House Rules Committee, February 23, 2026 Video: https://vimeo.com/1166681210 (a timestamp t plays at https://vimeo.com/1166681210#t=s) Page: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-23/house-rules This is a machine transcript of the General Assembly's video, made by a speech-recognition model. It is not an official record and can mishear words, names, and numbers. Speakers are not identified. The video is the record: every timestamp links to the moment it plays. [0:18:34] Scott Holcomb. [0:18:39] Morning, everybody. [0:18:42] Morning. Morning, Mr. Chairman. [0:18:44] Morning, Chairman Powell. How are you? [0:18:50] Good morning. How are you? All right. See you brother. [0:18:54] Hey, brother. How are you? [0:18:58] State of the matters. Hall of Commerce. [0:19:02] Good morning, everybody. [0:19:04] Good morning. [0:19:04] If you will, uh, take your seats and, uh, we'll call the meeting to order, please. Uh, [0:19:13] I'm gonna ask Representative Scott Holcomb to open us with a, uh, word of prayer. Scott, mash a button there so I can... Gotcha. [0:19:21] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for this day and the start of a new week. Please let us li- lead with patience and kindness as the days in this building get longer. And please help us to use sound judgment for the furtherance of our state and its citizens, and please watch over all of your people and keep them safe. In your name we ask, amen. [0:19:51] Good words. Thank you, sir. Okay. Uh, [0:19:58] let's hear from our members on the wall over there. And before you start, I'm gonna ask you, those that'll be asking for a bill, there's 117 bills on the blue sheets. [0:20:12] Ooh. [0:20:12] So, so that we can sort of facilitate, uh, everybody finding them and keeping up and moving along in a orderly fashion, as you present your bill, please give us the number and the page that it's on, so that the members can find it on their blue sheets. It'll, it'll help us to move, uh, move along. Chairman Mathiak. [0:20:35] Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Committee. Uh, my bill is under modified structure, um, and it's House Bill 170. It's just a couple down. [0:20:48] Page. [0:20:49] On that first page. I'm sorry. [0:20:50] Yeah. [0:20:50] Excuse me. Excuse me. [0:20:53] About three-quarters of the way down. [0:20:54] Yes, about three-quarters of the way down. [0:20:56] 170. [0:20:56] Okay. [0:20:57] 170. Go ahead. [0:20:58] Got it. Got it, got it. This is an insurance bill that you have heard in the past. It's, um, a transparency bill and kind of an accountability bill for the insurance companies. Um, the insurance, um, department is neutral on this. And what it does is it provides for licensed health, healthcare providers to make written requests so that they can get an explanation of benefits that matches up with their patients. And that's all it does. [0:21:29] Okay. I don't see any questions. Tanya- [0:21:30] Thank you, sir. Thank you, Committee. [0:21:32] Representative Bazemore. [0:21:37] Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Committee. This morning, I will be speaking to HB 490 on page two, third bill down. This bill is the Georgia Human Trafficking Prevention Training Act. And what this bill does, it requires human trafficking awareness training for inns, third-party managed short-term rental properties, and establishes reporting policies, recording, and penalties. [0:22:11] And it addresses the human trafficking in the hospitality industry and strengthens prevention and reporting efforts, standardized statewide training requirements. And everyone in the industry has weighed in, and they are supportive of this bill, along with the attorney general's office. [0:22:33] Okay. Got a question. Secretary, uh, Kelley has a question. [0:22:37] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Representative Bazemore, thank you for, uh, bringing this legislation. I know that's been a goal that we certainly worked on, reducing human trafficking in our state. Uh, I know that, you know, we've had several individuals who've really worked hard on that, including our First Lady of state, as well as our, our Speaker Pro Tem- [0:22:54] Mm-hmm [0:22:55] ... uh, through their work on the, the GRACE Commission. Help me understand the effect it'll have on individuals who occasionally rent their property, uh, out to other individuals to stay. Like, if someone were to maybe- [0:23:07] Mm-hmm [0:23:07] ... have a vacation home that they, or a, a residence that they rent, say, one week a year. [0:23:13] So those individuals will not be required to take this training. [0:23:19] And I haven't had a chance to, to fully dive through this. Can you show me where that exception exists? [0:23:26] So if you look on page two, and it is on line 39, starts at 39. [0:23:47] Okay, so the exception is, is as long as they don't use a third-party management service? [0:23:51] That's correct. [0:23:52] Oh, and just one follow-up, and it may be something we can talk about offline, Mr. Chairman, but do you know if third-party management service is defined anywhere in the code? [0:24:01] I- I'm sorry, say that again. [0:24:02] Is third-party management service defined in our code? [0:24:06] Are they fined? [0:24:07] Defined. [0:24:08] Oh, defined. Yes. I believe they are. I believe it outlines on this. [0:24:13] Okay, if you could just get that to me, because I'm thinking, what if someone has their brother managing their property for them? [0:24:19] Mm-hmm. [0:24:19] So if you could just help me- [0:24:20] Mm-hmm [0:24:20] ... with that definition afterwards, I appreciate the goal of the legislation. [0:24:24] Definitely. [0:24:25] Thank you. [0:24:25] Because those were some of the questions in the committee, and we addressed them. [0:24:28] Okay. No other questions. Thank you, ma'am. [0:24:30] Thank you. [0:24:31] Representative Donatucci. [0:24:37] Mr. Chairman, committee members, this bill is on page four, HB1030, third bill down, Math Matters Act. The three things that this bill does is guaranteed access to advanced math at end of grade, based on end of grade testing in seventh grade. It has better training for the future teachers, uh, for knowledge as well as skills, and then 60 minutes of daily core math for fourth and fifth grade. [0:25:10] This is also, we've worked with for this, the, um, Georgia CAN, GACEs, GAEL, GSSA, Georgia DOE, Georgia PSC, as well as Gwinnett County Schools, and the Superintendent of Schools for Alabama. [0:25:28] Okay, have a question. Whip Parks. [0:25:32] Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Representative Donatucci, thank you for the bill. Um, the, I had two questions. Um, one, are there any concerns or have any school boards raised concerns with respect to the automatic enrollment, uh, for students who, uh, receive certain proficient scores with respect to the potential burden that would place on AP classes or things of that nature? [0:25:56] So that was a big discussion that we had, and we did tweak the original bill. Um, what it is, it now is, as a distinguished learner, you are opted in automatically. And then as a proficient learner, that is up to the local schools to have those discussions and to lay out the groundwork for that. [0:26:13] Thank you. A- I don't know if I'm reading a substitute or the original version. Uh, with respect to, uh- [0:26:17] Mm [0:26:17] ... waivers and, and flexibility, uh, with, and, and, uh, to provide local control, is, has that been tweaked at all? Are there any strategic waivers still available? [0:26:26] Say that again? [0:26:27] Are there any strategic, strategic waivers available under the bill? Could certain charter schools and things like that be opt out? [0:26:34] Oh, so there are no waivers. [0:26:37] Okay. [0:26:37] The schools that are listed here, there are no waivers. [0:26:39] Thank you. [0:26:41] Okay, don't see any other questions. Thank you, ma'am. [0:26:46] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [0:26:46] Representative Ballard. [0:26:54] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the committee. I have HB1220. It's on page five, and it's sixth from the bottom on page five. Uh, what this bill does, it seeks to remove barriers within Georgia's student scholarship organization system for those with documented disabilities, and it expands flexibility in using scholarship dollars for those with disabilities that are listed in the bill. And it also, um, waives the six-week public school, uh, attendance requirement for those who are children of active duty military. [0:27:35] Okay, got a question. Whip Park. [0:27:39] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Representative Ballard, thank you for the bill. Um, do private schools require an IEP or a 504 plan? [0:27:48] Um, under this bill, the, the students with the IEP or 504 would be the ones that would have this requirement waived. [0:27:56] S- so, so I'm trying to understand. If a student receives an IEP in a public school, would that IEP plan follow the student to a