2023 Capitol Update – Week 5
2023 Capitol Update – Week 5
February 6, 2023
The legislative session began to pick up steam last week, with special elections, a House vote on the amended 2023 budget, over 150 new bills filed, and a #GAPOL Top Gun Remake, lawmakers seem to be settling into their new roles, hastening the pace of session.
Last week, we reported that there were four special elections scheduled for January 31st. These elections yielded the following results:
- Former Representative Sam Watson (R) will succeed past Senator Dean Burke in Senate District 11. Watson handily defeated his opponents with 76% of the vote
- Banker Johnny Chastain (R) will be the new representative for House District 7, formerly held by the late Speaker David Ralston
- House District 119, the previous House Appropriations Chairman Terry England’s vacant seat, will go to a February 28th run-off between Charlie Chase (R) and Holt Persinger (R)
- House District 172, formerly held by Senator-elect Sam Watson, will be represented by Charles “Chas” Cannon (R)
In addition to the run-off for House District 119, there will be another special election to replace retiring House member Mike Glanton for House District 75 on March 21, 2023. Three candidates have qualified for the Clayton County seat, so a run-off is likely; however, should a candidate win outright on the 21st, they will get to join the General Assembly just in time for Sine Die.
On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee met at 7:00am to discuss changes the committee made to the Governor’s recommendations on the amended budget for Fiscal Year 2023 (AFY 23), which ends June 30th of this year. The amended budget will affect the final 90 days of the fiscal year the state is currently operating in. The Governor’s recommendations did not include a line-item appropriation for the Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (PELS) Board; however, the House recommended $300,000 for the Board. While it’s slightly short of the $500,000 the PELS Board voted to formally request for AFY 23, this is a huge step in the right direction, and we’re excited about the progress.
Following this meeting, on Thursday the full House voted on AFY 23 and passed it by a vote of 170-1. This budget includes Governor Kemp’s tax refund initiatives, including the property tax rebate for homeowners worth about $500, and the $250 (single) or $500 (joint) in income tax refunds. Further, it includes $1.1 billion to fill the revenue gap for GDOT caused by the gas tax suspension last year.
The week ahead:
Lawmakers will be meeting for Legislative Days 13 through 16 this week, creeping ever closer to the Crossover Deadline scheduled for March 6th.
Be sure to mark your calendars for Engineers at the Capitol Day on February 28th from 8:00-10:00am! Join us for a meet-and-greet breakfast with legislators. Following breakfast, there will be an optional tour of the Capitol. This is a great opportunity to meet your elected Representative and Senator, as well as other legislators from across the state! Please contact Christy or Chandler for more.
LEGISLATION ACEC GEORGIA IS FOLLOWING
Budget & Appropriations
HB 18 by Representative Jon Burns (R-Newington): is the amended FY 2023 budget. It currently has $300,000 of the $500,000 request for the Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (PELS) Board.
Status: Passed the House Appropriations Committee of February 1st. Passed the House by a vote of 170-1 on February 2nd. Assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee
ACEC Georgia is monitoring this legislation
HB 19 by Representative Jon Burns (R-Newington): is the full fiscal year 2024 budget. It currently has $1,027,895 of the requested $2.5 million for the PELS Board for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Status: Assigned to the House Appropriations Committee
ACEC Georgia is monitoring this legislation
Industry & Professions
HB 128 by Representative Soo Hong (R-Lawrenceville): would revise provisions relating to minority, women owned, and veteran owned businesses procuring or involved in the procurement of state contracts. The bill defines these types of qualified “classified” businesses and would expand the 10% tax deductions for payments to these small business subcontractors to all classified businesses.
Status: Assigned to the House State Planning & Community Affairs Committee.
ACEC Georgia supports this legislation
SB 3 by Senator John Albers (R-Roswell): "Reducing Barriers to State Employment Act of 2023". This proposal would direct all state entities to regularly assess the relevant academic background and experience requirements needed for each position within their agency, reduce those requirements which are arduous and unnecessary, and reduce the number of positions for which four-year college degrees are required as a condition of employment.
Status: Assigned to the Senate Government Oversight Committee.
ACEC Georgia supports this legislation
SR 85 by Senator Larry Walker (R-Perry): would create a Senate study committee on occupational licenses. If the Senate were to vote to create this study committee, during the session interim, the committee would look at occupational licenses and onerous requirements for receiving these licenses.
Status: Senate Hopper (when a bill is originally filed, it is placed in what is known as the Hopper before being assigned to a committee)
ACEC Georgia is monitoring this legislation
Transportation
HB 52 by Representative Brad Thomas (R-Woodstock): is HB 1438 from last year, and as Rep. Thomas put it, this bill “Sine Died” on the last day of session last year. This was last year’s annual GDOT housekeeping bill and proposes to revise meeting notice provisions for the election of board members for the Department of Transportation as well as clarify other provisions regarding public-private partnership negotiations and exempt some records from public disclosure requirements. This bill was amended to include a separate provision that relates to the duties of coroners and county medical examiners regarding major interstate highway deaths, as well as increase the modular home transportation square footage limit by 4 feet to align with neighboring states’ restrictions.
Status: Passed the House Transportation Committee on January 30th. Now eligible for the House Rules Committee.
ACEC Georgia supports this legislation
Water & Environmental
Nothing yet!
Local Government
HB 145 by Representative Regina Lewis-Ward (D-McDonough): would create an alternative dispute resolution option to liens placed on lots for unpaid assessments to property owners’ associations. This bill’s Senate companion is SB 29.
Status: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
ACEC Georgia is monitoring this legislation
HB 146 by Representative Derek McCollum (R-Chestnut Mountain): proposes to revise the term “municipality” as it relates to water and sewer projects and costs tax (MOST) to include any municipality with a corporate boundary that extends into three or more counties.
Status: Assigned to the House Ways & Means Committee.
ACEC Georgia is monitoring this legislation
HB 160 by Representative Gerald Greene (R-Cuthbert): proposes to create a community improvement district in the city of Albany.
Status: Assigned to the House Intragovernmental Coordination Committee.
ACEC Georgia is monitoring this legislation
SB 29 by Senator Donzella James (D-Atlanta): would create an alternative dispute resolution option to liens placed on lots for unpaid assessments to property owners’ associations. This bill’s House companion is HB 145.
Status: Assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
ACEC Georgia is monitoring this legislation
SR 37 by Senator Donzella James (D-Atlanta): would create a Senate property owners’ associations, homeowners’ associations, and condominium associations study committee. The committee would be tasked with researching and making recommendations on excessive regulation and fees imposed by some associations in the state.
Status: Assigned to the Senate Rules Committee.
ACEC Georgia is monitoring this legislation
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