By: Sen. Larry Walker (R – Perry)
Legislative activity and productivity in the Senate has reached an all-time high for the session this week and with the successful completion of Crossover day, we have been able to pass around 60 bills and resolutions that tackle some of the most pressing challenges affecting our state. This signifies a rather meaningful turning point in our legislative process, as my colleagues and I will now focus our efforts on discussing and vetting House bills. As we have done through previous committee work and Chamber voting, I remain confident that the progress we have achieved up to this point will be matched through similar efforts to evaluate House bills. It is our duty to represent the values most important to our constituents. With this, I would like to highlight a few of the bills this week that will impact the people of Georgia.
- Senate Bill 446 is a bill I authored upon the request of my constituent, Houston County State Court Clerk Teresa Hathaway, and with input from the Superior Court Clerk’s Association of Georgia. Mrs. Hathaway brought to my attention that state law requires clerks of the court to hold and account for unclaimed cash bonds for seven years after the disposition or dead docketing of a case by the judge. She asserted, and I agreed, that seven years was an unreasonably long time to restrict these funds, resulting in an unnecessary administrative burden and preventing their use for public benefit. SB 446 would reduce the time required to hold unclaimed cash bonds to two years. In regards to the general provisions of this bill, SB 446 would make no adjustments to bonds by professional sureties, known as bail bondsman, bond requirements or bond amounts. It simply lowers the amount of time court clerks are required to hold unclaimed cash bonds after a judge has released the bond.
- Senate Bill 348 would revise the licensing procedures for pet dealers, so as to establish greater protective measures for our state’s animals and consumers. Through this, the Commissioner of Agriculture will be allowed to establish tiered licensing fees for dealers based on their size, submit dealers to a criminal background check and require a performance bond. Regulating the sale and housing of pets will help ensure humane practices and protect consumer interests, as well as prevent criminal activity.
- Senate Bill 381 would revise the Georgia Food Act to allow the Department of Agriculture to enter into a 2088 agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. With this, the state will be privy to certain information pertaining to issues such as public health and trade secrets, which will simultaneously promote businesses and protect public interests. This bill allows Georgia to be a leader amongst other states in the agricultural community.
- Senate Bill 344 would allow prisoners and employees of a state crime lab or associated laboratory to appear for certain proceedings through video teleconferencing. SB 344 would do two things: one, increase public safety by reducing the risks associated with prisoner transporting and two, save costs for local counties and municipalities. Providing this form of added assistance to our district’s infrastructure allows for greater economic development, especially in regards to technological innovation, and I believe it will allow our correction systems to prosper further in the future.
- Senate 408 would remove a sunset provision currently enacted in Georgia code, which establishes a definite end to the allowance of using sick leave to care for immediate family members. Removing this provision allows the people of Georgia to care for those who matter the most, without having to worry about the financial implications of doing so.
- Senate Bill 327 would require employers to provide a resonable break time and private area, to the extent possible, to employees that need to pump milk for a nursing child. This measure is not intended to place an undue and impractical burden on businesses, but rather, to elevate the rights of those who must care for their infant children. It is our intention, to encourage businesses to promote an environment that is safe and conducive to employee success.
- House Bill 792 establishes the Amended Fiscal Year 2020 budget. With the passage of a Conference Committee Report in both the House and Senate, this has now been sent to the Governor for his approval.
As legislators complete our work for this week and look ahead, we are met with some unexpected challenges due to the current public health situation. Given the growing number of cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Lieutenant Governor, President Pro-Tem of the Senate and Speaker of the House have decided together to temporarily suspend the legislative session. This is in the interest of the health of all Georgians and what we believe is a necessary cautionary measure to prevent the spread of this highly contagious virus. We will continue to serve and represent you through this health crisis, but are following the social distancing guidelines of the Department of Public Health. If you have any questions or concerns at this time, please reach out to my office. I continue to remain committed to District 20.
# # # #
Sen. Larry Walker serves as Caucus Vice Chairman for the Majority Party. He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Houston, Laurens and Pulaski counties. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0095 or by email at larry.walker@senate.ga.gov.