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Barton Child Law and Policy Center Newsletter
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Dear Child Advocates, this update contains:
Georgia Capitol Update
Bills of Interest to Child Advocates
Next Georgia Child Welfare Legal Academy March 15
Follow Us on Twitter!
Georgia Capitol Update

Last week the General Assembly met for five legislative days.  Highlights of the week include:

  • The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on to SB 127, the Child Protection and Public Safety Act (see description below) on Monday, February 28.  The Committee heard a presentation on the fiscal impact of the Act and the changes from last year's version, and took testimony on Article 7, relating to delinquency proceedings.
  • Representative Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) held a meeting with stakeholders to discuss the status of  HB 23, the Foster Children's Psychotropic Medication Monitoring Act (see description below), on Monday, February 28.  She shared information about a pilot project being developed by the Barton Center in cooperation with the Department of Human Services with funding from Casey Family Programs to examine the scope of the problem and evaluate the feasibility of various interventions, and  announced her intention to hold the bill temporarily to see what can be learned from the pilot project that might inform the direction of the legislation.
  • The Setzler Subcommittee of the House Non-Civil Judiciary Committee continued its consideration HB 185, the Runaway Youth Safety Act (see description below).  The Subcommittee's concerns were addressed by the sponsor, Representative Tom Weldon (R-Ringgold), in a committee substitute that added a requirement of licensing or registration for service providers, which received a favorable recommendation on Thursday, March 3.

This week the General Assembly will be in session every weekday except Wednesday.  Some meetings and events of interest to child advocates this week include:

  • The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet today at 3pm in Mezzanine room 1 of the Capitol. One of the bills they will be considering is SB 112, the Military Parents Rights Act (see description below).
  • The Jacobs Subcommittee of House Civil Judiciary will meet today at 3pm in room 515 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building.  Their agenda includes consideration of HB 65 , relating to adoption records, and HB 272, relating to rehearings in juvenile court (see descriptions below). 
  • The House Appropriations General, Human Resource and Public Safety Subcommittees are meeting throughout the day Tuesday, March 8 to continue their review the FY 2012 budgets.  The full House Appropriations Committee will meet on Thursday, March 10 at 7:30am, presumably for a vote on the full budget. 
  • The Georgia Child Advocacy Network (Georgia CAN) will meet Tuesday, March 8 at 10:30 in room 310 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building.

Please note that information on meetings and legislative hearings is current as of Monday, March 7, 2011.  Hearing times change frequently during the session, so you may want to check the Georgia General Assembly or other organizations' web sites for the any changes. 

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Bills of Interest to Child Advocates

 

HB 23, the Foster Children's Psychotropic Medication Monitoring Act, was introduced by Representative Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) on January 24, 2011. This bill requires the Department of Human Services to create procedures to ensure that the psychotropic medication administered to children in foster care is appropriate, delivered with informed consent of the parent and the child if the child is 14 or over, and is monitored for side effects and continued efficacy.  The bill would also require the Department of Human Services to keep records of the medications and other therapies received or recommended for a child. HB 23 has been referred to the House Health and Human Services Committee.

 

HB 65 was introduced by Representative Tom McCall (R-Elberton) on January 26, 2011. This bill would amend O.C.G.A. 19-8-23 to expand the categories of people who can access adoption records and the information they can access.  Specifically, it would add the child or sibling of an adopted party to the parties of interest in an adoption who can access medical information on the adopted person or biological parents, and clarify that health history is part of the information they are entitled to access. HB 65 will have a hearing in the Jacobs Subcommittee of House Civil Judiciary Committee today at 3pm in room 515 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building.

 

HB 185, the Runaway Youth Safety Act, was introduced by Representative Tom Weldon (R-Ringgold) on February 9, 2011.  This bill would amend O.C.G.A. 16-5-45 relating to interference with custody and O.C.G.A. 16-12-1 relating to contributing to the unruliness of a minor to provide a limited exception to misdemeanor liability for shelters providing services to runaway youth as long as they either contact a parent or make a child abuse report within the first 72 hours of contact with the child.  HB 185 received a favorable recommendation from the Setzler Subcommittee on Thursday, March 3, 2011, and now awaits consideration by the full House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.

 

HB 200 was introduced by Representative Edward Lindsey (R-Atlanta) on Febuary 10, 2011.  This  bill amends Georgia's anti-human trafficking law, which encompasses the commercial sexual exploitation of children, to: (1) clarify its offenses, (2) substantially increase penalties, (3) allow for forfeiture of property related to the crime, (4) limits use of the victim's sexual history, relation to the defendant, and ability to consent as a defense to sex trafficking, (5) provide that a person will not be guilty of a prostitution-related crime if the act was committed under coercion or deception while the person was a human trafficking victim, (6) clarify that victims of human trafficking are eligible for victim's compensation, (7) establish training for law enforcement on human trafficking issues, including appropriate treatment of victims, and (8) empower the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to investigate human trafficking cases and obtain subpoenas compelling compliance with those investigations.  The bill received a favorable recommendation from the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee on February 24, and passed the full House on March 2, 2011. HB 200 now awaits consideration by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

 

HB 230 was introduced by Representative Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) on February 10, 2011.  This bill would add a new code section to Chapter 2 of Title 20 to require local boards of education to develop a curriculum to teach children in grades six through eight and eight through ten about the potential liability for committing certain offenses, with an emphasis on felonies for which they can be charged as adults and sexual offenses.  HB 230  has been referred to the House Education Committee.

