by Sen. Mike Dugan (R – Carrollton)

Last Thursday, the Senate adjourned Sine Die, meaning that the 2018 legislative session is now complete. Some of our most significant bills were passed in the final two days that we convened and they are now on their way to be signed into law.

One major bill that passed that will impact all Georgians is House Bill 673, or the Hands Free Georgia Act. This bill would prohibit holding or supporting any electronic communication device, not only to read or write text messages. The bill also addresses watching or recording videos and any use of a device that requires a driver’s attention to be taken from the road. Drivers will still be able to use voice-to-text messaging, built-in navigation systems and back-up cameras. This bill is intended to keep the driver’s hands on the wheel and eyes on the road, not only for their own safety but also for the safety of everyone on the road.

One bill that I carried was House Bill 699. This bill would allow military members who have proof of firefighter service to bypass basic training when completing their firefighter certification. This bill would also allow for the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council to waive the requirement of obtaining a high school diploma within 12 months of employment with a fire department. The hope is that through this bill, we can allow for more opportunities for qualified individuals to become certified firefighters with the least amount of hassle.

In another effort to support our servicemen and women, we passed House Bill 840. This bill would allow military members serving in combat zones a 60-day timeframe to pay their business and occupation taxes upon their return. This bill would remove any penalization to these men and women and allow them a little time to readjust and get organized without having to worry about paying certain overdue payments.

There are a couple of other bills that I want to highlight which received passage last week. House Bill 834 would allow individuals the opportunity to terminate their rental agreement in cases of family violence. This bill is intended to help these individuals get out of a bad living situation as quickly as possible with the least amount of burden.

House Bill 887 is another broadband bill that addresses the permitting and deployment of new small cell broadband technology called 5G. The bill addresses the construction of these cells on existing and new utility poles for wireless technology, in hopes of creating access for private companies wanting to utilize public rights of way.

These are just a few of the many bills that we passed last week. We accomplished many major priorities this session, but our work won’t stop during the interim. We will continue working hard to address your concerns or issues and have legislation ready for introduction in the 2019 session. If you ever have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact me, I am here to serve you. Thank you for all of your support and for the many visitors who took the time to stop by the Capitol over the course of the session, I look forward to seeing what next year has in store for us.