Senate Rules Committee, March 10, 2026 Video: https://vimeo.com/1171893537 (a timestamp t plays at https://vimeo.com/1171893537#t=s) Page: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-10/senate-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. [0:04:01] Senator Hufstetler, lead us in a word of prayer, please. [0:04:04] Certainly, Chairman. Our dear heavenly Father, we thank you for all that you've blessed us with, all you've provided us with. We know you've been good to us in so many ways and, uh, have been abundant in your mercies to us. We pray that you would give us your wisdom in all that we do today, and that we could do it for your honor and your glory. We ask this in your name. Amen. [0:04:22] Amen. All right. Representative Corbett, you're back. [0:04:31] I'm, I'm back. [0:04:32] Honored to have you. Just for you, all you House members to know, you don't... If you've presented your bill once, you don't have to come back, but it's always harder for the committee to say no- [0:04:43] Uh, well- [0:04:43] ... to your face. [0:04:44] Well, I, I got a invite on my phone, so I said I will absolutely come if, uh- [0:04:48] There you go. Well, we're- [0:04:49] ... necessary [0:04:49] ... glad to have you. [0:04:51] All right. House Bill 956, uh, fourth one on the second sheet, fourth one down, I believe. Anyway, I asked for this yesterday, but, uh, it just gives the EPD director f- some flexibility- [0:05:00] Mm-hmm [0:05:00] ... uh, take actions necessary to implement provisions of Solid Waste Trust Fund, uh, basically what, what the bill does, so. [0:05:07] Okay. No questions. Thank you. [0:05:09] Thank you. [0:05:10] Representative Stevens. [0:05:12] Mm. [0:05:13] Thank you for being here. [0:05:14] I just like coming back to you guys, Mr. Chairman. [0:05:16] We like seeing you. [0:05:17] Uh, House Bill 219 is, uh, as of yesterday, the alternative discipline bill for nurses. [0:05:25] Any questions? No questions. Thank you. [0:05:27] Thanks, sir. [0:05:29] All right. Senator Hatchett, you got anything? Or actually, I know you do. [0:05:36] I have a great bill on, uh, it's a Senate resolution for a study committee on recycling in the State of Georgia. It's SR610. It's a good one. [0:05:45] Question. Senator Robertson, you're recognized. [0:05:49] Thank you. Um, Chairman Hatchett, does, does your bill a- Include, uh, tires? [0:05:55] It does. [0:05:55] Thank you. [0:05:56] Yeah. Thank you. [0:05:57] Tires. [0:05:58] Heard it... I, I've heard it does include that. [0:06:00] Okay. [0:06:00] Yeah. [0:06:01] Well, well, we got a question, Dean. [0:06:04] Um, just thinking. [0:06:04] Well, go ahead. You're recognized. [0:06:06] I, I thought we'd dealt with that, the tire situation before, didn't we? [0:06:10] No, sir. That was not on recycling tires. That was on removing tires from the landfill- [0:06:14] Yeah [0:06:14] ... and how the $5 fee was paid when, when a old tire was turned in for a new tire. [0:06:18] Because they were not doing both. [0:06:19] Transferred- [0:06:20] Correct [0:06:20] ... from the retail to the wholesaler. [0:06:22] The chairman is correct. [0:06:23] Yes, Mr. Chairman. [0:06:24] I was the only no vote. [0:06:25] On the tire. [0:06:27] Yes, 'cause you're gonna retire, correct? [0:06:29] No. [0:06:30] Okay. [0:06:30] Retread. [0:06:33] There you go. [0:06:34] All right. You got any more study committees you wanna talk about? [0:06:38] Just that one, Mr. Chairman. [0:06:39] All right. [0:06:40] Thank you. [0:06:40] Moving on. Representative Yerda. [0:06:47] Yes, sir. Uh- [0:06:48] Glad to have you back [0:06:49] ... glad to be back. I won't thank anybody today. [0:06:51] I don't know if you heard me earlier. You don't have to come back, but we offer it. [0:06:55] Yeah, sir. I just, this reminder, 5- 485 is just a, cleans up the code a number of ways and, uh, gets rid of, uh, parts of the code that are unconstitutional. Also, it, uh, repeals provisions contingent upon fun- funding that has not