These bills in the Georgia Legislature could affect your wallet, mental health and kids

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

Tax breaks

Georgia’s income tax rate would drop and residents would receive a special tax refund under two bills that moved closer to passage Thursday.

Republicans in the majority pitched the tax cuts as a way for Georgians to keep more of their hard-earned money, while some Democrats argued that reducing income taxes disproportionately benefits the wealthy.

The income tax proposal would reduce the tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19% beginning July 1. Democrats say because the rate reduction isn’t graduated across income levels, most of the savings will go to the rich.

The tax refund, which passed the House unanimously, would give $250 to individuals, $375 to heads of household and $500 to married couples filing jointly.

What’s next: House Bill 111 and House Bill 112 head to the Senate.

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

School safety

Public school systems would be required to implement panic buttons and share maps of schools with law enforcement agencies, according to bills that passed the Senate on Thursday.

The proposals are a response to the school shooting at Apalachee High in September that killed four people.

The Senate also passed legislation to create a felony offense of terroristic threats on a school and require schools to conduct annual threat assessments.

What’s next: Senate Bill 17 and Senate Bill 61 now go to the House, which has a major school safety bill of its own requiring student disciplinary and academic records to be transferred within 10 days of a student’s arrival at a new school.

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

Marijuana products

The growing market for hemp-infused drinks and delta-8 THC could be stifled under bills that cleared the Senate.

Senators voted to ban all beverages containing THC, which is the psychoactive component of the marijuana plant. While recreational marijuana remains illegal in Georgia, hemp-based derivatives have been allowed under federal law since 2018.

A separate bill would restrict delta-8 THC, a cannabis variant sold in gummies that are widely available across Georgia. Under the legislation, no hemp-based products could contain more than 0.3% total THC content. Currently, there is no limit for delta-8 THC content.

What’s next: Senate Bill 254 and Senate Bill 33 bills now head to the Senate.

Mental health

If someone who has been charged with a crime is suspected of having a mental health concern, they are given an evaluation to determine whether they are competent enough to stand trial. Those deemed incompetent are given treatment to restore them for their court proceedings.

But in Georgia, there is a backlog and some people are sitting longer in jails waiting for restoration treatment than they would if they had plead guilty, state Sen. Brian Strickland said.

A bill unanimously passed by the Senate would require a shorter time frame to conduct the evaluation and restoration processes.

For children who have languished in mental health facilities, a measure that passed almost unanimously in the House would create a team to help those children find housing placement and services. It would also require data collection on the number of kids experiencing this crisis and the number of days it takes to get them appropriately placed.

What’s next: Senate Bill 132 and House Bill 166 will next be considered by the opposite chamber, where they will likely face a positive, bipartisan reception.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Speeding, religion and more

Some of the most closely watched bills this year had already advanced before Thursday’s deadline, clearing either the House or Senate.

Automated speed cameras near schools would be banned following complaints by lawmakers that they are misused to give out excessive amount of tickets. Supporters of the cameras say they are an effective way to slow cars down and protect students. House Bill 225 passed the House on Tuesday and awaits action in the Senate.

Republican legislators are also trying again to pass a bill that would increase legal protections for religious groups, an effort that opponents said could allow them to discriminate against gay people. Then-Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed a similar measure in 2016. Senate Bill 36 will next be considered by the House.

Another bill would allow Georgians to opt-in, rather than opt-out, of automatic subscription renewals. For example, if someone subscribes to a newspaper, he or she could choose, at the end of the subscription term, whether to renew rather than automatically rolling into a new term.

What’s next: The measure, House Bill 529, will now head to a Senate committee to be considered for final passage.