As the calendar moves into the summer months, new laws are going into effect. The Georgia General Assembly works hard during our time in the Capitol to pass laws that are good for Georgia and the future of those that live in it.
Senate Bill 89, called the “Digital Classroom Act,” sets a guide for local education authorities to begin the transition to primarily digital instruction materials. With the rise of smartphones and tablets, it is in the best interest of our students to see these devices as windows into information, education and knowledge. By 2020, students in the 3rd grade will be learning in digital classrooms featuring rich multimedia examples and texts. The long-term cost savings are also in the benefit of school systems and the state. This bill is good policy for students, tax payers and highly-skilled workforce in Georgia’s future.
Another education reform eliminates the Georgia High School Graduation Test as a requirement to receive a high school diploma in Georgia. House Bill 91 also allows students who have fulfilled all requirements for graduation other than passing the graduation tests themselves to petition their local school board for a high school diploma.
Very often, legislators are asked to settle disputes among businesses that are innovative. This session’s ride sharing legislation is an example of how patience and perseverance can settle disputes without burdensome regulation. House Bill 190 and House Bill 225 work together to protect Georgians in transactions with ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft while removing some regulations from the established taxi and limousine industry that has served the Metro Atlanta area for years.
Both pieces of legislation are a result of months of deliberation and compromise among representatives of all parties involved. HB 225 moved through the Senate Science and Technology Committee that I chair. Our committee worked on the necessary definitions for background checks of all who would offer their services as a paid driver to anyone in Georgia.
One of the most honorable bills passed all session was House Bill 252. Named for late State Representative Calvin Hill, Jr. the bill deletes or corrects sections of Georgia’s legislative code that has either become outdated or been overruled in the courts. Altogether, HB 252 removes more than 20 pages of code. This is one of the few pieces of legislation that received unanimous passage in both the state House and Senate.
To continue to advocate for children and elderly with life-threatening conditions, the state of Georgia has created a Medical Marijuana Commission as defined in House Bill 1. State Representative Allen Peake was recently named the chairman of this commission. My colleague in the Senate, Senator Renee Unterman will also serve as part of this commission that will explore how to ensure access to the proper medical treatment without promotion of the recreational use of marijuana.
to your business!