Anti-discrimination
HB 19 by Rep. Sandra Scott (D-Rex) would create a comprehensive state civil rights law protecting individuals from discrimination in housing, public accommodations and employment.
Bank Data Match – State Tax Delinquencies
HB 452 by Rep. Steven Sainz (R-Woodbine) would allow the Department of Revenue access to the child support data match registry to search, levy and seize deposits found of delinquent tax payers.
Banking Improvement Zone
HB 552 by Rep.
Spencer Frye (D-Athens) would provide an incentive for financial institutions to operate in under-served areas designated as Banking Improvement Zones by the Department of Community Affairs by allowing the local governmental entity to place deposits with a financial institution as long as the fixed rate of interest is at or below the institution’s posted two-year certificate of deposit rate.
Banking Improvement Zone
SB 20 by Sen.
Michael Rhett (D-Marietta) would provide an incentive for financial institutions to operate in under-served areas designated as Banking Improvement Zones by the Department of Community Affairs by allowing the local governmental entity to place deposits with a financial institution as long as the fixed rate of interest is at or below the institution’s posted two-year certificate of deposit rate.
Cannabis
HR 875 by Rep. Dar’Shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia) would create the House Study Committee on Financing Options for Cannabis-based Businesses.
Checks for Payroll
HB 110 by Rep.
Tom Kirby (R-Loganville) would give employers the discretion to issue payroll for wages in the manner chosen by the employer.
Cybersecurity Task Force
HB 862 by Rep.
Dar’Shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia) creates a cybersecurity task force to study and make recommendations in eight areas related to the security of connected computing devices.
Dedicated Taxes and Fees
HR 164 by Rep.
Jay Powell (R-Camilla) would amend the Constitution so as to authorize the General Assembly to provide by general law for the dedication of revenues derived from fees or taxes to the public purpose for which such fees or taxes were imposed.
Electronic Filing – Courts
SB 38 by Sen.
William Ligon (R-Brunswick) would exclude certain filings such as those related to the enforcement of child support orders to be entered into the clerk of court’s electronic filing registry.
Electronic and Remote Online Notarization
HB 785 by Rep. Joseph Gullett (R-Dallas) creates additional ways to notarize documents by electronic means. The Georgia Superior Courts Clerks Authority will be empowered to develop and maintain rules and standards.
Fair Housing Discrimination
SB 286 by Sen.
Tonya Anderson (D-Lithonia) among other things, prohibits lenders from discriminating in the making of loans secured by residential real property on the basis of hairstyles historically associated with race.
FDIC Insurance Premium Deductibility
HB 762 by Rep. John Carson (R-Marietta) would restore the deduction of FDIC insurance premiums from state income tax liability for banks that lost the deduction when legislation was adopted to conform with recent federal tax reform legislation.
FinTech Regulatory Sandbox
HB 763 by Rep. Todd Jones (R-Cumming) empowers the Attorney General to designate a developing financial product or service as innovative and in so doing, that would allow a person, without being licensed or registered as would otherwise be required, to test the products or services for a limited time and on a limited basis.
Foreclosures, Military
HB 776 by Rep. Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain) would provide protections for military service members in the event of foreclosures or other proceedings to enforce secured obligations.
Fraudulent Transfers
HB 396 by Rep.
Dale Washburn (R-Macon) would provide that it shall be unlawful for a person with intent to hinder, delay, impair, or defraud a creditor's rights to deed or otherwise transfer title to real property to another person without the knowledge or consent of such other person.
Gross Receipts
HB 715 by Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire) removes certain references to gross receipts in the tax code.
Hemp
HB 847 by Rep. John Corbett (R-Lake Park) builds off legislation passed in 2019 setting up a regulatory structure for growing and processing hemp in order for the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s policies and procedures will be in compliance with federal law and regulations.
Homeowner Association Study Committee
HR 933 by Rep. William Bodie (D-East Point) creates a committee to study how homeowners’, condominium owners’ and similar community associations could be better organized to implement requirements and procedures for turnover and transition from
declarants, developers or management companies.
Homeowner/Property Owner Association Statement of Accounts
SB 178 by Rep. P.K. Martin, IV (R-Lawrenceville) would establish a statutory statement of accounts to be used by authorized parties representing homeowner or property owner associations to respond to requests for information needed by mortgage lenders to consider a loan request, including outstanding fees owed by property owners.
