This past week in your Georgia House of Representatives, we spent a majority of our effort in House and committee organization in preparation for the important legislation that we will review, amend and eventually bring forward for a final vote.
This was our first full week of deliberations, mainly in the committee process as very little legislation was ready for votes on the House floor.
One item we did pass was a bill from last year that was passed but missed the final day of deliberations and was postponed to this General Assembly session. House Bill 383 is a bill that prohibits the state from entering into a contract valued at $100,000 or more with an individual or company without written certification that the individual or company is not and will not be participating in a boycott of Israel.
Because it was a motion to agree, it has been sent to the Governor for his signature.
One piece of legislation I believe finally will pass this year was introduced in several versions in past years and it deals with the state taxing military retirement benefits.
The legislation is simple in that it provides that retirement income received as a retirement benefit derived from employment in certain federal uniformed services shall not be subject to state income tax.
As a cosponsor of House Bill 123, this bill states that for the period beginning on January 1, 2022, and ending on December 31, 2032, retirement income received as retirement benefits from service in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard and the reserve components and the uniformed components of the Public Health Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are included.
The legislation also includes any survivor benefits for spouses of uniformed members on the transfer of those benefits after death.
This is solid legislation and has a two-fold message. First and foremost, it is our way of thanking those that defended us in far away lands and kept us free. Secondly, with all the states surrounding Georgia exempting taxation on military retirements, we see an economic advantage of keeping our servicemen and woman in their retirement years to stay in Georgia.
These men and women are the type of people that many employers want to hire. They have critical skills and a work ethic that is the envy of the world’s other military forces. They are smart and capable, and we must extend a hand to keep them in Georgia.
In conclusion, I encourage you to please let me know of issues that are important to you in Effingham County and Chatham County.
I am in office 401 of the State Capitol. My office phone number is (404) 656-7855 and my email is bill.hitchens@house.ga.gov.
I look forward to this session and serving all of you.
