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Thomas County, GA

Bordering Florida, Thomas County is known for Thomasville’s historic charm, rose gardens, and southern hospitality. It has a strong tourism and healthcare economy.

Local News

Bills related to this county

HB 584

Health; reassign licensing and oversight of certain treatments and programs from Departments of Community Health to Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Titles 26, 31, and 37 of the O.C.G.A., relating to food, drugs, and cosmetics, health, and mental health, respectively, so as to reassign licensing and oversight of drug abuse treatment and education programs, narcotic treatment programs, community living arrangements, and adult residential mental health programs from the Department of Community Health to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Public and Community Health Senate Committee: Health and Human Services

Sponsors

Petrea, Jesse (166th); Dempsey, Katie (13th); Taylor, Darlene (173rd); Stephens, Ron (164th); LaHood, John (175th); Prince, Brian (132nd)

Status History

05/01/2025: Act 44; 05/01/2025: House Date Signed by Governor; 04/08/2025: House Sent to Governor; 03/28/2025: House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub; 03/20/2025: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute; 03/20/2025: Senate Third Read; 03/18/2025: Senate Read Second Time; 03/13/2025: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 03/06/2025: Senate Read and Referred; 03/04/2025: House Passed/Adopted; 03/04/2025: House Third Readers; 02/27/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported; 02/26/2025: House Second Readers; 02/24/2025: House First Readers; 02/21/2025: House Hopper

Votes

03/04/2025, House Vote #189, 171, 0, 3, 6; 03/20/2025, Senate Vote #261, 52, 0, 0, 4; 03/28/2025, House Vote #338, 163, 0, 4, 13

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 571

Professions and businesses; licensing of radiologist assistants; provide

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 34 of Title 43 of the O.C.G.A., relating to physicians, assistants, and others, so as to provide for the licensing of radiologist assistants; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Health Senate Committee: Regulated Industries and Utilities

Sponsors

Hawkins, Lee (27th); Jasperse, Rick (11th); Dempsey, Katie (13th); Jackson, Mack (128th); Silcox, Deborah (53rd); Taylor, Darlene (173rd)

Status History

03/10/2025: Senate Read and Referred; 03/06/2025: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute; 03/06/2025: House Third Readers; 02/28/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 02/26/2025: House Second Readers; 02/24/2025: House First Readers; 02/21/2025: House Hopper

Votes

03/06/2025, House Vote #236, 162, 11, 5, 2

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 561

Okefenokee Protection Act; enact

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 3 of Article 2 of Chapter 4 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to surface mining, so as to prohibit the director of the Environmental Protection Division of the Natural Resources Department from issuing, modifying, or renewing any permit or accepting any bond to conduct surface mining operations on Trail Ridge for future permit applications and amendments; to provide a definition; to provide for a short title; to provide for legislative findings; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Natural Resources & Environment Senate Committee: N/A

Sponsors

Taylor, Darlene (173rd); Stephens, Ron (164th); Sainz, Steven (180th); Greene, Gerald (154th); Buckner, Debbie (137th); Hugley, Carolyn (141st)

Status History

02/24/2025: House Second Readers; 02/21/2025: House First Readers; 02/20/2025: House Hopper

Votes

No votes

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 562

Natural Resources, Department of; five-year moratorium on acceptance of applications for new or requests to modify existing permits; provisions

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 3 of Article 2 of Chapter 4 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to surface mining, so as to provide for a five-year moratorium on the acceptance of applications for new permits and the acceptance of requests to modify existing permits by the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources to expand the area of land affected by surface mining operations on Trail Ridge; to provide a definition; to provide exemptions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Natural Resources & Environment Senate Committee: N/A

Sponsors

Taylor, Darlene (173rd); Stephens, Ron (164th); Sainz, Steven (180th); Greene, Gerald (154th); Buckner, Debbie (137th); Hugley, Carolyn (141st)

Status History

02/24/2025: House Second Readers; 02/21/2025: House First Readers; 02/20/2025: House Hopper

