Child abuse penalties bill moves forward

Legislation that would prescribe sentencing for those convicted of cruelty to a disabled child advanced again in the General Assembly, passing the House Juvenile Justice Committee. A similar version passed the Senate in a prior session.

Former Sen. Sheila McNeill and her policy associate, Leslie Manoukian, brought the bill previously in the name of a Camden County child. Rep. Steven Sainz is leading the push on the bill, HB 1022.

“This would address the fact that cruelty to a child who’s a disabled minor is an even more heinous instance of abuse, and recognizes and codifies it,” said Sainz, R-St. Marys. “What it would do, on lines 53 through 57, is increase what is currently five to 20 years for a first-degree (offense) and one to 10 years for (a) second-degree (offense), it would increase it to 15-30 years (for a first-degree offense) and 10-30 years (for a second-degree offense).”

The bill defines a disabled minor as a person younger than 18 who has a physical or mental impairment, a record of such an impairment, and whose impairment substantially affects their abilities to live age-appropriately and requiring assistance of others.

The bill quickly passed committee once it came up for consideration.

“Congratulations,” said Committee Chairwoman Mandi Ballinger, R-Canton. “This is, without a doubt, probably the easiest anyone has had in Juvenile Justice in years.”

Another committee heard a Sainz bill but didn’t vote. HB 1020 modifies military zones that quality for designation as less-developed areas under state law for rural tax credits.

“It simply takes away the requirement that the credit is exclusive to industrial parks owned by public entities, and allows for communities with private land that is available for the job tax credit to be utilized,” Sainz said.

Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, explained the original legislation was the way it was because there was a statewide moratorium on opportunity zones at the time, and Bryan County was looking for military investment.

“It was explosive,” Stephens said. “It worked very well.”

Legislators moved HB 1020 from where it was, in the Public Finance and Policy Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, to the House Small Business Development Committee.