private school if that public school student transfers in? [0:28:07] Well, you know, if it's, if a student's parents have made the decision to move them from a public school into a private school that fits the needs of that disability, they would most certainly be following that plan. [0:28:21] Uh, last question, if I may, Mr. Chairman. Uh, is there a fiscal note in terms of the potential number of students who would want to transfer who have a IEP? [0:28:29] We didn't need a fiscal note for that. And, um, you know, it, it, I, I don't know that this will expand this program. But what it does, it, it does give these schools a little bit more flexibility in how they use those dollars. It doesn't change the amount of money that's involved at all. [0:28:45] Thank you. [0:28:47] Okay. [0:28:51] Don't see any other questions. Thank you. [0:28:52] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [0:28:54] Let's see. Chair Lady Camp. [0:28:58] Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. I'm looking at House Bill 10002, and it's fifth from the bottom on page three. And this bill transfers children who are currently in the foster care system from a managed care program to fee for service. [0:29:20] Okay. [0:29:21] And Mr. Chairman, if you'll indulge me, I have another bill. It's, um- [0:29:24] Wait, wait just a minute. [0:29:24] Oh. [0:29:24] We have a question. [0:29:25] Oh, of course. [0:29:27] Whip Park. [0:29:27] After that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Chair Lady Camp, I appreciate the bill. I understand the purpose of it as well. I think the one question I had was would, will DCH be required to provide for c- continuity of care for DFCS students in light of the fact that, you know, this is more potentially temporary with the sunset, uh, in the bill as well? [0:29:46] Yes, that's a wonderful question. Thank you, Whip Park. Yes. They will have to provide a great deal of continuity. Uh, managed care is wonderful for certain populations, but these children move from place to place. Uh, managed care is challenging, especially when they're in more urban areas, suburban areas, and rural areas, to try to find providers. So this will enable children that will, to get the services they need no matter where they are in the state. [0:30:09] Thank you. [0:30:10] Thank you. [0:30:12] Okay. You, no other questions on that. You have another one, too? [0:30:16] Uh, yes, sir. If you'll indulge me, it's on page three, HB949. I think it's six down from the top. And this bill, um, involves drones. And I appreciate Representative Evans and Chairman Jones working with me on this. Uh, this bill actually prevents individuals harassing livestock or pot- potentially contaminating crops, water, or land using drones. [0:30:40] Okay. Don't see any questions. [0:30:43] All right. Thank you so much. [0:30:47] Representative Neal. [0:30:52] Thank you to the Chair, thank you to the committee. I present to you House Bill 1080, the Georgia Public Safety Support Fund. It should be on page four. 1080 on page four. [0:31:05] For years, some of us have been contemplating how we can facilitate the ability for the state to support local entities that may need additional funding for a, a variety of initiatives without having to continue to go through an arduous appropriations process. Whether we want to support a local technology upgrade in a court in South Georgia, or if we wanna support a certain local law enforcement in North Georgia, this bill allows us to do that. Under this bill, it creates a grant fund under the current Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and uses the preexisting council and their current grant issuance process to administer the grants. [0:31:43] All this bill is doing is establishing a new fund under a preexisting structure. We are not creating a new structure or process. This bill allows for us to collect public dollars or private dollars, to include donations from businesses, and you name it, to support the courts and law enforcement locally. And I stand for any questions. [0:32:04] Okay. Don't see any questions. Thank you, ma'am. [0:32:08] Thank you. [0:32:08] Representative O'Steen. [0:32:12] Oh, I have a question later. [0:32:13] Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee. I am presenting today House Bill 1191. It's on page five, almost halfway down. I'm working off a substitute. This is the exact same bill I presented here last week. The Department of Revenue asked for one change, and one change only, and it is on the, the back of the bill, page four, is that the effective date would be January 1st, 2027. What this bill does is just provides for additional med- military medal awards eligible for special veteran license plates. [0:32:48] You got a question? [0:32:49] No, I'm okay. She has one. [0:32:50] Okay. No questions on that, but you have another bill on the house though? [0:32:53] Thank you. Not yet. [0:32:54] Not yet. [0:32:54] Thank you so much. [0:32:55] Okay. Not yet. Representative Rice. [0:33:02] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, uh, this is House Bill 1107. It is halfway down on page four. It's the Excellent Teacher Preparation Act. It strengthens educator preparation in Georgia and continues the legislators' work to ensure our teacher pipeline remains strong, effective, and aligned in the classroom. What this bill does is it establishes a uniform statewide performance measure for education, educator preparedness. And, uh, this, this legislation is a result of strong collaboration among the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, the University System of Georgia, the Governor's Office of Student Achievement, and our Statewide Literacy Council. [0:33:41] Together, these partners align framework with the literacy and MASH initiatives we are working on in the assembly currently, and, um, ensuring teacher preparation reflects evidence-based instructional practices from day one. [0:33:56] Okay. No questions. Thank you. [0:33:57] Thank you. [0:34:01] Jim Carpenter. [0:34:03] Good morning, folks. It's such a pleasure to be here this morning. I didn't know this room existed anymore till today, so glad to be here. House Bill 689, second page, almost to the bottom. Uh, it, it allows, uh, DCA to set up a homeless prevention program under their, uh, state housing trust fund. It does not appropriate money, but it does allow in the future if they so choose to do s- or if we so choose to fund it, it allows a, a, a vehicle for that. Uh, we all know that, uh, what's the saying? An ounce of prevention saves a p- a pound of cure. [0:34:35] So it's a, uh, it's a, it'd be a great program for the state. [0:34:40] Okay. No questions. Thank you, sir. [0:34:42] Thank you, sir. [0:34:44] Uh, Representative Ridley. [0:34:48] Thank you, Chairman. Today I bring House Bill 35, which is halfway down on the first page. First one under modified structure. House Bill 35, we're just increasing the pay for special prosecutors. We're bringing it to $2.50 an hour, or 90% of a monthly, of DA's monthly salary, whatever is lower, and then allowing up to one tenant hour for staff. And the Prosecuting Attorneys Council will set the rates. They're adjusted for inflation, uh, every year, and PAC supports the bill. [0:35:15] Okay. Okay, got a question. [0:35:18] Yes, sir. [0:35:18] Secretary Kelley. [0:35:19] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Representative Ridley, thank you for bringing this legislation. On line 55, I see, um, and I know this legislation we, you introduced last year, had it effective July 1, 2025. Did you wanna keep that, or do you need us to make a scrivener's error adjustment to 2026? [0:35:36] We should probably adjust that. [0:35:38] Okay. Thank you. [0:35:40] Okay. Don't see any other questions. Thank you, sir. [0:35:44] Thank you. [0:35:48] Leader Seabaugh. [0:35:51] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Bring you House Bill 1129 on behalf of Governor Kemp. It's on page four, fourth from the bottom. 1129. So this bill speci- uh, specifically clarifies how enterprise zones are designated. It limits state tax exemptions, um, automatic state tax exemption. It allows governments to collect reasonable fees to support infrastructure, and it ensures these zones are used to promote long-term economic growth rather than simply subsidizing private investment. [0:36:24] Happy to answer any questions. [0:36:26] Okay. Got a question. Whit Park has a question. [0:36:29] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Rep- Representative Seabaugh, thank you for the bill. Um, I had two questions. Um, why, why the four-zone limit? Is there a reason behind capping it at four? [0:36:40] Yeah. Currently, there's, uh, really only one other application for consideration. But, uh, some of the, the- The bill is designed for capital projects over $400 million and really, uh, transformational infrastructure improvements. That's the reason for the, the zones. Most of, some of the applications coming in are for much smaller projects, so we wanna cap it at four. And then, uh, there's an additional requirement that requires, uh, the governor's approval for state exemptions to apply. [0:37:14] Um, can you help me understand the rationale behind that additional requirement, um, in which, you know, certain businesses wanting to come in, you know, I would assume they have greater certainty. Uh, but if a governor can subjectively come in and decide not to allow those state exemptions to apply, a- again, can you help me understand the rationale behind that? Yeah. So currently, a- again, these, this project, these, these are transformational projects. Um, so it's just a, a state... Right now, those, uh, sales tax for the state are automatic. [0:37:47] We just wanna put another s- uh, safeguard in there to make sure that we're reviewing these, uh, sales tax exemptions. Thank you. Leader Efstration has a question. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Leader Seabaugh, isn't it true that initially when the enterprise zones were created, they were really, really the focus was on capturing locations where there was zero economic projects, there's no development, no projects in place. Is that right? That's correct. And these, these projects must have been, uh, in that state for over 20 years, so it's not a whole lot that qualifies. [0:38:24] Thank you. Thank you. And so a cap of four, because currently it's uncapped, so a cap of four is reasonable in consideration to that. Is that right? I would agree with that. And then with respect to the approval by the governor, because there is the potential for, if sites that have already been built are now to receive this classification, there would be a potential for s- an impact to state revenue that maybe wasn't contemplated when the bill was orig- when the enterprise zones were originally created. Is that right? That is correct. [0:38:54] All right. And so this would then provide an additional, um, check to make sure that state revenue would not be unduly impacted without consideration. Is that right? Exactly. Thank you- Thank you ... th- for that clarification. Okay. Don't see any other questions. Thank you, sir. All right. Thank you, committee. Mr. Barton. [0:39:16] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What I, uh, mine's on page six, uh, it's five down, and it's, uh, House Bill 1277. It's, uh, an agency bill for GDOT. This, uh, updates an outdated dollar threshold and streamlines reporting requirements, uh, provided by GDOT, reasonable flexibility on how projects are delivered. The bill, the bill raises the environmental review trigger for, uh, road and airport projects from 100 million to 200 million, reflecting current costs, the, of construction now, while keeping the historic and cultural projects still in place. [0:39:49] It also updates the threshold to negotiate for the sale of surplus of GDOT property from $75,000 to $150,000, and allows for CPI adjustments going forward, also because of inflation. Finally, this, this consolidates transportation reporting into a single annual finan- uh, financial report to improve clarity and reduce redundancy. This is about e- efficiency and updating the costs of inflation. That's the bill, sir. Okay, got a question. Whip Park. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, uh, Representative, uh, thank, Barton, thank you for the bill. [0:40:22] Uh, how many projects, um, are between $100 million and $200 million that would avoid formal environmental review? And what safeguards do exist, uh, for those projects now under $200 million with respect to environmental impact? I don't have that number. The, I've not been given that from GDOT. This is just because of the, the 100 million with inflation, a 200 million project now is what 100 million used to be. And this is where Georgia can use its own money without having, you know, having federal money. That's the reason for it. Uh, additional information would be helpful, I think, to some of my members. [0:40:54] Okay. Thank you. I'll find out. Okay. Thank you. Representative Kelly has a question. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Representative Barton, do you know when the $100 million, uh, cap had been put in place? I don't know what year that was in place, but because of the last several years, that's why they're asking for this change. Thank you. Okay. Don't see any other questions. Thank you, sir. Thank y'all. Representative Richardson. [0:41:22] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I have two this morning. The first one is on page seven, the bottom. It's, uh, HR 1178. Thank you for allowing me to present HR 1178 for consideration. This resolution provides by general law for local participation in grant and adjustment programs, and I'd also like to thank Ch- Chairman Blackmon and his committee for supporting this process. Okay. Don't see any questions. [0:41:52] Did you say you had another one too? Yes, sir. Okay. The, the next one is on page seven also, and it's third from the bottom, and it's, uh, HB 1156. Um, this defines the authorization for establishing local homeowners incentive adjustment grant programs, um, and the committee's consideration would be very much appreciated. Okay. Don't see any questions. Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. [0:42:23] Chairman Fleming. [0:42:27] Thank you, Mr. Chairman and committee. I'm presenting today House Bill nine, eight, 913, which is on page three, third down. Uh, what this bill simply does, this is a bill that prohibits software vendors who work with the State of Georgia and local governments from placing into software contracts terms and limits, that limits a customer's choice of what vendors they use for additional, uh, technology services, uh, for the State of Georgia and local governments, it'd give them the full and free choice to select technology services that better meet their needs, and ensure budget funds are used effectively, allowing the State of Georgia and local governments, um, for example, to be able to provide through competitive bidding, um- ... [0:43:07] vendors for additional services that they might provide technology-wise. [0:43:11] Okay. Don't see any questions. [0:43:13] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [0:43:15] Mr. Flournoy. [0:43:22] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm presenting House Bill 1218. It's on page five, [0:43:29] seventh from the bottom. House Bill 1218 is the Georgia Virtual Public School Athletic Participation Act. It simply ensures that students enrolled in state-approved virtual public school programs are eligible to participate in extracurricular and interscholastic athletics in their resident school system. These students must meet the same academic residency, age, and conduct requirements as traditional public school students. [0:43:59] Um, I spoke with Georgia High School Association. Um, they have no problem with this, uh, bill. So are there any questions, Mr. Chairman? [0:44:07] Got a question for you. Kim? [0:44:10] I have nothing. Good. I, I will ask the question. [0:44:14] Okay. [0:44:15] So thank you, Representative. So this, though, doesn't just apply to athletic programs. This would also move on to, like, our band and other things like that. So my little brother went to the Georgia Cyber Academy, but he cared nothing about sports, but he was a musician. So this would allow him to participate in the band in our local system if he attended that, uh, cyber academy, correct? [0:44:36] So, so not only, um, athletics, but also extracurriculars as far as band, drama, clubs, things like that would also be included. [0:44:44] Thank you for the legislation. [0:44:45] Thank you. [0:44:46] Okay. Don't see any other questions. Thank you, sir. [0:44:49] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, committee. [0:44:51] Representative Barrett. [0:44:56] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ladies and gentlemen, House Bill 634 is on page two of the blue sheet. Back in 2024, um, the House of Representatives passed, uh, this legislation 169 to zero. It went to the Senate, made it all the way through the process in the Senate, but didn't get picked in rules. And, uh, the Department of Education has asked us to reintroduce this bill. It makes some important administrative changes they'd like to see. Uh, it's, it's, uh, it makes a few changes to the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program, make this very clear it's not an expansion of the program in any way, shape, or form. [0:45:34] It simply helps to improve the program for parents, school administrators, and the Department of Education. Uh, furthermore, with some changes in the bill, uh, it also increases the level of transparency into the program. It will provide scholarship estimates and actual amounts in a more timely manner, which allow families to plan better. It allows for how funds are remitted to the schools. Uh, funds can now, with this bill, be remitted electronically versus a actual physical check. Um, uh, and it has clarifying