The General Assembly convened for legislative days 10 through 14. On Wednesday, the House and Senate convened for a joint session for the State of the Judiciary address, during which Chief Justice Nels Peterson highlighted the strength of the state’s judicial system and the continued need to enhance judicial security.
The House passed the amended fiscal year 2026 budget this week. House Appropriations Chairman Hatt Hatchett outlined budgetary recommendations from the 11.9 percent surplus ($4.5 billion). The most notable is a one-time tax relief to Georgia homeowners totaling $850 million. This deviates from Governor Kemp’s recommended one-time tax rebate totaling $1.2 billion. The AFY26 provides $29.8 million to build and house the college of Optometry at Georgia Southern University. Also included is a one-time $2,000 supplement to full-time state employees, including PreK-12 teachers, nurses, custodians, and bus drivers. Chairman Hatchett mentioned the inclusion of $200 million towards improving State Route 316 and agreeing to the Governor’s recommendation of $250 million for local transportation infrastructure but announced an increase of $100 million for local road resurfacing projects. Also included is $300 million in state matching funds for needs-based scholarships. The House passed HB 973 and immediately transmitted to the Senate.
Lawmakers will return to the Capitol next week for Legislative Days 15 through 18.
Bills to Watch
HB 1000, sponsored by Governor’s Floor Leader Matthew Gambill, would provide a one-time tax credit for Georgia taxpayers who filed state tax returns for tax years 2024 and 2025. The bill has been assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee.
HB 1001, sponsored by Governor’s Floor Leader Will Wade, would reduce the state personal and corporate income tax from 5.19 percent to 4.99 percent for 2026. The bill has been assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee.
HB 1009, sponsored by Rep. Scott Hilton, would ban the use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices to public high school students. Last year, Governor Kemp signed into law Rep. Hilton’s bill that banned cell phone use to public elementary and middle school students. The bill passed in the House Education Committee and has been assigned to Rules.
HB 1012, sponsored by Rep. Ruwa Romman, would place a statewide moratorium on the construction of new data centers until March 2027. The bill has been assigned to the House Governmental Affairs Committee.
HB 1023, sponsored by House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, would require local boards of education and other public school governing bodies to utilize weapon detection systems. The bill passed in the House Education Committee and has been assigned to Rules.
HB 1057, sponsored by Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick, would add an eight State Court Judge in Gwinnett County to help meet the demands of backlog cases.
HB 1078, sponsored by Rep. Scott Hilton, would require periodic review and automatic sunset of state agency rules, and require agencies to justify why each regulation remains necessary. The bill has been assigned to the House Governmental Affairs Committee.
HB 1115, sponsored by Rep. Derrick McCollum, would limit institutional investor’s ownership of single family residences to 2,000.
HB 1116, sponsored by Representative Shaw Blackmon, would exempt homesteads from local property taxes by 2032. Local governments and school systems would be allowed to levy or repurpose sales taxes to cover the difference. The companion bill, HR 1114, would create a statewide ballot referendum. The resolution will require two-thirds majority vote from both chambers.
HB 1193, sponsored by House Education Chairman Chris Erwin, would require all children to attend kindergarten, places a dedicated literacy coach in every elementary school, and establish the Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee to oversee statewide literacy programs. It has been assigned to the House Education Committee. SB 459 sponsored by Senator Billy Hickman is the companion bill in the Senate.
SB 382, sponsored by Senator Chuck Hufstetler, would mandate the statewide base-year homestead exemption for all local governments and streamline the process for calling a referendum on special district option sales and use tax. The bill passed in the Senate 31-19.
SB 410, sponsored by Sen. Matt Brass, would repeal the tax exemption for new data centers, but the 2032 sunset date would remain in place for data centers under contract. The bill has been assigned to the Senate Finance Committee. There have been several data center bills that have been introduced in the House and Senate.
SB 427, sponsored by Sen. Ben Watson, seeks to address Georgia’s shortage of healthcare workers by creating a process for limited provisional licenses and a pathway to full medical licensure for certain internationally trained physicians. The bill was favorably reported by substitute in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
SB 439, sponsored by Senate Majority Caucus Chair Shawn Still, would regulate referral agencies for assisted living communities and personal care homes.