 

HB 267 was introduced by Representative Sheila Jones (D-Smyrna) on February 17, 2011.  This bill would add a new code section to O.C.G.A. Title 20, Chapter 2 to require the Department of Education to develop a comprehensive strategy to inform children in grades 4-12 about the dangers of "sexting," or sending explicit images via text message.  HB 267 has been referred to the House Education Committee.

 

HB 272 was introduced by Representative Tom Weldon (R-Ringgold) on February 17, 2011.  This bill would amend O.C.G.A. 15-11-21 to eliminate the option for cases heard before an associate judge in juvenile court to be reheard before a full juvenile court judge. HB 272 will be considered by the Jacobs Subcommittee of House Civil Judiciary Committee today at 3pm in room 515 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building.

 

HB 282, the Military Parents' Rights Act, was introduced by Representative John Yates (R-Griffin) on February 22, 2011.  A companion bill, SB 112, was introduced in the Senate by Senator Joshua McKoon (R-Columbus) on February 22, 2011.  These bills would add a new part to O.C.G.A. Title 19, Chapter 9, Article 2, to provide additional protections to military parents regarding court actions affecting their custody and other rights to their children immediately before, during, or after deployment.   HB 282 has been referred to the House Civil Judiciary Committee.  It received a hearing in the Lane Subcommittee on March 2, 2011, but no action was taken.  SB 112 has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will hold a hearing on it today at 3pm in Mezzanine room 1 of the Capitol.

 

HR 9 was introduced by Representative Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta) on February 1, 2011.  This resolution would create a joint study committee to look into the causes and effects of teen violence.  The joint study committee would be comprised of six appointed members and would issue a report including possible legislative recommendations by January 9, 2012.  HR 9 was referred to the House Children and Youth Committee.

 

SB 14 was introduced by Senator Lester Jackson (D-Savannah) on January 26, 2011.  This bill would amend O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1 to raise the age through which children are required to be in school from 16 to 17 years of age.  SB 14 has been referred to the Senate Education and Youth Committee.

 

SB 31 was introduced by Senator Jason Carter (D-Decatur) on January 31, 2011.  This bill would expand the attorney-client privilege under O.C.G.A. 24-9-21 to cover parents' participation in private conversations with defense attorneys representing their children in delinquent or criminal cases. The bill states that only the child, not the parent, can waive the privilege.  SB 31 was passed by the Senate on March 23, 2011, and now awaits consideration by the House Civil Judiciary Committee.

 

SB 43 was introduced by Senator Donzella James (D-College Park) on February 7, 2011.  This bill would amend O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1 to expand the range of ages during which children are required to be in school from 6 to 16 years of age to 5 to 17 years of age, and to create exceptions where the child is not eligible for enrollment, has completed a GED or high school certificate program, or is enrolled in another appropriate educational program.  SB 43 has been referred to the Senate Education and Youth Committee, and will be heard by the Academic Support Subcommittee on Tuesday, March 8 at 4pm in room 307 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building.

 

SB 46 was introduced by Senator Gloria Butler (D-Stone Mountain) on February 7, 2011.  This bill would amend O.C.G.A. 20-2-143 to require that the sex education curriculum from students in grades 7 through 12 include information on dating violence, including warning signs, prevention, and resources for victims.  SB 46 has been referred to the Senate Education and Youth Committee. 

 

SB 49 was introduced by Senator John Albers (R-Roswell) on February 7, 2011.  This bill would amend O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1 to raise the age through which children are required to be in school from 16 to 16.5 years of age. It would also amend O.C.G.A. 20-4-15 and 20-4-18 to reflect this change in age with respect to adult literacy and post secondary education programs. SB 49  received a favorable recommendation from Senate Education and Youth Committee on March 4, 2011, and now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

 

SB 57 was introduced by Senator Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) on February 9, 2011.  A companion bill, HB 215 was introduced by Representative Paul Battles (R-Cartersville) on February 10, 2011.  These bills would add a new code section to Chapter 5 of Title 40 to prohibit people who have been convicted of crimes against children that would qualify them for registry as sex offenders from obtaining commercial driver's licenses for vehicles that transport 16 or more people.  SB 57  has been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee, and HB 215 has been referred to the House Motor Vehicles Committee.