Information Security Officer – Covenants
HB 81 by Rep. Todd Jones (R-Cumming) would prohibit restrictive covenants from being included in information technology employee contract agreements.
Installment Land Contracts
HB 729 by Rep. Debra Bazemore (D-South Fulton) creates a filing process with the Clerk of Superior Court of a new type of document related to the sale of land over a period of five or more years.
Lien Waivers
SB 315 by Sen. Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta) intends to address Court of Appeals decisions involving waivers of liens and notices of nonpayment in contractor-subcontractor relationships. As background, the Courts reversed the customary belief that not perfecting a lien waiver waived a contractor’s lien rights, but did not affect the contractor’s right to bring a subsequent breach of contract action. The proposed bill reverses the Court of Appeals decisions and codifies the industry’s prior understanding. If passed, contractors may bring a breach of contract action (usually for non-payment) even if they do not perfect their lien rights. The bill also adds an additional 30 days for the contractor to perfect their lien to bring the time to 90 days.
Local Government Infrastructure Financing Authorities
SB 309 by Sen.
Jesse Stone (R-Waynesboro) creates the Georgia Municipal and Local Government Infrastructure Finance Authority and the Georgia County and Local Government Infrastructure Finance Authority to facilitate the purchase or lease of infrastructure by participating local governments. The authorities would have broad powers including the ability to issue revenue bonds to finance infrastructure.
Peer-to-peer Vehicle Sharing
HB 337 by Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire) would establish a regulatory structure for peer-to-peer vehicle sharing services.
Probate Code
HB 865 by Rep. Mitchell Scoggins (R-Cartersville) is a substantial rewrite of the Probate Code that was last revised in 1999.
Property Tax Bills
HB 411 by Rep. Brett Harrell (R-Snellville) would preclude tax commissioners from including on property tax bills nontax related fees or assessments, including, but not limited to, storm-water service fees or solid waste service fees.
Restroom Accessibility
HB 828 by Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) would require retail establishments to allow access to employee restrooms if public restrooms are not available for customers that have written documentation from health professionals of certain illnesses. Exemptions are included for locations where sensitive or federally protected information is stored.
Right to Farm
HB 545 by Rep. Tom McCall (R-Elberton) seeks to strengthen and protect farmers from loopholes in the existing right to farm statute.
Self-settled Spendthrift Trust
SB 186 by Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) creates a new trust in Georgia that allows the creator of the trust to also be the beneficiary of the trust.
Stored Value Cards
HB 488 by Rep. Martin Momtahan (R-Dallas) would establish a process intended to prevent the use of stored value cards to commit organized retail crime.
Student Loan Defaults – Professional Licenses
HB 42 by Rep. Scot Turner (R-Holy Springs). The bill would prohibit the state’s professional licensing boards from refusing to issue a license or suspending or revoking the license of a person who is a borrower in default under an educational loan issued through the Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation or through a federal agency. Among other licensees, those for money transmitters, check cashers and mortgage brokers are included.
Student Loan Defaults – Professional Licenses
SB 92 by Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) would prohibit a professional licensing board from revoking licenses due solely to a student loan default.
Subpoenas, GBI
HB 641 by Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee) authorizes subpoena powers for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, upon the approval of the Attorney General, to investigate alleged violations of the Georgia Computer Systems Protection Act. Ransomware attacks would be the most likely type of crimes covered by the new subpoena powers.
Title Pawn
SB 329 by Sen. Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) provides for the regulation of the title pawn industry and places oversight in the Department of Banking and Finance. The lenders are being authorized to make loans up to $3,000 for three years or less with an APR not to exceed 36%. The Department is authorized to charge fees to cover the cost of supervision. Banks are specifically exempted.
Wire Transfers
HB 532 by Rep. Jeff Jones (R-Brunswick) would require the collection of a defined fee to be remitted to the state for sending certain wire transfers.
Special Recognition
HR 826 by Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell) recognizing Margaret Ayers of Northeast Georgia Bank, Lavonia, for 75 years of service at the bank.
HR 912 by Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) recognizes former GBA Chairman Jimmy Burnsed for his leadership to the State of Georgia and especially Bryan County. The resolution also calls for an interchange on I-95 to be named in his honor.
HR 913 by Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) recognizes Jimmy Burnsed and another local leader, Harold Fowler, and calls for a bridge to be named in their honor. Congratulations, Jimmy!