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Committee approves bill to subject COAM rulemaking to Administrative Procedures Act
Summary
The Lottery Oversight and Gaming Subcommittee approved House Bill 74 to require that coin-operated amusement machine (COAM) rulemaking overseen by the Georgia Lottery Commission follow the Administrative Procedures Act and be submitted to legislative committees for review; the bill was approved by voice vote and sent on to the Rules calendar.
The Lottery Oversight and Gaming Subcommittee of the House Regulated Industries Committee approved House Bill 74, which would require rulemaking for the coin-operated amusement machine (COAM) division of the Georgia Lottery Commission to follow the Administrative Procedures Act and be submitted to legislative committees for review.
"I bring to you today the first bill of the committee for this, for this committee, House Bill 74," Chairman Alan Powell said in presenting the measure. Powell said the change is intended to ensure public hearings and legislative review of COAM rules. "On the Administrative Procedures Act, then they will live. If passed, they'll fall under, that they will then on any rule making that they do, that there'll be public hearings on any of these rules, and they will submit those rules or rule changes to 1 of the 2 committees in the legislature, the regulated industries committee and to the committee on economic development over in the senate," Powell said.
Powell described the bill as a technical fix to a drafting error in last year's legislation that otherwise had put COAM rulemaking under the Administrative Procedures Act. He referenced last year's House Bill 353 — a prior COAM-related bill that raised taxes on the industry — and said a drafting inconsistency left the APA reference in one sentence but out in another.
A motion to pass House Bill 74 (LC 2806 45) was made and seconded by members of the subcommittee; the bill passed by voice vote. "All in favor say aye." "Aye." "Opposed say nay." "The ayes have it," the chair declared. The subcommittee directed that the bill be placed on the calendar for next week and forwarded to the Rules Committee for scheduling.
The transcript does not record a roll-call vote or individual member vote tallies for the passage; the action was taken by voice vote.
No amendments to the bill were recorded in the subcommittee discussion. Powell stated he did not anticipate the measure to be used as a vehicle for other changes at this stage, but he acknowledged that additional language could be added later in the process when the bill reaches the Senate.
The subcommittee concluded and the full committee was notified that the bill would appear on the House calendar the following week.
