UNDER THE GOLD DOME

WEEK 11

COUNTING DOWN TO SINE DIE

On Monday, March 20, the Georgia House of Representatives reconvened under the Gold Dome for our last full week of the 2023 legislative session. The end of session is quickly approaching, and we will reach Legislative Day 40, also known as “Sine Die,” on March 29. While some might assume that our official business is winding down in these final days, we have actually ramped up our House efforts to perfect and pass legislation before the legislative session comes to an end next week. 

Several constituents have asked me how my legislation, HB 538 The Georgia Early Literacy Act, is going. It passed unanimously out of the Senate Education and Youth Committee and then passed out of Senate Rules. I expect it to be heard on the Senate floor on Monday, March 27. I am hopeful that it will pass out of that chamber with the same support it received in the House.

Protecting Georgia's Citizens

We gave unanimous final passage to Senate legislation this week to ensure that Georgia businesses do their part to help spread awareness and stop human trafficking in Georgia. Senate Bill 42 would revise the penalty for certain businesses that fail to post required signage about the human trafficking hotline, which handles tips about potential sex and labor trafficking and reports such incidents to law enforcement. Under this bill, a business would have 30 days to post the appropriate signage if a law enforcement officer notifies the business of its noncompliance. Recognizing and reporting potentially dangerous situations are the first steps to ending human trafficking in our state. To report suspected human trafficking in Georgia, you can call the statewide 24-hour hotline at (866) 363-4842.

Protecting Our Data

The House also unanimously passed Senate Bill 93 to prohibit the use of certain foreign-owned social media platforms on state-owned devices. This ban would only apply to social media platforms that are owned or operated by a foreign adversary or by a company which is domiciled in, has its headquarters in or is organized under the laws of a foreign adversary. The prohibition would also stand when a foreign adversary has substantial control over the content moderation practices of the platform or if the platform uses software or an algorithm that is controlled or monitored by a foreign adversary.  Gov. Kemp and other proponents of this legislation aim to prevent TikTok from accessing critical, private information or collecting data about our state government’s operations. 

Helping Georgia's Students

On Thursday, the House passed Senate Bill 86 to expand access to the HOPE grant program to high school students who are already preparing themselves to join our state’s workforce by earning college credit before graduation. SB 86 would allow eligible dual enrollment students to access HOPE grant funds for eligible career, technical and agricultural education (CTAE) courses, regardless of whether a student has reached the maximum credit hour cap to receive these funds. To ensure this grant funding is put to good use, the Georgia Student Finance Commission would collaborate with the Technical College System of Georgia to collect and report certain data related to the dual enrollment program to track the program’s impact. Local CTAE courses are crucial to supporting high-demand career fields throughout our state, and these funds would help students pay for the necessary technical training to launch their careers and contribute to our state’s workforce.

The Georgia General Assembly will convene for two legislative days before the 2023 legislative session adjourns “Sine Die” on Wednesday, March 29. My House colleagues and I will be hard at work during these final two legislative days to pass meaningful legislation for our state and its citizens, which will surely be our busiest and longest days of the entire session. Before we complete our legislative business for the session, I urge you to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or input on any measures being considered in the House or Senate.