been funded since, some since 1983, so appreciate it. [0:07:21] Senator Hatchett was about negative three then, weren't you? How old were you in 1983? Negative what? [0:07:28] Six. [0:07:28] Six. Negative six. I was five. All right, moving on. Representative Hagan. We just passed one of your bills today. [0:07:39] You did? [0:07:40] We did. [0:07:41] Which one? [0:07:42] Didn't we? I don't know. Maybe not. [0:07:48] Oh, thank you. Well, if you did, thank you so much. I have House Bill 162, and I ha- I don't have the... Is there a sheet? I didn't see a sheet. [0:07:57] There's a sheet. [0:07:58] 162. [0:08:00] Do you know what it does? [0:08:01] I do know what it does. [0:08:02] You don't need a sheet then. [0:08:03] Okay. Well, it amends and modernizes our First Offender Act, uh, so that it truly is a second chance that it was originally intended to be. I've had this bill, this is the third session now that I've had it. And, uh, it does this by changing when the records would be sealed. Right now they are restricted at sentencing, but they're sealed upon successful completion of the sentence. This would just seal and restrict upon sentencing. [0:08:34] Judge reserves the right to unseal them should the judge feel that the offender has violated their, their sentence or there's some other reason to- [0:08:42] Yeah [0:08:42] ... unseal them. [0:08:43] Okay. [0:08:44] Mm-hmm. [0:08:45] A lot of seals in there. Any questions? Oh, Dr. Rhett. Doc Rhett, I should say. [0:08:53] Thank you, Mr. [0:08:53] Thank you. [0:08:53] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Isn't this her first time passing a bill and coming back and asking for another bill on the same day? [0:09:02] Well, technically she's passed a bill. [0:09:03] Well, surely that's happened in the past. I feel, I feel like it has. [0:09:07] Good bill. [0:09:10] Good, great question. Great question. [0:09:11] It is a great question. [0:09:13] All right. No, no other questions. [0:09:15] Thank you, Chairman. [0:09:16] Thank- [0:09:16] Good boy [0:09:16] ... thank goodness. [0:09:17] Mr. Chairman. [0:09:18] Y- yes, Senator Anderson, you're recognized. [0:09:21] Representative, don't you have another bill? [0:09:24] You do have another bill, 963, or 983. You discussed it yesterday. You don't have to discuss it again, but you can. [0:09:31] Yes, I do have, I do have that other one. And that- [0:09:33] Another department [0:09:33] ... that's a department bill, so request that for the Georgia Forestry Commission. [0:09:39] That is a department bill. [0:09:42] Prescribed burning. [0:09:46] That is a department bill. [0:09:47] Mm-hmm. [0:09:48] All right. [0:09:49] Thank you. [0:09:49] Thank you. Representative Earnhardt, how you doing? [0:09:55] Doing well. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [0:09:56] You got a great bill. [0:09:58] I'm glad you think it's a great bill. I do too. [0:10:00] It makes a great Senate sponsor. [0:10:01] It certainly does Um, ladies and gentlemen, members of the committee, I present for your consideration HB185, which modernizes Georgia law governing dieticians and nutrition professionals by updating and replacing a very old dietetics practice act. Um, it recognizes that nutrition science plays a critical role in preventing disease, managing medical conditions, and improving overall health. It establishes c- clear guidelines and two separate licenses for licensed dieticians and licensed nutritionists, those that are cre- uh, those that are treating, uh, medical conditions. [0:10:36] So this is very different than just generalized health and wellness advice that you might receive from a coach, um, or a personal trainer. Um, it also allows Georgia to enter into the dietician licensure compact, and it updates and expands the Georgia Board of Examiners of licensed dieticians and licensed nutritionists. Uh, in a nutshell, folks, it, uh, protects patients, strengthens professional standards, and ensures that Georgians have access to