Sen. John Albers: Gold Dome Update: Crossover Week

Your Georgia Desk:

By: Sen. John Albers (R- Roswell)

This week, the Georgia General Assembly reached Day 30 of the 2014 Legislative Session, otherwise known as Crossover Day. If a bill hasn’t passed through either the House or the Senate by Day 30, it is not eligible for consideration during the current legislative year.

On Crossover Day, the General Assembly worked to pass 27 pieces of legislation that were placed on the Senate calendar. Moving forward, the Senate will begin taking up House bills – and vice versa. With only five days left on the legislative calendar, the Senate is working hard to review and pass bills prior to the Day 40 deadline.

In total, the Senate passed 35 pieces of legislation this week. After bills began making their way over to the House for further review, the legislature narrowed its focus on passing a fiscally-responsible budget for FY 2015. On Day 33, the Senate approved $20.8 billion in funding for the FY 2015 General Budget. The budget will now head to a conference committee to iron out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.

One of the bills to win Senate approval and make its way to the House on Monday was Senate Bill 358. I sponsored this legislation to expand who can file a missing child report with the Missing Children Information Center (MCIC) to include individuals and institutions charged with the care of foster children. When a foster child is missing, it is extremely important to take action immediately. Senate Bill 358 will ensure that information concerning a missing foster child’s whereabouts will be delivered to the appropriate authorities and allow for a more streamlined, efficient process for reporting runaways or abductions.

Another one of my bills, Senate Bill 207, is on its way to the Governor’s desk after achieving passage in the House of Representatives. This legislation adds private home care providers to the list of long-term care facilities that fall under the purview of the Georgia Long-Term Care Ombudsmen Program. Under this legislation, Georgians will be afforded an extra measure of protection for Georgians in private home care settings. I am proud of the General Assembly for passing SB 207 and recognizing our special responsibility to protect Georgia’s most vulnerable citizens.

SB 293 adds new compliance regulations for county boards of tax assessors and outlines the rights of taxpayers.

SB 382 makes the following acts illegal in Georgia: providing a false/fake name or ID to obtain a refund for merchandise or giving the name of another person for a refund on merchandise without that person’s prior consent. This legislation establishes the penalties for these offenses, including harsher penalties for subsequent offenses and for thefts of higher value.

I am always here to answer any of your questions you may have, and I urge you to contact me by phone or email with any questions, concerns or feedback as the Senate works through the 2014 Legislative Session. For more information regarding a specific piece of legislation, you may access the Georgia General Assembly website athttp://www.legis.ga.gov/.