ATLANTA – State Representative Brad Raffensperger (R-Johns Creek) recently pre-filed House Bills 719 and 720, companion legislation, for the upcoming 2016 legislative session. These bills would require that a person be a legal resident of Georgia and an American citizen in order to be eligible to serve on any state, county, or municipal board, commission or authority.
“The recent events in California involving two undocumented immigrants who were appointed to a city board were the motivation for such necessary legislation,” said Rep. Raffensperger. “Boards, commissions and authorities can have broad powers to determine policies on tax reductions, bond obligations, zoning, and, in many cases, serve in quasi-judicial functions. If American citizenship is required to serve on a jury to ensure our constitutional right of being tried before our peers, then decisions affecting an American citizen’s level of taxation, peaceful enjoyment of life, or financial well-being should also be in the hands of fellow American citizens.”
In addition to other qualifications for appointment, HB 719 would also require that all members of any municipal, county, or state commission, board, or authority be a legal resident of Georgia.
Similar to HB 719, HB 720 would require that all members of any municipal, county, or state commission, board, or authority be a legal citizen of the United States. HB 720 also requires that members be a United States citizen and legal resident of the jurisdiction they wish to serve for one year prior to their appointment for local commissions, boards, and authorities and at least four years prior to their appointment for state commissions, boards, or authorities.
HB 719 and HB 720 will be formally introduced during the 2016 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly.
For more information about HB 719, please click here.
For more information about HB 720, please click here.
Representative Brad Raffensperger represents the citizens of District 50, which includes portions of Fulton County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2015 and currently serves on the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Intragovernmental Coordination, and Juvenile Justice committees.
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