Early Ed and the 2017 Session

GCCA lobbying efforts are underway and busy with a host of bills that directly impact early care. Our team has actively been meeting with bill sponsors, committee chairs and testifying where necessary to thwart unnecessary legislation!

SB 24 (McKoon-29th) Bill to EXPAND exemptions from licensure ; nursery schools, playschools, kindergarten programs, and other educational programs who serve children 0-2 years old for four consecutive hours per day and up to 20 hours per week. (Current exemption rules limit 0-2 year-olds to four hours per day up to 8 hours per week.)GCCA Opposes this bill and have met with Chairman of Senate Committee. We are working to KILL this bill!

HB 13-Income tax credit; certain expenses by certain educators; ‘Eligible expense’ means a necessary and ordinary expense incurred by an eligible educator in connection with books, supplies, equipment, software, services, or other materials used in a classroom or instructional setting in a qualified school- GCCA asked that this bill which initially focused only on K-12 be expanded to include early care and NOW IT DOES! GCCA supports this bill.

SB 29 (Fort-39th) Require testing of drinking water in childcare learning centers and schools for lead contamination and for notice and reporting of test results and remediation plans. GCCA is watching this bill and we do not anticipate that it will move out of committee but we are prepared to testify.

SB 79 ( Beach)-Would license up to two “destination resort” casinos in Georgia. One in either Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett or Clayton counties and one outside that region.The second casino, however, would have to be located within 30 miles of a major convention center.

Would levy a tax of 20 percent on casino proceeds.

NO MENTION OF GA-PRE-K!

Would send 30 percent of those tax revenues to the HOPE scholarship program, 30 percent to a needs-based college scholarship, 15 percent to help provide rural healthcare, and 15 percent to help provide rural trauma care. The remaining 10 percent is still being negotiated, Beach said.