Pre-filing for the 2019 Session
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, November 30, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
On November 6th Georgians elected a new crop of legislators who will take the oath of office when the next General Assembly convenes January 14, 2019 for 40 days, as the constitution requires. However, those 40 days may stretch into March or early April, depending on how often they recess for committee meetings and holidays.
Legislators are authorized to pre-file legislation beginning on November 15th every year. On that date this year one house bill and three house resolutions were pre-filed and on November 16th, six more house bills were pre-filed. So far, the only pre-filed senate bill was on November 19th.
Pre-filed bills are assigned a permanent number, but won’t be handled in the legislature, until they are officially introduced during the session. According to subject, bills and resolutions that are officially introduced are assigned to committees for consideration before they go to the Senate or House for a vote.
While representatives have pre-filed ten pieces of legislation, the Senate has pre-filed only S.B. 1 that would penalize hit and run drivers whose accidents cause serious injury.
At this writing, these bills have been pre-filed in the House: H.B. 1 would change the name of the scholarship program for needy students. H.B. 2 would amend rules for hand-gun carry in certain places. H.B. 3 repeals a Code Section requiring innkeepers to pay more taxes. H.B. 4 changes the process for voting on the budget. H.B. 5 prohibits employers from relying on salary history data when hiring job applicants. H.B. 6 rewrites part of the law governing primaries and general elections. H.B. 7 affects military service retirement income. In addition, representatives have pre-filed three resolutions that are different from bills. Bills may become law, but resolutions do not become law. Resolutions may (a) propose amendments to the state or federal constitution or (b) honor people, places and things or (c) declare special days or observances. Ultimately, resolutions may result in changes to state and federal constitutions, but do not become law.
H.R. 1 would require the forthcoming new state appellate judicial complex to be named the “Nathan Deal Judicial Center.” H.R. 2 proposes ratification of a new amendment to the U.S. Constitution to prohibit poll taxes. There is no information for H.R. 3, but H.R. 4 proposes ratifying an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to repeal the 18th amendment regarding prohibition, although it was repealed in 1933.
And this is just the beginning! For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.