The Holland Report - 2024, Week 7

Florence Luranc

Legislative Pace Accelerating
After a quiet President’s Day, the Capitol was bustling this week for legislative days 23, 24 and 25. Next week begins the countdown to Crossover Day–legislative day 28 scheduled for Thursday, February 29. We’re seeing more legislation on the floor, more advocates in the hall and more committee meetings on the schedule. We’re also bracing ourselves for bad bills that may hit the floor for a vote next week. Read below for all of those details.

Bills to Watch
At this point in the session, we begin to watch harmful bills that are moving through committee that could hit our desks by Crossover Day.

SB 362 would prohibit certain businesses from recognizing unions, a move that appears to violate federal law.
HB 1093 (the Alien Land Law) would prevent people born in certain countries from owning agricultural property in Georgia. This is another bill that appears to violate federal law.
A trio of bills flagged as making classrooms hostile towards LGBTQ+ students–HB 836 and HB 936 (both are anti-trans bathroom bills) and HB 1045 (prohibiting discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in schools).
SB 344 which would create a tax holiday to encourage the purchase of firearms and ammunition.

SB 439

I am excited to carry SB 439 in the House, a local bill by Senator Jason Esteves that will finally offer some property tax relief for seniors, an effort that’s been in the works for years. The bill provides a $100,000 homestead exemption from Atlanta school taxes for residents 65 years of age or older and who make less than $100,000 of income a year. The bill already passed the Senate, and we are hopeful it will hit the House floor early next week.

Education
After moving HB 1124 through the Higher Education committee, we saw passage of the bill on the House floor this week. This bill expands the Tuition Completion Grants that provide a safety net for students who need a little extra help in their final stretch when getting a college degree or technical college certificate.

We also passed HB 1183, a measure to improve access to information and education in public schools regarding Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Public Safety
With reports of grooming of minors on the rise, HB 993 makes the act of grooming minors for indecent acts a crime, which advocates believe will help the fight against human trafficking as well. The measure unanimously passed the House.

Healthcare and Mental Health
HB 1077 passed the House to provide grants to institutions that sponsor clinical behavior health training programs and provide tuition reimbursement for certain professions. As the state continues to struggle to find enough mental health providers, this bill can create more opportunities to train psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and counselors.

HB 1073 might look like a zoning bill, but what it will really do is make it easier to build mental health treatment facilities by removing certain zoning obstacles. Again, with so much concern about the lack of facilities to provide mental healthcare, this bill helps pave the way to create more facilities and more beds for those in need.

Meanwhile, HB 1170 requires certain government buildings to keep Narcan available to facilitate the response to opioid overdoses.

Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods & Loud Car Noise Task Force
Along with a group of bipartisan co-sponsors, I continue to advocate for a committee hearing on HB 1219 which would allow cities to use noise detection cameras that can issue tickets to drivers with excessively loud cars. I want to give a big thank you to the advocates from the Loud Car Noise Task Force and Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods who visited the Capitol this week. Interested in signing a petition in support of this legislation? Follow this link.

Lupus Advocacy
The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that 1.5 million Americans, and at least five million people worldwide, have a form of Lupus. 90% of people living with Lupus are women. On Tuesday, members of the House wore purple capes in honor of Lupus Advocacy Day.

Honoring Law Enforcement Officers
Thursday was Law Enforcement Officers’ Day at the Capitol. As we honored all of our officers, the House also paused for a moment in memory of State Trooper Chase Redner who lost his life in the line of duty on Tuesday.

Gun Safety Advocacy
Moms Demand Action members came to the Capitol in large numbers on Wednesday in support of gun safety legislation. Advocates delivered postcards and met with representatives to ask that HB 161, the Pediatric Safe Storage Act, receive a hearing in committee. Firearms are the number one cause of death for children in Georgia, and this bill addresses the problem by requiring that families secure their firearms at home. The bill, introduced last year, continues to sit without a hearing. Interested in advocating for HB 161? Consider contacting the chair of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, Rep. J Collins, at j.collins@house.ga.gov.

Alzheimer’s Day
Several bills are moving through the General Assembly addressing the growing needs of families coping with Alzheimer’s. On Thursday, representatives from the Alzheimer’s Association were at the Capitol advocating for better health coverage to ensure high-quality, cost-effective care for the approximately 1 in 9 people age 65 and older that has Alzheimer’s dementia.

TCSG
As a member of the Higher Education Committee, I am so proud of the work of our Technical College System of Georgia. On Thursday, winners of the TCSG annual awards joined us in the chamber. The winner of the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL), Janette, addressed the body. As a military spouse, mother, proud Latina, entrepreneur, and graduate of the TCSG, she is a great example of Georgia’s return on investment in education.

COMMITTEES

Higher Education
Young adult citizen engagement was on full display at the Higher Education Committee Meeting. Student representatives from Emory, Clark Atlanta, Georgia Tech, UGA, and many other Georgia colleges and universities spoke in favor of HB 853. The bill would repeal the "Drug-free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990," removing provisions making students convicted of certain drug offenses ineligible for loans, scholarships, and grants, and deeming them ineligible for HOPE based solely on certain convictions. I am proud of your young people for ensuring their voices are heard. Unfortunately, the bill is unlikely to receive a committee vote before Crossover Day.

The Higher Education Committee did move to pass other bills, including HB 1274 which creates tuition reimbursement incentives for large animal veterinarians and HB 1231 which allows academically successful students who are ahead in their undergraduate studies to use HOPE funds for postgraduate classes as well.

Please join our next Listening Session on March 3 to learn more updates and participate in conversation about legislative issues. Pre-register here for the Zoom link.

If you haven’t already, please browse my website, betsyforgeorgia.com.

As your Representative, your concerns are important to me. Please contact me at betsy.holland@house.ga.gov or 404-656-0116 with questions, concerns, or solutions you may have regarding legislation or other happenings in District 54.

To stay updated, follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and follow the Georgia House of Representatives @GAHouseHub on Twitter. Additionally, in-depth information regarding current bills, Georgia's annual and supplemental budgets, committee meetings, and livestreams from the General Assembly can be accessed via www.legis.ga.gov.

I encourage you and your family to visit our State Capitol and my office, where all constituents are welcome. I look forward to connecting with you!

My office is located at:
18 Capitol Square, SW
409-B, Coverdell Legislative Office Building
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative.