By Sen. Jesse Stone (R-Waynesboro)
ATLANTA (March 7, 2012) – Wednesday marked a milestone in the 2012 session. With Crossover Day now upon us, the Senate has 10 days remaining to review legislation and pass a balanced budget for the next fiscal year.
The Senate passed 16 bills on Monday, some relating to the Republican Caucus priorities of keeping Georgia’s children safe and providing a 21st century education system for our students. SB 355 passed with bipartisan support to broaden the reporting requirements of child abuse. This bill gives a 72-hour window to all persons who have reasonable cause to suspect child abuse for reporting.
I also supported SB 410, which expands school assessment to include a numerical and letter score rating for schools and school systems based on student achievement, achievement gap closure and student progress. Georgia was one of the first 10 states to receive a No Child Left Behind waiver because we are implementing a system of accountability. These new measures will ensure our students are equipped and ready for college and their careers.
SB 458 streamlines for citizens, businesses and local governments the process of demonstrating legal residency status when applying for state benefits. Once legal residency has been properly documented, it need not be reapproved, thus saving time and reducing expense. As initially proposed, SB 458 also aimed to overturn the policies of the Board of Regents and the Technical College System in charging up to four-times the in-state tuition at non-access limited schools. I proposed an amendment to uphold the policies of Chancellor Huckabee and Commissioner Jackson, which I believed struck a reasonable although imperfect balance in the area of higher education by clarifying that the postsecondary education would not be available to illegal residents if subsidized by the state.
Other bills of interest that passed out of the Senate on Monday include:
- SB 431 would classify medical identity fraud as a felony in Georgia. This is a consumer protective measure for Georgians.
- SB 416 requires the Insurance Commissioner to adopt standards for e-mail authorization requests between pharmacy benefits managers and health care providers for drugs and devices.
- SB 414 requires music therapists practicing in Georgia to be licensed by the Secretary of State and also creates the Music Therapy Advisory Group.
- SB 284 establishes the Georgia Land Bank Act which will provide rules of operation and creation of land banks created after July 1, 2012. Land banks play a pivotal role in making dilapidated and abandoned properties available for new investment thereby increasing overall community value.
- SB 428 requires each agency to produce an annual report about applicable federal mandates that require administrative action for rules and regulations.
- SB 257 changes the definition of “development authority” to include the purpose of promoting the redevelopment of distressed communities.
As always, I look forward to hearing your feedback. Please contact me with your concerns via e-mail, phone or Face Book.
RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
March 7, 2012
For Information Contact:
Natalie Dale, Director
Kate Greer
kate.greer@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028