but we're giving the opportunity, and we're helping them make that choice if they wish with funding. Isn't that true? That is correct. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask for your favorable consideration, and I yield the well. The lady has yielded the well. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to adopting the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted.

317. 2:03:57

     Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. Those opposed will vote no. And Mr. Clerk will unlock the machine.

318. 2:04:33

     Have all members voted? For what purpose does Representative Park Cannon rise? A parliamentary inquiry. Representative Draper. Yes, thank you, ma'am. Ladies rec- Yes, ma'am. State your inquiry. Is it not true that there are many of us who are confused because this seems like it's another mechanism to feed public dollars to private vouchers? Because if a student already had an IEP and their family had demonstrated the financial need, that they would already qualify for this.

319. 2:05:07

     Well, it is, uh, the lady spoke, this p- this, uh, bill, this concept has been in place since, I think she said, 2008. It's been in place for a while, so I'm not sure we're feeding money into the private schools. It's not benefiting. I think she said that the parents made the choice where they would send their child. For what purposes, um, Representative Ridley rise? Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Mr. Speaker, is it not true that my son in third grade couldn't get an IEP because he kept passing, but he had dyslexia?

320. 2:05:39

     And before this body founded the dyslexia part where we st- teach school teachers, I had to send him to a private school where he could get training and to learn how to read, and I had to work two jobs because I didn't have this program. Well, I'm glad he's doing much better, and I'm sure the gentleman knows of what he speaks. For what purposes sh- uh, Leader Efstration rise? Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Mr. Speaker, is it not true that, um, under this special needs scholarship's been in place since 2008, as the sponsor stated, that an IEP, um, that is provided for by p- private dollars right now does not meet the criteria, whereas that same evaluator, if paid by the public school, is the means by which, um, the special needs scholarship could be utilized.

321. 2:06:28

     And this in no way is expanding, uh, that existing program. It's simply allowing the parents to get that evaluation for their child so that they're able to, uh, follow through in putting their child in the best possible program as they determine. Is that not true? Sounds like a reasonable explanation to me. Have all members now voted? Uh, if so, Mr. Clerk will lock the machine on the passage of House Bill 1220. The yays are 106, the nays are 63.

322. 2:07:01

     This bill, having received a requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed.

323. 2:07:08

     Members, we'll move on to the supplemental calendar, and we'll rec- recognize the clerk to read us the caption on House Bill 1266, 1266. House Bill 1266 by Representative Ridley, the sixth and others, to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 7 of Title 52 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions regarding registration, operation, and sales of watercraft so as to repeal the provision relative to the use of certain motors on vessels being operated on the Ogeechee River.

324. 2:07:42

     This bill having been referred to the Committee on Game, Fish, and Parks. That committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute.

325. 2:07:54

     Representative Jason Ridley, we're glad your son's doing much better. The gentleman's recognized to speak to House Bill 1266. Thank you. Um, this bill is a simple bill. It's about putting machine guns on boats on the Oge- uh, Ogeechee River. I'm just joking. Don't freak out. I hope you are. Um, what this bo- what this bill does is there's one section of the Ogeechee River that for about 40 years you couldn't have more than a 9.9 horsepower motor on.

326. 2:08:24

     And now that with the evolution of engines, they're not two-stroke anymore, so now they're four-stroke. So now we're taking that, that off. But we are still applying it to you cannot have any personal watercraft in this one section, and the reason is, is for safety reasons. Uh, and the DNR, uh, kinda asked me to do that part of it, uh, because they've had some problems there. And that's all the bill does, and I'll take any questions if there are any.

327. 2:08:48

     Gentleman has no questions.

328. 2:08:50

     Thank you.

329. 2:08:55

     Good job. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Gentleman has yielded the well, by the way. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to adopting the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no.

330. 2:09:27

     And Mr. Clerk will unlock the machine.

331. 2:09:50

     Have all members voted? All members voted. If so, Mr. Clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of House Bill 1266, the yays are 164, the nays are zero. This bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed.

332. 2:10:11

     I'm sorry, what was that number?

333. 2:10:36

     Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption of House Bill 1391? 1-3-9-1.

334. 2:10:42

     House Bill 1391 by Representative Fleming of the 114th and others to be entitled an act to amend Code Section 40-2-86 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to license plates promoting or supporting certain agencies, funds, or nonprofit corporations with proceeds disbursed to the general fund and the agency fund, fund or nonprofit corporation so as to establish a specialty license plate honoring public safety officers. This bill having referred to the Committee on Motor Vehicles, that committee recommends that this bill do pass.

335. 2:11:14

     Representative Tim Fleming is recognized to speak to House Bill 1391.

336. 2:11:21

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. Today it's my honor to present, uh, Georgia House Bill 1391. This is legislation that creates a new specialty license plate that benefiting the Georgia Public Safety Foundation. You'll see the tag up on the screens. This foundation exists for one purpose, to support the men and women who serve in the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Motor Carrier Compliance Division, and the Georgia State Capitol Police. These are the professionals who patrol our highways all hours of day and night. They respond to serious crashes. They remove unsafe commercial vehicles from our roads.

337. 2:11:54

     They protect our state capitol and ensure the safety of us and visitors alike in th- these, in this building and own these facilities. Their work is often dangerous, always demanding, and too often unseen. HB 1391 gives Georgians a simple but meaningful way to show their support through the purchase of a special license plate. This plate is more than just a design on a vehicle. It is a visible symbol of appreciation, and more importantly, it generates funding that goes directly to the foundation's mission. Those funds help provide financial assistance to families of fallen officers and seriously injured officers in the line of duty, scholarships for their children, wellness and morale programs, and support in times of crisis.

338. 2:12:36

     These public servants and their families are not standing alone. This legislation does not mandate participation. It empowers citizens to choose to stand with those who protect them. It transforms every-day vehicles into moving statements of gratitude. Public safety is a shared responsibility-

339. 2:12:51

     The gentleman suspend just for a moment.

340. 2:13:01

     Proceed.

341. 2:13:03

     HB 1391 allows us to visibly and tangibly support those who risk their lives for our communities and for us. Let's give Georgians the opportunity to say every day and on every roadway, "We stand with you." Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'd be happy to take any questions if there are any.

342. 2:13:20

     You have a question to your left, a gentleman who knows a little about public safety, Chairman Bill Hitchens. The gentleman's recognized.

343. 2:13:28

     Will the gentleman yield?

344. 2:13:29

     Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman.

345. 2:13:30

     Isn't it true that the reason that there are different criteria for these retirements is in ninth, July 1st, 1970, the federal government instituted a rule that all public safety officers had to retire at the age of 55. The Motor Carrier Compliance people were in DOT back then, and half of them were in the Public Service Commission, and they weren't brought into the Department of Public Safety until 2005. That's why it's different.

346. 2:13:53

     Yes, sir. That's correct.

347. 2:13:58

     I think he knows of what he speaks.