 

SB 80 was introduced by Senator Joshua McKoon (R-Columbus) on February 15, 2011.  This bill would require any person, including a juvenile, who is arrested for a felony offense, to give a DNA sample, which would be analyzed and kept in a database by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.   SB 80 will be considered by Senate State Institutions and Property Committee today at 3pm in room 310 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building

 

SB 105 was introduced by Senator Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) on Feburary 17, 2011.  This bill would require the Commissioner of the Department of Juvenile Justice to create 3-member juvenile parole panels to review and, where appropriate, grant parole petitions relating to children committed to the Department as the result of an adjudication of delinquency for a designated felony.  The petition for parole may be brought by either the child or the Department, requires a recommendation by a Department counselor or placement supervisor, and may not be brought until after the child has been in the Department's custody for at least a year. SB 105 received a hearing in Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday, March 4, but awaits further consideration by the committee.

 

SB 115 was introduced by Senator Hardie Davis (D-Augusta) on February 22, 2011.  This bill would amend O.C.G.A. 19-6-15 to exclude foster care maintenance payments from calculations of a person's income for purposes of determining child support.  SB 115 received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Special Judiciary Committee on March 2, and passed the full Senate on March 4, 2011.  It now awaits assignment to a House Committee.

 

SB 127, the Child Protection and Public Safety Act, was introduced by Senator Bill Hamrick (R-Carrollton) on February 23, 2011.  This bill is a comprehensive revision of O.C.G.A. Title 15, Chapter 11, Georgia's juvenile code.  It reorganizes the code for ease of understanding and application, modernizes substantive provisions to reflect advances in research and practice, and brings Georgia into full compliance with federal laws applicable to juvenile court proceedings.  SB 127 received a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, February 28, 2011, and awaits further consideration by the committee.

 

SB 164 was introduced by Senator Joshua McKoon (R-Columbus) on February 28, 2011.  This bill would amend O.C.G.A. 19-7-5 to expand the professionals required to report child abuse or neglect to include commercial film developers and picture processors, reproductive health clinics, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, and physical therapists.  SB 164  has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

  
SB 208, the Dropout Deterrent Act, was introduced by Senator Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) on March 4, 2011.  This bill would amend O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1 to raise the age through which children are required to be in school from 16 to 17 years of age, and to allow the parent of a 16 year old to sign a waiver allowing the child to go to technical school or community college rather than a traditional public school. SB 208 has been assigned to the Senate Education and Youth Committee.

 

Georgia Child Welfare Legal Academy on March 15, 2011

  

 

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

 

The next Georgia Child Welfare Legal Academy is scheduled for Tuesday, March 15, 2011 from 1:30 until 3:45 p.m. in room 575 (the Faculty Lounge) of Gambrell Hall at Emory University School of Law.  Guest speakers Peggy Brockington and Bryan Tyson of Strickland Brockington Lewis LLP will deliver a presentation designed to clear up the confusion surrounding HIPAA law.  They will address issues of disclosure and liability, as well as clarify the roles that different entities involved may play. 

 

Peggy Brockington is a partner at Strickland Brockington Lewis LLP.   In her education practice, Peggy represents colleges, universities, public and private schools and charter schools.  In employment matters, she defends employers before administrative agencies, and in state and federal courts through all stages of litigation, including trial, appeal, mediation and arbitration.  Peggy received her B.S., with distinction, from the University of Kansas in 1973, and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgia State University in 1986.

 

Bryan Tyson is an associate at Strickland Brockington Lewis LLP.  He has extensive experience in areas related to election law and government.  His practice also includes charter schools, along with legislative, regulatory and political policy matters.  He earned his J.D. magna cum laude from the Oak Brook College of Law.

 

 

Seating is limited:  Online registration is strongly encouraged at www.regonline.com/hippa.  The registration fee for all participants is $10 and includes materials, 3-hour parking in the hospital visitor parking deck, and light refreshments.

 

Parking: Parking is limited to the Hospital Visitor deck, Lowergate (not Lowergate South).  Please reference http://www.law.emory.edu/about-emory-law/maps-directions.html

for parking information and driving directions.  Your parking will be validated for 3 hours.

 

CLE credit: 2.0 regular CLE credits will be offered for this program for an additional fee of $10.00 payable by cash or check at the door. Please make checks payable to Emory University.

 

 

 

 

 

Follow us on Twitter

 

The Barton Center is twittering information relevant to child advocacy at the Capitol.  Follow us  at @bartoncenter at twitter.com to get up-to-the-minute information on topics such as:

  • Times, dates, and locations of advocacy meetings and legislative hearings;
  • Status of juvenile court-related legislation;
  • Action alerts for important pro-child initiatives; and
  • News and research on best practices for children's law.

Begin following us by clicking on the Twitter icon to the right!  Follow us on Twitter 

 

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