Georgia Public Officer Certification Exam flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Tenth Amendment

Constitutional provision reserving to the states or the people all powers not delegated to the federal government nor prohibited to the states.

Georgia General Assembly

Georgia's bicameral legislature, consisting of a 56-member Senate and a 180-member House of Representatives, both elected to two-year terms.

Line-item veto

The Governor's power to reject individual appropriations in a budget bill while approving the remainder of the legislation.

Superior court jurisdiction

Georgia's general-jurisdiction trial courts, holding exclusive authority over felonies, divorce, and cases involving title to land.

Georgia Ethics Commission

The Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, which administers campaign finance disclosure and enforces state ethics laws.

Conflict of interest

A circumstance in which a public official's decision could reasonably affect the official's private financial interest or that of an immediate family member.

Recusal

Withdrawal from participation in an official decision, preceded by public disclosure of the nature of the conflict.

Statement of financial disclosure

An annual filing by covered public officers disclosing income sources, financial interests, and certain transactions required under state ethics law.

Open Meetings Act

Georgia law requiring governing bodies to give public notice, meet openly, and limit closed sessions to specific statutory purposes.

Quorum as meeting

When a majority of a governing body gathers to discuss or act on public business, the gathering is a meeting subject to open meetings law.

Three-business-day response

The statutory deadline for an agency to produce records, deny a request in writing, or state when responsive records will be available.

Closed session vote

A recorded open-session vote stating the specific statutory basis before the body may exclude the public from a meeting.

Open Records Act purpose

Georgia law creating a presumption of public access to government records, with narrow exemptions construed against withholding.

Georgia fiscal year

The state budget period beginning July 1 and ending the following June 30, used for appropriations and financial reporting.

Balanced budget requirement

Constitutional rule barring Georgia from appropriating or spending more than revenues available for the fiscal year.

Competitive sealed bidding

A procurement method awarding contracts based on responsive bids submitted under advertised specifications, with no negotiation of price.

Sole-source procurement

Award of a contract without competition, permitted only when written justification establishes that only one source can meet the requirement.

Segregation of duties

An internal control principle separating authorization, custody of assets, and recordkeeping so no single person controls a transaction end to end.

FLSA exempt status

Classification based on salary level and job duties that removes an employee from minimum wage and overtime requirements.

Reasonable accommodation

A modification to the job or workplace enabling a qualified employee with a disability to perform essential functions, absent undue hardship.

Public employee speech test

Speech is protected when the employee speaks as a citizen on a matter of public concern, balanced against the employer's efficiency interests.

FMLA leave entitlement

Up to twelve weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for qualifying family or medical reasons at a covered employer.

Georgia Administrative Procedure Act

State law governing agency rulemaking, filing of rules, contested case hearings, and judicial review of agency decisions.

Rule filing requirement

A rule must be filed with the Secretary of State and published before it takes effect and is enforceable against the public.

Contested case

An administrative proceeding in which a party's legal rights are determined after notice and an evidentiary hearing.

Ex parte communication

A private communication with a decision-maker about a contested matter outside the presence of other parties, generally prohibited.

Substantial evidence review

The standard asking whether the agency record contains enough relevant evidence that a reasonable mind would accept the finding.

State of emergency declaration

A Governor's proclamation activating emergency powers, including emergency spending and limited suspension of regulations, during a declared disaster.

Records retention schedule

An approved timetable specifying how long each record series must be kept and when authorized disposition may occur.

Pending investigation exemption

A records exemption permitting withholding of investigative files while a matter is open, ending when the investigation concludes.

Public information officer

The designated official who coordinates an agency's external communications during emergencies and routine operations.

Language access plan

A written procedure for providing interpretation and translation to limited-English-proficiency customers, required for many federally funded programs.