(a) This Code section shall be known and may be cited as the "Facilitating Business Rapid Response to State Declared Disasters Act of 2014."
(b) For purposes of this Code section, the term:
(1) "Affected state" means a state where a declared state of disaster or emergency exists.
(2) "'Declared state of disaster or emergency" means a disaster or emergency event for which the Governor's state of emergency declaration has been issued or for which a presidential declaration of a federal major disaster or emergency has been issued.
(3) "Disaster or emergency period" means a period that begins ten days prior to the first day of the Governor's declaration or the president's declaration, whichever occurs first, and extends for a period of 60 calendar days after the end of the declared disaster or emergency period.
(4) "Infrastructure" means property and equipment owned or used by communications networks; cable, video, or broadband networks; gas and electric distribution systems; water pipelines; railways; public roads and bridges; and related support facilities that service multiple customers, including but not limited to real and personal property such as buildings, offices, lines, poles, pipes, structures, and equipment.
(5) "Out-of-state business" means a business entity that has no presence in this state and conducts no business in this state whose services are requested by a registered business in this state or by the state or a local government in this state for purposes of performing disaster or emergency related work in this state. This shall also include a business entity that is affiliated with a registered business in this state solely through common ownership if the affiliate has no registrations or required registrations or tax filings or required tax filings or nexus in this state prior to the declared state of disaster or emergency.
(6) "Out-of-state employee" means an employee who does not work in this state that is temporarily working in this state during the disaster or emergency period to perform disaster or emergency related work in this state to repair, renovate, install, build, or render services or other business activities that relate to infrastructure that has been damaged or destroyed during a declared state of disaster or emergency.
(7) "Registered business" means a business entity that owns or operates infrastructure in this state and is currently registered or is required to be registered to do business in this state prior to the declared state of disaster or emergency.
(c) The General Assembly finds that:
(1) When storms, floods, fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, or other natural disasters or emergencies occur, many businesses assign resources and personnel to the affected state from other states throughout the United States on a temporary basis to expedite the enormous and overwhelming task of cleaning, restoring, and repairing damaged equipment, property, and infrastructure.
(2) Most often this disaster or emergency relief effort involves the need for out-of-state businesses, including out-of-state affiliates of businesses registered in the affected state, to bring in resources, property, and personnel to perform disaster related activity in the affected state. In some instances, personnel may be located in the affected state for extended periods of time to perform such activities.
(3) During such time of operating in the affected state on a temporary basis solely for purposes of helping the affected state recover from the disaster or emergency, these businesses and employees should not be burdened by any requirements for certain tax liabilities incurred as a result of such activities in the affected state for a temporary period.
(4) The affected state's nexus and residency thresholds for tax liability are intended for businesses and individuals in such state conducting business operations or who intend to reside in the state and should not be applied to businesses and individuals coming into the state on a temporary basis to provide help and assistance in response to a declared state of disaster or emergency.
(5) To ensure that businesses and individuals focus on quick response to the needs of this state and its citizens during a declared state of disaster or emergency, it is appropriate for the General Assembly to deem that such disaster or emergency relief activity for a reasonable period of time during and after the disaster or emergency period shall not establish any liability for purposes of certain state and local taxes, licensing, and regulatory requirements imposed in this state.
(d) (1) An out-of-state business whose presence is solely that of conducting operations within this state for purposes of performing work or services on infrastructure related to a declared state of disaster or emergency during the disaster or emergency period shall not be considered to have established a level of presence that would require that business to register, file, and remit certain state or local taxes or that would require that business to be subject to any licensing or registration requirements in this state. This exemption includes any state or local business licensing or registration requirements, any state or local employer income tax withholding, unemployment insurance, any state or local occupational licensing fees, public service commission or secretary of state licensing and regulatory requirements, and any state or local tax on or measured by, in whole or in part, net or gross income or receipts or net worth, including the filing required for a combined group of which the out-of-state business may be a part. For the apportionment of income pursuant to Chapter 7 of this title, the performance by an out-of-state business of any work in accordance with this Code section shall not increase the amount of income apportioned to this state.
(2) Any out-of-state employee shall not be considered to have established residency or a presence in this state that would require that employee to file and pay income taxes, to be subjected to income tax withholdings, or to be subject to any licensing or registration requirements in this state.
(e) Out-of-state businesses and out-of-state employees shall be required to pay transaction taxes and fees including but not limited to fuel taxes or sales and use taxes on materials or services subject to sales and use taxes in this state, hotel taxes, and car rental taxes or fees that the out-of-state business or out-of-state employee purchases for use or consumption in the affected state during the disaster or emergency period, unless such taxes are otherwise exempted pursuant to Chapter 8 of this title.
(f) Any out-of-state business or out-of-state employee that remains in this state after the disaster or emergency period shall become subject to the state's normal requirements for establishing presence, residency, or doing business and shall comply with all state and local registration, licensing, and filing requirements.
(g) (1) Any out-of-state business that enters this state to perform qualified work during a disaster or emergency period shall provide to the department and to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency a statement that it is in this state for purposes of responding to the disaster or emergency, which statement shall include the business' name, state of domicile, principal business address, federal tax identification number, date of entry, and contact information.
(2) A registered business in this state shall provide the information required in paragraph (1) of this subsection to the department and to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency for any affiliate that enters this state that is an out-of-state business. The notification shall also include contact information for the registered business in this state.
(h) The Georgia Emergency Management Agency and the department shall promulgate regulations as necessary to comply with the requirements of this Code section.
Section: 48-2-100Last modified: October 14, 2016