Home - State Representative Jesse Petrea

Legislative Update

2022 Legislative Session

March 28, 2022

It has been a busy few weeks at the Capitol as the Session draws to a close. Please see below some of the notable measures that have recently passed!

It was a pleasure to have the Richmond Hill High School Republican Club join us at the Capitol.
What an impressive group of young adults!

SB 226 - Transparency for Parent Content Complaints at Schools -
This legislation requires local boards of education to create a complaint resolution process by January 1, 2023 that:

Requires local boards of education to create a complaint resolution process by January 1, 2023.
Must allow for submission of complaints about inappropriate content that is harmful to minors and available at the school.
Complaint must be investigated within 7 business days, parent must be met with within 10 days regarding whether the material was or was not deemed harmful.
Appeal will be heard within 30 days.
The definition of “harmful to minors” in the bill adheres to the Supreme Court’s obscenity definition - which allows for local standards to play a role; something that is obscene in one county may not be obscene in another.
This legislation simply creates a transparent, simple to navigate process for parents concerned about content “harmful to minors”.

SB 358 - Encouraging Military Men and Women to Enter Law Enforcement - repays some of the costs incurred by active duty, retired, or honorably discharged military men and women who attend law enforcement training. Costs are limited to tuition costs that aren’t covered by other available resources. Georgia is home to one of the largest military populations in the country. These men and women have served our country honorably; many of them leave the military and continue to have an interest in serving their communities, while having backgrounds that can transfer easily to law enforcement with additional training. This legislation encourages that career path, while ensuring that a lack of resources don’t prevent anyone from pursuing it.

SB 514 - The Unmask Georgia Students Act - provides that no board of education or school leadership can make or enforce a mask mandate without providing an opt-out. Parents must be allowed to opt their children out of a mandate without being required to provide a reason, and without subjecting the parent or child to adverse consequences.

With Richmond Hill High School student, Lauren Peters.

HB 1425 - Medical Cannabis - addresses issues with the Medical Cannabis Commission’s flawed licensing process while addressing patient needs in the interim.

HB 1443 - Streamlining Food Truck Permitting - would allow a food truck that has gone through the full permitting process in its home county to submit its existing permits to additional counties it seeks to operate in, rather than requiring it to go through the full permitting process.

HB 1464 - Election Clean Up Bill - contains the following provisions:

Allows the GBI to subpoena election records (increases investigative powers and provides original jurisdiction for election issues)
Opens original paper ballots to public inspection
Requires forms and seals after handling ballots (absentee ballot chain of custody)
Requires drop boxes be locked when voting is not occurring (drop box chain of custody)
Mandates “meaningful access” for poll watchers in polling places and tabulation centers
Makes it a felony to threaten violence against poll workers and election officials
Restricts nongovernmental funding to county election offices (grants or donations from outside groups would be overseen by the state elections board and eliminate any "strings attached" requirements for use of funds, i.e., Facebook and "Zuck Bucks")

With Rep. Don Hogan of St. Simons Island.

HB 937 - Covering Mammograms in Medicaid - requires that Medicaid cover doctor-recommended annual mammograms at no additional cost to the patient.

HB 1053 - Keeping Film Tax Credit Dollars in Georgia - requires that future residual income earners from productions receiving Georgia film tax credits pay Georgia income tax on that income.

HB 1553 - Bishop's Law - mandates that an inmate convicted of the murder of a peace officer in the line of duty be housed in a maximum security prison. These inmates can only be transferred to a lower security facility with written documentation of the justification of the move and notification to the peace officer’s family.

I hope you will take the opportunity to review updates like this to stay informed on legislative matters that affect our district and state. Please visit the new public House website, www.legis.ga.gov/house, where you can track our progress throughout the session. I encourage you to contact me with questions and/or concerns regarding any legislation that may impact you and your family. You are always welcome to visit my office at the State Capitol, and you can reach me at (404) 656-5115 or at Jesse.Petrea@house.ga.gov.

Jesse L. Petrea