Under the Gold Dome…a message from Rep. Howard Maxwell

The pace continues to pick up as Friday, February 10th brought to a close the 16th legislative day. At the end of next week, we will be halfway through this year’s session! Last week should have been deemed, “Firefighter Protection Week,” as we passed a number of bills for the benefit of Georgia's firefighters. The last few days have been productive for our local delegation as a couple of us had bills successfully pass the House chamber. Firefighter Legislation
On Tuesday, January 7, we passed House Bill 146 which would require fire departments to provide and maintain adequate insurance coverage for firefighters serving 12 consecutive months and unable to work due to a disabling cancer diagnosis. Because of their work, studies show that firefighters have higher rates of certain types of cancers than the rest of the population. Under the legislation, firefighters will be provided with a lump-sum benefit or a monthly benefit based on the severity of the cancer. Other provisions of the bill include the allowance of city and county governments the use of tax dollars to fund insurance coverage. This bill was successfully carried by my colleague, Micah Gravley, and I feel confident he will further cover the details of the legislation in his update.
In addition to HB 146, the House also unanimously passed HB 83 and HB 84, that I authored in support of the Georgia Firefighters’ Pension Fund. The Georgia Firefighters’ Pension Fund was established in 1955 to provide a supplemental pension benefit to Georgia’s firefighters and their beneficiaries through assets held in trust. HB 83 would allow the Georgia Firefighters’ Pension Fund to invest up to 10 percent of its total assets in real estate, which is currently prohibited. If the fund’s assets decrease in value, the fund may retain the real estate investments as if they were owned prior to the decrease in the fund’s assets. This measure will ensure that this fund remains healthy for future beneficiaries.
Similarly, HB 84 would give the Georgia Firefighters’ Pension Fund the ability to invest up to 10 percent of its total assets in alternative investments, such as private investment pools, private investment funds and venture capital funds, amongst others. Under current law, the Pension Fund can invest up to 5 percent of its total assets in alternative investments. If passed, HB 84 would double the investment percentage allowance from 5 to 10 percent. HB 83 and HB 84 offer greater flexibility and investment options for the Firefighters’ Pension Fund, in turn, helping the organization provide better benefits for our firefighters. Agriculture
Protecting our AG industry remains a top priority as we passed House Bill 176. HB 176 is intended to improve the overall functionality of the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Currently, under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) the federal government is responsible for directing inspections of certain farms and packing houses. However, HB 176 gives the Georgia Department of Agriculture the ability and flexibility to conduct inspections, as well as, take other regulatory actions necessary to assist the FDA within the provisions of the FSMA. In short, HB 176 allows the Georgia Department of Agriculture the ability to enforce federal law independently of the federal government, which will only help streamline the inspection process. As a firm believer in “local control,” I feel confident that Commissioner Black and his team are more than capable of handling these inspections, which is why I voted for the bill. Child Welfare
This week, we unanimously passed legislation that would change open records laws involving minors. House Bill 75 would protect Georgia’s youth by allowing law enforcement agencies to confidentially share vital information regarding child abuse, neglect or dependency investigations within the Department of Human Services, including the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), and other governmental child protective agencies. Currently, any shared information between law enforcement officials and child protective agencies are subject to open records requests. If passed, law enforcement officials will be allowed to privately share certain information with DFCS and other protective agencies in order to keep children safe who are in danger of abuse, neglect or dependency. HB 75 will ultimately close the open records requests loophole by ensuring such information is kept confidential until the investigation is complete.
As always, I will continue to update you on highlights from the House until our very last vote. As session nears the halfway point, please reach out to me with questions or concerns about bills we are discussing. Again, thank you for allowing me to serve you under the Gold Dome and I hope you will come by for a visit if you are in Atlanta!