Last week the General Assembly was in session for 5 legislative days.  Highlights of the week of January 21-25 include:

The House Juvenile Justice Committee held its first meeting and announced the appointment of two subcommittee chairs.  Representative Andy Welch (R-McDonough) will chair a subcommittee focused on issues related to the Department of Human Services, and Representative Alex Atwood (R-Brunswick) will chair a subcommittee focused on issues related to juvenile justice. 
The House Appropriations Subcommittees began their detailed review of the governor's budget recommendations for amended FY 2013.

This week the General Assembly will be in session on Monday through Friday.  Some scheduled events of particular interest to child advocates include:

• The new House Appropriations Public Safety Subcommittee will consider the Department of Juvenile Justice budget for amended FY 2013 on Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 2:30pm in room 310 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building.  
• The Senate Non-Civil Judiciary Committee will consider SB 69, relating to the confidentiality of complaints by children in Department of Juvenile Justice facilities (see below), on Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 4pm in room 450 of the Capitol. 
• The coalition fighting the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children will hold its Lobby Day on Thursday, February 7, 2013. If you'd like to participate, you can register here.
• The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia will address a joint meeting of the General Assembly on Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 11am.

Please note that information on meetings and legislative schedule is current as of Monday, February 4, 2013.  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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HB 21 was introduced by Representative Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) on January 15, 2013. This bill would add a new code section to O.C.G.A. Title 19 to provide for agreements for ongoing contact between birth relatives and adoptive families. The child would be a party to the agreement, and if 14 years of age or older, would have to consent. In order to be enforceable, the agreement would have to be filed with the court with 30 days of the filing of the adoption petition.  HB 21 has been assigned to the House Juvenile Justice Committee.    

HB 46 was introduced by Representative Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain) on January 15, 2013.  This bill would amend O.C.G.A. Title 20, Chapter 1A to require child protective services records to be checked for all directors and employees of day care centers. Anyone with an unsatisfactory report would not be permitted to work at a day care center. HB 46 has been assigned to the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.    

HR 2 was introduced by Representative Keisha Waites (D-Atlanta) on January 16, 2013.  This is a resolution to urge Congress to increase penalties for human trafficking, including the commercial sexual exploitation of children. HR 2 has been assigned to the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.       

SB 58 was introduced by Senator Donzella James (D-Atlanta) on January 17, 2013.  This bill would amend O.C.G.A. 40-6-391 relating to the offense of endangering a child by driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  It would raise the age range of child passengers endangered by the intoxicated driving from those under 14 to those under 16.  It would also provide for significant penalties of up to 15 years imprisonment, or up to 25 years imprisonment if the child passenger is killed as a result of the offense. SB 58 has been assigned to the Senate Public Safety Committee.   

SB 69 was introduced by Senator Jack Murphy (R-Cumming) on January 29, 2013.  This bill would add a new code section to O.C.G.A. Title 49, Chapter 4A to require complaints by children in juvenile justice facilities to be kept confidential.  If an employee of the Department of Juvenile Justice breaks the confidence of a child, subjecting that child to danger or harassment, the employee would be suspended or fired.  The bill would also make the information protected as a state secret that could not be released unless declassified by the Commissioner. SB 69 will be considered by the Senate Non-Civil Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 4pm in room 450 of the Capitol. 

SR 10 was introduced by Senator Donzella James (D-Atlanta) on January 15, 2013.  This is a resolution to urge Congress to require children to have identification to board domestic flights in order to protect children from being trafficked between states.  SR 10 has been assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.