348. 2:14:01

     Mr. Speaker, if there's no questions, I'll yield the well and ask for your favorable consideration.

349. 2:14:04

     I don't see any more questions. The gentleman has yielded the well. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no. And Mr. Clerk will unlock the machine.

350. 2:15:02

     Have all members voted? All members voted. If so, Mr. Clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of House Bill 1391, the yeas are 168 and nays are zero. This bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed. Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to House Bill 1393? 1393. House Bill 1393 by Representative Werkheiser of the 157th and others, being an act to amend Article 4, Chapter 7 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to county and municipal hospital authorities so as to allow rural hospitals to join together to l- allow further purchasing power with third-party payors but retain their independence.

351. 2:15:49

     This bill having been referred to the Committee on Health, that committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute.

352. 2:15:59

     Chairman Werkheiser is recognized to present House Bill 1393. Well, first of all, Speaker, I wanna thank you for allowing this to move on and for you being a champion of, of rural Georgia. Um, we've got 61 rural hospitals who, um, are having a tough go on it. And I wanna thank a few people first. We've got Jimmy Lewis sitting up in the gallery of Hometown Health, who has about 70 member hospitals, um, who's been championing, uh, causes of rural hospitals.

353. 2:16:37

     Um, and then my own CEO, Bill Lee of Evans Memorial, who was instrumental in helping testify and, and the thing I'm gonna miss is Michelle Madison of Bradley, who was the attorney that worked on this, uh, that would be able to help some questions. But what this is gonna allow is rural hospitals to maintain their independence, and this only applies to rural, which is defining code, uh, nonprofit hospitals.

354. 2:17:11

     And it will allow them to collaborate on contracts, whether it be, uh, purchasing supplies, staffing, which is a, a huge issue, trying to get doctors to rural hospitals. So hospitals in close proximity would be able to, uh, collaborate on contracting and other third-party contracts. I'll bring this up because it's, it's the first thing everybody mentions on this bill, and it was brought up in committee, is the issue around antitrust and price collusion.

355. 2:17:46

     Uh, there's two Supreme Court cases, the more recent being the 2013 FTC versus, uh, Phoebe Putnam. But the one I wanna focus on, um, was the earlier one where the Supreme Court in Parker versus Brown recognized that state action immunity relies on state sovereignty, principles of fed- federalism that says that antitrust laws do not prohibit anti-competitive actions as an act of government, and the state action doctrine extends to governments as long as the acts are, are clearly articulated and affirm- affirmatively expressed, which is what you would be doing if you hit your green button, is that we would be, um, laying out, carving out areas that, that are very specific that relates to government-only nonprofit authorities that would maintain their independence, but they would be allowed to collaborate on contracts.

356. 2:19:01

     And that, Mr. Speaker, is the bill, um, and I'll stand for any questions.

357. 2:19:09

     Gentleman has a question, Representative Hagan. Chair Lady Hagan to your right is recognized for a question. Thank you. Does the gentleman yield? Absolutely. Um, you and I both know, because we've done some extensive work in traveling around rural Georgia visiting these hospitals, that many of them have very little cash on hand, many of them a week or less, and that doesn't this bill, um, help them collaborate with one another and pool their resources so that they can make the best use of the money that they do have to stay open and support their communities?

358. 2:19:46

     Yes, ma'am, and I appreciate the question. And Lisa and I, um, she referenced, but to give you specific numbers, Lisa and I spent two days traveling 300 miles going to, uh, nine different hospitals, um, thanks to Jimmy. Uh, it was a brutal schedule. But we asked the same question every hospital we went to, "What can the legislature do to help you?" And this was the culmination of those visits.

359. 2:20:17

     Gentleman, yield for another question? Yes, sir. Representative O'Steen, to your right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the gentleman yield? Absolutely. Is it not true that this will revolutionize and throw a much-needed life jacket to these hospitals? It does, and- This bill will do that. Yes, and as, uh, one of the... We had a lot of CEOs come up, um, for the hearing on the bill. Um, and one of them testified that said this might be the most transformational bill to help rural, rural Georgia in decades.

360. 2:20:52

     Um, because those of you that have a hospital in your area, um, and more importantly, if you go to a town that once had a hospital and now long- no longer does, you know what that does to a community. And these are good-paying jobs and, um, will prevent people from having to travel, uh, more than an hour when, when minutes matter.

361. 2:21:16

     General, yield for another question? Yes, sir. Representative L.C. Miles to your right. Gentleman's recognized. Does the gentleman yield? Absolutely. Does this, uh, also include reimbursements for, um, from hospitals, and I mean, from insurance companies to get rural hospitals to get the same reimbursements as some of the urban hospitals? Well, they would not be able to get the same rate, I'm sure. But, um, as a member, and I think there's at least three of us that sit on the hospital board, and that's probably the biggest area of this contract, so I really appreciate that question.

362. 2:21:54

     I've got hospitals 15 miles apart from each other. They're both in tiny towns, but because of their payer mix on the exact same surgery, one hospital will get six to 10X the reimbursement of another hospital just because they can. And I will say this, those companies are not real fond of this bill, but they came to committee and realized that this bill was very tightly written. Um, and so thank you for the question, but absolutely it does.

363. 2:22:28

     One more question to your left, if you'll take another question. Representative Jasmine Clark is recognized for a question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the gentleman yield? Yes, ma'am. So when it comes to these mergers that they are doing- They're, they're not merging because they are independ- they are- They're staying independent ... maintaining their independence. So I guess that was my question. If, um, do all of the people that are collaborating to, um, with these third-party payers, do all of them have to be rural?

364. 2:23:00

     Or is it possible that they're, one of these hospital authorities has hospitals in, let's say, Atlanta, uh, lots of hospitals in Atlanta, but they also now own a smaller rural hospital. Would they still be eligible to do this? The answer is no, and that's a great question. And it is, um, very specific that it does not allow larger systems to come in and take over, collaborate for that very purpose. Both, if it's a two person, or three, or two or three, not person, authority, each of those entities must fall under the definition of being rural nonprofit hospital.

365. 2:23:44

     So it's very tightly written that these are small rural hospitals trying to work together, not trying to gain the system by, you know, somebody reaching out to Piedmont or WellStar or somebody like that. Thank you. Good question. Gentleman has no further questions. I thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate your favorable consideration. Good bill. Thanks for bringing it. Gentleman's yielded the will. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered.

366. 2:24:15

     Is there any objection to adopting the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the, the com- the report of the committee, excuse me, is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All those in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no. And Mr. Clerk will unlock the machine.

367. 2:25:08

     Have all members voted? All members voted. If so, Mr. Clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of House Bill 1393, the yays are 170, nays are zero. This bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed.

