UNDER THE GOLD DOME

WEEK 8

CROSSOVER DAY

The House kicked-off the eighth week of the 2024 legislative session on Monday, February 26 as my colleagues and I gathered in the House chamber for three long days of legislative work. The House also dedicated an entire day of work in our committees so that bills could have a chance to pass out of committee and make it to the House floor for a vote. Thursday was especially important as it marked Legislative Day 28, or "Crossover Day," the deadline for bills and resolutions to pass from their originating chamber to remain eligible for final consideration by Legislative Day 40, or "Sine Die." On Crossover Day alone, the House passed 72 bills. We worked long hours this week working late into the night as we tackled a range of pressing issues for the citizens of our great state. 

I was proud to sponsor HB 880 that unanimously passed as a bipartisan measure to support Georgia’s servicemembers and their families as they relocate to our state with House Bill 880. HB 880 would bring our state in compliance with the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act by allowing the spouses of servicemembers to continue practicing their jobs without a license in certain circumstances. To qualify, the spouse would be required to hold a current license from another state and be in good standing in that state, submit an expedited license by endorsement application along with the servicemember's military orders, which could be filed prior to relocation to Georgia, as well as be employed by an in-state employer. If the license by endorsement is not granted within 30 days after the application is submitted, the spouse could still work for the in-state employer without being licensed. However, if the spouse is denied an expedited license by endorsement, he or she would no longer qualify to practice the occupation in this state. This military-friendly legislation would streamline the licensing process by providing clear guidelines for qualification and expedited application procedures, offering timely relief to military spouses seeking employment opportunities upon relocation to our great state. On Monday, AFPI sponsored a press conference highlighting this bill as one of their legislative priorities. You can watch video of the press conference here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVQaIEWTeNU

SPONSORED LEGISLATION

I am proud to be sponsoring the following legislation. My colleagues and I are working tirelessly on other bills that will support our communities and will make Georgia a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

HOUSE BILL 880 -- This bill will allow military spouses in Georgia to get to work immediately in their chosen field using their existing professional license from another state. This will free our military spouses from cumbersome regulatory burdens and red tape. This bill passed unanimously out of the House, and it will be heard in the Senate Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security committee on Tuesday. You can watch my House floor presentation here https://youtu.be/jmoFfqNDvbo

HOUSE BILL 1027 -- This bill would require all Georgia students to take a computer science class before graduation. This is literacy for the 21st century and will equip our state's children with the knowledge to enter into our increasingly high tech workforce. I'm working with the Department of Education to make sure this will work for all our students. This bill passed out of both the Education Curriculum subcommittee and the full Education Committee. You can watch the video of the hearing at this link. HB 1027 was the last bill presented and begins at 2:53:03 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL_bqen_O68&t=7376s

Although this bill passed out of the House Rules Committee, the Education Chairman had it recommitted to the Education Committee. I will keep working on this bill to ensure that our children have what they need to prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

HOUSE BILL 1121 -- This bill protects private property rights by allowing citizens to keep their short term rental properties if a municipality or county prohibits the registration of new short term rental properties. I am hopeful this bill will get a hearing this week in a Governmental Affairs subcommittee. This bill was heard in committee, and there were many questions. This will be a work in progress, and I will endeavor to work in the off season to answer these questions and protect our state's property owners.

HOUSE BILL 1161 -- This bill would exempt all income received as retirement benefits for our retired military service members. This was not heard in committee this year. I look forward to working on this issue in the coming years.

You can click the button below to follow legislation as each bill makes its way through the House and Senate.

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