Volume # 10, Issue 13 – May 17, 2019
The 2019 Session of the General Assembly ended at midnight on Tuesday, April 2nd . This was the first year of the biennial legislative session, so all bills introduced this year that did not pass remain eligible for passage next year. The 2019 Session ushered in new leadership in the Senate and the Governor’s Office. ACCG met with our new leaders, Governor Kemp and Lt. Governor Duncan, on policy issues of importance to counties and expressed our desire to continue a strong partnership between state and local government. ACCG and GMA also strengthened the partnership between counties and cities this Session by working very closely on many policy objectives impacting both counties and cities. The Policy Councils of both organizations also hosted a dinner for legislators who formerly served as local government officials. ACCG made progress on several of our policy objectives in the 2019 ACCG Legislative Agenda, including the passage of guidelines for small cell (5G) deployment (SB 66), authorization for EMCs to provide broadband services (SB 2), changing TAVT by eliminating trade-in abuse on used car sales (SB 65), improving the collection of sales tax on out-of-state vendors (HB 182), clarifying the law on passing stopped school buses (SB 25), creation of a new commission on behavioral health (HB 514), and the defeat of HB 411 that would have prohibited local governments from placing fees on their property tax bills. Several funding objectives were also accomplished, including $150 million to replace voting equipment in all counties, a $2 increase in the daily per diem for county correctional institutes, $26 million in new funding for behavioral health crisis centers, and $33.7 million to bring current FLPA grant reimbursements to local governments.