Currently, employees in both Hall County and Gainesville City school districts can take unpaid leave under the Family Medical Leave Act and claim accumulated paid sick leave during that time. New parents can get up to 12 weeks off.
The new state-mandated 15-day paid vacation will run concurrently with the FMLA, said Brad Brown, assistant director of human resources for Hall County Schools. This provides a safety net, Brown said, especially for new hires who haven’t yet had the opportunity to get paid sick leave or may not be eligible for FMLA. Now everyone, even if they just started working for the school district, would be entitled to 15 days of parental leave, Brown said.
If both parents work for the county, they can stack their days off as well, meaning the father could take his 15 days and the mother her 15 days separately, too, Brown said.
Gainesville held a first reading of the new directive on June 7th and will vote in favor of it at its next meeting, Superintendent Jeremy Williams said.
Deputy Superintendent Priscilla Collins said this policy could aid employee retention for the district.
“I see it as an added benefit or benefit to our employees,” said Collins. “They may feel less pressure now, especially on finances, if they take this time to bond with their families.”
Joshua’s law
A new law affects young drivers who previously could wait until their 17th birthday to get their driver’s license in order to bypass driving school.
With the passing of HB 466, driver training will be compulsory for drivers who receive their driver’s license at the age of 17. Previously, those who waited until the age of 17 to test their driver’s license were exempt from 30 hours of face-to-face or virtual classes and six hours of road training, which is part of the Joshua Law.
Now, no one under the age of 18 can get their Class D license without this briefing and training. For instruction and training options, see the Georgia Department of Driver Services website.
Tax Relief Act 2021
HB 593, or the Tax Relief Act of 2021, will provide an estimated total tax cut of approximately $ 140 million. The law increases the standard allowance for a single person by $ 800 and increases the allowance for a married couple filing together by $ 1,100.
Campaign funding
Next year’s elections could be heavily influenced by SB 221, which sets up “leadership committees” that can raise and spend unlimited amounts on top state political races. The governor, lieutenant governor, candidates who win primaries for these offices, or leaders in the House or Senate can set up leadership committees to raise campaign funds.
These committees can also act during legislative periods, which was previously prohibited. Currently, those running for these positions have strict restrictions on how much people can donate to their campaigns, but this new law would provide a way to get around those restrictions.
Donations to these bodies must be made public.
Short term rental tax
HB 317 sets an excise tax of $ 5 per night for short term rentals, that is, for less than 30 days. This also includes accommodation through services such as Airbnb.
According to a report by the Department of Audits and Accounts, the tax is expected to raise $ 17 million for the state in the next fiscal year.
Other new laws include a ban on evading police authorities and allowing victims of sex trafficking to legally change their names without disclosing the information.
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