368. 2:25:29

     Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to House Bill 1432? 1432. House Bill 1432 by Representative Gullett of the 19th and others to be entitled an act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 12 of Title 17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated rela- relating to the Georgia Public Defender's Council so as to provide for vacancies on the Legislative Oversight Committee and to provide for a penalty for failure by the council to cooperate with the committee. This bill having been heard in the Committee of Judiciary Non-Civil, that committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute.

369. 2:26:06

     Chairman Gullett is recognized to present House Bill 1432. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 1432 is an important measure. Today we have a, a, um, Legislative Oversight Committee for the Public Defender Council. Um, but today there's no way, um, to fill vacancies when those happen on the committee. So what this does is it opens up the opportunity, uh, to provide a way to fill vacancies on the committee. Um, it also just reasserts our authority and says it should be unlawful for the council and director to fail to cooperate with the committee.

370. 2:26:42

     Um, that's all this bill does, Mr. Speaker. I'd be happy to answer any questions. Gentleman has no fur- no questions at all. Thank you. I urge your, uh, favorable consideration. Gentleman's yielded the will. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous qu- previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to adopting the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass?

371. 2:27:12

     All those in favor of the passage, passage of the bill will vote yes. Those opposed will vote no, and Mr. Clerk will unlock the machine.

372. 2:27:45

     Have all members voted?

373. 2:27:50

     Have all members voted? If so, the clerk will lock the machine on the passage of the bill. The yeas were 168, the nays were 1. The bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed. Clerk will read the caption to House Bill 962. House Bill 962.

374. 2:28:24

     House Bill 962 by Representative Martin of the 49th and others, to be entitled an act to amend Code Section 23-6-34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to savings trust accounts availability and terms and provisions relevant to the Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan so as to provide that the board of directors of the Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan shall determine the maximum contribution limits for savings trust accounts. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, that committee recommends that this bill do pass.

375. 2:28:58

     Chair recognizes Chairman Martin to present the bill. Thank you, Madam Speaker. And it's late in the afternoon, so I'm gonna, um, get right to it, but, um, first I'll let you have a little fun with, with some of my colleagues and tell you this bill is good for an agrarian economy and a non-agrarian economy. See, I can say that, that I had trouble with yesterday. And if you had simple on your bingo card, this is the simple bill. What we're trying to do here, folks, is help people save for college. In Georgia today, if you contribute to our in-state plan, you get a tax deduction.

376. 2:29:31

     What this bill seeks to do is give parity. It gives personal responsibility for folks to invest in plans, whatever's best for their child, and we want to encourage more people to invest for college. We, we have a special, um, uh, needs-based plan coming forward. We wanna encourage people to invest for college. So section two does that. Section one takes off the top limit and allows the, um, board to set that limit so that we don't have to deal with that in statute, uh, every year.

377. 2:30:02

     Uh, Madam, uh, Speaker, this bill is just that simple. It encourages people to save for college and gives them the opportunity to do that, uh, where they like. W- if there are no questions, I'd yield the well and ask the, um, House's consideration to move this forward and help Georgians get ready for college. There, there are a couple questions. Yes, ma'am. Chair recognizes Representative Clark for a question. To your left. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Does the gentleman yield? I do. Um, so on line 19 and 20 where we're removing that cap, is there any possibility or maybe concern, depending on how you look at it, that the, um, cap would be lower, um, by the board, like lowered instead of moving up as education and expenses maybe increase?

378. 2:30:52

     I, I don't think that would be the case. I can't stand before you and, and tell you what the board would do. But what I would tell the lady to do is Georgia is one of the few funds that has a cap, and the section two of this bill allows Georgians to invest where they please. So if we were to be shortsighted in our board, and I don't believe that'll be the case, our folks could invest in other plans and, and help our s- future students in Georgia. But I thank the lady for the question. Thank you. Chair recognizes Representative Roberts to your left for a question.

379. 2:31:23

     Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh, does the gentleman yield? Absolutely. I, I... This is not my bailiwick. I have a 529 plan for my child. I just am trying to understand who determined the maximum prior to this if it's moving to the board. It, it was, it was set in statute, I think at the recommendation of the board. The governor chairs the board. The, the governor had, um, talked about moving that up this year. My bill suggests that the board set the plan rather than put it in statute so if it needs to move up in the f- uh, future it wouldn't have to come back to the legislature.

380. 2:31:56

     And again, this doesn't impact the amount of deductibility that a, uh, a taxpayer has on a year-to-year basis. We know college is getting more, uh, expensive. We also know the federal government is looking at things that you can do with a 529 plan after college. Some, some of the conversations are going that you might be able to take, I believe it's up to $10,000 for the down payment on a home. So there's reasons to have more than the, the 235 in there, and I would trust the board, um, to make that decision going forward. Thank you.

381. 2:32:28

     Chair recognizes Representative Wilkerson for a question. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Um, does the gentleman yield? I do. You, you mentioned, um- To, to, to my friend, the farmer from Cobb. Thank you. You, you, you, you mentioned, um, college. You mentioned home, f- future homes. Is there anything else that 529s can be used for? I, I must admit, being a, a little bit past the age of college myself and, and being a giver to the plan, not a receiver that would spend it, I'm, I'm not sure exactly what the uses are currently or incurred.

382. 2:33:02

     But I believe it is, it, you, one is able to use it for K through 12 education as well. Um, but this bill doesn't do anything to change the uses. That's defined in federal code. Correct. Does the gentleman further yield? Sure. I'm glad you brought that up. When you say q- K through 12 education, you mean the fact that you can now use 529s, um, for private school, so this would allow you to put unlimited funds into if, if that's what the department says that you can use for private schools. Is that not true? Well, you can do that today. You just can't do it in the Georgia plan today.

383. 2:33:33

     You could, for instance, have- To, if you reach your maximum, the Georgia plan at 235,000, you could do the Alaska plan or the Idaho plan or the, uh, you know, the Iowa plan. So it's, it's not a question of, um, us limiting. The limitation for that wasn't set, uh, in order to keep people from getting more money. It was just, it was an arbitrary limit, quite frankly, put on our plan when it was put together. I thank the gentleman for the question.

384. 2:33:59

     Chair recognizes Representative Cannon for a question.

385. 2:34:05

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. Do you yield?

386. 2:34:07

     I do.

387. 2:34:08

     Does this bill have a fiscal note?

388. 2:34:09

     It, it, um, has a fiscal note of between $30 and $50 million, and I would tell you how that comes about. Basically, every dollar that, um, the fiscal note was assuming, say, for $50 million fiscal note, that would assume another billion dollars was saved for college. I could only hope that would happen this year, that Georgians would save a billion dollars for college. And, and that's assuming, um, House Bill 1- 1001 passes to move the rate to 4.99. I would tell the lady that the estimate on that fiscal note I fear is too high.

389. 2:34:43

     I don't think we'll get that much investment because the 529 plan in Georgia has been around for, I think about 25 years and has a little over $7 billion in it. So I think it's, um, um, we're, we're very optimistic to think we'd get an extra billion put in this year, uh, because of this change. But if we were to get an extra billion, I would say it was very successful and Georgians were saving for college, so that would be a good thing.