safe, high-quality nutrition care. And I'll stand for any questions. [0:11:06] Now, my description of that yesterday was a lot shorter. [0:11:10] I know you prefer the abbreviated version. [0:11:12] I'll need your talking points at some point. Uh, any other questions? All right, thank you. [0:11:17] Thank you. [0:11:19] Representative Anderson, welcome back. [0:11:23] Thank you, sir. I'm, uh, back asking for House Bill 521. I did, uh, come the other day, but, uh, uh, doesn't hurt to ask twice. [0:11:35] That's right. And that was yesterday, by the way. [0:11:37] Yes, sir. I forget. I'm losing track of days. [0:11:40] I understand completely. [0:11:42] House Bill 521 requires, uh, uh, the reapportionment office be notified of annex- of de-annexations. We actually had a bill a couple years ago that required that annexation maps be provided to them, so now we're cleaning that up. Uh, it also presents a, uh, 90-day shot clock on scenarios to where k- property that is 100% owned by the county, uh, is, has been petitioned to be de-annexed from a municipality. Currently there is no timeframe on that, and those, uh, requests can kind of sit there from now on. [0:12:16] And then we've also provided a few other, uh, kind of area-specific options for annexation and de-annexation, and I know that the, the, the Senate has, uh, added to that list for some, some good opportunities for us. [0:12:32] No questions. [0:12:33] Thank you. [0:12:34] Thank you. Representative Reeves. [0:12:38] Thank you, Chairman Brass and members of the Senate Rules Committee. I'm here to request House Bill 1020. This is a district attorney retirement bill. It moves the retirement age from age 60 to age 65. This is done in contemplation of, uh, forthcoming district attorney pay legislation as well as budget, uh, adjustment. [0:12:58] Questions? 1020, second on the, second from the end. [0:13:05] Thank you so much. [0:13:06] Thank you. Senator Burns. [0:13:12] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have, uh, two bills we discussed yesterday, Senate Resolution, uh, 697 and 698. These are both, uh, agency bills. I'd appreciate your favorable consideration for TCSG awards. [0:13:24] Okay. And Senator Dickerson, did you have something? [0:13:31] No, Mr. Chairman. [0:13:32] You're just here to watch greatness? [0:13:33] I am. It's good watching you here. [0:13:35] All right. Well, that's what I said. Uh, I saw Senator Hodges earlier. Is he still here or he leave? [0:13:42] He left. [0:13:43] Okay. Hey, Senator Duggan's here. Hey. Hey. [0:13:55] Uh, what was that? Would you like to address the crowd? We know you remember. They paid a- They paid a lot of money to see you. Yeah. You need to give them what they came for. All right, let's move on. Uh, Senator Huffstetler, HB165, can you cover that for Representative Franklin since you're carrying it? [0:14:19] Yeah, we, um- [0:14:20] Oh, yeah [0:14:21] ... stripped that and put something else in for somebody else, so that's not what that is. [0:14:28] Um- [0:14:30] It's the strip bill. [0:14:32] So we had, uh, we had taken one of Beth Gamm's bills, um- [0:14:35] This could take place at the Hawks game [0:14:37] ... for, uh, for, uh, Senator Tillery's income bill, and we told her that we would make her whole on her, uh, uh, manufactured home bill that we had passed out last year that lets 50% of the value go towards real property. And- [0:14:53] Make it whole by taking all the words out. [0:14:54] By, by, by, um, putting her original language back in that we stripped- [0:14:58] Got it [0:14:59] ... in another bill. [0:14:59] Oh, okay. Fair enough. No questions. Questions? [0:15:05] No, thank you. [0:15:06] More questions than answers. [0:15:08] That's right. [0:15:08] All right. We're gonna resolve debate. [0:15:10] 165. [0:15:11] Uh, HB61. Go for it, Senator Albers. [0:15:16] Number four? [0:15:17] Four. [0:15:18] Uh, this is, uh, not what the original title was. This is now, uh, the no pay, no stay, and tightening