language about the appeals process around scholarship amounts. [0:46:07] Uh, it provides even more information in the program about the students who participate in it and on the types of conditions participating schools are able to pres- uh, to serve. Uh, and would be happy to entertain any questions, sir. [0:46:19] Okay. I have a question. Whip Park has a question for you. [0:46:23] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, so, so the money follows the student in, in, uh, with respect to these scholarships, correct? [0:46:32] Yes, sir. [0:46:32] Uh, again, I think the concern that, that I'm having is there's no, you know, these dollars will ultimately go to private schools for vouchers, and there's no federal or state requirement for private schools to have an IEP plan, correct? [0:46:47] Uh, this bill speaks to students who have an IEP plan or a 504. Um, so, um, e- there are about 6,300 students in the program. It's the same bill that you voted for, uh, two years ago. [0:46:59] Two years ago. [0:47:00] Um, and, um, and, and I missed your question. Uh, yes, the money can follow students to a private school, but it could also fo- uh, follow a student to another school within the, the, the school district, another public school, or potentially a public school outside of the district. [0:47:16] Would you be open to legislation that would require private schools in Georgia to req- to have an IEP plan or to provide for a 504 plan? [0:47:23] Mm-hmm. [0:47:23] Given, given that there are public dollars going to private schools, especially for students with disabilities. [0:47:29] I would be eager to talk to you about any proposed legislation, but, but with regard to this legislation, this is just a pro- uh, legislation to help families who have children with special needs make their lives a little bit easier. It's an excellent program, and it makes administrative changes to that program that, that was voted on unanimously by the House of Representatives. [0:47:48] Thank you. [0:47:48] Thank you, sir. [0:47:51] Okay, I don't see any other questions. Thank you. [0:47:56] Thank you. [0:47:57] Representative Gambill. [0:48:01] Thank you, Chairman. It's good to be with you today. I am working on House Bill 1159. It's on page seven, towards the bottom of the page, one f- up from the very last. Uh, this is the Governor's Farm Bridge Assistance Program tax deduction. Uh, we received, or USDA announced, uh, $12 billion in one-time bridge payments to the American farmers in response to temporary trade market disruptions. Um, these payments are intended to be part of aid to farmers until investments from the One Big Beautiful Bill reach eligible farmers on October 1st, 2026. [0:48:40] And of this $12 billion, up to $11 billion will be used for the Farmers Bridge Assistance Program. So all this bill will do is it will provide our farmers here in Georgia with an income tax deduction equal to any payments received as income through the federal, uh, Bridge Assistance, uh, Farmers Bridge Assistance Program. That's all the bill does. It's similar to what we did last year with the Hurricane Helene relief package and Senate Bill 203, two, 203. Uh, and that, uh, Chairman, is the essence of the bill. [0:49:13] Okay, we got a question. Whip Park. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, s- thank you for the bill as well. So, uh, just to clarify my mind, this piece of legislation is needed as a result of tariffs? This is, this is needed in a, as a result of a lot of different things that are impacting our farmers. And if you know, we've spent a lot of time talking about the timber industry in our state. Uh, this is tailored specifically for row crop farmers and specialty crops. Uh, and I can get into that more with you later. But, um, but again, farming, agriculture being the number one industry in our state, this is something that we felt needed to do that would benefit our farmers in keeping Georgia the number one place to do business for agriculture. [0:49:55] A- and with respect to the, uh, ex- tax exemption for income, it's only to those grant funds for federal dollars, or would this have any impact on state revenues? On- only to those federal funds. Thank you. Thank you. Leader Williamson. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And to the, uh, author of the bill, thank you for bringing this. It is not true that the federal funds coming are income ta- federal income tax free, and this would, like you said, similar to Hurricane, uh, Helene, make these, uh, th- those funds toward state of Georgia income tax free. [0:50:27] I appreciate that important clarification, and that is true. And a follow-up question, if I may. Can you, uh, tell us or describe a few of those row crops that will be covered by the bill? I will. I will. And the other day, you know, I'm from Cartersville, and I have a bad accent sometimes, but I wanna tell y'all that I mispronounced a few of these. But I talked to Danny O'Steen, and he told me that as long as the farmers got the tax relief that they needed, he didn't care how I pronounced them. So I think I'm good. [0:50:57] Okay, no more questions. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Representative Crawford. [0:51:08] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and to the members of the committee. Today, I'm bringing before you House Bill 1160, which is on page five. It is the third from the top. And House Bill 1160 ensures that our family members have equal access to our court systems. Currently in Georgia, victims of criminal acts receive a pause on the general two-year statute of limitations while the criminal case is pending. And during that time, victims cannot access key evidence while they're bringing their civil claims. [0:51:43] However, if the victim dies and a family member brings a wrongful death claim, the family member also cannot gain access to those documents, but that statute of limitations does not pause. This bill just makes sure that the law is congruent and that people who cannot access documents during criminal, criminal suits can pursue civil cases. That's it. Okay, no questions. Thank you, sir. All right, thank you. [0:52:18] You back again? Yes, sir. Representative O'Steen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and committee, for allowing me to get my thoughts together. I am presenting Senate Bill 59. It is on page six, number four from the bottom. Yes. Last year, this body approved a $200 million tax cred- timber tax credit for hurricane relief last year through House Bill, House Bill 223. [0:52:49] The governor signed it into law May 8th. There was $200 million that we approved. There was $240 million that was, uh, subscribed for. We're just asking that cap to be moved to $250 million. Do you, do you have a question? Yeah. I have a question for you. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Representative O'Steen, I know we've heard some, um, about this in committee, but just to clarify that some of this was unclaimed, that this would just extend the period to allow these victims of hurricane, uh, damage to have extra time to apply so that they can claim these, these much needed credits. [0:53:27] Is that correct? That is correct. Thank you. Thank you for the question. Okay. No other questions. Thank you. Thank you so much. Representative Monahan. [0:53:44] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, I have two bills on the blue sheet today. Start on page two at the very bottom. This is House Bill 792. [0:53:57] LC 492691S. As you see on lines three and 13, we have changed the, uh, monetary limits for magistrate courts from 15,000 to 25,000. This is a, uh, a negotiation between, uh, an agreement between the superior courts, uh, magistrate courts, and state courts working together to find something that would, uh, help, uh, us find a, a good level place with all the inflation that we've had, uh, over the last few years. [0:54:30] That way, if you get an offender-bender, you can still, uh, take care of that in our magistrate courts. Uh, of course, they always have, uh, the right to appeal, and so they can always continue to take that to superior court, but this just, uh, brings that back into a, a realm of reality. Okay, I don't see any questions. Do you have another one? Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On, uh, page three, uh, top of the page, House Bill 947. Uh, this is the, uh, Georgia SNAP Healthier Choices Act. [0:55:02] Uh, I'm actually, I'm sorry, the Georgia SNAP Integrity Act. This legislation is about, uh, something that's very simple and important. This is making sure that Georgia administers a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, uh, responsibly [0:55:15] And, uh, transparently and in full alignment with federal law under, uh, the One Big Beautiful Bill, uh, H.R.1. So while protecting the taxpayers who fund the program and preserving benefits for the Georgians who truly need them. SNAP is a federally funded program, but it is administered by Georgia. That means that Georgia carries responsibility for eligibility decisions, verification program integrity, and stewardship, uh, of public trust. And so this bill has to do- deal with the error rate. [0:55:45] We're trying to reduce the error rate, Mr. Chairman, uh, to below 6%. We've put in some enhanced measures to make sure that we get there throughout the bill. Uh, of course, uh, that's a top level view, Mr. Chairman, but I will stand for questions. [0:55:58] Okay, we've got a question. Whip Park has a question. [0:56:01] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Representative Momtahan, thank you for your bill regarding House Bill 947. Um, is it not true that I look forward to continuing to work with you to perfect this legislation to address error rates, um, at the state level in light of how much, um, money would otherwise be withheld by the federal government? [0:56:18] Yeah, that's right. It's been a pleasure working with advocates from across both party lines and, uh, and, and the stakeholders, including DHS and others, who find this to be a very important issue. You've been great to work with, so have so many others. But ultimately, you know, we, uh, we don't wanna let the perfect get in the way of the good, and, and I think that's something that we both sat on and talked about, so I, I appreciate that mindset, 'cause this is something that's gotta be fixed. And if we don't fix it, it's gonna have a enormous impact on our state's budget. [0:56:51] And so I appreciate, uh, you know, your perspective there as well. Thank you. [0:56:55] And, and just to clarify, Representative Momtahan, um, you are open to further amendments to ensure that this legislation, given the importance of it, uh, does what it's supposed to do? [0:57:04] There have been some, I think some that are needed, some that, uh, probably move from the core mission of us reducing those error rates. But of course, I always willing to talk and work with, uh, my friend and, uh, and see what we can make happen. [0:57:16] Thank you. [0:57:17] Sure. [0:57:18] Okay. Representative Evans has a question. [0:57:21] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Representative. Um, who, i- in the state of Georgia, is it DFCS that administers this program? [0:57:28] Yeah, DHS administers. [0:57:30] DHS. [0:57:30] That's correct. [0:57:30] Have they requested this change, or where do they stand on this legislation? [0:57:34] So we worked with DHS, uh, to make sure that they had, uh, you know, some of the, some of their items were taken care of in this bill to make sure that they can enforce these, uh, requirements. And so, you know, they did not, uh, they were not opposed to the bill. [0:57:47] Did they request it? [0:57:48] No, they did not request it. [0:57:50] Okay. And do they, are they neutral, agnostic? How are they, how would they describe their support or not support for the bill? [0:57:59] They seem to be neutral. And at the will of the general assembly, you know, if we want them to, uh, to place these types of new, um, mechanics into how they operate, uh, SNAP, uh, they were willing to do that. [0:58:12] And my last question, if I might, is, um, how much will it cost to implement this new system? I assume there's gonna have to be some changes made, and given the issues with DFCS funding in this last year at DHS, I just wanna make sure we're not doing an unfunded mandate here. Is there a fiscal note? [0:58:29] Yeah, so we are, we are seeking an appropriation. Uh, we do have a fiscal note. It's not, uh, doesn't seem to be too, uh, too accurate, so we've asked for a new number. Uh, but, but that is, that's coming. [0:58:41] What's the number that came down? [0:58:43] We don't know yet. Yeah. So we're waiting on that number, and we're gonna work, as we get closer to the big budget, we'll have a, we'll have a better idea. [0:58:48] Can I ask for clarification? You said the first fiscal note that came down, the number didn't seem to be accurate. So what was that number? [0:58:55] Yeah. It was only 300,000. It was only 300,000, and that did not seem to be accurate. Yeah, it's gonna be- [0:59:00] You think it would be higher or lower? [0:59:01] I do, I do believe it'll be higher. Correct. [0:59:02] Thank you. [0:59:03] Yeah. And, and to, to your point, I, I wanna say, uh, the, the financial impact could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. So we need to make sure that DHS has the resources they need to comply with these requirements. So the, y- y- you've gotta spend a little to save a lot, right? So a, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in this, in this case, and we wanna make sure we're doing that. Yeah. [0:59:25] Thank you. [0:59:26] Thank you. [0:59:30] Representative Miller, do you, have you, you pass? Okay. So- [0:59:35] I just have a question. [0:59:35] Representative Holcomb. [0:59:36] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, uh, I think all of us are aware of this issue, and I think, too, is Georgia's generally an outlier and has higher, um, a higher incidence of problems. Can you, at a high level, just tell us what are the main drivers that are causing the problem, and then how does the bill address it specifically? [0:59:55] Yeah. So, uh, our error rate is 15.5%. It's the third highest in the United States. Um, that's a, that's a big problem. Under One Big Beautiful Bill, any error rate above 10% requires a 15% callback, uh, from the federal government, uh, which is something around $500 million. Um, this, uh, one of the biggest reasons, and just kind of in short, I know you asked for a, a high level, is that, um, the broad-based categorical eligibility. [1:00:26] So if somebody is otherwise eligible for SNAP or, or, uh, or, or not SNAP, I'm sorry, TANF or WIC, if they're eligible for, for TANF or WIC, we're allowing them to be eligible now. And so, but there is quite a few of those applicants who are eligible that way through broad-based categorical eligibility that should not be eligible for SNAP. And so when we get audited, and we allow that to happen under BBCE, that creates an error, and that's pushing these error rates up. [1:01:01] Yeah. And I can give you offline a breakdown of kind of where these errors are coming from. Um, an error rate in simple is either an overpayment or an underpayment to a recipient. Now, the breakdown of that is about 90% overpayment and 10% underpayment. And, and what, what are the fixes that the bill has to bring it down? Yeah, there's several. Uh, I can work through those with you. Let's see. So first, it modernizes eligibility verification. Uh, it requires a timely verification by DHS, uh, shorter certification periods for high-risk cases. [1:01:37] So if you can imagine, if somebody's reporting net zero income, um, we shorten the time period. We're not gonna, we're not gonna accept that for a calendar year, right? So we're gonna, we're gonna move forward and say, "Okay, you reported zero income, $0 coming in. Um, you need to recertify so we can see..." There is a work requirement under One Big Beautiful Bill, and so we... They should be earning income. Now, that could, in, under the One Big Beautiful Bill, that could require them to be looking for work. [1:02:07] So there's no guarantee that they, that they have more dollars. It just requires us to go back and say, "Are you, are you looking for work? Have you earned an additional dollar?" Because what we don't want to happen is our error rates to go up and that to impact our SNAP program or SNAP families. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. Last question, Whip Park. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, one more question just along the lines of Representative Holcomb's- Sure ... uh, excellent question. Yeah. Are there any provisions in this bill that are broader than federal requirements with this, w- with respect to checking v- eligibility for SNAP requirements? [1:02:44] Yeah, we- SNAP benefits ... and thank you, uh, Mr. Whip. You know, we've heard that, uh, there have, that those federal provisions, we may have gone outside of them. I will say that federal law supersedes ours. So if w- if we have a terminology issue, I think in that, that revolved around citizenship, I think is the question that you're getting to. S- so, so household members along with, uh, citizenship status, are those two components that are required under federal law to determine SNAP eligibility? [1:03:16] Yeah, so, uh, l- let me address that for you. So federal law requires ver- verification of eligibility, um, of everybody in the household today. So, so the federal law requires that eligibility. The reason that is, is if you imagine there's somebody living in a household, uh, who has income, we need to be able to kind of see, are you operating as a, as a household? Are you, are you earning dollars that you're not reporting to SNAP? And in effect, if they are, they could be receiving SNAP while they are technically ineligible under federal law. [1:03:51] So u- under the household rules, no, I don't