March 14, 2008

Crossover Day and Revenue Reductions Hit the Georgia Legislature

With the very important 30^th day (known as "crossover day") behind us, the Georgia Legislative session is past the three-quarter mark. Crossover day, held Tuesday, March 11th, was important because any bills that did not pass their chamber of origin by that day, are considered "dead."

The major recent news is fiscal. On March 10th, the Governor reduced his revenue estimate for FY08 and FY09 and provided recommendations for cuts to balance the budget. This means that the House and Senate, which were already at an impasse on the amended FY08 budget, will have to complete their budget negotiations with fewer dollars on the table.

GAIC is concerned about a specific issue in the Governor's proposed FY09 budget: afterschool and child care subsidies. The Governor's proposal eliminates a $29.7 million transfer of TANF funds to the child care assistance program (CAPS). CAPS subsidies are essential for low-income parents who need child care and afterschool care for their children while they work. Afterschool and child care subsidies also help ensure children and youth are not left home alone or with neighbors, friends or siblings unequipped to provide care, but instead are in a safe and appropriate environment during non-school hours.

The other action receiving a lot of attention was the return of the Speaker's tax reform proposal. The House voted it down on March 5th but the Speaker revised the bill on March 11th and this time, it passed the House. For more information on the bill, visit the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.

As always, if you have any policy or legislative budget questions, contact Korynn Schooley at 404.527.7280 or kschooley@afterschoolga.org.

Georgia Afterschool Legislative Bill Tracking

The following is a list of bills that may be of interest to afterschool advocates that are still moving through the legislative process (they passed their chamber of origin by the 30^th legislative day, crossover day). Bills that do not make it through crossover day must be re-introduced next session in order to be considered again.

Children and Youth

HB 1054 (Rep. Sharon Cooper - Marietta): The Children and Family Service Strengthening Act of 2008 would consolidate a number of child welfare and youth agencies in order to coordinate services for at-risk children and youth. A new agency, the Governor's Office for Children and Families would be created to take over the work of the Children's Trust Fund Commission and the Children and Youth Coordinating Council. In addition, the Child Fatality Review Panel would move under the Office of the Child Advocate. Passed the House; currently in Senate Judiciary Committee.

SB 506 (Sen. Joseph Carter - Tifton): The Student Health and Physical Education Act (SHAPE) is an effort to improve childhood obesity in Georgia. It would require schools to conduct body mass index (BMI) tests on each student twice a year and report the aggregated results to the Department of Education. The bill also requires schools to provide the physical education courses mandated by Georgia law. Schools that do not report BMI or provide physical education courses as required in Georgia statute will be labeled "unhealthy." Passed the Senate; currently in House Health and Human Services Committee.

Governor Perdue signed an Executive Order establishing the Health and Human Resources Commission to study the Department of Human Resources and the divisions and departments under its purview. By July 2, 2008 the commission will make recommendations on a plan to restructure DHR in order to provide the most efficient and effective delivery of services.

Education

HB 939 (Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver - Decatur) was folded into HR 791, a House Resolution establishing the House Study Committee on Georgia's Pre-K Program. The Study Committee would review the status and challenges of the Pre-K Program, including the possible inclusion of 3-year-olds in the program, and make recommendations by December 31, 2008. Passed the House Education Committee.*

HB 881 (Rep. Jan Jones - Alpharetta): establishes a third avenue for charter schools to be created in Georgia. In addition to local school boards and the state Board of Education, the Georgia Charter Schools Commission also would have authority to grant charters. Passed the House; passed the Senate Education and Youth Committee.

HB 905 (Rep. Fran Millar - Dunwoody): the Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's Economy (BRIDGE) ACT would provide grants for public schools to implement focused programs of study in high-demand career fields. The bill is an effort to reduce the dropout rate in Georgia and prepare students for college or careers. Passed the House; currently in the Senate Education and Youth Committee.

HB 1209 (Rep. Brooks Coleman - Duluth) is referred to as the "IE² bill" because it is a result of the Governor's Education Finance Taskforce, Investing in Educational Excellence. The bill would allow school systems flexibility from certain regulations in exchange for increased academic accountability. In addition, each school district would be required to develop a 5-year strategic plan. Passed the House; currently in the Senate Education and Youth Committee.

*Because this is a House study committee, the bill only needs to pass the House and thus does not fall under the same crossover day deadline.

Transportation

SB 402 (Sen. Tommie Williams - Lyons) would establish the Georgia Coordinating Council for Rural and Human Services Transportation to coordinate human service transportation in rural and urban areas of the state. It would also work to provide more efficient transportation in rural parts of Georgia. Given that transportation is a critical challenge for many human service programs, including afterschool programs, this bill could help improve access to programs. Passed the Senate; currently in the House Health and Human Services Committee.

Budget and Taxes

HR 1246 (Rep. Glenn Richardson - Hiram): This version of the Speaker's tax reform plan would eliminate the car tag tax, eliminate the state portion of the property tax, and limit property assessment increases to 2% on residential property and 3% on commercial property. HR 1246 is a proposed amendment to the state constitution. If it passes the Senate it must be passed by the electorate in November 2008 before in order to go into effect. Visit the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute for extensive information on all the tax reform proposals. Passed the House; currently in the Senate Finance Committee.

HB 990/FY09 budget (Rep. Ben Harbin - Columbia): House and Senate Appropriations committees continue to hear from government agencies on proposed FY09 spending plans. Once the amended FY08 budget is passed, Appropriations members will be able to focus on the FY09 budget. The Governor's revenue reductions require a $245 million cut from the original estimate. The cut will make it very difficult for legislators to restore the cuts to public education as they proposed earlier in the session. Currently in the House Appropriations Committee.

Bills of Interest Not Making Crossover Day

The following bills failed to pass their house of origin by the 30^th day and thus must be refiled next session in order to be considered. Of course, there are often attempts to attach the language of "dead" bills to bills that are moving forward after crossover day. So, "never say never."

SB 257 (Sen. Vincent Fort - Atlanta): The Dropout Deterrent Act would require students to stay in school until age 17 (currently, the mandatory school age in Georgia is 16). SB 257 was favorably reported by the Senate Education and Youth Committee but failed to make it to Senate floor by the 30^th legislative day.

HB 901 (Rep. Roger Bruce - Atlanta): The Parent Protection Act would require employers to allow employees to take leave (up to 24 hours annually) to attend school conferences and medical appointments. HB 901 failed to make it through the House Industrial Relations Committee.