Georgia Legislative Update – Week 11
We and our House colleagues returned to the Capitol on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, to begin the 11th week of the 2025 legislative session. In a lead up to the Sine Die deadline, we were very busy and passed numerous pieces of important legislation, including several bills that passed over from the Senate. They are now on their way to the governor’s desk for his signature or his veto. Throughout this process, we remained focused on delivering meaningful solutions for all our citizens. We will highlight some of the key measures taken up this week, and remain eager to advance more positive initiatives before this legislative session concludes next Friday.
The House gave final passage to Senate Bill 123 this week, a measure addressing chronic absenteeism in Georgia’s public schools. The bill formally defines chronic absenteeism as students who missed 10% or more of the school year. It introduces targeted intervention strategies to boost student attendance. Last year, 22.6 % of Georgia’s public-school students—approximately 360,000 children—were chronically absent, missing 10% or more of the school year. This underscores the need for this legislation. Additionally, schools and districts with high absenteeism rates would face added oversight under SB 123 – districts with a 10% or higher absenteeism rate would be required to form an attendance review team, while individual schools with chronic absenteeism rates exceeding 15 % would establish a dedicated review team. By establishing attendance review teams, schools could find solutions to chronic absenteeism and implement policies and support to get students back into the classroom. SB 123 now heads to the governor’s desk for his review.
The House also focused on addressing the needs of Georgia’s current and former foster children by supporting their pursuit of higher education through the passage of Senate Bill 85. The passage of this bill recognizes that supporting Georgia’s foster youth is essential to ensuring that they can advance their education and prepare for future careers as other young Georgians do. As such, this bill establishes the Georgia Foster Care Scholarship Act, it aims to provide financial assistance in the form of grants to current and former foster youth seeking postsecondary education. The grants would cover tuition, room and board, meal plans and textbooks at eligible institutions. Eligible students could continue to receive the scholarship until they earn a bachelor’s degree, exceed a set number of attempted credit hours or reach the 10-year scholarship limit. SB 85 was passed in the House by substitute and will now return to the Senate where they will review the House’s version of the bill.
Furthermore, we gave final passage to Senate Bill 72, which creates a legal safe harbor for rare disease patients and other vulnerable patient groups in Georgia. The bill allows hospitals and healthcare professionals to provide cutting-edge care to patients based on their individualized condition and DNA. Under this legislation, physicians would be allowed to prescribe medications and treatments that have not yet gone through the full FDA process. Oftentimes, individualized medications for diseases that are considered rare or affect a smaller patient group are not given a full FDA process because they are costly. Instead, these treatments may go through clinics that have received official Federal wide Assurances (FWA), which ensure that they comply with U.S. federal regulations for the protection of human subjects in research. Currently, patients with rare diseases seeking these treatments in Georgia may need to leave the state to receive this individualized care. However, under SB 72, these patients would have access to individualized and physician-approved medications in Georgia. This bill seeks to support vulnerable patient populations by allowing for physician and clinic-approved medications and treatments to advance the health of rare disease patients, ultimately elongating or improving their lives.
Based 2024 legislative year Senate Bill 465, Austin’s Law, in memory of Austin Walters, a fentanyl overdose victim, we and our colleagues gave House passage to Senate Bill 79, the Fentanyl Eradication and Removal Act. SB 79 is part of a broader initiative to combat fentanyl-related deaths in Georgia and to address opioid abuse more generally. SB 79 strengthens penalties for trafficking fentanyl. Specifically, it removes fentanyl and its equivalents from the current statute that governs opiates and creates a separate schedule of offenses for fentanyl. Under the Fentanyl Eradication and Removal Act, individuals found with at least four grams of fentanyl, or its equivalent, would face mandatory minimum sentences, starting at eight years and a $75,000 fine for amounts just over four grams and escalating based on the quantity involved. For example, the penalty for possessing 28 grams or more would be 35 years in prison and a fine of $750,000. SB 79 supports ongoing efforts to address the opioid crisis in Georgia, including initiatives like making Naloxone more widely available in schools and public buildings. Fentanyl is incredibly potent, with just two milligrams potentially being lethal, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has found counterfeit pills containing up to five milligrams—more than twice the lethal dose. With drug trafficking organizations distributing fentanyl by the kilogram, SB 79 if approved by the Senate and signed by the governor, will strengthen penalties for those involved in trafficking this dangerous substance.