believe so. I know there have been some questions about citizenship, but again, state law does not, it does not lead the eligibility. They set the eligibility standards. We just verify those standards. J- j- just, you know, on 80... Perhaps we could talk offline more just- Sure ... you know, I think if we're staying within 30 days, all eligibility requirement, again, lines 85 to 88, all eligibility requirement for the applicant and all household members with their income residency, it seems to be a lot of information, uh, y- you know, just- Mm-hmm ... [1:04:23] if we're trying to reduce additional error, um, especially if there is more overpayment. Um, so, you know, perhaps we could talk more offline about, again, ensuring that we are doing the bare minimum federal requirements to ensure we're not gonna be losing tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars in SNAP benefits for Georgians. Yeah, agree. And thank you. I, look, I, I think there is a, there is a fine line there that we're trying to meet, and the fine line is when you allow folks who should be ineligible under SNAP, federal SNAP rules to be on SNAP, and you're not verifying that in a timely manner, that goes to your error rate. [1:04:58] That error rate gets driven up. When that error rate goes up now under One Big Beautiful Bill, it is going to cost the state a lot of money. That money's gonna impact SNAP families in a way that we don't want them to be impacted, because ultimately, this bill is about the sustainability of the SNAP program in making sure that more Georgia families have more nutritious food. We've got to make sure that we're cleaning house. That's our responsibility here. And, uh, and I'll continue to work with you as long as we continue to deliver the nutrition that Georgians who are duly entitled to receive them are getting the nutrition they need. [1:05:34] Thank you. Yeah. Okay, last question, Leader Hugley. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for this bill. My question is what are we doing to, to make sure that the staff that's administering this are more effective in what they're doing? Because part of the rates of error are gonna go back to the, the way the workers are reviewing, uh, the items that have to be reviewed. [1:06:06] So talk to me about that. Sure, right. So l- let me, let me kind of give you an idea. So right now, they don't have a mandate for those folks. Just as an example, we can go in the weeds on the bill, and I know this, we have limited time here today, so I'm happy to talk offline. But let's say that right now somebody gets a broad-based categorical, you know, exclusion, or they get a, you know, expedited, uh, SNAP program entry, okay? Right now, there is no recert- mandated recertification for the department to recertify them in a timely manner. [1:06:43] And so what we do here is we say, "Hey, we recognize that we want to get you that nutrition fast." So you can imagine somebody losing a job, right? Somebody who is sick or becomes eligible. We want to make sure that, that they get that nutrition in a timely fashion, but we're also putting a, a requirement now, and again, that, you know, work requirements are the things changing in One Big Beautiful Bill, right? So now we're saying we'll come back on the other side in making sure that we verify that income within that 30-day mark. And that's just super important because if, if on their original application that information was wrong- Past that 30-day mark, it becomes the state's responsibility, and that drives up the error rate, which again, otherwise impacts the SNAP program to the tune of $500 million. [1:07:32] And that's not something that I can accept. I was a food stamp kid growing up. Um, I relied on this program for nutrition. I still remember the dollar that my mother would give us at the grocery store. It's super important that these funds are available to give a hand up to needy families. And we, it's our responsibility to make sure that, uh, that, that we make sure that we, we put this department to do balance, and that they get their error rate down. Yeah. [1:07:59] So I guess what I'm asking you is, what assurance do we have that the administrative portion that the state is doing is gonna be able to do it in a more effective manner? [1:08:13] Well, we're putting more accountability measures on DHS in the bill, right? I mean, I, I'm, I'm not the enforcement mechanism myself. I'm the legislative body, right? We are a legislative body here. So we set rules. We don't enforce laws. If, uh, you know, if, I- I'm sure you'd like to have a conversation with Commissioner Gross and, and others about, uh, making sure that they do what we're saying here to make sure that these error rates go down and they don't impact families, but all we consider here are laws. [1:08:45] And once we've done that, there's, we've done what we're supposed to do, right? [1:08:51] Okay. [1:08:51] If, if you have, if you have some... [1:08:53] Lot of good questions. [1:08:54] Thank you. [1:08:54] Lot of good discussion. Let me encourage you, if you have other questions, that you have a conversation with the author of the bill, okay? Thank you. [1:09:03] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [1:09:04] Chairman McDonald. [1:09:05] Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee, today, uh, under modified structure rule, uh, page three, down at the bottom of the page, uh, House Bill 1021. [1:09:25] House Bill 20, 1021 was brought to me by the, the clerk in the, uh, Clerk's Authority of the State of Georgia. Uh, what this bill does is currently, since 2004, the Clerk's Authority has been working under a $500,000, uh, amount of money that, that they use, that, that, to manage the 92-plus million dollars that come in annually, uh, from fines, fees, and comes through the Clerk's Authority. And so they manage to, to dole this money out to 13 different, uh, groups in our, in our state. [1:09:58] Um, this bill will raise that from 500,000 to, uh, $1 million. So you can look, it's been over 20-something years since there's been a raise. It's costing the Clerk's Authority more, uh, through, uh, cha- the technology changes. Bless you. Um, the technology changes, and - [1:10:17] Thank you [1:10:19] ... and, uh, and, and of course with administrative fees. And so all they're asking, they, they, they're not given the million. All this money does is reimburse the Clerk's Authority of what they spend. So they can make, they may spend 650,000. That's all that will go back out of that million to the Clerk's Authority. [1:10:38] Okay, got a question. Chairman Martin. [1:10:43] Okay, so they're doing the job now with the money they have. [1:10:48] Correct, but it's now, it's costing them more to do the job as it's increased. [1:10:53] Th- this, serious question. Who is them? [1:10:55] The Clerk's Authority, the Georgia Clerk's Authority. [1:10:57] Where's it co- where's that money coming from? [1:10:59] It's coming from all the fines and fees that, uh, through the court system, a 92-plus million dollars that come in through that. [1:11:05] M- I, I understand that. So, so they're spending more than they're authorized to keep now? [1:11:11] No, they're spending more, they're asking for more reimbursement money. There's, the, it's costing them more to operate the Clerk's Authority to dole this money out to this 92 million to the- [1:11:23] I, I'm, the bottom line I'm trying to get to is they're, they're doing the job now with the money they have. Wherever that money is, it's coming from somewhere. You're suggesting we give them another half a million dollars. I'm looking for then, is there a half million dollar budget cut? Are they gonna hire more people? [1:11:39] They're already having to hire more people. They're also having to keep up with technology changes that, that are part of this administration of this money out to those 13 agencies, uh, that, that receives the fees. [1:11:51] I understand, but it's a zero-sum game. They're, they're doing it now with the money they have, and we're trying to give them 500 more thousand dollars. I mean, it's, it's- [1:11:58] You're not giving anybody any money. You're offering, this, this will raise the threshold that, that the money will be available for them to a- to submit reimbursements more than what they're get- to cover what the expense is now, more than the 500,000 that it's costing to operate annually, uh, out of the Georgia Clerk's Authority working with this money to, for these 13 agencies. [1:12:22] I, I, I can get with the outline. Just, there, there's money there to do the job, and I mean, it's more money. I'm just trying to look for, to see where the money, where the savings is coming from. [1:12:31] Okay, thank you. Don't see any other questions. Thank you. [1:12:34] Okay, I have one more, Mr. Chairman, if you don't mind. It's on page six at the top, the modified structure House Bill 1265. [1:12:53] Okay, Mr. Chairman. [1:12:53] Yeah. [1:12:54] Uh, House Bill 1265, uh, this, this is something, a bill