Georgia House Rules Committee hears dozens of bills; adopts HB 307 substitute and sets supplemental calendars

The Georgia House Rules Committee met to hear brief presentations on dozens of bills spanning education, health, agriculture, public safety and tax matters and conducted several procedural votes, including adoption of a rule substitute to HB 307 (LC 492309S).

The committee adopted the rule substitute to HB 307 by voice vote. The substitute establishes within the Office of Student Achievement a Georgia Literacy Plan Coordinating Committee to coordinate literacy efforts and to define duties for literacy coaches; the substitute language appears on lines 332–350 of the draft (LC 492309S). Sponsors presented the substitute as an effort to remove outdated language, add dyslexia to the Georgia Early Literacy Act and create a literacy coach coordination committee.

Committee members heard short presentations on dozens of other bills during the meeting. Notable measures presented included bills to clarify transcript request procedures under the Terry Act (HB 545, LC 481506), restrictions on sales of animals in parking lots and roadside locations (HB 331, LC 4431.08S), expanded teleconferencing authority for county/regional libraries and community service boards (HB 516, LC 501173 sub.),…