Status of legislation after Crossover Day in Georgia

As the 30th day of the 40-day legislative session, Friday was the last day for bills to move from one chamber to the other — that is, to cross over — and still have a clear path to becoming law this year. While parliamentary maneuvering can keep a bill alive, making it from one side of the Capitol to the other on Crossover Day makes final passage in 2015 much more likely.

Legislation concerning some of the most high-profile issues of the session — the House’s $1 billion transportation proposal, Gov. Nathan Deal’s plan for the state to take over failing schools and a “religious liberty” bill — had already cleared one chamber or the other. Here’s what happened with some key bills:

HEALTH CARE

HB 34: Would allow terminally ill patients faster access to experimental drugs that have not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Status: Approved by the Health and Human Services Committee, but no floor vote.

HB 354: Would require insurance companies offering coverage to state employees through Georgia's health benefits plan to include Level I trauma centers in their service networks. Insurers that don't meet this requirement would not be allowed to enter into contracts with the state to provide health benefit policies. The bill stems from a contract dispute between Grady Memorial Hospital and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia.

Status: Approved by a Judiciary Civil subcommittee, but no floor vote.

HB 482: Would eliminate a 50-bed cap on the Cancer Treatment Centers of America campus in Coweta County and eliminate the requirement that 65 percent of the hospital's patients come from out of state.

Status: No committee vote.

SB 86: Would create an administrative system that would handle all patients' claims of medical malpractice instead of the courts. The system would be the first of its kind in the country.

Status: No committee vote.

SB 185: The Senate's version of a medical marijuana bill. Would restrict access to only a very limited clinical trial program involving children with epilepsy.

Status: Passed Senate.

EDUCATION

HB 35: Would increase the tax credit pool from $58 million to $250 million for families who donate to a private-school tuition fund.

Status: No committee vote.

SB 124: Would set up a statewide grant program to establish support services at struggling schools.

Status: No committee vote.

TRANSPORTATION

HB 60: Would eliminate the so-called "fourth penny" of the state tax on gas that currently goes into the state General Fund. Instead, that penny would shift to the motor fuel tax, currently at 3 percent. Motorists' taxes would be the same, but all the money would go directly to the Department of Transportation. Would also flatten and decrease the state income tax and gradually increase the excise tax on fuel from 7.5 cents per gallon to 22.5 cents per gallon by 2022.

Status: No committee vote.

HB 224: Would require drivers for ride-sharing businesses such as Uber to get the same background checks required for limo drivers.

Status: No committee vote.

HB 225: Similar to HB 224, but not quite as far-reaching.

Status: Passed House.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

HB 514: Would create a city of South Fulton.

Status: Passed House.

SB 189: Would create a city of South Fulton.

Status: No committee vote.

HB 515: Calls for a referendum on a city of Tucker.

Status: Passed House.

HB 520: Calls for a referendum on a city of LaVista Hills.

Status: Passed House.

HB 539: Calls for a referendum on a city of Stonecrest.

Status: No committee vote.

SB 118: Would mandate community appointments of DeKalb County Board of Ethics members.

Status: No committee vote.

SB 120: Would strengthen DeKalb County purchasing rules.

Status: No committee vote.

SB 121: Would require an independent internal auditor for DeKalb County.

Status: No committee vote.

BUSINESS

HB 393: Would add an exemption to the state's franchise laws for any vehicle manufacturer — read: Tesla — who sells directly to the public if the builder has never used franchisees in Georgia.

Status: Passed House.

HB 535: Would allow local governments where Sunday sales of alcohol are already legal to let restaurants serve alcohol at 10:30 a.m., two hours earlier.

Status: Passed House.

SB 63: Would have allowed craft breweries to sell a limited amount of beer directly to customers. But major changes in committee now bar direct sales. Instead, breweries could charge for a tour and, depending on how much someone pays, the tour could include a single container of beer as a free souvenir. Would limit customers to 36 ounces of beer to be consumed "on-premise" of a brewery and up to 64 ounces of beer to be taken home.

Status: Passed Senate.

TAXES

HB 175: Would end the state's tax break on aviation fuel that benefits Delta Air Lines, among other air carriers.

Status: No committee vote.

HB 238: Would provide a tax break for expansion of the Georgia Aquarium.

Status: Passed House.

COURTS/LAW ENFORCEMENT

HB 56: Would create new restrictions on the use of no-knock warrants.

Status: No committee vote.

SB 45: Would limit use of no-knock warrants.

Status: No committee vote.

SB 159: Would limit use of no-knock warrants.

Status: Passed Senate committee, but no floor vote.

HB 93: Would restrict how long police agencies may keep images captured by automatic license-plate scanners.