House Insurance Committee Property and Casualty Subcommittee
Chairman Steve Tarvin (R-Chickamauga) and members of the Property and Casualty Subcommittee took action on some legislation this morning:
HB 241, authored by Representative Matthew Gambill (R-Cartersville), seeks to amend O.C.G.A. 33-7-6, relating to property insurance, contract requirements, rules and regulations, and exemptions, so as to revise the meaning of property insurance and also to change the parameters under which certain contracts, agreements, or instruments may be canceled. The legislation attempts to streamline service contracts like statutes are done in 49 other states and the District of Columbia and provide for the opportunity for cancellation of those contract with a refund permitted to unused premiums. The legislation received a DO PASS recommendation, moving the bill to the House Rules Committee.
House Small Business Development Committee
Chairman Mike Cheokas (R-Americus) and his Committee and adopted its Committee Rules. This Committee will operate with four subcommittees: 1) Barriers to Regulation (chair is Representative Tim Barton (R-Calhoun)); 2) Retail Hospitality (chair is Representative Bill Yearta (R-Sylvester)); 3) Incentives and Education (chair is Representative Dale Washburn (R-Macon)); and 4) Agribusiness (chair is Representative Steven Meeks (R-Screven)).
The Committee heard presentations from NFIB, Nathan Humphrey, which indicated that the small business climate in Georgia was overall good Georgia has AAA bonds; low tax rate; it is a “right to work” state; has a solvent unemployment trust fund; has a workers’ compensation fund; and is a diversified economy. NFIB’s Humphrey pointed out the COVID-19 response and allowing businesses to open; the passage of HB 486; passage of covid liability protection law, SB 359; and the $1.5 billion for unemploymen
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Topics of conversation today under the Gold Dome covered a variety of policies from vaccine availability and distribution, to the FY 2021 Amended Budget, and casinos and horse racing. Georgia schools are pressing for vaccines for the teachers and staff while the Department of Public Health has ratcheted down vaccine distribution to at least one county for their taking educators “out of order.” Late yesterday, Senator Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) placed in the hopper his legislation establishing the Horse Race Commission, SB 30.
Meanwhile, the House tackled its first major bill with the passage of a Committee Substitute on HB 80 with a vote of 149-20, our state’s spending plan for the remainder of this fiscal year.
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It’s become tradition for lawmakers and lobbyists that the first Wednesday of each new legislative session start with an early morning surrounded by hundreds of their closest friends at the Georgia World Congress Center jockeying to read the political tea leaves (and get a better table assignment) at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs & Issues breakfast. That tradition lived on today, although in an all-virtual format, as attendees gathered around their computer monitors with their own coffee and breakfast of choice. Attendees heard from the State’s top three leaders, Governor Brian Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, and Speaker of the House David Ralston, as they teased their priorities for the session. And in segments new to this year’s event, Democratic and freshman lawmakers shared their perspectives with guests. More details on #EggsAndIssues21, as well as highlights of new legislation introduced in b