GA High School Senior Helps Draft House Bill Aimed At Filling COVID Job Vacancies

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — State Rep. Mandisha Thomas filed House Bill 898 last week — also called the Georgia COVID-19 State Fellowship Act — and a Douglasville high school senior had a special hand in the writing of this legislation.

Jahmari David, a Chapel Hill High School senior, is the District 65 Rising Senior Legislative Program star, according to a Facebook post from Thomas. David completed the six-week summer program to help write HB 898.

Thomas told the Douglas County Sentinel that the bill is designed to help families and businesses that fell victim to COVID-19-related hardships; working families; and labor and industry.

If passed, the bill would create temporary employment through fellowships for 165 qualified people, with pay up to $20.50 an hour and up to 29 hours per week for a maximum of three months.

If the fellow provides "satisfactory completion of an initial three-month fellowship," it may be renewed for a maximum of three additional months. To qualify for selection of a fellowship, an applicant must meet the following requirements, among others:

• Has 12 or more years of relevant work experience;
• Has had for 30 or more days prior to submitting a fellowship application an annualized income of less than 110 percent of his or her annualized income as of March 1, 2020.

David told the Sentinel he really enjoyed that this bill, if approved, could make a lasting impact on the community.

"I like that I was possibly able to make a change within the community and the state, because years down the road there might be students who can use this Act — if the bill does pass — to better themselves, help Georgia and Douglasville," he said.

District 62 Rep. William Boddie, who's cosponsoring the bill, said the bill will help both employees and employers, and help fill a lot of the job vacancies across departments due to COVID-19.

Thomas will work on the bill within the delegation and see what kind of support it has later on in the legislative session, she told the Sentinel.