It may have been Saturday and the first day of summer, but it was also Legislative Day 35 under the Gold Dome. In a rare weekend convening that was the result of the House and Senate failing to agree on an adjournment resolution, both chambers ticked a few propositions off their to-do lists before finding common ground to allow legislators to head home for Father’s Day. Although much division and disagreement remain between the bodies, leaders agreed to two key items today — an adjournment resolution through Sine Die and a conference committee on the FY21 State Budget. As the schedule stands now, legislators will return on Monday for Legislative Day 36 and convene daily until adjourning sine die on Friday. Meanwhile, the Speaker Pro Tem, President Pro Tem and majority leaders and appropriations chairs from each chamber will confer to craft a compromise budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 before the final gavel falls. Catch up on what else the General Assembly was up to during your Saturday cartoons (and what they will take up on Monday) in today’s #GoldDomeReport.

In this Report:

• Notable Floor Action
• Rules Calendars for Legislative Day 36

Notable Floor Action

House

• SB 306, authored by Sen. Valencia Seay (D-Riverdale), is the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact. The bill will allow audiologists and speech-language pathologists in other states that adopt the compact to practice their professions across state lines. The bipartisan bill was carried in the House by Rep. Dave Belton (R-Buckhead), and the House approved the measure by a 138-0 vote. It proceeds to the Governor’s desk for signature.
• SB 395, authored by Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah), would allow hospital authorities to invest the proceeds from the sale or lease of hospital facilities in some circumstances. It also revises current law regarding use of these proceeds to fund indigent care to allow funding of care for persons earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level (current law caps at 125%). The House approved the measure by a 138-0, and it proceeds to the Governor’s desk for signature.
• SB 408, authored by Sen. Brian Strickland (R-McDonough), provides additional powers and flexibility to the Commissioner of Labor related to unemployment during a state of emergency. The bill also further defines unemployment benefits after June 14, 2020, an allows the Department of Labor to establish a work-sharing program. The House approved the substitute measure by a 129-12 vote, and it returns to the Senate for reconciliation.
• SB 430, authored by Sen. William Ligon (R-Brunswick), clarifies that home study students are eligible to enroll in courses at their local College and Career Academy on a space-available basis. Local districts will be reimbursed for any such students taking courses. The House approved the measure by a 140-0 vote, and it proceeds to the Governor’s desk for signature.

Senate

• HB 932, sponsored by Sen. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville), updates provisions in the Georgia Podiatry Practice Act. Specifically, the bill allows podiatrists to form professional corporations with physicians and expands the podiatrists who can perform certain amputations. It also provides for background checks. This bill PASSED by a vote of 46-1 and proceeds to the Governor’s desk for signature.
• HB 957, sponsored by Sen. Matt Brass (R-Newnan), amends Title 20 relating to charter schools to allow employees to participate in the health insurance fund for public school teachers and allows charter schools with residency requirements to verify residency at time of application or enrollment. This bill PASSED by a vote of 47-0 and proceeds to the Governor’s desk for signature.
• HB 991, sponsored by Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah), is the Healthcare Transparency and Accountability Oversight Act. The bill will create an oversight committee for state health benefit plan contractors. This substitute bill PASSED 48-0, and it will return to the House for reconciliation.
• HB 1114, authored by Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta), would expand Medicaid benefits for postpartum care for six months after birth and also provide for coverage of lactation counseling. The Senate TABLED consideration of the bill.

Rules Calendars for Legislative Day 36

The House is expected to consider the following measures on Monday for Legislative Day 36:

• SB 26 - Insurance; imposing a copayment, coinsurance, or office visit charge in an amount greater than charges imposed for physician; prohibit
• SB 313 - Pharmacy Benefits Managers; regulation and licensure; extensive revisions; provide
• SB 435 - "The Debbie Vance Act"; court imposing sentence may grant the relief of vacatur for convictions and sentences of defendants; provide
• SB 439 - Juvenile Code; enhanced notice to and improved participation of foster, preadoptive, and relative caregivers in certain hearings; provide
• SB 446 - Cash Bonds; unclaimed cash bonds; provide
• SB 483 - "Behavioral Rehabilitation and Stability Services Act"; certain Medicaid reimbursement; enact
• SB 504 - Electors of Glynn County; nonbinding advisory referendum; provide

The Senate is expected to consider the following measures on Monday for Legislative Day 36:

• HB 195 - Georgia Firefighters' Pension Fund; increase benefit amount payable to beneficiaries after the member's death
• HB 244 - Electric membership corporations; comply with certain requirements in determining the rates for attachments to utility poles by communications service providers; require
• HB 487 - Disaster Volunteer Relief Act; certain employees of state agencies to be granted leave from work with pay in order to participate in specialized disaster relief services; authorize
• HB 576 - Courts; distribution priority of partial payments of fines, bond forfeitures, and costs; provide
• HB 779 - Alternative ad valorem tax; motor vehicles; revise distribution of the proceeds of such taxes among local governments
• HB 789 - Insurance; creation of a surprise bill rating system based upon the number of certain physician specialty groups contracted with a hospital within a health insurer's network; provide
• HB 791 - Pharmacists; dispense up to a 90 day supply of a maintenance medication under certain conditions; authorize
• HB 799 - Motor vehicles; prohibition regarding eligibility of certain violators to receive early reinstatement of their driver's licenses and limited driving permits; repeal
• HB 847 - Hemp farming; definitions, penalties and criminal background checks; provide
• HB 848 - State government; provide the Department of Administrative Services additional options when disposing of surplus property in the best interest of the state; change certain definitions
• HB 865 - Wills, trusts, and administration of estates; Revised Probate Code of 1998; revise and update provisions
• HB 894 - Seed Development Commission; stagger terms of members
• HB 897 - State Forestry Commission; create a standing timber notification website; require
• HB 907 - Military; additional time period of service in the definition of "war veteran"; include
• HB 912 - Social services; authorize foster parents to arrange for short-term babysitting
• HB 946 - Insurance; extensive revisions regarding pharmacy benefits managers; provide
• HB 1017 - Public officers and employees; revise when dependents qualify for a payment of indemnification for death under the Georgia State Indemnification Fund
• HB 1050 - Georgia Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association; certain persons receiving insurance coverage from health maintenance organization subscriber contracts or health care corporation plans; extend association protections