390. 2:35:09

     Thank you. Do you further yield?

391. 2:35:10

     I do.

392. 2:35:11

     Can you clarify, are you saying that one piece of legislation will help to create that funding? I'm not, I don't understand the part about, uh, 1001 or is there-

393. 2:35:23

     No, I-

394. 2:35:23

     ... an actual-

395. 2:35:25

     Turn your-

396. 2:35:25

     ... appropriation that we have to make?

397. 2:35:26

     I'll let you, yeah, I'll let you finish. Uh, no, my, my assumption when I said $50 million and a billion dollars is, uh, uh, HB 1001 sets the tax rate at 4.99, rounded up to 5%. So, um, $50 million in dollars in, in taxes would be, uh, lost should a billion dollars extra go in this plan. I think that's a good deal for Georgia, and that's the reason I referenced, uh, th- um, House Bill 1001. If, if House Bill 1001 fails to pass, then it would cost a little more because we would be at a 5.19, uh, tax rate.

398. 2:36:03

     There are no more questions.

399. 2:36:07

     There are no more questions.

400. 2:36:09

     Yes. Thank you. Uh, Madam Speaker, I ask favorable consideration. I yield the well.

401. 2:36:13

     The gentleman has yielded the well. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? The chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? The chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no. And the clerk will unlock the machine.

402. 2:36:59

     Have all members voted?

403. 2:37:04

     Have all members voted? If so, the clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of the bill, the yays were 163, the nays were five. The bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed. Clerk will read the caption to House Bill 1148. 1148.

404. 2:37:21

     House Bill 1148 by Representative Cannon and the 172nd and others to be entitled an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 7 to Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to income tax, imposition rate, computation, exemptions and credit sales to revise tax credits for donations of real property for con- conservation purposes. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, that committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute.

405. 2:37:48

     Chair recognizes Representative Cannon to present the bill.

406. 2:37:54

     Thank you, Madam Pro Tem. I have for you members of the house, House Bill 1148, which is a reauthorization of the Georgia Conservation Tax Credit. Just wanna run you through some key points of the legislation. The bill reauthorizes the conservation credit for another five years. It's due to expire at the end of this year. Uh, so if we run it through another five years, it'll expire December 31st, 2031. It caps the value of the tax credit at 500,000 for individuals and one million for partnerships.

407. 2:38:25

     It reestablishes the aggregate amount of annual credits at 30 million, which is what, that was the original amount established in 2006 when this credit was first authorized. We also streamline the application process through the Department of Natural Resources, and we allow the Georgia Real Estate Commission to act as an independent reviewer of any appraisals, uh, for which these are permanent easement restrictions. And just as a side note, I've been a, I've been a lifelong hunter. Uh, it's one of the most important things in my, in my life and in my family's life.

408. 2:38:56

     It's also important to the state. The revenue that hunting and fishing brings to the state every year is around $40 million in license revenue, 40 million bucks. And the economic impact of hunting and fishing on the state, it's around $12 billion. So it's a huge economic impact to the state. But you can't hunt and fish without habitat, and without the fields and the farms and the streams that hold live game. You can't have hunting and fishing without conservation, and that's what this bill helps to do.

409. 2:39:27

     I'll answer any questions and ask for your favorable consideration of House Bill 1148, Madam Pro Tem.

410. 2:39:32

     There are no questions.

411. 2:39:33

     I yield the well.

412. 2:39:34

     The gentleman has yielded the well. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? The chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to adopting the committee substitute? The chair hears none. The committee substitute is adopted. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? The chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no, and the clerk will unlock the machine.

413. 2:40:23

     Have all members voted?

414. 2:40:28

     For what purpose does Chairman Dempsey rise?

415. 2:40:32

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. Pursuant to House Rule 133, I ask to be excused from this vote.

416. 2:40:38

     The woman is, uh, has, is, is, is allowed to make that motion. Shall, on the passage of the bill... Have, well, have all members voted? If so, the clerk will lock, lock the machine. On the passage of the bill, the yeas were 163, the nays were 0. The bill, having received the requisite constitution majority, is therefore passed. Clerk will read the caption to House Bill

417. 2:41:07

     1077. House Bill 1077.

418. 2:41:11

     House Bill 1077 by Representative Williams of the 148th and others be titled an act to amend code section 48-8-3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to exemptions from sales and use taxes so as to extend the sunset date applicable to the exemption for sales and tickets, fees and charges of admission to certain museums and fine art performances. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, that committee recommends that this bill do pass.

419. 2:41:39

     The chair recognizes Chairman Williams to present the bill.

420. 2:41:44

     Thank you, ma'am. This is, uh, House Bill 1077. Basically, this extends the sales tax exemption for tickets and related fees for the fine arts performances or exhibitions that are held or take place at qualifying 501[c][3] nonprofit significant museum focusing on arts, education, or cultural programming. The sales tax exemption keeps ticket prices low, makes the arts affordable for more people, and brings in larger audiences. Um, bas- all this does is extends the current tax credit to December 31st of 2032.

421. 2:42:21

     Um, and I would ask for your favorable consideration on this bill. Thank you.

422. 2:42:26

     There are no questions.

423. 2:42:27

     Thank you.

424. 2:42:29

     The gentleman is-

425. 2:42:30

     I yield the well.

426. 2:42:30

     The gentleman has yielded the well. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? The chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? The chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no. And the clerk will unlock the machine.

427. 2:43:23

     Have all members voted?

428. 2:43:28

     Have all members voted? If so, the clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of the bill, the yeas were 155, the nays were 15. The bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed. Clerk will read the caption to House Bill 376. House Bill 376.

429. 2:43:45

     House Bill 376 by Representative Hilton of the 48th and others to be entitled an act to amend Article 2, Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to the imposition, rate computation, exemptions, and credits for state income tax so as to increase the amount of tax credits available for the rehabilitation of certified structures. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, that committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute.

430. 2:44:12

     Chair recognizes Chairman Hilton to present the bill.

431. 2:44:20

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. This bill, House Bill 376, extends the cap, uh, from 30 to 60 million on a very important, uh, historic renovation tax credit in our state, uh, encourages private developers to, to redevelop historic structures that have touched all of our communities. I know each one of us probably have an example in our district of how it's helped. And so right now, all the credits are accounted for. Uh, the program isn't due to sunset until 2029. And so, uh, this bill will allow for more, uh, credits to be made available.

432. 2:44:53

     There is an added incentive for development in rural areas of our state. Uh, and you'll find that on lines 32 to 36. And with that, Madam Speaker, I'll pause for any questions.

433. 2:45:02

     There are no... Uh, there is a question. The chair recognizes Representative Carter to your left for a question.

434. 2:45:10

     Uh, thank you. Uh, does the gentleman yield?

