Sen. Bill Cowsert

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to ethics in government, so as to provide for a definition; to provide for leadership committees; to provide for chairpersons; to provide that such committees may receive contributions and make expenditures; to provide for disposition of assets in certain circumstances; to provide for filings and reports; to provide an exception from contribution limits; to provide for certain notices; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 51 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding torts, so as to provide a cause of action against perpetrators for victims of human trafficking; to provide for definitions; to provide a cause of action against certain perpetrators of human trafficking by the Attorney General on behalf of the state; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 20 and Title 48 of the O.C.G.A., relating to education and revenue and taxation, respectively, so as to authorize a nonprofit corporation incorporated by the Georgia Foundation for Public Education to receive private donations to be used for grants to public schools; to provide for the expiration of the Public Education Innovation Fund Foundation's authority to promote public-private partnerships and to receive private donations to be used for grants to public schools; to provide for grant criteria; to provide for the dissolution of the Public Education Innovation Fund Foundation; to revise definitions; to provide for an income tax credit for qualified education donations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to offenses against public order, so as to revise the offense of wearing a mask, hood, or device which conceals the identity of the wearer; to clarify application; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 12 of Title 19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to name change, so as to provide that victims of human trafficking may petition for name change under seal; to provide for a definition; to provide for determination by the court; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 6 of Title 16, Article 1 of Chapter 10 of Title 17, Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 35, Title 42, and Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to sexual offenses, procedure for sentencing and imposition of punishment, the Georgia Crime Information Center, penal institutions, and general provisions regarding the Department of Human Services, respectively, so as to revise the offenses of improper sexual contact by employee or agent in the first and second degrees; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 28 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to fiscal bills generally, so as to provide for independent economic analyses to be procured by the Office of Planning and Budget for certain tax benefits upon request by the chairpersons of the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Finance Committee; to provide a short title; to provide for limits; to provide for summaries to be attached to related fiscal notes; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 1 of Article 1 of Chapter 3 of Title 8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions for housing authorities, so as to limit the ability of city housing authorities to operate outside municipal boundaries without authorization; to revise a definition; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to create a new judicial circuit for the State of Georgia, to be known as the Columbia Judicial Circuit and to be composed of Columbia County; to provide for the transfer of certain funds from the Augusta Judicial Circuit to the Columbia Judicial Circuit; to provide for and allocate circuit-wide costs and expenditures; to conform the county salary supplements for the judges of the Augusta Judicial Circuit; to amend Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 15 of the O.C.G.A., relating to general provisions regarding the superior courts, so as to revise the composition and terms of court of the Augusta Judicial Circuit; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 4 of Title 20 of the O.C.G.A., relating to vocational, technical, and adult education, so as to provide for the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia to award high school diplomas; to provide for a pilot program by the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia to allow students who are 16 years of age or older, who have completed certain secondary school coursework requirements, and who have withdrawn from secondary school, to enroll in the Dual Achieve Program at a technical college of this state and achieve a high school diploma in conjunction with successful completion of the program; to amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the O.C.G.A., relating to elementary and secondary education; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.