Highlights
2016 Legislative Highlights
HB 1 Haleigh's Hope Act:
Use of medical cannabis oil offers immunity for possession of cannabis oil for 8 conditions. Maximum amount of THC is 5%.
HB 76 2016 Budget: $21.8 B.
An increase of $992 M over SFY 2015 budget. 70.5% of all new revenues assigned to education. 55% of Georgia's total budget is dedicated to education; 14% to healthcare; 6% to corrections.
HB 91 Eliminating the Georgia Graduation Test for high school graduation. Instead students must pass end of course assessments.
HB 57 Solar Power Free Market Financing Act of 2015. Legalizes financing of solar technology for residences and small business. No tax credits in this bill.
HB 72 Protection of Disabled Adults and the Elderly. Adds "investment companies" and their employees as mandatory reporters for suspected abuse or exploitation of the elderly.
HB 63 Employer's GED Tax Credit Program. Provides a $400 tax credit to employers for each employee who passes the GED when such test was paid for by the employer. Also, a tax credit of $1,200 for each employee who passes the GED and whose employer provides 40 hours of PTO for completion of a GED training program.
HB 133 Opportunity School Districts:
Persistently failing schools who earn an "F" rating for 3 consecutive years. OSD Superintendent appointed by the Governor.
HB 259 Georgia Business Act. Provides an exemption from competitive bidding procedures for certain automobiles manufactured in Georgia when purchased by the State.
HB 170 Transportation Funding Act (as amended by conference committee). $900 M.
Removes all state sales tax on motor fuel and thus repeals the second motor fuel tax. Excise tax will be 26 cents per gallon of gas; 29 diesel. Indexed to CAFÉ standards for
efficiency.
LOST, HOST, MOST, SPLOST, ESPLOST untouched but local taxes on fuel are frozen at$3.00 per gallon.
Fees on alternative fueled vehicles $200 non-commercial, $300 commercial. Fees on heavy vehicles. $50 per year from 15,500 lbs. to 26,000 lbs. $100 per year for vehicles weighing over 26,000 lbs.
Eliminates tax credit for low emission vehicles.
Eliminates tax credit given to commercial airlines for jet fuel.
Establishes a $5.00 per day hotel fee.
HB 308 Historic Preservation Tax Credit. $10 M maximum tax credit to developers
HB 310 This bill creates the Department of Community Supervision streamlining Georgia's parole and probation systems.
HB 342 Nursing Homes. Negligence per se. This bill provides that no violation by a nursing home of any regulation shall constitute negligence per se.
SB 63 Retail Sale of Alcoholic Beverages by Distillers and Brewers. Allows for distillery tours which may include a free souvenir of a single bottle of distilled spirits of not more than 750 milliliters. The free souvenir from a brewery cannot exceed 72 ounces.
SB 101 Establishment of Marsh Buffers.