435. 2:45:12

     Yes.

436. 2:45:13

     Could you add some clarity for me? You said that this was for developers. So is, so the only entities that could take advantage of this historic tax credit in redeveloping historic properties are only developers?

437. 2:45:30

     It can really be anybody who's, you know, wanting to take on projects to, to rehab and refurbish, uh, historic structures across our state, of which there's many. And so, uh, it's led to some great projects and really revitalizing many of the downtown communities in, in, uh, across Georgia. And so it's been hugely successful and popular, uh, really driving economic development and growth in, in some of the areas that need it most. And so, uh, yes, uh, asking for additional credit on this popular program.

438. 2:45:58

     Chair recognizes Representative Rice to your left for a question.

439. 2:46:03

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. Does the gentleman yield?

440. 2:46:05

     Yes.

441. 2:46:06

     Is it not true that this tax credit has transformed Columbus, Georgia in the last 20 years we have been working on re- repurposing our historic neighborhoods and sites and we transformed our whole downtown, and as we have sp- used- utilized this credit, we're looking to expand and we're continuing those projects that are so meaningful in changing our community?

442. 2:46:27

     Yes, to my seat mate. I mean, Georgia's really blessed with so much historical infrastructure and, and Columbus is the prime example of, of what's been done and just the revitalization of, of that area has been incredible, and so we wanna continue that efforts here in the state.

443. 2:46:43

     Chair recognizes Representative Buckner for a question.

444. 2:46:47

     Does the gentleman yield?

445. 2:46:48

     I do.

446. 2:46:49

     Is it not true that this tax credit returns about $4 for every dollar the state invests to the coffers?

447. 2:46:56

     It does. Yeah. We've looked at this time and again and, and the ROI is, uh, an, an great return on, on the investment that we make with this tax credit. Thank you.

448. 2:47:03

     Thank you. It's a good bill.

449. 2:47:06

     The chair recognizes Representative Cannon for a question.

450. 2:47:10

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. Do you yield?

451. 2:47:12

     Yes.

452. 2:47:13

     Does this increase the rehabilitation thresholds?

453. 2:47:18

     It inc- there is an increase, uh, on the per project cap. Uh, and you'll find that on line 45.

454. 2:47:26

     And if so, does that have an impact more on rural counties or urban counties?

455. 2:47:35

     Yeah, as I said, uh, there is sort of a kicker or added incentive, uh, in the middle of the bill there, uh, to encourage more redevelopment in some of our rural counties. I know this, as a body, we've been really focused on how do we drive more activity to all corners of our state. And so, uh, that's part of the bill that you'll find on line 32 there.

456. 2:47:53

     Do you further yield?

457. 2:47:54

     Yes, ma'am.

458. 2:47:55

     So since you have stated that this is a little more geared towards or made favorable towards rural counties, what safeguards are there that will ensure that these credits are distributed statewide?

459. 2:48:12

     Well, I think the credits will be distributed where the projects are and, and where the need is, is most. And so, uh, there's really no discrimination per se. Whenever a project is identified and, uh, worked on, that's where the credits will, will go toward. With that, Mr., uh, Madam Speaker, I know we're late in the day, so I will ask for your favorable consideration and yield the well.

460. 2:48:33

     Gentleman has yielded the well. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? The chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to adopting the committee substitute? The chair hears none. The committee substitute is adopted. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? The chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no. And the clerk will unlock the machine.

461. 2:49:25

     For what purpose does Chairman Carson rise?

462. 2:49:28

     Madam Chair, pursuant to Rule 133, I ask to be excused from this vote.

463. 2:49:33

     The gentleman has that right, and it is so ordered. For what purpose does Representative Jones rise?

464. 2:49:39

     Parliamentary inquiry.

465. 2:49:40

     State your inquiry.

466. 2:49:42

     Thank you, thank you, Chair Lady. Speaker, I just want to say that this bill is more than just a bill for the wealthy or for just a developer. Because if it was not for the historic tax credits that we have right now, I would not ha- be the owner of property in downtown Macon. So I do thank you for this, and I champion further legislator like this. Thank you, Speaker.

467. 2:50:13

     Thank you, Representative. Have all members voted? If so, the clerk will lock the machine on the passage of the bill. The yays were 161, the not, the nays were nine. The bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed. Clerk will read the caption of House Bill 1234. House Bill 1234.

468. 2:50:34

     House Bill 1234 by Representative Taylor of the 173rd and others to be entitled an Act to Amend Chapter 19 to Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to State Employees Assurance Department so as to provide for the assignment of certain group term life insurance benefits to pay for funeral expenses of a deceased individual who was a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, the Georgia Legislative Retirement System, or the Georgia Judicial Retirement System. This bill having referred to the Committee on Retirement, that committee recommends that this bill do pass.

469. 2:51:08

     Chair recognizes Chair Taylor to present the bill.

470. 2:51:12

     Thank you, Madam Pro Tem. Members of the House, I bring you House Bill 1234 working off of LC520970. This bill relates to the State Retiree Life Insurance Program. This issue has been around for several years. Currently, the program does not allow for the beneficiary of these retiree life programs to assign the benefits directly to a funeral home. This is standard practice with most life insurance policies.

471. 2:51:43

     This bill allows the plan to accept the assignment, specifically stated it can only be used for funeral costs We had many pro- um, problems, especially during COVID, where many funeral homes were not paid by the beneficiaries. It put in danger our retiree state employees not having the dignity of the funeral services they need and deserved. Previously, the department was concerned other debtors would try and claim the benefit. This bill specifically states that only the actual funeral expenses can be assigned.

472. 2:52:16

     It is the funeral cost less any benefits, and any remaining, uh, funds will be paid directly to the beneficiary. I'll be happy to answer any questions if there are any.

473. 2:52:31

     There are no questions.

474. 2:52:33

     Thank you. I ask for your favorable consideration for House Bill 1234. Thank you.

475. 2:52:38

     The lady has yielded the well. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? The chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? The chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no, and the clerk will unlock the machine.

476. 2:53:28

     Have all members voted?

477. 2:53:34

     Have all members voted? If so, the clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of the bill, the yays were 166, the nays were two. The bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed.

478. 2:53:49

     Clerk will read the caption. House Bill 1238. House Bill 1238.

479. 2:53:53

     House Bill 1238 by Representative Dempsey of the 13th and others to be entitled an Act to Amend Article 7 of Chapter 4, Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to medical assistance generally. So as to direct the Department of Community Health to submit a waiver request to the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to authorize the qualification of certain caregivers for Medicaid reimbursements. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Human Relations and Aging. That committee recommends that this bill do pass.

480. 2:54:24

     Chair recognizes Chair Dempsey to present the bill.

