Crossover Day Sends Important House Bills to Senate for Vote

The 2018 Georgia General Assembly is nearing the end as lawmakers in both the House and Senate work to pass legislation before the last day of the session later this month.

One of the bills passed in the House last week just before Cross Over Day was House Bill 887.

The bill is now in the Senate for consideration and if passed there, the measure would expand broadband and other communications services throughout the state by establishing the Georgia Communications Services Tax Act.

Under the measure municipal corporations and electrical membership corporations (EMCs) would be allowed to provide broadband service in under and un-served areas within its corporate limits.

Another bill passed in the House and now being considered by the Senate is legislation to expand Georgia’s medical cannabis oil program.

House Bill 764 received overwhelming bipartisan support and would add two additional illnesses, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and intractable pain, to the current list of qualifying medical conditions to allow those patients to be treated with low THC oil.

Eligible individuals could apply for Georgia’s Low THC Oil Registry under the Georgia Department of Public Health at the recommendation of their physicians.

Once approved, such individuals would receive an identification card exempting them from prosecution in Georgia for possessing medical cannabis oil that meets our state’s requirements.

These individuals could legally possess a maximum of 20 fluid ounces of cannabis oil with a maximum of 5 percent THC in Georgia.

Another important bill now in the Senate is an update to Georgia’s Hidden Predator Act.

House Bill 605 would hold negligent individuals or entities who conceal child abuse accountable for these actions.

HB 605 would extend the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse cases from age 23 to age 38.

Also, HB 605 would lengthen the discovery time period from two years to four years for a victim who experiences psychological or emotional problems as a result of child sexual abuse to report such abuse.

If these bills pass in the Senate, they would go to Governor Nathan Deal to be signed into law.