Pardon Our Dust
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Feb. 28 marked “Crossover Day” in the Georgia General Assembly. This wasthe last day bills could “cross over” from one chamber to the other andstill have a clear path to becoming law this legislative session. Below areupdates on some of the key bills we have been monitoring:
HB 820is a bill sponsored by Rep. Beth Beskin (R-Atlanta) related to property taxexemptions and deferral. The bill goes to the Senate and if adopted, wouldallow voters the opportunity to approve a new homestead exemption from advalorem taxes for municipal purposes. It also would exempt COA from therequirement to publish tax increases. We were successful in carving outAtlanta Public Schools from the bill and will continue to monitor to ensurethe school system does not get added in the Senate.
HB 869andHB 870, both sponsored by Rep. Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta), passed the House and arein the Senate’s State and Local Government Operations Committee. These twobills are identical to bills the governor vetoed last year relating toFulton Industrial annexing into the new City of South Fulton.
Here are a few other bills to note:
House Passes Amended Fiscal Year 2018 Budget
The House passed the Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) 2018 budgeton Monday, agreeing to adjustments made to the Senateversion of the Georgia Department of Education’s (GaDOE)AFY18 budget with the inclusion of additional funding forsix more school buses. This brings the number of new busesto 200 from Gov. Nathan Deal’s original recommendation of194.
CLICK HEREto view the budget.
The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) sectionof the budget added $400,000 to fund a statewide leadershipacademy for principals created by a committee that met infall 2017. It also includes an additional $408,115 to fundone non-STEM AP exam for low-income students.
Voucher Bill Dies in the House
HB 482— sponsored by Rep. Wes Cantrell (R-Woodstock), a member ofthe House Education Committee — would create EducationSavings Accounts (ESA) that could be used for privateschool tuition, higher education costs, tutoring by acertified educator, school transportation, educationtechnology, and occupational, behavioral, physical orspeech language therapies. The amount of public fundingallocated to the savings accounts would be equivalent tothe state funding that would have been appropriated hadstudents attended public schools. In a fiscal note on thelegislation, the Department of Audits estimated the planwould cost about $22.8 million in FY 2019 and would balloonto about $23 million annually. The department noted thatadditional costs to the state would vary based on thenumber of students already attending private schools whomight utilize the voucher. By 2022, if 75 percent of ESAparticipants already attending private school opt to usethe voucher, the fiscal note estimates the bill’sadditional annual cost at an eye-opening $69.3 million.
Here is thevoterecord from the representatives on this bill.
Recess Bill
The Senate passedHB 273, a bill sponsored by Rep. Demetrius Douglas(D-Stockbridge) in the House and carried by Sen. JeffMullis (R- Chickamauga) in the Senate. The bill wouldprovide a daily recess for students in K-5. The bill passedunanimously and now goes on to the governor’s desk.
Excuse Absence for Students of Military Families
HB 718, sponsored by Rep. Sandra Scott (D-Rex), would giveschools the option to excuse certain absences for studentswith parents in the U.S. Armed Forces. The bill now movesto the Senate.
Private School Voucher
HB 759, sponsored by Rep. Scot Turner (R-Holly Springs), seeks tochange eligibility for Georgia’s special needs privateschool voucher. The bill would allow students who haveestablished eligibility for the voucher with an IEP in apublic school and subsequently attend private schools(which do accept the vouchers) to use the vouchers withoutbeing required to re-establish eligibility at a publicschool. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Attendance Zone and Enrollment
HB 852, sponsored by Rep. Michael Smith (D-Marietta), would allowa student who has been enrolled in and attended a publicschool for more than half of the school year and movesduring the school year to another attendance zone withinthe same district to continue to attend his or her originalschool. Students with chronic disciplinary issues would notallowed to participate, and parents would be responsiblefor transportation costs.
Required Videotaping of Public Comment
HB 493, sponsored by Rep. Valencia Stovall (D-Forest Park), wouldrequire local public agencies, including school boards, toinclude the public comment section of meetings in its videorecordings. This bill passed the House and has beenassigned to Senate Government Oversight Committee.
School Calendar
HB 936, sponsored by Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah), would haverequired that a school year not begin prior to the thirdweek in August. This measure, however, did not make it tothe floor for a vote in the House.
