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New laws impact teen drivers Beginning January 1, 2007, all 16-year-olds applying for a Class D driver’s license in Georgia must complete an approved driver education course and complete a total of 40 hours of supervised driving, six hours of which must be at night, with a parent or guardian’s sworn verification that these driving requirements have been met. The new law, Joshua’s Law, was adopted by the state Legislature in the 2005 General Assembly. The law was named for Cartersville teen Joshua Brown, who died in July 2003 after losing control of a car on a wet roadway. Any Georgia student who has not completed an approved driver education course must wait until age 17 to be eligible for a Class D driver’s license. They must still complete a total of at least 40 hours of supervised driving, including at least six hours at night. The same verification in writing by a parent or guardian is required. The traditional driver training courses approved by the Department of Driver Services are currently offered by various high schools, including Early County High, and private driving schools. Students do not need a learner’s permit for the classroom course, however, they will need to hold a learner’s permit for one year and one day prior to being issued a Class D license. A learner’s permit is required for the behindthe wheel driving. Students can complete their supervised driving hours concurrent to taking a driver’s education class provided that they have a learner’s permit. For further information visit the DDS website at www.dds.ga.gov or www.gateendrivereducation. com. Illegal Aliens Among the new laws that will take effect during 2007 is one that seeks to deny state benefits to illegal aliens, regulate their employment and train police to enforce immigration law. Senate Bill 529, the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act, will take effect July 1, 2007, but the law is already having an impact on how state agencies conduct business and maintain records. The law requires citizenship verification for individuals using Georgia’s public services to ensure they are legally eligible to receive those services. The law also requires citizenship verification of state employees and employers with state contracts and subcontracts. The law requires a 6 percent state withholding tax for all nonresident aliens, which is an alien who does not meet either the IRS’s green card test, such as a lawful permanent resident, and not a U.S. citizen. Beginning in 2008, the law requires that businesses compensating undocumented employees more than $600 a year may not claim wages as an allowable business expense. In a decision related to the immigration law, Georgia public colleges will no longer be allowed to grant in-state tuition breaks to illegal aliens, due to a new policy set by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Child support changes SB 382 changes provisions relating to the calculation of child support and sets out the Georgia Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations.The Act allows a jury to determine certain issues relating to calculation of child support. The law changes some of the powers and duties of the Georgia Child Support Commission.
Current child support orders will not automatically be affected; to change them, a person would have to file a petition to modify or obtain a recommendation from the Office of Child Support Services. More information on the new law and electronic worksheets, which can be used to calculate child support payments, are available at online at the Georgia Child Support Commission Website, http://georgiacourts. org/csc/.
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