Location
512-G Coverdell Legislative Office Bldg
Atlanta, GA 30334
ATLANTA – State Representative Carl Gilliard (D- Garden City) today announced that the Georgia House of Representatives gave final passage to House Bill 79, or the “Blind Bill,” on Tuesday, April 2. This measure would prevent government agencies and local authorities from discriminating against parents and legal guardians who are blind.
“This is one of Georgia's best bills of this legislative session, which gives blind parents the right to be a parent, caretaker or foster parent, and this bill makes Georgia the 22nd state in the nation to do so,” said Rep. Gilliard “There are thousands of blind residents in Georgia and hundreds of blind parents that deserve the right to parent. These citizens currently experience unfair societal biases that deny children their right to belong in a loving home with their family. This bill would ensure that these citizens have the same basic rights that are afforded to all parents in our state. This is Georgia’s bill.”
House Bill 79 seeks to prevent discrimination against blind citizens while protecting the best interests of children that are parented by blind individuals. This bill would prevent courts, the Department of Human Services and any child-placing agency from denying child placement, custody, visitation, guardianship or adoption to an individual because the individual is blind. Further, the bill would mandate that the Department of Human Services circulate and implement these new rules throughout the state by the end of the year.
For more information on HB 79, please click here.
Representative Carl Gilliard represents the citizens of District 162, which includes portions of Chatham County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development, and on the Insurance, Interstate Cooperation, State Properties and Transportation committees. He is also a member of the Working Group on Creative Arts & Entertainment.
ATLANTA – State Representative Carl Gilliard (D- Garden City) today announced that the Georgia House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 48 on Tuesday, April 2, to oppose offshore drilling and seismic testing along Georgia’s coast.
“Georgia is now the 42nd state to pass legislation that opposes offshore drilling and seismic testing, and I am proud to sponsor this resolution that allows Georgia to join a nationwide effort to protect coastal communities,” said Rep. Gilliard. “There are more than 71,000 jobs and over $1.1 billion of Georgia’s gross domestic product that benefit from being protected from offshore team. I am grateful to my House colleagues for adopting this resolution in order to stand alongside 200 municipalities and over 200 businesses that oppose bringing these industries to the Georgia coast.”
House Resolution 48 seeks to protect Georgia’s coastline that stretches over 368,000 acres of saltmarsh and provides local fishing and tourism industries. The resolution opposes drilling activities that could result in spills, which could have long-term, detrimental effects on Georgia's fishing and coastal tourism industries. The resolution also recognizes that the practice of offshore drilling requires onshore infrastructure, such as pipelines or refineries, and seeks to prevent unwanted changes to Georgia’s coastal landscapes and communities.
For more information on HR 48, please click here.
Representative Carl Gilliard represents the citizens of District 162, which includes portions of Chatham County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development, and on the Insurance, Interstate Cooperation, State Properties and Transportation committees. He is also a member of the Working Group on Creative Arts & Entertainment.
