About the GBA
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Professional Development I
Government Relations I
Services
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January 6, 2006 |
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Legislative
Reception – Last Call We are expecting a huge crowd for GBA’s annual Legislative Reception next Wednesday, January 11 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency-Atlanta. This premier event recognizing Georgia’s elected officials and other dignitaries is the highlight of the session for many members, and we appreciate the support we are getting from bankers statewide. To check on room availability at the Hyatt, please call (404) 577-1234 and mention you are attending a Georgia Bankers Association event. Please call GBA’s Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010 with questions. Make plans now to attend and show the size of the banking industry’s grassroots support for our agenda. Two Pre-filed Bills of Interest to Members In the last couple of years, members of the General Assembly have been allowed to 
pre-file bills prior to the start of the Legislature. Two bills
of interest to bankers have already been filed. The first,
S.B. 379, by Sen.
John Wiles (R-Marietta) requires ATM owners to program
the machines to accept reverse PINs as emergency codes and in
turn automatically notify law enforcement of the emergency while
the transaction proceeds normally. We have met with Sen. Wiles
to discuss the international standards used by ATMs worldwide in
an effort to help explain the impossibility of a single state
being able to take action like is being proposed. The second
bill,
H.B. 966 by Representative
Rob Teilhet (D-Smyrna) would allow consumers to place
freezes on their credit reports with the credit reporting
agencies. The file could only be accessed by companies
authorized to do so by the consumer. GBA is also following an
additional 19 bills that have been carried over from the 2005
session. Please refer to the
2006 State Legislative Issues page on our website for
complete information. We will begin publishing our
e-Legislative Update on a weekly basis at the end of the
first week of the Session.GBA Rolls Out New Look for Website We were pleased to release a new version of GBA’s much-acclaimed website January 1. The new version has some of the look and feel of our previous version, but with much simpler navigation. The Member Services area was most changed with the upgrade to make our products and services easier to find and better explained. We will be announcing an additional enhancement to the Education area in the next few weeks. Let us have your feedback on the new look and give us your input about ways we can make our site even better. Credit Union Agency Backs Down on Charter Expansion In a move that could have far-reaching ramifications, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) announced it was reversing it’s approval to grant a Utah community-based credit union the ability to effectively open offices statewide. The agency made their decision after being sued by the American Bankers Association, Utah Bankers Association and a group of banks. NCUA was challenged on the application because the law is clear that only multiple group credit unions can apply to move into ‘underserved areas’. Since the credit union filing the application was a community-based credit union, not a multiple group credit union, NCUA decided to back down. The decision is significant in that more than 200 similar approvals have been granted by NCUA and the agency has put a moratorium on future approvals pending the outcome of the litigation. Register Today for AIB Online Courses Just a reminder that the following AIB online classes begin on January 17. Please register no later than two weeks ahead of time to secure a seat in the class.
These
courses are instructor-facilitated with weekly assignments.
They can be taken from the comfort of your home or the
convenience of your office. All you need is a computer, printer
and Internet access. With questions, please call GBA’s
Fran
Williams
at (404) 420-2015.
Please call
GBA’s
Alison Moreau at (404) 420-2034 with questions or if
you would like for the GBA to offer a specific AIB course in
your area.
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www.gabankers.com |