that I've titled, uh, the Mile-a-Month Act. Uh, the bill is pretty simple in concept, but powerful in impact. Uh, it sa- it says that if you flee from the Georgia State Patrol or the Georgia Public Safety, every mile you run equals a mandatory month in jail. One mile, one month, no probation, no plea downs, no exception. So basically, when you elude, uh, state law enforcement, you will get a mandatory month in jail. [1:13:25] Each mile. [1:13:25] Got a question for you. Whip Parks has a question. [1:13:31] Representative McDonald, I, I appreciate the bill. Um, to a certain extent, I did have a few questions. Um, the 30 miles per day formula, um, does that create a risk in which i- in the event that there's a low-speed, non-dangerous encounter that that individual could be sentenced to a mandatory 12-month jail sentence? [1:13:52] Could you... I, I, I missed the, there was a- [1:13:54] S- so this 30 days per mile formula, like, does that create a risk that would unintentionally lock away a non-dangerous encounter for up to a year? [1:14:05] Well, what it does is, is we're using our state law enforcement. This is not for municipalities, whether it's county, city, uh, to be, be a part of this. We're using the m- uh, the most trained, uh, traffic enforcement team that we have in the state of Georgia to make that determination. When they feel that, that someone is fleeing from them, I, uh, you know, I've, I've participated in ride-alongs and, and seen the operations of how they en- en- encounter or engage in a traffic stop. And, and there's a lot of due regard that they give our citizens to pull over, whether it's in a safe zone. [1:14:40] They will follow you. But once, once they decide that you're trying to flee from them, and, and most of the time it's rare that it's low speed, it's a high-speed flee that puts our citizens, our families, our law enforcement in danger, i.e., what just happened in Savannah, we lost a teacher, and if, if it wasn't a teacher, it could've been a family right behind them. [1:15:03] It's 12 o'clock. [1:15:06] It's, uh... [1:15:10] Go, go ahead with- [1:15:10] I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. [1:15:11] We got, we got a couple other- [1:15:12] Thank you, Leo. I- [1:15:13] We got a couple other questions [1:15:14] ... Leo's my saving grace. [1:15:15] Let's, let's make them quick and brief, but ask your question. [1:15:19] J- just one final question then, given that there are other questions. My reading of the bill, you know, is such that I think we all support the objective of the, the bill that you stated, but unintended consequences in which, again, you know, um, if tr- a distance traveled can't be measured with enough precision beyond a reasonable, uh, doubt, that that could create a loophole to, to harsh penalties. Um, uh, y- a- again, I... H- has this bill been reviewed by the Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, perhaps with, uh, members who better understand the criminal justice system to ensure that, again, the bill is accomplishing your intended objective? [1:15:58] Well, I, I appreciate that, Mr. Whip. I mean, I look at what we're doing now. We have a very, uh, you know, in our judicial system, a kind of an unbalanced scale. What might happen in Fulton County, what might happen in Forsyth County, two counties that touch each other, I, I see some un- uh, the, the balance is not there. I'm trying with this bill to bring some balance to something that's a, a, a, a huge crime, uh, because most of these people that are, that are fleeing from law enforcement, there are other alternatives of why they're doing it. They're not just doing it because they're out and wanting to see if they can outrun the cops. [1:16:30] Usually there are drugs involved or warrants or murder, uh, warrants out there for these individuals. So I'm trying to bring some balance to, to our scales that, that throughout our state when you flee from the s- from our Georgia State Patrol of Public Safety, uh, that, that there are some consequences. Just as we've done the Move Over law, uh, people have... We've trained ourselves to when we see blue lights or even orange lights now, we're moving over. It's become a habit. So hopefully this law will create a habit with th- those that, that, that want to flee from law enforcement. [1:17:02] They know every mile they run from the Georgia State Patrol of Public Safety, that they will spend a mandatory month in- incarcerated. [1:17:09] Thank you. [1:17:11] Okay. Lou Hugley was next. Uh... [1:17:16] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A mile a month, it's pretty catchy, but is there any other sentencing structure like this? [1:17:23] Uh, catchy's what we're trying to do. Um, that's, that's the, that's the whole process of catching these people. Um, but your question, I, I missed the last- [1:17:32] I said is there any other sen- sentencing process that this is similar to or based on about a month? You know, we do have overcrowded jails, and, you know, they gotta go somewhere, so I'm, I'm trying to understand what is this based on, the mile- [1:17:49] Well, it's based on what's going on in our state. Just this last week we all stood in the s- house chambers honoring a teacher or, uh, that was killed because of this current situation. It's happening more and more. People are running from our state law enforcement. I've, I've, you know, I've been in the car where they've, they've, we've, we've stopped someone after they're fleeing from the officers. They said, "We thought you were Atlanta," or, "We thought you were DeKalb." Um, we've got to send a clear message to these people that wanna run, uh, from our law enforcement that there's gonna be consequences. [1:18:19] Whether our jails are, are crowded or not, we, we will make space for them. [1:18:23] Okay. Representative Evans has a question. [1:18:26] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, I appreciate the intent, and I don't want anybody fleeing from the cops. It's a dangerous situation for everybody. Um, I'm gonna tell you my concern, and then I wanna know if, if perhaps my concern is misplaced, or if there's another way we could potentially address this. This language, as I read it on line 14 to 16 and continuing, it doesn't deal with just when someone's trying to flee. It's also someone, uh, failing or refusing to bring their vehicle to, to a stop. [1:18:56] And I think of situations where people are traveling on dark roads, and they simply, they know they're getting pulled over, but they wanna drive, particularly young women, um, who are traveling alone, they might wanna drive to an area that is well-lit. And I don't want... Right now they would be covered in this, and I'm wondering if there is any exception you know of within this language or elsewhere in the code, or if not, if you would be amenable to, um, addressing that situation so that we don't have folks afraid that they're trying to get somewhere where it's lit- [1:19:29] So they're more comfortable but also not ending up in, in jail for months on end. Representative Evans, I, I respect that and that's been discussion I know in other situations when we've talked about fleeing and eluding is, is when is the right place for, for someone to pull over in a safe area from law enforcement, from those that might be impersonating law enforcement. Well, yes, we know that ha- happens out there. But I, I think there's the ... As far as I am willing to talk to you offline about the, the grace that could be given. But I think our state law enforcement, they train through their classes and continuous training on this, and I think there's a common sense approach that that's why I've limited it just to our state patrol and, and capital police and, uh, commercial vehicle enforcement divisions, which is under public safety, to be the ones to implement this, uh, to, to s- to try to deter, uh, these, these criminals from running from state law enforcement. [1:20:22] So I am amenable if the, you know, if there is some discussion that you wanna have to, to look at that. But I think our law enforcement does a great job in determining, you know, when someone is truly trying to flee from them. Okay. I'll try to work on some language. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. No more questions and- Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee- We encourage y'all to have a conversation. Okay. Um, Pro Tem Jones. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to ask the, uh, committee to consider House Bill 1123, which is the last bill on page three. [1:20:58] It would require ... And this bill came as a result of a study committee two years ago on pre-K. Um, would require public schools that offer pre-K and also offer availability to after-school care services to grades K through five to make those after-school services available to pre-K students on the same basis. Um, I'll just mention that there are 172 school systems that serve some, some level of pre-K students, some number of classes. [1:21:32] Of those, 112 serve, um, pre-K and offer after-school services. 