UNDER THE GOLD DOME

WEEK 7

ALMOST TO CROSSOVER

The Georgia House of Representatives reconvened at the State Capitol on Monday, February 24^th to resume our legislative duties. During our seventh week of session, we convened for four legislative days, while Tuesday was set aside for a committee workday. While the House did not convene on Tuesday, my colleagues and I were diligently working to move legislation through the committee process. This week, the House voted on several bills and resolutions – the most of any week so far. I would like to highlight a few notable pieces of legislation that passed the House this week as we gear up for Crossover Day next week.

NOTABLE BILLS OF THE WEEK

With the unanimous passage of House Bill 428, the House took a significant step in supporting Georgians and their growing families. This legislation would codify the right to in vitro fertilization (IVF) in our state’s law, reinforcing our commitment to making Georgia the best place to live, work, and raise a family. Many couples face the heartbreaking challenge of infertility, with the Centers for Disease Control reporting that 19 percent of women experience this struggle. IVF has provided a safe and effective path to parenthood for many, and in 2021 alone, more than 2,300 children were born in Georgia through this medical intervention, and members of the House shared stories of their personal connections to this life-changing medical procedure. These testimonies underscored just how vital IVF is for families struggling with infertility, making our vote to protect this right even more meaningful. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in ensuring that those who rely on IVF have the legal protection and support they need to grow their families through this procedure. 

To support Georgia’s veterans, the House passed House Bill 108, the Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act (SAVE Act), which would provide various protections for veterans applying for veterans’ benefits, while also encouraging free-market business practices. Georgia has a large veteran population, many of whom are eligible for benefits but face delays, denials or difficulty navigating the claims process. Currently, there is a backlog of appeals of more than 300,000 benefits claims at the Veterans Affairs (VA), and most appeals take five to 10 years to resolve. Because of this, many veterans have decided to pay third-party claims consultant companies, who in turn, have been able to provide quicker and more effective services than the VA. However, HB 108 seeks to ensure that these businesses operate within a regulated framework to prevent exploitation of our veterans. We owe it to the women and men who have served our great country, and this bill would safeguard and expedite their rights to VA benefits, while also ensuring that businesses are held to ethical standards when helping our veterans with claims needs.

EDUCATION UPDATE

I am proud to sponsor House Bill 307 which demonstrates the House’s dedication to improving literacy in Georgia. Passed with bipartisan support this week, HB 307 would amend the Georgia Early Literacy Act to include dyslexia, renaming it the Georgia Early Literacy and Dyslexia Act. During the 2023 legislative session, the House passed House Bill 538, and HB 307 builds on that legislation to further support students at risk of not achieving grade-level reading proficiency or who exhibit characteristics of dyslexia. The bill aims to align instruction with the science of reading principles. HB 307 would also remove outdated language related to programs that do not align with these science-based standards and would prevent the three-cueing method from being used in Georgia. The bill would make it clear that any three-cueing curriculum, defined as any model for teaching students to read based on meaning, structure and syntax and visual cues (also referred to as MSV), would not be considered high-quality instructional material, ensuring that only effective, research-based approaches are used. Importantly, HB 307 would not ban the use of picture books, pictures or the practice of calling attention to pictures or using flash cards in instruction. These methods could still be used as supplemental tools but not as a primary means of literacy instruction. Additionally, HB 307 would create the Georgia Literacy Coach Coordination Council to ensure that Georgia’s literacy coaches receive quality instruction that is standardized. This legislative measure would further strengthen Georgia’s efforts to improve literacy outcomes and ensure all students receive evidence-based, high-quality reading instruction. By focusing on early literacy, especially for students at risk of falling behind, we ensure that every child has the tools needed to succeed academically and beyond.

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 81 -- PASSED OUT OF HOUSE This bill will allow Georgia to enter into the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists. This will cut red tape for school psychologists who move here from other member states. School psychologists are an integral part of our schools, and my hope is that this will help our schools hire more of them to support our students. I will now work with the Senate to shepherd this bill through the process in that chamber.

HOUSE BILL 107 -- PASSED OUT OF COMMITTEE This bill will require our licensing boards to provide military spouses with a digital verifiable license which will make it easier for them to prove they have a valid occupational license when they move from state to state. I'm working with the Secretary of State's office on this issue before this bill goes into Rules.

HOUSE BILL 174 -- PASSED OUT OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE This bill was brought to me as a unanimous resolution by the Centerville City Council as a piece of local legislation. It will authorize the Municipal Court of Centerville to charge a technology fee.

HOUSE BILL 307 -- PASSED OUT OF HOUSE This bill will strengthen SB 48 and HB 538, dyslexia and literacy legislation from previous sessions, and ban curriculum that does not align with the Science of Reading. I look forward to working with the Senate to get passage in that chamber.

HOUSE BILL 361 This bill will exempt all retirement benefits of our retired veterans from state income tax. This bill was signed by almost all the House members from our military communities, and is a bipartisan bill. It has been assigned to the Ways & Means Committee.

HOUSE BILL 372 This bill will allow retired teachers who have certificates in certain high needs areas to return to the classroom. It has been assigned to the Retirement Committee.

HOUSE BILL 487 This bill will mandate that computer science be a high school graduation requirement beginning in 2031.It has been assigned to the Education Committee.

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

LINKS AND CONTACT INFORMATION

The Georgia House of Representatives will reconvene on Monday, March 3^rd, marking the start of our eighth week of the legislative session. On Thursday, March 6^th, my fellow House members and I will convene for Legislative Day 28, also known as Crossover Day. This is the critical deadline for bills and resolutions to pass out of their chamber of origin in order to remain eligible for final passage before the conclusion of the session on Legislative Day 40, or Sine Die.

If your child would like to be a House Page, please click the link below to contact my office. The Page program is open to children ages 12 through 18, and it is a very worthwhile and educational experience. Paging does not count toward school absences, and your child will be counted as "present" at school.

As the legislative session progresses, I encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns regarding the work being done at the State Capitol. Your input is always valued, so please feel free to schedule a call or visit to discuss the issues that matter most to you and your family.