THIS WEEK’S LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
QUOTE TO PONDER

This week’s Capitol Retail Report highlights some late-breaking bills introduced during the final hours of the 2009 Session of the Georgia General Assembly. Please remember, bills introduce in 2009 remain alive for the 2010 session. Many more bills and their fate can be found at: http://www.georgiaretail.org/governmentaffairs/documents/14CRRDetail_April_17_2009.pdf.

With the state’s $2 billion plus shortfall, threats of vetoes over three important pieces of legislation are worrisome. Please fax your support for HB 120 (Sales Tax Holiday), HB 481(Jobs Act) and HB 482 (Eliminating the Inventory Tax) to Governor Sonny Perdue at 404-657-7332. For details on these bills please link to: http://www.georgiaretail.org/governmentaffairs/documents/13CRRDetail_April_17_2009.pdf

Pharmacy Bill Passes in Disguise

SB 49 – Limiting a Pharmacist from Substituting a Drug as Part of Immunosuppressive Therapy. This bill was originally the Georgia Registered Nurse Practice Act, but was gutted and the current, adopted language inserted by the House. The bill, if signed by the governor, will prevent a pharmacist from substituting any primary immunosuppressant pharmaceutical that is prescribed as a part of immunosuppressive therapy for a patient who has received an organ or tissue transplant without first notifying the patient or his or her designee. They will be required to notify the prescribing physician prior to the substitution by means of phone, facsimile, or electronic transmission. The prescribing physician shall indicate on the prescription the diagnosis 'for organ or tissue transplant patient.'
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/fulltext/sb49.htm
Status: Passed by both houses with amended language, awaiting action by the governor

The following bills appeared in the final, hectic days of the session and were not acted on, but remain alive for consideration in 2010.

HB 708 – Prohibiting the Sales of Food Named after a Controlled Substance, sponsored by representatives Roberta Abdul-Salaam, (D) 74th, Tyrone Brooks, (D) 63rd, Cecily Hill, (R) 180th, David Ralston, (R) 7th and Rashad Taylor, (D) 55th, would make it unlawful to sell, distribute, or advertise any food product bearing on the labeling or packaging or advertising the name of any Schedule II controlled substance.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/fulltext/hb708.htm
Status: Held in House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee

HB 819 – Permitted Licensed Carry Permit Owners to Carry in Restricted Areas, sponsored by Representatives Billy Horne, (R) 71st, Tim Bearden, (R) 68th, and Rick Austin, (R) 10th , would eliminate the prohibition against any person in possession of a valid carrying license issued pursuant to Code Section 16-11-129 from carrying a concealed weapon, carrying an explosive compound, firearm, or knife at public gatherings, carrying weapons within a school safety zone, at school functions, or on school property, carrying a firearm or weapon at a nuclear power facility.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/fulltext/hb819.htm
Status – Held in House Judiciary Committee

HB 820 – Ban on Sharing Prescription Information, sponsored by Representative Pedro Marin, (D) 96th, would prohibit the sharing of records of patient identifiable prescription information, including the transfer, use, or sale for commercial purposes for patients assistance programs.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/fulltext/hb820.htm
Status: Assigned to House Insurance Committee – no action taken this session

HB 828- Limiting Ladders on Vehicles, sponsored by Representative Hugh Floyd, (D) 99th, would prohibit the carrying of ladders stacked more than three high in a ladder rack.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/fulltext/hb828.htm
Status: Held in House Motor vehicles Committee

HB 835 – Training For Obtaining A Carry Permit, sponsored by Representative Pedro Marin, (D) 96th, would require training for certain persons born on or after July 1, 1991 for licensing to carry a pistol or revolver, and would require that all carry permits contain a recent photograph.
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2009_10/fulltext/hb835.htm
Status: Held in Judiciary Non-Civil Committee

HB 846 – Disclosing the Terms of Phone Card Use, sponsored by Representatives Pedro Marin, (D) 96th and Billy Mitchell, (D) 88th, would require that the terms of phone cards be disclosed at the time of purchase, including all usage fees and per minute charges.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/fulltext/hb846.htm
Status: Held in House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee

HB 864 - Harmful Noise Coverage Under Workers’ Compensation, sponsored Representative Bob Smith, (R) 113th, would increase the upper limit of frequencies of noises which can be considered for compensation for loss of hearing caused by harmful noise under workers' compensation from 2,000 to 3,000.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/fulltext/hb864.htm
Status: Held in House Industrial Relations Committee

HR 884 – Adverse Effect of FICA Credit Scoring, sponsored by representatives Pedro Marin, (D) 96th and Billy Mitchell, (D) 88th, would urge the United States Congress to study the FICA credit scoring system to determine what adjustments need to be implemented in order to avoid the adverse effect of lower scores on consumers during this economic down turn .
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/fulltext/hr884.htm
Status – House First Reader – unassigned until 2010

QUOTE TO PONDER

“Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation." Judith Martin, "Miss Manners," American writer and etiquette authority


Thank you,

John C. Heavener, MSM, CAE
President, Georgia Retail Association

For More Information Contact:
johnh@georgiaretail.org
Telephone – 770-484-3449, ext. 21
Toll Free - (877) 427-3824
Fax – 770-484-5727
www.georgiaretail.org

About GRA: The Georgia Retail Association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, and grocery stores has been serving the state’s business community since 1961. The Georgia Retail Association represents an industry with more than 71,300 retail establishments, and more than 715,000 employees - about one in five of Georgia’s workers – with annual sales of more than $115 billion.

Printer Friendly CRR April 17, 2009