22 systems do not offer after-school services, uh, to parents, which, um, can be a hardship on some families, uh, who have other children, uh, in that public school. Not all parents would offer, would choose to take advantage of those services and are perfectly happy with their services offered by a private, uh, uh, childcare provider. [1:22:02] But, uh, this is to support working fa- families and give them more options. I'm happy to answer any questions. Okay. Are there any questions? Hold up your hand. Don't see any questions. Thank you, ma'am. Uh, Chairman Hawkins. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I've been asked to ask for on s- on, uh, page six toward the top, HB1274 by Representative Reeves, Auto Insurance Excess Profit Act, and then below that 1277, uh, dealing with, uh, increased project cost thresholds of roads and, and, uh, airports. [1:22:41] Okay. Let me remind y'all, if something's been asked for, we only have to ask but once. Okay. Okay. Yeah, we got that on it. Good. Let's see, uh, Chairman Gunter. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, I was asked to carry, uh, House Bill 1208. It's on page five, a little more than halfway down. Uh, this is to modernize the, uh, the code regarding court reporters to include them on sound and visual depositions. [1:23:17] Okay. Don't see any questions on that. Let's see. Chair Lady Dempsey, is that you? Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, yes, House Bill 12 ... Excuse me, 1238, um, on page five, fourth from the bottom. This bill came from the Department of Commu- Community Health. Uh, they brought it to us actually as a resolution to help with the children that are getting stuck in our hospitals and psychiatric residential treatment facilities. [1:23:50] It is to, to give them the ability to request a Medicaid reimbursement waiver for respite and related services. This will help families stay together. These are those children that are abandoned. We wanna do some wraparound work, work with families to help them have all that they need to keep that child at home. Okay. Don't see any questions. Thank you. Chairman Jasper, is that you? Yeah. Thank you, Mr. [1:24:20] Chairman. I'd like the committee to reconsider House Bill 810. It's at the top of page three. It's the bill we sent back to committee last week, uh, to, to health. The sub is now 1454S. The sub does two things. At the request of the pharmacy benefit managers, uh, changes the date of implementation to 7/1/27. It also, at the request of a number of, of very small rural pharmacists, creates an exception in the bill for these folks that continue their, the guaranteed payment service plan that they're under. [1:24:56] If you members will recall, this bill is to create a fair pricing floor and service fee for all pharmacies. Okay. Don't see any questions. Chair Lady Taylor. I have one too. 11. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I bring to you 1192, and this bill is on page five, halfway down, and it's actually adding some oversight and reporting to our Department of Human Services and Department of Community Health. Um, it will have them make sure that their funding are in separate accounts, that we don't commingle any funds, and that they will annually report to the House and to the Senate and let us know any, um, identifying cost savings and efficiencies that they're doing. [1:25:41] Section two does the same thing for the Department of Community Health, uh, for medical assistance programs. [1:25:47] Okay. I don't see any questions. Uh, Chairman Carson, is that you? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, yes, uh, um, bottom of page two, the very last bill, HB809. Um, this bill would increase the minimum speed limit in Georgia, uh, on Georgia interstates from 40 to 50 miles per hour. Our minimum speed limit has not, uh, increased since the early '70s when we had speed limits of 55 miles per hour, and we have since increased those speed limits to 65 and now 70. [1:26:19] Uh, this is supported by the Georgia Sheriff's Association, the Georgia Chiefs of Police, and the Department of Public Safety. Okay, no questions. Chairman Lunsford. [1:26:30] Yes, Mr. Chairman. I have two bills. Um, first bill is, um, House Bill 1262. That's page five at the very bottom. This is, uh, legislation that's been brought at the request of the Department of Insurance, and it addresses the, uh, insurance commissioner's statutory authority to level fines against insurance companies that violate certain provisions of the insurance regulations. Uh, it updates those penalties to ensure that they serve as an effective enforcement tool rather than simply a cost of doing business. [1:27:00] The bill increases the maximum fine for unknowing violations from 2,000 to 10,000 and from knowing violations from 5,000 to 25,000. The unknowing violation hasn't been addressed in 15 years, and it's been over 30 years since the, um, knowing violation has been addressed, so this just brings us concurrent. Is there a question? I don't see any questions. You had another bill? Yes. Uh, another Department of Insurance bill, uh, House Bill 1263. Uh, this legislation addresses the timeframe within, with, uh, in which an insurance company may, um, amend their, uh, property, uh, their, uh, premium tax filings, uh, from a previous year. [1:27:43] Uh, under current law, there's no statutory look-back period that governs, uh, how far back they can, uh, file an amendment. Uh, this just sets a three-year timeframe in which they can, uh, file an amendment. [1:27:59] Don't, don't see any questions. Is that... You had another one? Also, Chairman Reeves had to go to, uh, Ways and Means, uh, and could not present, but he asked that I ask for House Bill 1274, which is the Excess Profits Bill, and also House Bill 1344, which is the, uh, Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act- Okay ... from the study committee. Okay, we just gonna remember. Once is enough. Sorry, I guess. Okay. [1:28:30] I got one. Chairman, uh, Secretary Kelley, you get your mic. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I have House Bill 1211, which would add, uh, a couple, uh, organizations recognized for their knowledge and information about cancer screening, uh, to allow that blood screening for colorectal cancer would be covered under health plans in Georgia. Uh, we heard, uh, during the committee, uh, meeting about, uh, this being an avenue that would help, uh, expedite people getting, uh, knowledge of colorectal cancer and hopefully getting treatment earlier. [1:29:13] It was not opposed by any of the health plans. Yeah, okay. I don't see any questions. Chairman Martin, did you have a request? [1:29:25] Uh, House Bill 962. It's on the, uh, fourth down on the back sheet, page seven. Uh, this bill, um, allows, uh, Georgians to contribute to, uh, any, um, 529 plan and receive, uh, an income tax deduction, encourage those to save for college, and also removes the upper limit on the cap for the amount of money that can go in those plans, and so it lets the board set that going forward. Encouraging people to save for college, Mr. Chairman. Okay. Thank you. All members taken care of. [1:29:55] Everybody made a request that wants one. Okay. All right. Let's take care of a little housekeeping business before we set a calendar. Do I hear a motion that House Bill 376 go back to Ways and Means, be recommitted? Second. I have a move and a second. Is there any opposition? It's back. And, uh, House Bill 1112 back to Banks and Banking. Moved. Moved and seconded. Any opposition on that? [1:30:26] Okay, it's back. Um, wanna just remind everyone that we would prefer that we send the bills back to committee so that if there's something that needs to be perfected, they could do it in the committee and try to get it exactly the way they want it before it comes back and we end up trying to do, like, a, a rule substitute. So we're gonna try to ask you all to help us do that just as long as we can. So, uh, please keep that in mind as we move forward. [1:30:56] Okay. Let's set a calendar for tomorrow, Tuesday. That'll be legislative day number 23, the 24th. Under the, uh, modified structure, House Bill 310. Moved. I have a move and a second. Is there any opposition? It's on. [1:31:19] House Bill 372. Moved. Moved and seconded. Any opposition? It's on. House Bill 385. Moved. Moved. Moved and seconded. Any opposition? It's on. House Bill 971. Moved. Second. [1:31:50] Moved and seconded. Any opposition? It's on. House Bill 1009. Moved. Second. Moved and seconded. Any opposition? It's on. House Bill 1023. Moved. Second. Moved and seconded. Any opposition? It's on. House Bill 1123. Moved. Second. Moved and seconded. Any opposition? It's on. House Bill 1193. Moved. Second. Moved and seconded. Any opposition? It's on. [1:32:20] Okay. That'll be our calendar for tomorrow, and our next rules meeting will be in the morning at 9:00. Thank you all for being patient. Thank you.