Regulated Industries Occupational & Professional Licensing Subcommittee Meeting

Good morning. This is the professional and occupational licensing subcommittee of the Committee on Regulated Industries, and we're gonna come to order. We got a couple of bills to consider today, and I wanna say this to you before we start. I wanna hear everything that we need to hear about it, and I don't wanna rush you, but I do want you to be respectful of people's time and realize that we're on kind of a short fuse as we go in in early this morning. So tell me whatever you need to tell me.

Just don't tell me twice. I'm gonna recognize, chairman Powell, to to talk to us about HB ten ten ninety five.

Yeah. I mean, there's all that. What did I bring

to you this morning? Hospital 1095. Fireworks bill. You know, it's very specifically, and I'll tell you exactly what was brought to me. One of the companies that's a major fireworks distributor in the state, they wanted to be able to do temporary the temporary locations that are already allowed.

They wanna be able to use tents. Some of them use hard stands, and some of them this particular company wants to use tents. And I thought about it since, they use not for profits as fundraisers to sell fireworks for special events and holidays and such. And I wanna put it in tents. And if you look through the bill, we're gonna be working from a substitute, which is LC640044S.

There's only one change, and that's on line 84. But if you look through the bill, in '20 on line 26, that strikes a provision that prohibits tents, canopies. And then if you look on, 56, same thing. Basically, as you go through it where you see temporary, that's being stricken, for the locations, and this would allow the tents to be used as a temporary location. On line 84, we did make a change there to be more, to to clarify a little bit more.

And, let me see what the change on 84 was. It basically added the tents. That was a little bit more clearing clarifying language that tents would be aligned for these temporary locations. Go through the bill, temps temps. Line one twenty three still specifies it has to be within a thousand feet of a fire hydrant unless the local fire marshal deems otherwise.

If If he wants to expand it out past that for whatever reason, maybe. They can do up to 10 locations. When you go through section three, we're striking the temporary language again. 96 deals with not for profits and the same over on two ten. Basically, just in simple terms, what this does is that right now, they can have temporary locations.

But now we're saying that if they wanna put up a tent to do these, fireworks sales, then so be it. You know, I'm familiar with that over in, South Carolina, close to me. You have a lot of small groups during holidays. You know, fireworks sales during the normal times of year, I guess people buy them. I always thought it was an awful lot of money to be shooting our fireworks at holidays and things like that, but people do it.

It is. It's just a marketing ploy. So There's a couple of folks I will tell you that I have had some objections, and I met with, or just briefly passed by the retailers yesterday, and I didn't have time to, you know, we could do get a little bit busy to really get into it with them, which I respect them. But there's, and I'm sure they probably say something or two. I never could figure out what that was about, the retailers.

But one of the companies that's in the business now, nationwide company that sells fireworks, They had changed their business model a few years ago, and they started putting up hard stands when this legislation was enacted. This is another company that chooses to use the the tents, if that's what to say. Me personally, it's a business model, and I'm not picking winners and losers, particularly. We're not doing anything with the company that uses the hard stands, but we're saying that if anybody wants to use the tents, the company I'm talking about that raised an objection, they also have some tents apparent in other states. Nobody's been there they're moved to go to the hard stands.

Safety wise, I don't see a whole lot of difference. If a firework stand wants to catch fire or something, to pay you, you'll probably have more to bury being blown or well, not than you would a tent. So, you know and that's basically what it does. Don't know what the objection of the retail association was. If they're here, I'm sure they're gonna, you know, speak about whatever their objection.

But this is quite frankly just allowing for tents for temporary locations. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the gist of the bill.

That was a good bill. Do you have questions of chairman Powell?

I'm breaking up on my train. Oh, what

is your number? 888. Okay.

Sure. Sure. And, Paul, I I think this is probably just to keep in, in line with the the changes in the definitions. But does the the change the deletion of the word temporary on line one fifty six, does that change the fee for anybody else? I noticed that it's just making is that just to make the definitions

align on line line one fifty six section three? On line 56, that's just the same as it go as we've deleted temporary throughout the whole bill.

But but,

I mean, that doesn't change anybody else having to pay more or less or anything like that.

Yes. That's not just acknowledge it. That's not

Thank you. I just wanna make sure we wouldn't inadvertently make somebody pay more.

I accept. Okay. Chairman McDonald.

Thank you, miss chairman. Mister chairman, I was just wanting to see if I could add a a friendly amendment, that they had to use one of my funeral home tents.

I don't know.

Chair of the subcommittee is gonna allow that, Kevin McDonough. Any other questions of the chairman Powell or the author? One one quick thing I'd like to ask you. Is still true any requirements of the state fire marshal, even local fire marshals, would still be in place, and they'd have to comply with those?

