Legislative Calendar
The Georgia General Assembly will be in session Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week. 
 
Friday, March 13, is set as "Crossover Day," meaning that any bill or resolution that has not been voted out of its chamber of origin is no longer eligible for final passage in 2015.  April 2 is scheduled to be Sine Die, or the final day of the 2015 legislative session.

Action on Key Business Legislation
The General Assembly took action on the following Georgia Chamber priorities last week.  You can stay updated on the status of Georgia Chamber scorecard legislation by visiting our scorecard tracker webpage and see where we stand on bills important to the business community on our bill finder webpage.
 
HB 170: Transportation Funding Act of 2015
Chamber Position: Support
Yesterday, HB 170, sponsored by Representative Jay Roberts (Ocilla), passed the House by a vote of 123-46.  The Georgia Chamber commends Chairman Jay Roberts, Speaker David Ralston and members of the House of Representatives from both parties for their steadfast commitment to delivering legislation that creates a dedicated, predictable and sustained funding stream for transportation maintenance and modernization.  We remain vigilant in our commitment to the $1 to $1.5 billion solution that is the minimum we need to ensure safety, transparency, and economic growth well in to the future.  Safe, efficient, multi-modal transportation is critical to the success of our economy and our communities.  
 
As a business community, we need to let our elected leaders know that we support HB 170.  Click here to thank your House member if they voted in support of HB 170 yesterday, and click here to email your Senator to encourage them to support for the bill when it comes to the Senate floor for a vote.  Find out more about HB 170 on the Georgia Chamber's Transportation Funding Act of 2015 resource webpage.
 
HB 303: Increased Penalties on Insurers Involving Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Chamber Position: Oppose; Scorecard
On Tuesday, HB 303, sponsored by Representative Dustin Hightower (Carrollton), was favorably reported by the House Judiciary Committee.  Currently, an insurer has 60 days to process and fulfill a policyholders claim on uninsured motorist coverage.  After 60 days, the policyholder can file a lawsuit claiming the insurer is acting in "bad faith" on their claim.  If the court finds that the insurer did act in "bad faith," the court can award a penalty up to 25% of the policyholders uninsured motorist coverage limit.  HB 303 is increasing this penalty on the insurer and allowing the court to award attorney's fees and litigation expenses.  If HB 303 were to become law, insurance companies would process all claims without a thorough review to avoid the possibility of the court finding them in bad faith.  Click here to view the bill.
 
HB 412: Workers' Compensation Reform
Chamber Position: Support; Scorecard
On Wednesday, HB 412, sponsored by Representative Mark Hamilton (Cumming), passed the House by a vote of 167-0.  HB 412 is the annual workers' compensation update bill that includes several important provisions developed and agreed upon by the State Board's legislative advisory council.  The most critical provision provides protection of the exclusive remedy for workers' comp and strengthens Georgia's workers' comp system for employers and employees alike. Additionally, the bill extends the Subsequent Injury Trust Fund sunset which will maintain important stability and help to facilitate the settling of cases. The Georgia Chamber supports policies that ensure a balanced and equitable system of handling claims for on the job injuries. An efficient worker's compensation system should be fair to the employee and employer and designed to return the employee back to work as soon as medically appropriate.  Click here to view this bill.
 
SB 2: Career Education Dual Enrollment
Chamber Position: Support; Scorecard
On Monday, SB 2, sponsored by Senator Lindsay Tippins (Marietta), was favorably reported by the House Education Committee. SB 2 would allow a high school student who has completed ninth and tenth grade requirements for coursework and assessments to enroll in a qualifying post-secondary institution and pursue an associate degree, technical diploma, or industry certification program while counting that coursework towards high school graduation requirements. SB 2 will create a new tool to address many workforce needs of Georgia businesses.  By further aligning our K-12 education system with our university and technical college systems and allowing students to simultaneously access both, Georgia will be in a better position to remain economically competitive.  Click here to view the bill.

SB 101: Coastal Marshland Buffers
Chamber Position: Support
On Monday, SB 101, sponsored by Senator Ben Watson (Savannah), passed the Senate by a vote of 46-4.  SB 101 seeks to establish a 25 foot buffer along coastal marshlands and provide variances for activities associated with existing infrastructure, proposed new activities within the buffer zone and the activities of utilities.  The bill clarifies permitting requirements for business and private activities within the marshes and will reduce permitting time, complexity and costs for businesses and utilities with infrastructure and other developments located within the marsh environment.  Click here to view this bill.
 
SB 132: "Quality Basic Education Act"
Chamber Position: Support; Scorecard
On Monday, SB 132, sponsored by Senator Mike Dugan (Carrollton), was favorably reported by the Senate Education and Youth Committee.  SB 132 revises and updates regulations regarding dual enrollment options, giving students new opportunities to receive associate and technical degrees and certifications in high demand industries. It creates a revised funding system, subject to general appropriations, that finances student tuition and related costs for attending colleges through the program. It also authorizes the Department of Education to decide which courses offered by colleges are eligible for high school credit.  Click here to view the bill.
 
SB 133: Opportunity School District
Chamber Position: Support
Yesterday, SB 133, sponsored by Senator Butch Miller (Gainesville), passed the Senate by a vote of 38-17.  SB 133 would create an Opportunity School District (OSD), a mechanism that allows the state to intervene in persistently failing schools through a new system of governance that would be controlled under the Governor's Office of Student Achievement.  Under the proposed model, the OSD would only focus on the state's poorest performing schools - those that are 60 or below on CCRPI for 3 consecutive years - and would operate by giving individual school leaders more flexibility to achieve better results in exchange for increased accountability.  The state proposes to intervene in no more than 20 schools per year and in no more than 100 schools at any given time. The Georgia Chamber has long supported improving K-12 outcomes as a critical component in the recruitment, expansion, and retention of employers in Georgia. Click here to view the bill.
 
SR 287: Constitutional Amendment:  Opportunity School District
Chamber Position: Support
Yesterday, SR 287, sponsored by Senator Butch Miller (Gainesville), passed the Senate by a vote of 38-15.  SR 287 is a Constitutional Amendment to allow the General Assembly to authorize the establishment of an Opportunity School District (OSD) to provide for state intervention for failing schools. Click here to view the bill.