Georgia General Assembly Passes Bills on Education, Retirement, and Economic Development

Various committees of the Georgia General Assembly came together to discuss a number of different bills. Committees of both the House and Senate convened to address issues important to Georgians. 

First, the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee convened to discuss the entertainment industry. House bill (HB) 14 was the only bill on their agenda and it passed unanimously to the Rules Committee.

HB 14 focuses on films and music. Its notable purpose is to make Georgia a hub that accommodates music production. The bill is meant to strengthen Georgia as a prime location for production and entertainment.

Second, the House Retirement Committee convened to discuss investment. Senate bill (SB) 23 was the only bill on the agenda and it passed to the Rules Committee unanimously.

This bill raises the limit of the total percentage of funds that the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia may invest in alternative investments. The limit would be raised from 5% to 10%.

Finally, the House Education Committee tackled three different bills. The first was SB 212. This bill prohibits the disclosure of public student directory information to political candidates or persons or groups acting on their behalf.

SB 212 comes as a response to campaigns entering public schools under false pretenses to harvest data from students. Often these campaign staffers would pose as voter registration workers to gain access. SB 212 passed to the Rules Committee.

The committee then moved on to SB 148. This bill authorizes the State Department of Education  to start a pilot program for outdoor education spaces. 

The greater purpose of this bill is to expand the learning opportunities of students. It passed to the Rules Committee.

The committee concluded with SB 1, also known as the Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act. This bill is essentially another Riley Gaines Act. 

SB 1 creates a boundary around female sports and prevents the inclusion of male advantage. It also defines sex by reproductive potential and recognizes inherent male advantage in sports. With some pushback, it passed to the Rules Committee.