Crossover Day: These are bills to watch out for on the Georgia House and Senate floor

Georgia's legislative session is more than halfway over, and lawmakers still have much to accomplish. As Crossover Day is here, the stakes for this year's various bills and resolutions has only grown higher.

The calendar for the legislative sessions changes slightly each year, but follows the same basic set of rules: Lawmakers convene for a total of 40 days, during which they are required to pass the state budget, as well as all state legislation.

Bills start in either the House or the Senate must cross over to the other legislative body before Crossover Day, which falls this year on Thursday. Bills must be passed by the final day of session, known as Sine Die, to be sent on to the governor's desk. The governor has 40 days to sign a bill into law or veto it. If he takes no action, the bill will automatically become law at the end of the 40 days.

The 2024 legislative session is also the second in a two-year series, meaning that bills that stalled during last year's session have another chance to pass.

Here's what to watch out for today − Crossover Day:

House of Representatives

Notable bills that passed:

HB 971: Firearm Safe Handling and Secure Storage Tax Credit Act

Author: Rep. Mark Newton (R-Augusta)

Overview: In the latest effort to improve gun safety, this bill passed in the House in a 162-3 vote. It would provide Georgia residents who purchased a gun safe or enrolled in a firearm safety training course to claim up to $300 in income tax credits. Read the original text of the bill here.

HB 1018: Georgia Firearms Industry Nondiscrimination Act

Author: Rep. Jason Ridley (R-Chatsworth)

Overview: A second gun bill, which would prevent Merchant category codes (MCCs) from distinguishing between gun-related purchases and other purchases made through debit and credit cards, passed in a 106-60 vote after heated debate on the House floor. Proponents of the bill argue that it is needed to protect the privacy of gun owners, but opponents say that it could prevent law enforcement agencies from flagging individuals who are stockpiling weapons, taking away a tool that can be used to prevent mass shootings. Read the original text of the bill here.

HB 1339: Revise Certificate of Need

Author: Rep. Butch Parrish (R-Swainsboro)

Overview: A bill that would revise — though not completely overhaul — Georgia’s Certificate of Need (CON) program passed in the House almost unanimously, with a 166-1 vote. The bill would ease restrictions on opening new healthcare centers in Georgia, making it easier for facilities to open or expand in rural areas. Read the original text of the bill here.

Bills we're watching:

HB 1105: The Georgia Criminal Alien Track and Report Act of 2024

Author: Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah)

Overview: This bill would impose harsher penalties on sheriffs who refuse to report undocumented immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and require correctional facilities to publicly post the number of undocumented immigrants housed in their prisons. The bill would also require that all eligible law enforcement agencies participate in ICE’s 287(g) program, or risk losing state funding. Read the original text of the bill here.

HB 1116: Rehabilitation of historic structures

Author: Rep. Debbie Buckner (D-Junction City)

Overview: The bill would extend a tax credit for the rehabilitation and preservation of properties listed in the National or Georgia Register of Historic Places, provided that the buildings meet a few additional criteria. It also doubles the total credits available, raising the ceiling to $60 million. Read the original text of the bill here.

HB 1180: Film tax credit

Author: Rep. Kasey Carpenter (R-Dalton)

Overview: This bill would restrict eligibility for film, TV and video game productions seeking a tax credit in the state of Georgia. Under current law, productions have to spend at least $500,000 to qualify for a 20% tax credit; the new law would raise the minimum to $1 million and include other incentives to encourage production companies to hire Georgia-based crew and vendors. Read the original text of the bill here.

Senate

Notable bills that passed:

SB 421: Anti-Swatting legislation

Author: Sen. Clint Dixon (R-Gwinnett)

Overview: In the wake of several public officials being “swatted” — falsely reported to the police, who are led to believe they will be encountering a mass shooter, hostage situation, or some other extreme scenario — lawmakers have unanimously passed a bill that would raise the penalty for those who commit the hoax. Under the bill, perpetrators could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison for a first conviction, and a second would result in a felony charge, as well as 5-10 years in prison and/or a fine of at least $5,000. Read the original text of the bill here.

SB 473: Georgia Consumer Privacy Protection Act

Author: Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell)

Overview: A bill that purports to address data privacy for Georgia residents passed in the senate with a contentious 37-15 vote. The bill outlines guidelines and consumer protections for online data, but opponents say the bill prioritizes the needs of businesses at the expense of individuals’ privacy rights. Read the original text of the bill here.

SR 579: Sports betting

Author: Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens)

Overview: A resolution that has the potential to legalize sports betting passed in the Senate on Tuesday with bipartisan support. Under this measure, Georgia voters could see a referendum to amend the state constitution, with revenue funding pre-K across the state, as well as the HOPE scholarship. Read the original text of the resolution here.

Bills we're watching:

SB 180: Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Author: Sen. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth)

Overview: A bill that closely mirrors federal legislation of the same name would offer greater protections for religious communities by limiting state and local governments’ power to pass or enforce laws that conflict with an individual’s religious beliefs. Opponents of the bill say it could make it easier to discriminate against a variety of groups, such as women and the LGBTQ community. Read the original text of the bill here.

SB 182: Anti-Doxxing Bill

Author: Sen. Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta)

Overview: This bill would explicitly outlaw “doxxing,” or posting someone’s sensitive or personal information online without their consent. Read the original text of the bill here.

SB 390: American Library Association

Author: Sen. Larry Walker, III (R-Perry)

Overview: This bill would defund all libraries within the state with ties to the American Library Association, as well as dissolve the State Board for the Certification of Librarians. Though advocates of the bill say the disaffiliation is necessary to preserve Georgia values within library settings, opponents point out the numerous unintended consequences of withdrawing from the organization, particularly for students pursuing a master's degree in library science within the state. Read the original text of the bill here.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Crossover Day 2024: Bills to watch out for in the House, Senate