They have to be permitted by the local governments and that connection to the fire marshals.

Thank you very much. Is

thank you.

Chairman, well, let's see if we got anybody else who wants say anything about this, and then I'll come. But, I appreciate that because we do wanna move on. Is anyone else here to speak on this bill?

Somebody asked me. I should've been for the online. Yes.

We have somebody online. Can you get them live for us? I

think they'll allow them to Yes.

Eric Clausen is here.

Can you hear me?

You you have comments on the bill.

Yes, sir. Again, thank you for the opportunity this morning, to voice my support for this bill. My name is Eric Clawson. I'm with one of these, fireworks retailing companies called Jake's Fireworks. We've been retailing in the state of Georgia for for several years now.

So very excited for this opportunity. As the the chairman said, tint sales are probably the most common method of selling fireworks across The United States. So that's a, you know, it's a proven safe method. The fire marshals, local authorities are are typically very familiar with them. So I think we're just kinda updating things hopefully to to kinda fall in line with the rest of the country.

So with the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary coming up, I think the timing is great, to allow, you know, businesses to to to expand hopefully a bit and and, prosper to you know, fireworks, we think, are one of those things that brings people together in this country, which we need more than ever right now. So, it just it really ties in great with the with the two fiftieth, and and I think, hopefully, generate a little more tax revenue for the state of Georgia. So, again, thank you for the opportunity, to voice our support for this, and and we hope that you'll, you'll pass it.

Thank you for your comments. With that being said, I'm gonna recognize chairman McDonald for the purpose of making a motion.

Mister chairman, I'll make a motion that h b ten ninety five do pass.

We have a motion. Do we have a second? Second. We have a second. All those in favor, say aye.

Those opposed, no. I just clearly have it, and your bill is headed to the big committee with a due pass recommendation.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. Next.

Page ten eighty six. We're gonna recognize, deputy whip Chastain.

Thank you, mister chairman. Good morning, committee. Yes. This is my first time before this committee, so I'm excited to be here. Glad it's Friday.

And I'm gonna speak

I'm gonna speak quick. Friendly group. I assure you.

I'm gonna be quick. I have LC630086S, there before you this morning. And just a couple of comments, and I'll get right into the bill, mister chairman. This legislation will help protect Georgia firefighters from possible injury and death by requiring a a simple low cost signage on the buildings that have they're constructed with light frame wood or steel trusses, and I'll get into that in a minute, that's supporting the the roof or the floor. These systems are known for early failure, during fire conditions when exposed to high heat and have, been responsible for the death and injury of many firefighters, over the years in the Southeast especially.

And many times, we see cities, county, states enact this type of legislation after a catastrophic event occurs, and I've got some of those written down here. But the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Kentucky, the triangle fire in, in Coconut Grove nightclub fire, There was a a big fire in Hackensack, New Jersey, Ford dealership that killed firefighters due to this type of, light gauge system that that that failed a little earlier than normal than a normal system would fail. We modeled this bill after a bill in Florida. Passed Florida a couple years ago at one eighteen to zero to 38 to zero. We have lots of endorsements, mister chairman, Georgia Firefighters Association, Georgia Firefighters Fire Chiefs Association, Fire Engineering Service.

Obviously, we've talked with Georgia safety and fire division. The deputy commissioner commissioners are here this morning. The bill, first section of the bill, section one, we're naming the bill after two really distinguished firefighters in Georgia that passed away in the line of duty, president Fant, who just passed in September of of last year in a in a warehouse fire in DeKalb County, and a gentleman by the name of Brent Brent Chesney, who is a a Gwinett firefighter that, passed in the line of duty several years ago. So we're gonna honor this, honor these two gentlemen by naming this bill after them.

Jesus been for just a second. See if I can get a little over here.

This

is very important. That's getting you a problem. This is Well, you might learn more about listening.

Thank you, sir. The main part of the bill is is we're adding this code section. And really and truly, we're talking about these engineered die truss die trusses and light light gauge steel. And and those those type trusses, especially in the floor, you'd think it's more rude, but those floor trusses, will fail under high heat quicker than a normal solid solid wood truss. And all we're talking about in this bill is a is a small and I've got a picture of it here.

I tried to find a color copier in the capital, but

I'll pass this. Yeah.

Richard Martin, you can see. We're asking for a let me just build an eight just an eight inch small eight inch decal. You can buy those off Amazon for 8 or $9. And it's a it's a and this is what they did in Florida. It's a red, Maltese cross, and you would put that in a in a visible spot where these gentlemen think would be be the best, but in the bill.