481. 2:54:30

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. Good afternoon, y'all. Um, this bill comes to you as a direct outcome from the House Study Committee on abandoned child placement following hospital discharge. That was a very difficult discussion to even learn that children often get stuck in hospitals and also our, uh, psychiatric residential treatment facilities because they are abandoned by a parent. It's not a quick decision. It's often a child that has been there multiple times, in the double digits of multiple times, and a situation where it's difficult for that child to go back into the family where they are placed.

482. 2:55:12

     Often a foster parent, often an adoptive parent, but there are other children, and at times it is very dangerous. They can no longer be integrated there. The parent is at the end of their rope. So this came as a very great proposal, uh, from the Department of Community Health. It is one of their department bills. Commissioner Burke and his team brought this as a solution for us to face this. It requires that no later than December 31st, 2026, the Department of Community Health will submit a waiver request to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of the United States Department of Health and Human Services to authorize the provision of respite care and related services for caregivers of individuals under the age of 21 who are at risk of out-of-home placement or residential treatment due to complex behavioral health conditions and qualify for Medicaid reimbursement.

483. 2:56:14

     The department is always in, already in process and do feel that these waivers will come through. It will help families stay together. It will free up capacity in some of our facilities, help our emergency rooms being left with an underage, uh, individual who needs care different from what they are receiving at that time, and it gives families to help keep children at home with focus on appropriate care at the exact appropriate time.

484. 2:56:46

     Madam Speaker, if there are any questions, I'll be glad to take them. If not, I will yield the well.

485. 2:56:51

     You have a question. The chair recognizes Representative Bazemore for a question.

486. 2:56:57

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. And does the gentlelady yield?

487. 2:57:01

     I do.

488. 2:57:02

     And thank you so much for bring- bringing this bill. And we had discussion in committee, and we know that this is going to give more tools and-

489. 2:57:11

     Passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no, and the clerk will unlock the machine.

490. 2:57:41

     Have all members voted? If all members voted, if so, the clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of the bill, the yays were 167, the nays were two.

491. 2:57:52

     The bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed. Clerk will read the caption to House Bill 1272. House Bill sel- 1272. House Bill 1272 by Representative Jones of the 25th and others to be entitled an act to amend Title 7 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to banks and finance so as to provide for the use of certain terms in the advertisement and place of business of licensed payment as stablecoin issuers. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Banks and Banking, that committee recommends that this bill do pass.

492. 2:58:29

     Chair recognizes Chairman Jones to present the bill.

493. 2:58:36

     Madam Speaker, thank you so much. Members, our state has long been the heartbeat of global commerce. We are the proud home of Transaction Alley, where over 75% of all US card transactions are processed right here in our backyard. We didn't earn this title by accident. We earned it through bold, forward-thinking policy. We consistently hear that we are the number one state to do business, but as the Fifth Industrial Revolution is upon us, we must turn our sights to being the most innovative state in the union to do and transact business.

494. 2:59:09

     We are currently wis- witnessing the greatest evolution in history of value exchange since the introduction of the credit card. That while today we call this technology a stablecoin, in just a few years we will just call it money. The bill before you, the Georgia Payment Stablecoin Act, is our line in the sand. It is our chance to proclaim to the country and the world that Georgia intends to maintain its position in the fintech space. It is ensures that our next generation of financial technology doesn't just pass through Georgia, but it is built and regulated in our state.

495. 2:59:44

     This legislation is designed to be the, the state-level companion to the Federal Genius Act, ensuring our laws are substantially similar to national standards while empowering our own Department of Banking and Finance. Before I dive into bill, let's be sure we have a clear understanding of stablecoin. Stablecoins offer several unique advantages for cross-border payments, including faster transaction times, and often settling in minutes instead of days. Think about the ACH you do, think about the Fedwire that you do that sometimes take hours and other times days, and lower fees and fewer intermediaries.

496. 3:00:20

     They also provide greater transparency and security and protection against fraud as transactions are recorded on public blockchains, making them traceable and auditable. It requires every licensed insurer to maintain identical one-to-one ratios and reserves. I wanna say that one more time. These reserves must be held in trust for the benefits of the holders, ensuring that Georgian's digital dollar is always backed by safe, liquid assets like the US dollar or short-term Treasuries, which would mature in less than 90 days.

497. 3:00:52

     That's a one-to-one ratio. It provides a clear framework for licensing and examination and supervision. As a matter of fact, they are marked to market every month by the Department of Banking, and we are moving stablecoins out of the Wild West and into the regulated environment that looks and feels like a sophisticated financial system. It mandates rigorous, rigorous anti-laundering, uh, and economic sanctions compliance, making it clear and while we welcome innovation, we have zero tolerance for illicit activities. We have a choice.

498. 3:01:23

     We can wait for other states to set the rules and try to catch up, or we can lead. By passing the Georgia Payment Stablecoin Act, we aren't just passing a bill, we are claiming our seat at the head of the table for the next 50 years of financial innovation. Let's keep the alley in Georgia. Let's make sure that when the world asks where the future of money is written, the answer remains the great state of Georgia. Ladies and gentlemen, that is House Bill 1272. I hope you will join me in ensuring that Georgia isn't just the best state to do business, but it's the most innovative state to do business in the union.

499. 3:02:00

     Madam Speaker, that is the bill, and I'll stand for questions. Well, there are questions. The chair recognizes Representative Berry for a question. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Does the gentleman yield? Yes, sir. I like the intent behind the bill, but I just have one quick question about if anyone at the Department of Banking and Finance has the training to do such regulations on stablecoin here. Well, Representative Berry, the department is enthusiastic and wildly supportive of the bill and basically being able to be the first.

500. 3:02:30

     Uh, obviously, there'll be coordination with the federal government since the Federal Stablecoin Act was passed and vis-à-vis the Genius Act in July of 2025. So I think we'll all be probably doing, being the tip of the spear and also at the same time putting together what we hope to be the rules that will be set for the other 49 states with Georgia leading the way instead of us following.

501. 3:02:53

     Chair recognizes Representative Barnes for a question. Thank you. Does the gentleman yield? Yes, ma'am. Can you just, um, ex- explain to me what a stablecoin is in, like, l- layman terms? Sure, Representative. Please. It's a great question, and thank you so much. Here, let me tell you first, it's not Bitcoin, and I will say that one more time. It is not Bitcoin. It is a stable currency, digital, allowing you to transact immediately that is backed in a segregated account that cannot be leveraged by the holders literally on a one-to-one basis.

502. 3:03:32

     Every stablecoin you have has a dollar behind it or a short-term Treasury, so you have the confidence in the US dollar and at the same time the convenience of an electronic transaction. Chair recognizes Representative Gaines for a question. Will the gentleman yield? Yes, sir. Isn't it true there's 40,000 jobs in the transaction processing in Georgia, and this will keep us on the cutting edge? Representative, you make a great point. And not only are those great full-time jobs, but actually the median income for those jobs is over $100,000.