Votes

No votes

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 567

Professions and businesses; authorize and regulate teledentistry by licensed dentists

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 11 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to licenses for the practice of dentistry, so as to authorize and regulate teledentistry by licensed dentists in this state; to provide for definitions; to provide for exemptions and conditions; to provide for authorized practices; to provide for a referred dentist; to provide for ownership of documents; to provide for a limited number of dental hygienists to perform teledentistry under certain conditions; to provide for rules and regulations; to amend Article 1 of Chapter 24 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions of insurance, so as to allow for coverage of dental services provided through teledentistry; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Health Senate Committee: Health and Human Services

Sponsors

Dempsey, Katie (13th); Hatchett, Matt (155th); Hawkins, Lee (27th); Buckner, Debbie (137th); Taylor, Darlene (173rd)

Status History

04/10/2025: House Sent to Governor; 04/04/2025: House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub; 04/02/2025: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute; 04/02/2025: Senate Third Read; 03/25/2025: Senate Read Second Time; 03/21/2025: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 03/10/2025: Senate Read and Referred; 03/06/2025: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute; 03/06/2025: House Third Readers; 02/28/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 02/26/2025: House Second Readers; 02/24/2025: House First Readers; 02/21/2025: House Hopper

Votes

03/06/2025, House Vote #253, 174, 2, 1, 3; 04/02/2025, Senate Vote #408, 52, 1, 2, 1; 04/04/2025, House Vote #416, 165, 2, 1, 12

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 541

Education; tuition equalization grants; expand definition of an approved school to include certain institutions which offer programs in nursing

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 20-3-411 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to definitions regarding tuition equalization grants at private colleges and universities, so as to expand the definition of an approved school to include certain institutions which offer programs in nursing; to provide for related matters; to provide for legislative intent; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Higher Education Senate Committee: N/A

Sponsors

Dempsey, Katie (13th); Cooper, Sharon (45th); Taylor, Darlene (173rd); Prince, Brian (132nd); Hawkins, Lee (27th)

Status History

04/04/2025: House Withdrawn, Recommitted; 03/06/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 02/24/2025: House Second Readers; 02/21/2025: House First Readers; 02/20/2025: House Hopper

Votes

No votes

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 533

Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act; enact

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Titles 17 and 28 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to criminal procedure and General Assembly, respectively, so as to allow for wrongful conviction compensation claims; to provide for a short title; to provide for notice of claims; to require administrative law judges within the Office of State Administrative Hearings to hear and evaluate such claims; to provide for the burden of proof and evidence to be considered by an administrative law judge; to require the Supreme Court of Georgia and the State Board of Pardons and Paroles to provide certain individuals with a copy of this Act; to provide for definitions; to exclude wrongful conviction compensation claims from the purview of the Claims Advisory Board; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Judiciary Non-Civil Senate Committee: N/A

Sponsors

Dempsey, Katie (13th); Holcomb, Scott (101st); Efstration, Chuck (104th); Wiedower, Marcus (121st); Smith, Tyler Paul (18th); Taylor, Darlene (173rd)

Status History

04/04/2025: House Withdrawn, Recommitted; 03/04/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 02/21/2025: House Second Readers; 02/20/2025: House First Readers; 02/19/2025: House Hopper

Votes

No votes

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 467

State flag, seal, and other symbols; protection of government statues and monuments; revise provisions

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state flag, seal, and other symbols, so as to revise provisions for the protection of government statues, monuments, plaques, banners, and other commemorative symbols; to provide for construction; to provide for severability; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Governmental Affairs Senate Committee: N/A

Sponsors

Powell, Alan (33rd); Mathiak, Karen (82nd); Seabaugh, Devan (34th); Tarvin, Steve (2nd); Cameron, Mike (1st); Taylor, Darlene (173rd)

Status History

04/04/2025: House Withdrawn, Recommitted; 02/27/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 02/20/2025: House Second Readers; 02/19/2025: House First Readers; 02/18/2025: House Hopper

Votes

No votes

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

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