But maybe by the door, maybe by the where the where the water hookup is, but in a very in a very visible spot. Just to let the fireman and the first responders know that that building, that roof or that floor could fail a little quicker under heat than a than a normal normal construction. It has nothing to do with building codes, nothing to do these these trusses are, in fact, good trusses. They were built. The ones we're talking about were built for for good they they don't bow.

They're engineered for that way. Also, if you ever walked across the house where it squeaks, these type trusses won't they don't squeak. So that that was some of the main reasons for these, but they they're good, but they will fail quicker under intense heat. So we wanna let our firemen, our first responders know that that built that that building that commercial building has that type of system in it so they'll be aware. And for people inside the building to be sure if they can we can get them out.

That's really the bill, mister chairman.

So what you're telling us is this is just a a way to make sure firefighters are notified of the type construction and and and and they would, perhaps conduct themselves in a different way so we try to keep them safe as long as we can. With that, I'm on Yes, sir. I'm gonna recognize John Ridley.

Yes, sir. Thank you. I'm all for the bill. I mean, you've had discussion about this.

Okay.

Just in discussion here in this huddle a minute ago, I know you got it putting it on the front door and the back door. Right? Is that correct?

Yeah. We're we're actually the bill's gonna leave it up to the to the experts there, but, yeah, we we want it in a we would like in Florida, they put it I think most of the one went on the at the front where you could see where it would be visible, but I'll leave that up to the bill leaves it up to them to put it in the product spot.

Okay. The only thing I I was thinking is is it probably needs we need to have one on the Knox box, the FCC connection, and the outside electrical box, because y'all boys know so when you drop a line, somebody's running in the front door and somebody over there trying to do something else. And if you're depending on the guy that's over there, you know, trying to hook up a line to the FTC or or the guy that's trying to turn the power off, he may not be able to radio before those guys are already in

the building.

That's right.

So that would just be one suggestion that that I would make is is have one in in in all four

or five of those places just just for safe for safety reasons.

Yes. That's a great recommendation, Representative. Really, we I think the knock box has already been brought up a couple of times. It would be a a real appropriate place to place the decal.

And I guess that's something y'all could do in in y'all's, markups on this stuff. But, sir, that's all I had in the proper time of my commotion.

Thank you very much. Do we have speakers on this? Is is anybody opposed to this? To speak as opposed to? If if if not, I think you're about to get a favorable due pass.

If we're ready for that, we'll we can if there's anybody else to speak or not, any further questions. We do have one more question from representative Draper. You're recognized.

Thank you, mister chairman. Thank you for the bill. You're welcome. So I just wanted to understand, is the vulnerability with the light frame construction, the trust, is that vulnerable to firefighters specifically? Is it a fire related issue, a heat related issue, or does it present any other vulnerabilities to other first responders?

No. It's all it's well, no. It'd be fire because that's the the whole part of the bill is the the intense heat. When these when the fire hits these particular type trusses, they'll they'll fail quicker than a normal truss. So it it would be fire.

So I would just suggest that whatever recommendation you take, whatever placement you make it, that's specified in the bill so so that it's in the same place in every building so that a firefighter doesn't have a situation where it's in the front of the building in one building, but in a different location in another building, just that it's consistent.

K. Thank you.

Two thing. One, I get, I get what you're saying, but every every this is kind of the answer question to talk to you too is that, you know, every county is different. Every city is different, and they may have some different codes that they they recognize. But some consistencies, you you always have an outside panel as, representative Ridley said. You always have a lot of lot of new construction has Knox boxes and and, of course, the FTC connections.

That's that's every every construction has that, especially big construction. Something I want to mention too is the two people that you named this bill after. And Yes. That one was from DeKalb County and the other was from the county of Forsyth, Brent Chesney. And, of course, I knew knew the family and everyone.

So it was an honor to be able to add his name to this bill and to honor Brent and all the service he did to fire service, not only in Forsyth County, but also in Gwinnett. And at proper time, I'd like to make a motion.

Go ahead. Chairman Ridley has already made that request. But before I recognize him to do that, I I I wanna say something about legislative process. It it is obvious that chairman Ridley has some knowledge on this subject. And when legislators come here from all over the state, from all occupations and professions, you you you can generally find somebody that's knowledgeable on the subject and help us through the process so we wind up with a better product than we would otherwise.

And I just wanted to make that point. And with that, chairman Ridley, you are number 25. You're recognized for the purpose of making a motion.

Alright. I'm make a motion that

the bill do pass. Have a have a motion. Is there a second? There's a second. All those in favor, say aye.

Aye. Those opposed, no. The bill is in the big committee with a do pass recommendation. Thank you very much for this bill. And with that, we are

adjourned.