ATLANTA – The Georgia House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a mental health reform bill Thursday that follows up on landmark mental health legislation the late House Speaker David Ralston steered through last year.
House Bill 520, which passed 163-3, has the dual goals of growing Georgia’s mental-health workforce and finding better alternatives for patients than shuffling between jails, emergency rooms and the streets.
“Eighty percent of every Georgia family is impacted by either mental health or substance abuse,” said Rep. Todd Jones, R-South Forsyth, one of the bill’s sponsors. “They need a place to turn. They need to know we are there for them.”
The legislation would address the state’s mental-health workforce shortage by creating a loan repayment program for nurses and other mental-health professionals who are already working in the field and agree to provide mental-health care in underserved communities. Last year’s bill limited loan forgiveness to students who had not begun their professional careers.
Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, another of House Bill 520’s sponsors, said Georgia’s mental-health workforce suffers from a 20% vacancy rate. She said an existing loan forgiveness program for physicians willing to practice in rural Georgia is working well.
“Where you were born should not determine where you get proper health care, and health care is mental health and substance abuse,” Jones added.
The bill also would create a task force to looks for ways to streamline mental-health licensing procedures and reform some disciplinary measures for nurses and other professionals facing behavioral health or substance abuse problems to bring them in line with current procedures for doctors.
After Thursday’s vote, House Speaker Jon Burns praised his late predecessor, who died last November, for leading the way on mental-health reform with last year’s legislation.
“I can assure you David Ralston is smiling down on this body right now,” Burns, R-Newington, told his House colleagues.
ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp and legislative leaders announced a plan Thursday to review all of Georgia’s tax credits later this year.
The goal is to make sure the various tax credits on the books in Georgia aimed at supporting economic development and job creation are giving taxpayers a good return on that investment.
“As the No. 1 state for business, we’re proud to welcome jobs and opportunity from a wide range of industries, and we’re grateful for policies that directly benefit hardworking Georgians,” Kemp said in a prepared statement.
“As we work with our legislative partners to review the current impact of our various tax credits, we remain committed to keeping Georgia a welcoming state for opportunity while also being good stewards of taxpayer trust.”
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who presides over the state Senate, and House Speaker Jon Burns joined the governor in announcing the upcoming review.
.“It is incumbent on us to ensure our tax credits continue to provide good value while keeping the tax burden on all Georgians as low as possible,” Burns said. “We will be very deliberate in this examination, and the House is committed to working with the Senate and Governor Kemp’s administration to keep Georgia the state that businesses and families want to call home.”
Jones said the state income tax cut the General Assembly passed last year was the impetus behind reviewing the tax credits.
“This effort is a key step in ensuring that all tax credit programs provide a sound return on investment while giving Georgians a new opportunity to consider reductions of the state income tax,” Jones said.
Georgia’s highly popular film tax credit is by far the most expensive in terms of tax revenue the state foregoes each year in an effort to lure film and TV productions to the Peach State. With Georgia now a leader in the industry, audits of the tax credit have consistently shown it is more than paying for itself.
The review will take place between this year’s legislative session and the 2024 session so that the General Assembly can take up any proposed changes that arise from the review next year.
The House and Senate will work with the Governor’s Office of Planning & Budget, the state Department of Economic Development, and the Georgia Department of Revenue as well as industry stakeholders during the review.
ATLANTA – Legislation establishing the crime of “interference with critical infrastructure” cleared the Georgia House of Representatives unanimously Thursday.
The topic is timely given the December targeting of an electric substation in North Carolina by an unknown shooter that left 45,000 utility customers without power, Rep. Rob Leverett, R-Elberton, chief sponsor of House Bill 227, told his lawmaking colleagues during a brief debate before the vote.
“Some people have decided it’s open season on our infrastructure,” Leverett said. “This is to send a message to those who would target vital infrastructure.”
Under the legislation, critical infrastructure includes electricity, water, sewers, telecommunications, internet, public transportation and public transit systems, hospitals, ambulances, emergency medical and rescue services, the military, police, Coast Guard, and prison and fire services.
The bill provides penalties of up to 20 years in prison for the most serious offenders, those who intentionally damage a form of critical infrastructure with the intention of disrupting service.
Intentionally interfering with the “proper operation” of a form of critical infrastructure is a lesser offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The House Judiciary Non-civil Committee added a provision to the original bill specifying that it would apply to anyone who attacks critical infrastructure through “electronic means,” an acknowledgement of the growth of cyber crime in Georgia and elsewhere.
“That’s a great improvement for the protection of our citizens in Georgia,” said Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta.
ATLANTA – The state House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation Wednesday aimed at helping Georgia begin to prepare for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles by motorists across the state.
House Bill 406 would set the stage for building a network of federally funded EV charging stations along major highway corridors. While utilities are expected to own and operate some of those stations, most likely would open up at convenience stores and other retail locations.
The bill calls for EV owners to pay for the electricity that powers their vehicles by the kilowatt-hour rather than by the amount of time they spend at the charging stations.
Motorists using the EV charging stations would pay an excise tax on the electricity they buy in addition to the current $210 annual fee EV owners pay. The tax revenue from EVs would help offset the gasoline tax revenue the state Department of Transportation stands to lose during the coming years as more motorists switch to electric vehicles.
“Our goal is to ensure Georgia’s roads and bridges are adequately funded,” said Rep. Rick Jasperse, R-Jasper, the bill’s chief sponsor and chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
The portion of the legislation that would put the Georgia Department of Agriculture in charge of inspecting public EV charging stations would not take effect until the beginning of 2025.
“We’ve got to get an opportunity for the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Revenue to scale up,” Jasperse said.
The bill now moves to the Georgia Senate for consideration.
ATLANTA – Legislation elevating the crime of rioting from a misdemeanor to a felony cleared the Republican-controlled Georgia House of Representatives Wednesday.
House Bill 505 passed 98-73 along party lines and now moves to the state Senate.
The bill’s supporters cited violent protests last month around Atlanta’s proposed Police Training Center – derided by critics as “Cop City” – in pushing for the measure’s passage. A young protester was shot and killed and a state trooper was shot and seriously wounded during a cleanup operation law enforcement officers conducted to break up a tent encampment at the site.
“We should protect peaceful protesters,” said Rep. J Collins, R-Villa Rica, chairman of the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. “[But] the No.-1 priority for government should be to protect people and property.”
Rep. Mike Cheokas, R-Americus, the bill’s chief sponsor, said allowing out-of-state protesters to come into Georgia to perpetrate street violence is bad for business.
“With downtown [Atlanta] dependent on conventions and tourism, we must protect that industry from brand damage,” said Cheokas, who chairs the House Small Business Development Committee.
But House Democrats argued the broad way the bill defines “riot” could subject peaceful protesters caught up in a violent demonstration as bystanders to being charged with a felony.
“Protest is essential to our democracy and a fundamental First Amendment right,” said Rep. Omari Crawford, D-Decatur.
Crawford said police also could use the legislation to arrest teenagers scuffling in a school bus or tailgating outside a football game.
But House Majority Whip James Burchett, R-Waycross, said the bill is not meant to apply to people in an “affray.” Instead, the definition in the measure requires two or more people to share a “common intent” to damage property or commit violence before they can be charged.
“An affray is an affray, a fight,” Burchett said. “We’re not burning police cars or tearing up local businesses.”
After the bill passed, the House approved a related measure 100-69 – also along party lines – to create the offense of arson of a law enforcement vehicle.
