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House Floor
Following a busy and productive ninth week of session, during which we worked on Senate Bills in House Committees and on the House Floor, the House returned to work on Monday, March 11th, for Legislative Days 33 - 35 and Week Ten of the 2024 Session.
On the House Floor and in committee, working with fellow representatives like Shaw Blackmon, at right, we continue to move policies forward and provide opportunities for more Georgians to succeed.
Public Safety
My House colleagues and I began the week by taking up a bipartisan effort to enhance public safety and impose stricter penalties for criminal offenses, particularly those associated with the act of “swatting” and gang activity. Senate Bill 421 would increase penalties for repeated unlawful emergency service requests, also known as “swatting.” Swatting refers to an unlawful request for emergency service assistance that an individual knowingly and intentionally makes to a public safety agency when there is no reasonable ground for such a request to be made.
Many elected officials in Georgia and across the country have been victims of swatting, and these swatting calls not only impact the victims but also take resources away from first responders and local law enforcement officers when responding to unnecessary and unlawful requests for emergency service assistance. This legislation aims to deter illicit behaviors, support our law enforcement, and foster safer communities across Georgia by addressing unlawful emergency service requests and firearm-related crimes.
Protecting Adopted Children
The House continued our commitment to protecting Georgia’s children with the unanimous passage of Senate Bill 335, or the Safeguarding Adopted Children from Sexual Violence Act. This legislation would expand the crime of incest to include those whose familial relationships are created by adoption. Currently, state law defines the crime of incest to be amongst those who are related by blood or by marriage. This bill would update the definition of incest to include those who are related to the perpetrator by adoption. By updating the law, we could ensure that we are protecting every child in our state from such heinous acts, regardless of whether those children are related to their perpetrator by blood or adoption. I am proud of the House for swiftly passing this bill and, consequentially, making it easier to prosecute those who commit this terrible crime against vulnerable children. The House’s passage of this bill represents final passage, sending the legislation to Governor Kemp to be signed into law.
The House gave unanimous, final passage to Senate Bill 483, which would enter Georgia into the updated version of the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children Act (ICPC) to help ensure that children are placed in safe homes in a timely manner. The ICPC has been in existence for several decades, but this bill would allow our state to enter into an agreement under the updated version of the compact, which 16 other states have currently joined. The purpose of this revised ICPC would be to streamline communication from one state to another in regard to the placement of adopted and foster children across state lines. Specifically, the improvements to the ICPC include evaluating the suitability of prospective parent placements to ensure that children are placed in environments that are safe and conducive to their growth and well-being; providing the necessary support services to these families to guarantee that parents are equipped to meet the needs of their adopted or foster child; narrowing the applicability of the compact, which would focus the resources and attention where they are most needed; proposing the development of specific time frames for completing the approval process for child placements; establishing a clear rule-making authority; and clarifying state responsibilities and increasing protection for familial relationships. Notably, even if the legislation is signed into law, the compact would not go into effect until 35 states have enacted similar legislation. The process by which children are transferred and placed across state boundaries can be burdensome and lengthy for agencies, states, children, and parents. This revised compact would modernize this process, shorten the long waiting periods that these families often face, and ultimately help quickly place children in their forever homes.
On a similar note, my colleagues and I took up a bipartisan measure to provide free state identification cards for eligible children between the ages of 14 and 17 who lack an address or are under the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) custody. Senate Bill 387 would enable these children to apply for an identification card independently, without requiring a parent, guardian, or adult to sign or verify the application. Additionally, SB 387 would prohibit the Department of Driver Services from charging a fee for an identification card for children in DFCS custody or children receiving extended care youth services from DFCS. Providing Georgia's youth in the DFCS program with the opportunity to obtain essential documentation, like identification cards, is crucial for these children to obtain jobs and integrate into our workforce. This legislation seeks to streamline this process, make it easier for these children to obtain proper identification, and improve our state’s foster care system overall. SB 387 received the final passage and was sent to the governor for signature.
Continuing the Fight Against Human Trafficking
We also passed legislation this week to aid in our fight against human trafficking in Georgia. Senate Bill 370, championed by First Lady Marty Kemp and the GRACE Commission, would expand education and create increased awareness of human trafficking. In 2013, the governor signed a law requiring certain Georgia businesses to post notices regarding human trafficking and how victims can obtain help. SB 370 would expand this current law to add convenience stores, body art studios, manufacturing facilities and medical offices to the list of establishments that would be required to post notices containing the human trafficking hotline information. Currently, businesses that are required to post these notices include adult entertainment establishments; bars; primary airports; passenger rail or light rail stations; bus stations; truck stops; emergency rooms within general acute care hospitals; urgent care centers; farm labor contractors and day haulers; privately operated job recruitment centers; safety rest areas located along highways in the state; hotels; establishments that offer massage or bodywork services; and government buildings where public restrooms are for the exclusive use of the government entity.
Additional bills from Week 10 - click to download
Additional bills from Week 10 - click for PDF
Committee Schedules
House Committees meet often. I serve on nine committees and lead House Higher Education. Full committee schedules are available online by clicking here.
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