503. 3:04:07

     So our ability to put this arrow into their quiver, I think, continues to allow us to dominate the fintech space around the world. Madam Speaker, I know that we're short on time. I know the night is getting long. I appreciate your time, and I'm gonna yield the well. Thank you so much. Gentleman has yielded the well. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? The chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? The chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass?

504. 3:04:38

     All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no, and the clerk will unlock the machine.

505. 3:05:06

     Have all members voted?

506. 3:05:08

     I cannot vote.

507. 3:05:09

     For what purpose does Representative Cannon rise?

508. 3:05:13

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. Parliamentary inquiry.

509. 3:05:15

     State your inquiry.

510. 3:05:16

     Is it not true that I was just going to ask, um, does the Department of Banking and Finance need additional money to handle this important responsibility? And that while I very much support this effort as a person who hosted a Crypto 101 event for all legislators last year, at this time our department does not have any staff who have training nor expertise in stablecoin regulation. Is it not true?

511. 3:05:45

     The chair has no knowledge of, uh, of the department's position, but, uh, perhaps in offline you can ask the chairman. Um, have all members voted? If so, the clerk will lock the machine on the passage of the bill. The yays were 154, the nays were 16. The bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed. Clerk will read the caption to House Bill 1087. House Bill 1087.

512. 3:06:14

     House Bill 1087 by Representative Bonner of the 73rd. To be entitled, "An Act to Amend Chapter 80 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions regarding provisions applicable to counties and municipal corporations so as to prohibit counties, municipal corporations, and other governmental entities from charging disabled veterans certain fees related to residential improvements to be made to accommodate such veteran's disability status." This bill having been referred to the Committee on Defense and Veteran Affairs.

513. 3:06:47

     That committee recommends that this bill do pass.

514. 3:06:51

     Chair recognizes Chairman Bonner to present the bill.

515. 3:06:57

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. Uh, colleagues, I present House Bill 1087. It's the Disabled Veteran Home Modification Act. It's a very simple and straightforward bill. It simply states that if a disabled veteran in Georgia, uh, makes modifications to their home to accommodate that disability, they will not have to pay any permit or building fees associated with that. That, Madam Speaker, is the bill. I'll be happy to answer any questions.

516. 3:07:26

     There are no questions. Oh, there is a question. I'm sorry. Um, the chair recognizes Representative Clark for a question.

517. 3:07:36

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. Does the gentleman yield?

518. 3:07:38

     I do.

519. 3:07:39

     First, I wanted to say thank you so much for this legislation. I think it is absolutely important, um, that we allow, uh, people with disabilities to be able to modify their home without extra burden, and I love that we're doing this for veterans. I would actually love to see this be available to all disabled Georgians. Is there any contemplation of that?

520. 3:08:01

     Well, I would absolutely love to work with you and anyone else on that measure. Uh, w- we're certainly right now focusing in on those disabled veterans that, that there is a process for, um, for that to, uh, and, uh, to prove their disability and be certified through the VA and through our own Department of Veteran Services. I'm sure there's a method for that for others that fall outside that category, and I would be happy to work with you on that future legislation.

521. 3:08:27

     Yes. Thank you.

522. 3:08:29

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. I yield the well.

523. 3:08:49

     The gentleman has yielded the well. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? The chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? The chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no, and the clerk will unlock the machine.

524. 3:09:39

     Have all members voted?

525. 3:09:44

     Have all members voted? If so, the clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of the bill, the yays were 173, the nays were zero. The bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed.

526. 3:09:56

     It may not be like that one.

527. 3:10:01

     Did you want me to-

528. 3:10:10

     Clerk will read the caption to House Bill 1296. 1296.

529. 3:10:13

     House Bill 1296 by Representative Momtahan of the 17th to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 37 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions for governing and regulation of mental health so as to provide for a private, for a pilot program to support clinical research of certain eligible breakthrough treatments and provide such treatments to certain veterans and first responders suffering from certain conditions. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Defense and Veteran Affairs.

530. 3:10:46

     That committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute.

531. 3:11:00

     Chair recognizes, um, Chairman Momtahan to present the bill.

532. 3:11:08

     Thank you, Madam Speaker, members of the House. Today I'm asking you to consider legislation that addresses one of the most painful realities facing our veterans and first responders, the silent epidemic of suicide. These are men and women who stepped forward when our country and our communities needed them most. They carried the weight of war. They ran toward danger. They absorbed trauma so others would not have to.

533. 3:11:39

     But when that uniform comes off, too many of them continue fighting a battle that the rest of the world cannot see. Post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, treatment-resistant depression. And far too often the outcome of that battle is very tragic. House Bill 1296 creates a three-year pilot program within the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental D- Disabilities to study and provide eligible breakthrough treatments to veterans and retired first responders.

534. 3:12:22

     The program allows licensed physicians at approved clinical sites to administer therapies such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, ibogaine-based therapeutics, and other FDA breakthrough designated drugs or medical devices. The program collects standardized data, supports clinical research, and reports annually to the General Assembly. Across this country, veterans and clinicians have been pushing to study and develop new approaches to treating these invisible wounds.

535. 3:12:57

     This legislation allows Georgia to participate in that effort in a responsible and medically supervised way. I want to be very clear about what this bill does. This bill does not legalize recreational drugs. This bill does not bypass the FDA. And this bill does not create an open-ended program. What this bill does is allow Georgia to responsibly study and administer eligible breakthrough treatments, therapies that have received breakthrough designation from the United States Food and Drug Administration and are being studied under clinical protocols.

536. 3:13:40

     These treatments would only be provided under licensed physicians at approved program sites. It's a pilot program, it's appropriations dependent, and it sunsets automatically. In other words, it is a careful, accountable, and res- responsible approach. Members, these heroes, they did not hesitate when they were called to serve. And we should not hesitate when they need us the most.

537. 3:14:11

     If even one Georgia veteran is saved because we're willing to responsibly explore every medically supervised option available, then this effort will be worth it. With that, Madam Speaker, I'll yield for questions.

538. 3:14:36

     There are a couple questions. Chair recognizes Representative Santos for a question.

539. 3:14:45

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. Does the gentleman yield?

540. 3:14:47

     I'll yield.

541. 3:14:49

     Thank you for bringing this bill that protects and helps our veterans and first responders. Can you explain how they would access this program once it is available?

542. 3:15:00

     Yeah, so DBHDD would have clinical program sites. Those sites would, uh, be authorized by them. The typical structure model is for them to be attached to a university system. So they would access it through the university system where they'd get these, uh, these treatments through ibogaine and other, other FDA breakthrough treatments.

543. 3:15:21

     Does the gentleman further yield?

544. 3:15:23

     Sure. Yeah.

545. 3:15:24

     Will this be available across the entire state of Georgia?

546. 3:15:27

     It will be. That's correct.

547. 3:15:28

     Thank you.

548. 3:15:28

     Thank you.

549. 3:15:29

     The chair recognizes Representative Westbrook for a question.

