Week ten began with a bang as Crossover Day took place on Tuesday. Both the Senate and the House worked late into the night with multiple controversial issues providing plenty of fireworks and lots of “oohs and ahhs” by the lobbyists watching the screens outside the chambers as vote counts were displayed. After the dust had settled, a better picture of which legislation is still alive and which bills will have to wait a year (or longer) has emerged. 

Wednesday through Friday, on the other hand, was a time for the General Assembly to collect its breath and restart the process of committee hearings with bills from the other chamber. 

One final word of warning…as everyone familiar with this process knows, legislation is never really dead at the Georgia State Capitol. Language from bills that are considered “dead” can be amended into bills that are considered “germane.” Typically, bills are germane when they are located in the same code section as the original bill or if the subject matter is the same. These bills are also known as “vehicles” and identifying vehicles is a big part of what the lobbying team will be doing over the next few weeks to ensure that no nasty surprises slip though the chaos which defines the final days of a Session.

“Must Accept Cash” Bill Held on Crossover Day
HB 1152, requiring retailers to accept cash for purchases, was not brought to the House floor for a vote on Tuesday and so will be ineligible for further consideration. As noted above, language from the bill could be added to other legislation that is still moving. Considering the second signer on the bill is the Chairman of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, it will be important to monitor that committee for any legislation that could serve as a vehicle.

Georgia Inform Consumers Act Receives First Hearing in House; Substitute Language Being Considered
The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing Thursday afternoon on SB 332, the Georgia Inform Consumers Act. Chairman Chuck Efstration, (R – Dacula) brought a substitute with language sought by Amazon that allows them to monitor the chat function of the merchants that use their platform. 

Two representatives from the online marketplace companies spoke against the bill and asked for it to be held. Neither seemed to have much impact with the committee. Georgia Retailers spoke for the legislation along with representatives from members companies Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and The Home Depot. The Georgia Food Industry Association also spoke in support of the legislation.

While the committee did not take a vote in this hearing, the Chairman indicated that a vote would be taken at the next meeting which is likely to be held early next week.

Legislative Schedule
The General Assembly has now completed 31 Legislative Days of the 40 Day Session.
Next week’s schedule is as follows:

• Monday (3/21) – Legislative Day 32
• Tuesday (3/22) – Legislative Day 33
• Wednesday (3/23) – Legislative Day 34
• Thursday (3/24) – Committee Day 
• Friday (3/25)– Legislative Day 35