Georgia Welcomes New State Laws for 2017

 

 

The state legislature passed several bills in 2016 that were signed by Governor Nathan Deal, and are now the law in the Peach State.

House Bill 806 lengthens the term of driver’s licenses from five years to eight years, but now it costs $32 for a new Georgia license.

Now you will need one document providing identity to get a drivers license, which can be either a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship certificate. You will also need a document providing your social security number. And now you need two documents for proof of Georgia residency in the state.

Courts will also now report motor vehicle convictions other than speeding.

Another law in Georgia concerns a sales tax on fireworks. Senate Bill 360 is now a law after 81-percent of people voted yes during the November general election. It allows an extra five-percent tax on all fireworks sales. Of that tax, 55-percent will go towards trauma care, 40-percent will help train and equip firefighters, and the other five-percent goes to local governments public safety.

The year 2016 was the first full year of fireworks sales since it was legalized in the state of Georgia. Fireworks continue to grow in popularity in Georgia, as in the past it was common to travel to South Carolina to purchase them.

The ‘Georgia Right to Try Act’ makes Georgia one of 30 states in the past two years to allow terminally ill patients the use of experimental drugs that have yet to gain FDA approval.

House Bill 555 requires the Juvenile Court and Administrative Office of the Courts to compile and deliver statistics on girls 17 and younger, who want an abortion without notifying their parents.

The Georgia Lactation Consultant Practice Act licenses lactation consultants to help mothers who have problems breastfeeding their babies.

House Bill 792 allows students at least 18 can carry Tasers and stun guns on Georgia’s public college and university campuses.

In a big reversal of grand jury proceedings, police officers may offer a statement to grand jurors, but will not be allowed to stay in the grand jury room. They also will face cross-examination.

The NFL gets a $10 million tax break on ticket sales for the 2019 Super Bowl, which enticed the NFL to play the Super Bowl in the Falcons new stadium.

Insurance companies cannot force patients with advanced cancer to first fail to respond to other treatments, before trying more aggressive treatment programs such as helped President Jimmy Carter.

High schools receiving state funding cannot participate in an athletic association that prohibits religious expression on student athletes’ clothing.

The daily permissible prize limitation on Bingo has been lifted.

Juvenile offenders can now attend charter schools while they are being held in state facilities.