While there are only 11 days of the state legislative session remaining, the Legislature is just two thirds of the way complete. The month of March will hold multiple hearings on the “off” days up until the last day, so stay tuned over the next four weeks on the issues of interest to credit unions.
All the various bills of interest that successfully passed crossover day this week are being analyzed further as of press time to ensure that there are no negative amendments added in the process, but please note – any bills that did not pass can still be amended onto moving bills. As such It will only get more fluid from here up to midnight on day 40, but this short-lived lull that happens right after crossover provides a good window to see where things stand:
- There are positive issues in play for credit unions; two that crossed over are H.B. 780 by Rep. Bruce Williamson (R-Monroe), which contains multiple charter enhancements for credit unions, and February 23rd H.B. 938 by Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville) which creates a new option for credit insurance registration/licensing.
- There are negative bills that were halted or amended (for now); two include bills that would have created operational burdens and increased liability: H.B. 66 by Rep. Jeff Jones (R-Brunswick) would institute a fee on wire transfers, and H.B. 689 by Rep. Rick Williams (R-Milledgeville) sought to place funeral homes above the next of kin that can collect on an intestate account. Rep. Williams’ bill has moved back to committee and he does not intend to pursue it this year, but he had worked with GCUA to amend it to address credit union concerns. Rep. Jones has shared his desire to seek his bill again next year, and talks continue.
- There is a large number of tax bills being monitored this year; more than 195 bills are actively reviewed and lobbied to protect credit unions, with countless hours of tax hearings still pending on the horizon.
- There are many, many bills that have been amended in the process to protect credit unions; two of which are H.B. 381 by Rep. John Corbett (R-Lake Park) on creating a process to remove abandoned mobile homes, and H.B. 676 by Rep. Paulette Rakestraw (R-Powder Springs) on the military foreclosure protections. These two bills are good examples of how a potentially negative situation for credit unions was averted by working with the legislators to obtain amendments to their bill.
- There is an unprecedented number of bills being tracked on behalf of credit unions. While it’s typical to have more in the second half of a two-year cycle, there are more than 500 bills being tracked in the process!
- There are countless bills in limbo; two of interest to credit unions are H.B. 357 by Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah), which seeks to institute a boat titling process in Georgia, and S.B. 134 by Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth), which seeks to provide a prize-linked savings option. Both of these bills crossed over last year; however, neither is likely to pass in this particular session.
- And lastly, the relationships between the elected leaders and legislators MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the issues and how they are addressed in the session. With 236 state legislators and 3,800 bills that have been introduced (as of press time), it’s these relationships that help impact how the lobbying message is received. Never underestimate the importance of engaging with your elected leaders, it can help shape any bill.