Below is list of bills that we are tracking. Pleasefeel free to ask us any questions or express yourconcerns.
|
Bill Number |
Sponsor |
Code Section |
Caption |
House Status |
Senate Status |
|
Rep. Wendell Willard HC: Judy SC: JUDY |
O.C.G.A. § 49-5-41 |
Social services; certain records from disclosure; exclude |
House Passed 2/9/2017 House Sent to Governor 4/3/2017 May/8/2017 – House Date Signed by Governor |
Senate Passed 3/16/2017 |
|
|
Rep. Robert Dickey HC: Ed SC: ED&Y |
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.3 |
Move on When Ready Act; prohibit school systems from excluding students in dual credit courses from valedictorian or salutatorian determinations |
House Passed by Sub 3/1/2017 |
Senate Second Read 3/20/2017 1/8/2018 – Senate Recommitted |
|
|
Rep. Dave Belton HC: Ed SC: ED&Y |
Article 2 of Chapter 14 of Title 20 |
Education; provide transparency of financial information of local school systems and schools; provisions |
House Passed by Sub 2/15/2017 House Agreed to Senate Amendment Sent to Governor 4/5/2017 4/27/2017 – House Date Signed by Governor |
Senate Passed as Amended 3/20/2017 |
|
|
Rep. Mike Glanton HC: Ed SC: ED&Y |
Part 15 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 |
Educating Children of Military Families Act; enact |
House Passed 2/24/2017 |
Senate Read Second Time3/15/2017 1/8/2018 – Senate Recommitted |
|
|
Rep. Burt Reeves HC: Judy SC: JUDY |
Article 1 of Chapter 8 of Title 19 |
Domestic relations; adoption; substantially revise general provisions |
House Passed by Sub 2/24/2017 |
Senate Recommitted 3/22/2017- Judiciary 2/5/2018 – Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub |
|
|
Rep. Katie Dempsey HC: Ed SC: ED&Y |
Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 |
Elementary and secondary education; influenza vaccine; provide information |
House Passed (Sub) 2/16/2017 House Sent to Governor 4/5/2017 4/27/2017 – House Date Signed by Governor |
Senate Passed as Amended 3/30/2017 |
|
|
Rep. Dave Belton HC: Ed SC: ED&Y |
Part 13 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 |
Quality Basic Education Act; military student may attend any school in local system; provide |
House Passed as Amended 2/24/2017 House Sent to Governor 4/3/2017 4/27/2017 – House Date Signed by Governor |
Senate Passed 2/24/2017 |
|
|
Rep. Brooks Coleman HC: W&M SC: FIN |
Title 20 and Title 48 |
Public Education Innovation Fund Foundation; receive private donations for grants to public schools; provisions |
House Passed by Sub 2/24/2017 House Agreed to Senate Sub Sent to Governor 4/5/2017 4/27/2017 – House Date Signed by Governor |
Senate Passed by Sub 3/30/2017 |
|
|
Rep. Wes Cantrell HC: Ed SC: ED&Y |
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-777 |
Elementary and secondary education; annual fitness assessment program; repeal sunset provision |
House Passed by Sub 2/23/2017 |
Senate Read Second Time 3/20/017 1/8/2018 – Senate Recommitted |
|
|
Rep. Demetrius Douglas HC: Ed SC: ED&Y |
Part 15 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 |
Quality Basic Education Act; daily recess for students in kindergarten and grades one through five; provide |
House Passed by Sub 3/3/2017 |
Senate Passed by Substitute 3/1/2018 |
|
|
Rep. Kevin Tanner HC: Ed SC: ED&Y |
Title 20 |
Education; system of supports and assistance for low-performing schools in the greatest need; provisions |
House Passed by Sub 3/1/2017 House Agreed to Senate Sub 3/28/2017 4/27/2017 – House Date Signed by Governor |
Senate Passed by Substitute 3/24/2017 |
|
|
Rep. Wendell Willard HC: IGC SC: SLGO |
Fulton County; Board of Education; contributions made into the pension and retirement plan by employees shall be considered employer contributions for tax purposes; provide |
House Passed 2/23/2017 House Sent to Governor 4/3/2017 May/09/2017 – House Date Signed by Governor |
Senate Passed 3/13/2017 |
||
|
Rep. Barry Fleming HC: HEd |
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.3 |
Move on When Ready Act; students taking dual credit courses at certain eligible postsecondary institutions; allow funding |
House Passed by Substitute 2/26/2018 |
Senate First Read 2/28/2018- Higher Education |
|
|
Rep. Buzz Brockway HC: Ed SC: ED&Y |
Title 20 |
Governor’s Education Reform Commission; charter schools; implement recommendations |
|