With the legislative session all wrapped up, there are some great bills for all of Georgia being signed into law by the Governor. Bill signing ceremonies are happy occasions for so many people. Legislators, constituents and advocates for the law gather around the Governor for a moment to celebrate improving the lives of Georgians.
During each year’s legislative session some bills, like the budget, are sent directly to the Governor to be signed immediately upon approval from the legislature. Others sit on his desk to be examined in further detail allowing the necessary state agencies time to prepare for implementation. The list of bills officially becoming law is continuing to grow because the Governor has a limited window of time to sign or veto legislation. Legislation that the Governor does not act on will become Georgia law at that time.
One major initiative coming from the Governor’s office for a number of years is criminal justice reform. House Bill 71 was officially signed into law on May 1 to provide clarity and transparency in Georgia’s criminal justice parole process. On that same day, the Governor signed “Tanja’s Law,” a bill creating a uniform set of punishments for violence against a trained service animal working in an official police capacity.
To keep Georgia’s economy strong, the Governor put his signature on several tax incentive and tax credit measures. Georgia employers can now get tax credits for hiring well-qualified employees who have earned their GED. The TV and film industry continues to grow here in Georgia, and the tax credits available to this industry have helped Georgia take a leading role in the movie and television production business. Also, a revision was made to Georgia’s transportation special purpose local option sales tax (T-SPLOST) code to allow T-SPLOST revenues to go toward repairing roads and bridges that were damaged as part of a natural disaster.
With all of the incentives for businesses to come to Georgia, along with the continually growing population, it is crucial that we have the resources necessary to keep our citizens safe on our roadways. The maintenance of Georgia’s transportation infrastructure was at the forefront of this year’s hot button issues. House Bill 170 is an important step towards creating a better, safer Georgia as well as improving how everyone moves through our state.
As a matter of Georgia history, House Bill 1 called “Haleigh’s Hope Act” is now Georgia law. The bill, in part, will set up a study program for Georgians with some of the most serious medical conditions to determine the effectiveness of the treatment and policy surrounding cannabis oil, which is derived from the marijuana plant. Another portion of the bill allows medical refugees native to Georgia to return home without the threat of criminal prosecution for medical treatment received in other states.
The full list of bills that have been signed into law by the Governor is available on Legis.Ga.Gov/Legislation/en-US/SignedByGov.aspx. If you have questions about a bill, please let us know at my office at 404-463-1378.
to your business!