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House Floor
The House Floor is getting busier as we move into Week 8 for Legislative Days 26 - 28. Below is this week's rundown of some of the measures that passed the House.
Fostering Firearm Safety
With bipartisan support, Rep. Mark Newton (R-Augusta) championed legislation to foster a culture of firearm safety and responsible gun ownership throughout Georgia with the passage of House Bill 971, or the Firearm Safe Handling and Secure Storage Tax Credit Act. Under House Bill 971, a Georgia taxpayer would be allowed to claim a tax credit for eligible expenses incurred for firearm safe handling instructional courses and the acquisition of firearm secure storage devices in the amount of the eligible expenses or $300, whichever is less. Such eligible expenses would include purchasing one or more firearm secure storage devices for personal use and the cost of an in-person firearm safe handling training of at least two hours that includes instruction on safe handling, use, and storage of firearms. Promoting responsible gun ownership across the state could cultivate a safer and more secure environment for all Georgians.
Providing Support for Victims
The House backed our promise to support victims of human trafficking by giving unanimous passage to House Bill 1201, which would allow a victim of human trafficking to have their sentence vacated when related to the conditional discharge of possession of controlled substances as a first offense, as long as the crime was a direct result of being a victim of human trafficking. HB 1201 would help ensure that victims who are sentenced under The First Offender Act have the same opportunity of innocence as other victims of human trafficking. It is vital that we grant victims of human trafficking, who have been vacated of their offenses, a chance to re-enter society with clean records.
Insuring no Patient is Left Alone
Also, on Crossover Day, we gave unanimous passage to legislation that would allow for a designated essential caregiver to be present with a patient or resident of a hospital or long-term care facility while they are receiving care. House Bill 663, or the “No Patient Left Alone Act,” would permit a minor or an adult who is admitted to a hospital or long-term care facility to have a parent, guardian, person or caregiver to be physically present with them at all times while the patient remains in the hospital or facility.
As we saw during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Georgians who were in these facilities could not see their loved ones. This legislation would change that to ensure that patients are never left alone without their family or caregiver by their side.
Additional bills from Week 8 - click to download
Additional bills from Week 8 - click for PDF
Committee Schedules
House Committees meet often; I serve on nine committees in addition to leading House Higher Education. Full committee schedules are available online by clicking here.
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