550. 3:15:35

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. Does the gentleman yield?

551. 3:15:37

     I'll yield.

552. 3:15:38

     Isn't it true that this bill is particularly important at this moment given that the president is right now engaged in military force abroad in Venezuela and Iran and potentially other countries in the near future?

553. 3:15:51

     Look, our veterans deserve treatment.

554. 3:15:53

     I agree.

555. 3:15:53

     And, uh-

556. 3:15:54

     Thank you, Mr. Gentleman.

557. 3:15:54

     Thank you.

558. 3:15:56

     The chair recognizes Representative Williams for a question.

559. 3:16:02

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. Will the gentleman yield?

560. 3:16:05

     I'll yield.

561. 3:16:05

     Thank you very much for this bill, particularly for- The first providers. But is it not true that VA has a very extensive program and also a lot of studies going on? And my concern is, is it not true, will this interfere at all with the monies that are allocated for this and the veterans that are already in the treatment, and even at times can be assigned to civilian doctors?

562. 3:16:34

     No. So these are not usually the same dollars whatsoever. We wouldn't wanna do that. We know that there are ef- you know, programs that have efficacy across the United States in federal VA programs today. What this allows us to do is do some of the breakthrough treatments that were approved in 2017 and 2018 so that these veterans can have more options, not the ones they have today. Sometimes they don't work for everybody, but these programs have an 84% efficacy. Now, look, I'm not selling anybody in this room that this is a cure for veterans, but it is an option for those heroes who need this kind of help.

563. 3:17:14

     Thank you.

564. 3:17:15

     Will gentleman yield for one more?

565. 3:17:17

     I will, my friend.

566. 3:17:18

     Just for clarification, I understand that, and like I said, it has great possibilities, especially in, for the first responders. But w- will they be able to refer a VA patient that has a VA primary that has to approve the care? How will they prevail the, the VA system as it now sits with people who sometimes exclusively go to the VA? And I, for one, know that it's certainly ...

567. 3:17:49

     I, I, I can see the need. I'm just wondering, I don't want folk who are in the system to, to not, if we could possibly make sure it's coordinated with VA's existing programs for those who particularly are on 100% or 50%-plus in disability.

568. 3:18:07

     The, you're absolutely right, Representative. And to your point, this treatment program is designed for those who, whose disabilities, whose ailment is resistant to typical treatment.

569. 3:18:22

     Uh-huh.

570. 3:18:22

     So once they finish those ordinary and regular treatments, this is something that gives them a shot to heal. So to your point, we wanna make sure they come down, uh, this path. They wanna go through all the regular VA steps, then we're gonna have this as an option for those folks who couldn't find any help anywhere else.

571. 3:18:43

     Thank you for your bill.

572. 3:18:44

     Thank you.

573. 3:18:49

     Chair recognizes Representative Jones for a question.

574. 3:18:54

     Does the gentleman yield?

575. 3:18:55

     I yield.

576. 3:18:56

     Thank you for this bill and its service to veterans. I currently treat, uh, veterans for chronic pain, and I just have one question.

577. 3:19:05

     Sure.

578. 3:19:06

     What are going to be some of your metrics that are gonna be used for success, uh, with these treatments?

579. 3:19:12

     Yeah, so we're gonna let the, uh, we're gonna let the univer- That's, that's kind of one of the issues that we have right now. So without this pilot program, this three-year pilot program, well, we're c- collecting data.

580. 3:19:24

     Okay.

581. 3:19:24

     And when I say we, we're allowing the researchers who are running these, these, uh, these, you know, scientific studies, if you will. They're the ones who are collecting the data points for Georgians, right? We don't wanna look to other countries for their data points because they might not be the KPIs that we need for Georgia, and so that's why this is so critical. We've gotta have data that's peer-reviewed, that's happening right here at our research universities to make sure, uh, that our veterans are getting the treatment they need.

582. 3:19:59

     Thank you.

583. 3:20:00

     And, uh, with that, Madam Speaker, I would yield the well.

584. 3:20:05

     The gentleman has yielded the well. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? The chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to adopting the committee substitute? Chair hears none. The committee substitute is adopted. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? The chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill, vote yes. All those opposed will vote no, and the clerk will unlock the machine.

585. 3:20:40

     No, you okay.

586. 3:20:55

     Have all members voted? For what purpose does Representative Ballard rise?

587. 3:21:03

     Parliamentary inquiry.

588. 3:21:05

     State your inquiry.

589. 3:21:06

     Isn't it true that since 2001, almost 130,000 of our nation's brave men and women have taken their own lives, and that suicide is the second leading cause of death among veterans aged 45 and under?

590. 3:21:21

     I'm sure the lady knows of which she speaks. For what purpose does Representative Barnes rise?

591. 3:21:30

     Par- Parliamentary inquiry.

592. 3:21:31

     State your inquiry.

593. 3:21:33

     Thank you. Uh, is it not true that I'm a biomedical research scientist that runs a lot of these, uh, research projects, and it takes about 10 years to get through a new research study?

594. 3:21:45

     I'm sure the lady knows of which she speaks. For what purpose does Representative Cannon rise?

595. 3:21:52

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. Uh, parliamentary inquiry.

596. 3:21:55

     State your inquiry.

597. 3:21:56

     Is it not true that this bill's very important, considering we continue to deploy military forces as recent as this week?

598. 3:22:04

     That's a matter for each and every member to decide. Have all members voted? If so, the clerk will lock the machine on the passage of the bill. The yeas were 169. The nays were 0. The bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed.

599. 3:22:24

     Chair recognizes the Rules Chairman for an announcement.

600. 3:22:50

     Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd like to invite the members of the Rules Committee to meet me at 6:30 in room 341, 6:30. Thank you. A couple announcements from the chair. Uh, we will be in recess until 7:00 PM, and there will be food, thanks to the Speaker's office, in the ante room at 5:30, at 5:30. We're in recess until 7:00 PM. If you have, uh, I have a couple announcement for those who had signed up for dinner announcements.

601. 3:23:24

     Representative Clark for an announcement. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Colleagues, the Future Caucus is having a TikTok training over at the Freight Depot. All are invited, yourself, your staff as well. Please come over. If you ever have wanted to learn how to use TikTok to get your message out to the community, they're over at the Freight Depot. If you have any questions for them, they are here. They are w- They would love to see you all. Everyone is invited, and there is food as well right now, um, at the dinner break.

602. 3:24:01

     Yes. Thank you. I hope to see y'all over there.

603. 3:24:06

     The, the food will be in the member ante room, just for clarification. Chair recognizes Chairman Carpenter for a dinner announcement. Actually, it's not a dinner announcement. I apologize. A real quick meeting of Creative Arts and Entertainment in room 403 as soon as we walk out. It won't take long, but, uh, Representative Hong has, or Vice Chair Hong has a bill to present. All right. We're in recess.