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Capitol Update Week 5The General Assembly is finally in full swing, having just completed legislative days 12-16. Multiple newsworthy pieces of legislation were dropped this week including legislation on legalizing hemp cultivation, CBD oil, new voting machines, hospital Certificates of Need (CON), and the Governor’s Medicaid waiver bill. Hearings were also held on pari-mutuel betting and small cell deployment. The General Assembly will be in session four days this week (Tuesday-Friday).While the legislation we are following may not be quite as sexy as those issues, it IS important. HB 42 and SB 92 are the bills that would prevent the State from revoking a professional license for default on a student loan. ACEC Georgia is in support of these bills and the House version has already passed out of committee and is pending in the House Rules Committee. The Senate bill had a hearing last week and will be up for a vote in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday. Legislation to create the Joint Commission on Freight and Logistics is moving through both chambers. HR 37 and SR 19 have both passed out of their respective committees and are in the House and Senate Rules Committees. The Senate version made a few changes to the composition of the Commission membership, so those differences will have to be resolved after each bill crosses over to the other chamber (or perhaps in the conference committee). Rep. Jay Powell’s Constitutional Amendment, HR 164, that would allow revenues derived from fees or taxes to be dedicated to the public purpose for which such fees or taxes were imposed has passed out of the Ways and Means Committee and is pending in House Rules (which Rep. Powell chairs). The House passed an identical bill last year by a vote of 166-1 and current Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan was then a member of the House and a cosponsor of that bill. Lat’s year’s bill never received a hearing in the Senate. This bill could become an important tool in our efforts to have our professional licensing fees dedicated to the Professional License Division in the Secretary of State’s Office. Rep. Tom McCall has dropped HB 322, which would clarify when and how local governments must advertise bids on the Georgia State Procurement Registry. HB 489, which passed last year, set a very low dollar value bar for the advertisement of bids on the state registry which overwhelmed local governments. HB 322 would increase the bid amount threshold to advertise from $10,000 to $100,000. Additionally, this bill clarifies that construction bids must be advertised on the state registry for at least four weeks. ACEC Georgia, AGC, GMA and ACCG have worked jointly on this legislation. The bill was assigned to the House Government Affairs Committee and will be heard in State & Local Government Subcommittee hopefully this week. We were also able to make this a bipartisan bill with Democrat Leader Rep. Bob Trammell signing on as an original cosponsor. Looking AheadWe are working with Rep. Kevin Tanner to introduce legislation on private plan review, permitting and inspections. The bill would streamline and clarify existing laws which allow an applicant to bypass a local government and hire a licensed professional Architect or Engineer to complete a private plan review, rather than wait on the local government to complete such review. It would also allow an applicant to immediately hire a licensed engineer to conduct an inspection. Proposed language is currently being reviewed by the Legislative Counsel’s office and I would expect the bill to be dropped next week. ACEC Georgia and AGC of Georgia will be hosting our annual Building Georgia Legislative Day at the Capitol on Thursday, February 28th. This is a great opportunity to meet your legislator and let them know you are there representing Georgia’s engineering industry. I highly encourage you to attend. Legislation ACEC Georgia is FollowingHB 1 - By Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) would rename Georgia’s existing Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act the “Senator Eric Johnson Scholarship Act.” Eric Johnson is a former state senator from Savannah who served as President Pro Tem of the Senate and is President of ACEC Georgia Member Firm, Hussey Gay Bell. A well-deserved honor for a great Georgian. STATUS: Assigned to the House Education Committee. In Academic Support Subcommittee Monday, February 11th. Did not come up in hearing.HB 3 – By Rep. Matt Gurtler (R-Tiger) would repeal the $5 per night hotel/motel room fee for transportation that makes up a significant part of the revenue generated by the Transportation Funding Act of 2015 (HB 170). While ACEC Georgia will oppose this bill, it is unlikely to even receive a hearing. STATUS: Assigned to Ways and MeansHB 22 – By Rep. Penny Houston (R-Nashville) the Rural Telephone Cooperative Act would allow Cooperative nonprofit corporations who currently provide telephone service in rural areas to also provide broadband services. STATUS: Passed Economic Development. HB 23 – By Rep. Penny Houston (R-Nashville) would allow Electric Membership Corporations to provide broadband services. STATUS: Passed Economic Development. Rules recommitted and will now be on House Floor Monday, February 11th. Passed 166-0HB 30 – FY19 Supplemental. STATUS: passed House on Friday, February 8, 2019 by 166-8. Hearing in Senate Appropriations on Tuesday, February 19th.HB 31 – FY20 Budget. STATUS: Assigned to Appropriations. Hearing in House Appropriations Subcommittees this week.HB 36 – Rep. Bob Trammell (D-Luthersville) HOPE Scholarship for students enrolled at TCSG. STATUS: Assigned to Higher EducationHB 42 – By Rep. Scot Turner (R-Holly Springs) would prohibit professional licensing boards from refusing to issue a license, suspending or revoking the license of a person who is a borrower in default under an educational loan. STATUS: Referred to Higher Education. Heard in Committee on Wednesday, February 6th – no action taken. Hearing Wednesday, February 13th. Passed.HB 184 – By Rep. Bret Harrell (R-) the negotiated Small Cell bill. Allow 5G to be collocated on poles located in the city/county right of way. STATUS: Assigned to Economic Development. Hearing Tuesday, February 12th passed unanimously. HB 200 – By Rep. Don Hogan (R-St. Simons Island) exempts hotels operated by a 501(c)3 charitable tax-exempt organization (such as a religious denomination from charging the $5 per night hotel/motel fee, which is a significant component of the revenue generated by The Transportation Funding Act of 2015 (HB 170). STATUS: Assigned to Ways and MeansHB 315 – By Rep. Mark Newton (R-Augusta) would require that paid consultants who work on bid requirements for RFPs, procurement orders or purchasing orders for local governments disclose any conflict of interest. Rep. Newton had a similar bill last session that was vetoed by Governor Deal. We are currently evaluating this legislation to see if it has the same fatal flaw as last year’s legislation. STATUS: Assigned to Government AffairsHB 322 – By Rep. Tom McCall (R-Elberton) would clarify when and how local governments must advertise bids on the state procurement registry. HB 489, which passed last year, set a very low bar for the advertisement of bids on the state registry which overwhelmed local governments. This bill would increase the bid threshold to advertise to $100,000. Additionally, this bill clarifies that construction bids must be advertised on the state registry for four weeks. ACEC, AGC, GMA and ACCG have worked jointly on this legislation. STATUS: Assigned to Government Affairs. HR 37 – By Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville), House Transportation Chairman, would create a joint House/Senate Commission on Freight and Logistics. The goal of the Commission is to develop a state-wide comprehensive, strategic business plan for freight and rail to handle the increased import volume from the Port of Savannah. The Commission will also look at alternative freight routes and funding mechanisms. Similar to SR 19, but the Commission members are different. STATUS: Assigned to House Transportation. Hearing on Thursday, February 14th. Passed unanimously. HR 38 – By Rep. Dar'shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia) would create a House Study Committee on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Fields. STATUS: Assigned to House Special Rules Committee. HR 164 – By Jay Powell (R-Camilla) Constitutional Amendment that would allow revenues derived from fees or taxes to be dedicated to the public purpose for which such fees or taxes were imposed. The House passed an identical bill last year by a vote of 166-1 and now Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan was a cosponsor of the bill. It did not receive a hearing in the Senate last year. STATUS: Assigned to Ways and Means. Subcommittee hearing Tuesday, February 12th. Passed. Full Committee hearing Thursday, February 14th. Passed. Will be in Rules on Tuesday for floor action this week. SB 2 – By Sen. Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) would allow Electric Membership Corporations to provide broadband services. STATUS: Assigned to Regulated Industries. Up for a hearing Tuesday, February 19th. SB 17 – By Sen. Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) the Rural Telephone Cooperative Act, would allow Cooperative nonprofit corporations who currently provide telephone service in rural areas to also provide broadband services. STATUS: Assigned to Regulated Industries. Hearing on Thursday, February 14th. Passed.SB 45 – By Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) would allow pari-mutuel betting in Georgia. STATUS: Assigned to Economic Development. Hearing only on Wednesday, February 13. Up for Committee vote Wednesday, February 20th. SB 66 – By Sen. Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) the negotiated Small Cell bill. Allow 5G to be collocated on poles located in the city/county right of way. STATUS: Assigned to Regulated Industries. Hearing on Thursday, February 14th. Passed.SB 82- By Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) would appoint a Chief Innovation Officer at GDOT to coordinate and develop technology based improvements and solutions to transportation needs. STATUS: Referred to Science and Technology Committee.SB 92 – By Sen. Beach (R-Alpharetta) – would prohibit professional licensing boards from suspending or revoking the license of a person who is a borrower in default under an educational loan issued through the Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation or through a federal agency. Same bill as HB 42. STATUS: Assigned to Senate Education. Hearing only on Thursday, February 14th and committee was supportive but no vote taken.SR 19 – By Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta), Senate Transportation Chairman, would create a joint House/Senate Commission on Freight and Logistics. The goal of the Commission is to develop a state-wide comprehensive, strategic business plan for freight and rail to handle the increased import volume from the Port of Savannah. The Commission will also look at alternative freight routes and funding mechanisms. STATUS: Assigned to Senate Transportation. Hearing on Tuesday, February 5th. Bill passed after altering the makeup of the Commission to include a designee from GMA and ACCG. Passed the Senate on Friday, February 8th by 54-0. Referred to House TransportationSR 24 – By Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta), urging resolution. Urges Congress to amend the Federal Motor Fuels Tax program to block grant 10 of the 18 cents back to the states without red tape. STATUS: Assigned to Senate Transportation. Hearing on Tuesday, February 5th. Beach withdrew resolution for more study. Up again for Hearing Tuesday, February 12. Passed.SR 133 – By Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) urges Atlanta-region Transit Link (ATL) to prioritize and encourage the use of technological innovation and the development of intelligent transportation systems. STATUS: Assigned to Science and Technology. ................
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