up the squatter laws. [0:15:25] Another strip bill? [0:15:27] No, sir. [0:15:28] Oh, okay. All right, uh, 483, this one, uh, increases your penalties on en- code enforcement inspectors. Good bill. Um, HB535. Senator Cowsert, you're carrying that one. Can you speak to it? [0:15:52] I can speak to that quickly, Mr. Chairman. [0:15:54] Sure. [0:15:54] It is to give credit for time served to somebody that's had a probation revocation petition and gets placed in jail, so they get credit for each day they're sitting in jail as that, till that's resolved. [0:16:07] Okay. All right, H- That was 535, first one on the second page. All right, HB 549, just doing training expenses, reimbursement for peace officers, I think is pretty much it, right? [0:16:25] If one agency hires them away, they have to leave- [0:16:27] Hold on. Go ahead. [0:16:29] It's if... Do you give you an example, if the, if the, um, local police department pays for somebody to go through the police academy and gets all their training, and they come and they're working there for six months, and they all of a sudden want to go to the sheriff's office, the sheriff's office has to reimburse the police department for the amount of money they spent for that training. [0:16:47] All right. And then 1199 is our revenue code update, somewhat matching up with federal. [0:16:58] Go- [0:16:58] Not everything. [0:16:59] Go back to, go back to 549 please. [0:17:04] Are you asking permission? No, I'm just kidding. Go ahead. [0:17:07] Um, Senator Robertson, when you say six months, what- [0:17:12] I give that as an example. [0:17:13] I noted. I noted. So when would you not have to pay it back? [0:17:17] Well, I haven't, haven't- I haven't read this bill yet, but I think it may be three years is what I'd heard in the hallway. [0:17:25] Okay. [0:17:25] So, and what we had a problem was agencies were paying for the training, and then officers were leaving so fast. [0:17:32] Yeah, I understand that. [0:17:32] Yes, sir. [0:17:32] I just was wondering when, when would, when the, the other, the sheriff's department wouldn't have to pay it back. [0:17:38] Right. I, I haven't read the bill, so. [0:17:40] Okay. Okay. [0:17:41] Thank you. [0:17:42] It's a good practice. All right. Anything else for the good of the order? All right, let's pick a few. Leader Jones. [0:17:54] Mister, uh, HB 483. [0:17:58] 483. Good bill. [0:18:06] All right. [0:18:07] Go on. [0:18:07] My vice chairman. [0:18:11] Let's do HB 162. [0:18:14] 162. Okay. [0:18:18] 162. [0:18:21] All right. [0:18:26] I need some ding-dings here. [0:18:28] I got one. [0:18:29] What you got? [0:18:30] You said 160. 162. 162. [0:18:33] 956. [0:18:36] Good job. [0:18:37] All right. [0:18:38] What about this one? [0:18:39] Good job. [0:18:40] 956. [0:18:41] All right. What's your- [0:18:44] And then- [0:18:44] We're gonna save it, 'cause I'm running out of bills here. Um, all right, I'm gonna put on 1199 and 1020. [0:18:55] You got 956 and 185. Two, three, four, five, six. Okay. [0:19:06] And 185. [0:19:07] 185, that's correct. All right. I've got- [0:19:10] Mr. Chairman, don't have our nurses come tomorrow. [0:19:13] Which one was that? [0:19:15] 1219. [0:19:16] Good call. Add 219. [0:19:21] But I would like everyone to make an effort tomorrow that our second vote of the day is not four hours and 10 minutes into the day. [0:19:32] Okay. [0:19:32] Makes it very difficult for us to get to committees, and all our house members have to suffer, 'cause their bills wait a little bit longer, and harder to get here. All right. Here we go. HB 162, HB 185, HB 219, HB 483, HB 956, HB 1020, and HB 1199. [0:19:56] So moved. [0:19:57] Got a motion from Senator Ginn. [0:19:58] Second. [0:19:58] Got a second from Senator Williams. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. [0:20:03] Aye. [0:20:03] All opposed say nay. Motion carries unanimous. On to your committees. [0:20:11] On the job. [0:20:12] Get us some good house bills. Meeting adjourned.