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February
8, 2008
GRA has not yet taken a position on any legislation.
Please provide us with your input on the following bills.
IN THIS ISSUE:
RETAIL DAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2008
SENATE COMMITTEE PASSES SB 361, CREDIT FILE FREEZE BILL
SALES TAX HOLIDAY HEARD IN COMMITTEE
PARENT PROTECTION ACT HEARD IN COMMITTEE
NEW HOUSE BILLS
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED BILLS
"It is not the function of the government to keep the citizen
from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep
the government from falling into error." Justice
Robert H. Jackson
Retail Day at the Capitol
Please plan to attend Retail Day at the Capitol which will be held
on Wednesday, February 13th from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Come visit
and eat lunch with your legislators; meet other retailers; and learn
of the issues that may affect your bottom line!
It is time for the retail community to stand and be counted!
Senate Committee Passes SB 361, Credit File Freeze Bill
SB 361, last week the Georgia House of Representatives
passed a heavily amended version of HB 130,
the Credit File Freeze Bill. This week the Senate passed
its own version. The primary differences are (1) the House bill
requires a certified letter to request a freeze, while the Senate
version would require internet or phone service to do so; and (2)
the Senate bill allows a $5.00 fee, while the House has a $3.00
fee.
Link to Senate bill:
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/sum/sb361.htm
Link to House bill: http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb130.htm
Sales Tax Holiday Heard In Committee
HB 948, Sales Tax Holidays, sponsored
by representatives Lynn Smith (R), 70th District, Jan Jones (R)
46th District, Penny Houston, (R), 170th District, Thunder Tumblin
(R), 38th District and Gloria Ramsey, (D) 72nd District, and Brooks
Coleman (R), 97th District, was heard in the Sales tax Subcommittee
this week. It will be scheduled for a vote by the committee next
week.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb948.htm
Parent Protection Act Heard In Committee
HB 901, Parent Protection Act, sponsored
by representatives Roger Bruce (D), 64th District, Margaret Kaiser
(D). 58th District, John Lunsford (R), 110th District, Bill Hembree
(R), 67th District, Howard Mosby (D), 90th District, and Freddie
Sims (D), 151st District, would require that employers provide employees
with time off (1) to attend a medical appointment for the employee
or the employee´s spouse or child;
(2) to accompany an elderly relative to a medical appointment; or(3)
to attend a school conference for a child of the employee.
This bill was heard in committee this week and assigned to a subcommittee
for further study.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/search/hb901.htm
New House Bills
HB 1042, Prohibiting Substitution for
Immunosuppressive Therapy Prescription Drugs, sponsored by representatives
Sharon Cooper (R), 41st District, Joe Wilkinson (R), 52nd District,
Ed Rynders (R), 152nd District, Gene Maddox (R), 172nd District,
Tom Dickson (R), 6th District, would prohibit a pharmacist from
substituting any pharmaceutical or biological entity that is prescribed
as part of immunosuppressive therapy for a patient that has received
an organ or tissue transplant to inhibit or prevent immune system
activity that might increase the probability of the rejection of
such transplanted organs or tissues without first obtaining the
consent of the patient and of the prescribing physician.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb1042.htm
New Senate Bills
SB 383, Georgia Affordable HSA Eligible
High Deductible Health Plan, sponsored by senators Judson Hill
(R), 32nd District, Ronnie Chance (R), 16th District, Ralph Hudgens
(R), 47th District, Chip Rogers (R), 21st District, and Joseph Carter
(R), 13th District, is the Governor's healthcare bill. The bill
would promote, approve, and encourage to provide the use of HSA’s
by having the Commissioner of Insurance adopt policies to promote,
approve, and encourage health savings account eligible high deductible
plans in Georgia; to provide for exemptions from certain unfair
trade practices for certain wellness and health promotion programs,
condition or disease management programs, health risk appraisal
programs, and similar provisions in such plans; to provide for health
reimbursement arrangement only plans that encourage employer financial
support of health insurance or health related expenses.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/sb383.htm
SB 404, Georgia Health Marketplace Act,
sponsored by senators Tommie Williams (R), 18th District, Greg Goggans
(R), 7th District, Ralph Hudgens (R), 47th District, and Chip Rogers
(R), 21st District, is the Lieutenant Governor’s health care
bill. The bill would create Georgia Health Marketplace (GHM) which
would provide oversight for all moneys provided by the federal government
and/or private agencies which help identify health care products
and technologies, designed to allow consumers comparison shopping
for health care services. Health care vendors would enroll with
the GHM. The primary focus would be Peachcare for Kids and other
government programs.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/sb404.htm
For previously reported House and Senate Bills please link to: http://www.georgiaretail.org/governmentaffairs/documents/2008CRRPreviouslyReportedBills.pdf
High
time to heal: The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act has a huge impact
on businesses, according to a study by the Employment Policy Foundation.
The law's cost to businesses in 2004 was $21 billion: $5 billion
in lost productivity, $6 billion to continue health benefits for
employees on leave and $10 billion in replacement labor costs, including
wages to employees who had to work additional shifts or overtime
to fill in for the missing. The Labor Department has now issued
rules to clear up ambiguities in the law that were being exploited.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Thank you.
John C. Heavener, MSM, CAE
President
johnh@georgiaretail.org
Telephone – 770-484-3449, ext. 21
Fax – 770-484-5727
Georgia Retail Association
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
- and 2004 sales of $115.2 billion.
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