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

The legislative days are dwindling down as we near Crossover Day, this Friday, March 3 rd . It was hectic this week as we drafted, discussed and passed legislation dealing with education, our foster care system and our military and veterans’ population.
Georgia’s foster parents and children, would see additional support through House Bill 250, which passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate. The bill would allow foster parent applicants, who are early care and education program employees, to submit their background and finger print check to satisfy the Department of Family and Child Services records check requirements. Currently, any individual who cares for a foster child must complete a separate background check through DFCS, and the department does not accept checks completed by other state agencies. This regulation causes an unnecessary backlog within the foster care system. This bill would help fix that problem, ensuring that kids are placed in a loving, stable environment in a timelier manner.
As we continue efforts to streamline our foster care process, we also worked to modernize Georgia’s adoption laws with the passage of House Bill 159. This bill includes many improvements to our state’s current adoption code and would align our process with other states through the following:

1. Reduces the minimum age of a single petitioner from 25 to 21 and allows judges to use discretion on a case-by- case basis.
2. Provides an exception to the 10-year age difference requirement between the adopter and the adoptee, in the case of relative and stepparent adoptions.
3. Streamlines the path of a foreign adoption especially for Georgia parents previously able to obtain guardianship through international adoption procedures.
4. Individuals over the age of 18 may surrender parental rights upon signature, waiving the 10-day waiting period.
5. Eliminates the six-month residency requirement for adoptive parents to petition to adopt.
6. Allows non-residents to adopt Georgia-born children.
7. Allows Georgia residents to adopt from out-of- state agencies.
8. Allows birthmothers in non-agency adoptions to receive limited living expenses to cover the cost of food, rent and utilities in private independent adoptions.

As home to the 5 th largest veteran and military population, we regularly look for ways to improve the lives of our service members and their families. Last summer, the House Military Affairs Study Committee found that a quality public education was a top priority for military families. This week we passed HB 224 and HB 148 that will help us provide a quality education. House Bill 224 gives military students the ability to attend any school within their school system, beginning in the 2017-2018 school year. House Bill 148, also known as the Educating Children of Military Families Act, authorizes the Department of Education to create unique identifiers to monitor the educational needs of students whose parent or guardian is an active-duty military service member or National Guard reserve member.
Another military measure passing the House last week was House Bill 222, which allows Georgia National Guard and Army reserve members in Georgia to be classified as a legal state resident under eligibility requirements for HOPE Scholarships and grants. Under current HOPE eligibility standards, a student must be a legal resident of Georgia for 12 consecutive months. However, due to relocation requirements, many military students are unable to meet the residency requirements. HB 222 would close this loophole affording all servicemen the opportunity to receive a quality education in Georgia. Education reform continued with the passage of House Bill 237. The bill allows individuals, corporations and communities to financially assist Georgia’s low- performing schools by establishing the Public Education Innovation Fund Foundation under the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. The bill enables the Foundation to receive private donations, which in turn will be awarded to public schools attempting to improve student achievement, with priority given to low-performing schools. To donate, taxpayers will be required to submit an electronic notification, to the Department of Revenue, of the donation amount which then must be approved by the state revenue commissioner. Allowable credits are as follows:

1. $1,000 per year for single individuals, up to
2. $2,500 per year for married couples filing joint returns and up to
3. $10,000 per year for individual members of LLC’s, 'S' corporations or partners in a partnership.
4. Corporation would be allowed a credit no more than the amount donated or 75 percent of the corporation’s income tax liability, whichever is less.

The total amount of credits, would be first come, first served and are limited through 2033, the bill’s designated sunset date. Finally, the foundation would be required to submit an annual report to DOR showing the total number and value of donations, approved tax credits and the total number and value of public school grants awarded. It is our hope that HB 237 will improve student achievement, promote partnerships between businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local school systems.
There were many hot topics up for discussion this week in the House Regulated Industries Committee. Legislation from casino gaming to alcohol measures have been brought forward and we are working diligently to vet the legislation. Recently, the committee favorably passed Senate Bill 85, which would allow Georgia craft breweries to sell up to 3,000 barrels of beer each year directly to brewery visitors. Until recently, breweries could only allow consumption on site and visitors were not able to purchase product for home consumption. The bill is currently in the Rules Committee for further consideration, before being sent to the House floor for a vote. If passed by the House and signed into law by Governor Deal, the limitation of sale amounts will be lifted beginning September 1 st .
As we make our way towards the last day, also known as Sine Die, please feel free to reach out to me with questions or concerns. It is an honor to serve you and I thank you for the opportunity to work on your behalf under the Gold Dome!