This year’s legislation session has passed the halfway mark. Only 13 of 40 legislative days remain, and with Crossover (Day 30) coming up, lawmakers are moving quickly on a number of key bills. Crossover is the deadline for bills to clear the chamber in which they were introduced. If a bill introduced by a member of the House fails to pass the House by the 30 Day mark, then it’s dead.
Here’s a look at some of the small-business bills NFIB/Georgia is tracking this session:
Workers’ compensation reform
House Bill 412 (Hamilton) is a comprehensive reform package that includes a number of provisions, most importantly for employers, the preservation and protection of the “exclusive remedy” of the workers’ compensation system.
A recent appellate court case, known as the “Pitts decision,” put in jeopardy the long-held doctrine of the workers’ compensation system being the “exclusive remedy” for injured workers, such as injured workers who seek lost wages through the workers’ comp system instead of going through the courts.
HB 412 includes protections to ensure Georgia employers are not exposed to additional liabilities. It has passed the House and has moved on to the Senate.
Payroll Cards for Employers
Senate Bill 88 (B. Jones) would let Georgia employers to add payroll cards or pre-paid debit cards as a form of compensation to go along with checks and direct deposit. This bill gives employers and employees flexibility to choose how they will be paid and expands the options employers have to pay their employees.
SB 88 has passed the Senate and has moved on to the House.
Plastic Bag Ban Preemption
Senate Bill 139 (Harper) seeks to avoid the regulatory nightmare for retailers, restaurateurs and grocers have experienced in California where local governments and cities have put together a hodgepodge of bans and surtaxes on the use of plastic bags. This bill would ensure only the state legislature would have the authority to ban or tax plastic bags or containers.
SB 139 has passed the Senate and moved on to the House.
Section 179 Expensing
House Bill 292 (Knight) is the annual bill to sync Georgia tax law with federal tax law makes an important increase in the Section 179 expensing for small employers moving from $25,000 to $500,000.
The change was made from $250,000 to $500,000 in the Georgia Senate by Sen. Judson Hill to allow greater use and encourage more small employers to purchase machinery and equipment, a proven way to stimulate and grow Georgia’s economy.
The bill has passed both the House and the Senate and has gone on to Governor Deal for his signature.
Workforce Development
Senate Bill 2 (Tippins)/ Senate Bill 132 (Dugan) address workforce development.
Workforce development and career readiness have taken on an increased importance as many small employer have reported difficulty in finding qualified employees.
Both bills represent innovative approaches to allow high school students greater flexibility in pursuing a “dual path” which essentially means students who choose to participate in this type of program would graduate high school with a diploma as well as a degree from a 2-year technical school or community college.
The bills are similar and are aimed to prepare students better for the workforce and to give students jobs-ready skills coming out of high school.
SB 2 has passed the Senate. SB 132 has passed Senate Education and Youth Committee and is expected to come up for a vote in the full Senate the week of March 9.
PHOTO: russavia/Wikimedia Commons
