2013 General Assembly Recap

July 2, 2013

AGENDA

• Status of Gwinnett County’s Legislative Agenda

• Other Bills Affecting Gwinnett

• Bills Affecting Cities

• Legislation that Gwinnett Opposed

• Next Steps

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Status of Gwinnett County’s Legislative Agenda

Technology Fee Enhance mobile technologies and provide faster access to data by collecting a technology fee, not

to exceed $10.00, as a surcharge to each fine imposed. Fee sunsets on June 30, 2016.

Status: Draft bill was not introduced by our delegation.

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Status of Gwinnett County’s Legislative Agenda

Springbrook Golf Course Commission Act Repeal the Act

Status: The Commission is expected to have a final meeting in 2013. This local legislation will be introduced in 2014

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Status of Gwinnett County’s Legislative Agenda

Dig Law (SB 117) Resulted from a two-year stakeholder

process whereby several changes were made to Georgia's Utility Facility Protection Act (GUFPA,

or Call Before You Dig Law).

Status: Passed in the Senate; stalled in the House after the Federal government announced intentions to introduce new regulations.

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Status of Gwinnett County’s Legislative Agenda

Civil Case Filing Fees and Clerk Retirement Revise the current law to increase civil case filing

fees to correct disparities in county budgets created by HB 487 (2009 General Assembly).

Status: Unable to locate a sponsor during the 2013 General Assembly. Will work to locate sponsor for the 2014 General Assembly.

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Status of Gwinnett County’s Legislative Agenda

Unclaimed Property Revise current law to allow local governments to maintain unclaimed property, instead of sending

the property to the State.

Status: DoFS staff to work with GA Department of Revenue to improve processes for escheating property.

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Status of Gwinnett County’s Legislative Agenda

EMS Reimbursements Revise the current law regarding EMS

treatment/transportation to require insurance companies to remit payment to the EMS agency

for services rendered by the agency.

Status: Fire/EMS staff discussing with the Law Department current general law that might meet the objective.

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Status of Gwinnett County’s Legislative Agenda

Property Tax Bills/E-billing (HB 412) Modify the current law to allow Tax

Commissioner to email property tax bills to property owners.

Status: Passed in the House, but didn’t make it to the floor of the Senate for a vote. Request the bill be re-introduced in 2014.

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Status of Gwinnett County’s Legislative Agenda

Sexual Offenses – Increase Penalties (HB 1) Modify State law to increase penalties for

sexual offenses (prostitution, pimping, and keeping a house of prostitution).

Status: Included in HB 1, which was never voted on in the House

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Status of Gwinnett County’s Legislative Agenda

SPLOST – 15% of SPLOST Revenues to be Used for Maintenance (HB 173)

Allow up to 15% of the SPLOST revenues to be used for maintenance activities on facilities formerly or currently built with SPLOST, if

approved by the voters.

Status: Included in HB 173, which failed to crossover.

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Status of Gwinnett County’s Legislative Agenda

Repeal of Population Bill - Elections held for Bonded Debt (HB 400)

In all counties of this state having a population of 800,000 or more according to the United States decennial census of

2000 or any future such census, no county-wide bond election or school bond election in the unincorporated area of any such county shall be held on any date other than the

date of the November general election

Status: Passed in the House, but didn’t make it to the floor of the Senate for a vote. Request the bill be re-introduced in 2014. 12

Other Bills Affecting Gwinnett(Signed into Law)

HB 142 and HB 143

Speaker Ralston’s Bills

• HB 142 – Expands the definition of “lobbyist”

• HB 143 – Changes and eliminates certain filing requirements for County offices

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Other Bills Affecting Gwinnett(Signed into Law)

HB 242 – Juvenile Justice Reform• Combination of some of the provisions of the

Juvenile Code Rewrite and the recommendations form the Criminal Justice Reform Council regarding juvenile justice

HB 250 – Energy Excise Tax Revisions• Administrative changes to the implementation,

collection and distribution of the energy excise tax. 14

Other Bills Affecting Gwinnett(Signed into Law)

HB 266 – Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT)• Changes the new system for taxing motor vehicles

HB 463 – Tax Commissioner Discretion on Used Vehicle Values/New Process for Taxing IRP Trucks

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Other Bills Affecting Gwinnett(Signed into Law

HB 487 – Class B Coin-Operated Machines• Moves the regulation of coin-operated machines from

the DoR to the GA Lottery Corporation

SB 104 – Comprehensive Planning Revisions –Streamlining Requirements

• Legislation resulted from a two year stakeholder input process

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Other Bills Affecting Gwinnett(Signed into Law)

SB 160 – Illegal Immigration Reform to Create Regulatory Efficiencies

SB 168 – Public Contracts – Contracting and Bidding Requirements

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Bills Affecting Cities

HB 575 – Peachtree Corners• Ability to enter into agreement with other

governmental parties

HB 620 – Peachtree Corners• Redevelopment Powers Law

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Legislation that Gwinnett Opposed

• HB 159 – Property Tax Bill

• HB 176 – Cell Tower Bill

• Inter-basin Transfers

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Next Steps

• Gwinnett Delegation Field Trip

• Conversations with delegation members regarding legislation for the 2014 session

• Developing the 2014 General Assembly Legislative Agenda

• Adoption of BOC resolution supporting the 2014 General Assembly Legislative Agenda

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Comments/Questions