The House also gave final passage to Senate Bill 245, which allows grandparents expanded visitation rights in certain situations. This legislation permits grandparents who have been granted visitation rights to their grandchild following the death, incapacitation or incarceration of the child’s parent to petition the court and request a revision of their visitation rights up to one time every two years. Currently, under Georgia law, grandparents are allowed visitation rights in the event of a death of the parent, but this legislation would allow grandparents to go to court and request that their visitation rights be changed. The bill would allow a legal avenue for grandparents to modify existing visitation orders and ensure that any modification is in the child’s best interest, requiring clear and convincing evidence before a change is granted by the court. Lastly, the bill strengthens the legal framework for grandparent visitation rights. The goal of the legislation is to provide necessary and mutually agreed-upon updates to visitation rights, while prioritizing the well-being of children and their guardians.
As the end of the 2025 session draws near, several pieces of legislation have now received final passage in the House and Senate. We will highlight several bills that received final passage, meaning that these bills will now head to Governor Brian Kemp’s desk where he can sign into law or veto the legislation. One of these bills, House Bill 340, would instruct public school systems to implement policies to ban the use of personal electronic devices in the classroom from the start to the end of the school day for the purpose of keeping students engaged in their learning environments. House Bill 111 is also awaiting the governor’s decision and proposes a reduction in the individual income tax rate from 5.39 % to 5.19 %, effective after January 1, 2025. Similarly, House Bill 112, provides a one-time income tax refund to taxpayers who filed returns both in 2023 and 2024, is also on its way to the governor’s desk. The refund would be the lesser of either the taxpayer’s 2023 tax liability or $250 for single filers, $375 for head-of-household filers or $500 for married couples filing jointly. At the end of the week, the House voted to give final passage to House Bill 428, which would codify protections for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and is now awaiting the governor’s decision.
We also passed the following bills and resolution during the 11th week of session:
- Senate Bill 9, the Ensuring Accountability for Illegal AI Activities Act, defines terms related to artificial intelligence (AI) and would establish the offense of fraudulent election interference. The bill introduces the terms materially deceptive media and AI generated media and would criminalize the publication of this type of media within 90 days of an election with intent to deceive voters. The State Election Board would be authorized to investigate complaints regarding fraudulent election interference. The attorney general is granted concurrent jurisdiction with local district attorneys to criminally prosecute violations regarding fraudulent election interference upon recommendation from the State Election Board. The bill would clarify that the use of AI-generated content in campaign advertisements would not be unlawful as long as the proper disclosures are displayed;
- Senate Bill 44, amends state law by revising the definition of the qualified local school system by reducing the minimum required or equivalent millage rate from 14 mills to 10 mills. This bill would provide for a 25% reduction of equalization grant awards for local school systems whose millage rate or equivalent millage rate does not meet the minimum requirement. A report created by the Department of Education would be sent to certain members of the General Assembly, the House Budget and Research Office, Senate Budget and Evaluation Office and Office of Planning and Budget each year by September 1. The report would show systems that received an equalization grant the previous fiscal year, the total amount of equalization earned over the past 10 years and list any systems with a millage rate less than 10%;
- Senate Bill 63, amends state law to require local school systems to allow home study students to take the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, PreACT, ACT or Advanced Placement exams offered by the school system to resident students. The local school system could require home school students to pay for such exam if the school requires all students to pay a fee to take the exam;
- Senate Bill 69, the Georgia Courts Access and Consumer Protection Act, would regulate third party litigation financing in Georgia. This bill requires litigation financiers to register with the Department of Banking and Finance and to disclose pertinent information. It also includes specific restrictions, such as a prohibition on foreign affiliations. The bill would outline contract requirements, disclosure obligations and cancellation provisions to protect consumers. It would also establish penalties for law violations;
- Senate Bill 105, allows a licensed veterinarian to practice veterinary telemedicine in the state under conditions outlined in state law and allows a licensed veterinarian or a veterinarian technician under supervision by a licensed veterinarian to practice veterinary teletriage under conditions outlined in state law. SB 105 would further allow graduates of a foreign veterinary medicine school who are able to submit a transcript, who have completed a residency program of two or more years and have received board certification from a veterinary medicine organization recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association, American Board of Veterinary Specialties or other American Veterinary Medical Association board-approved organizations to be able to apply for a veterinary license in Georgia.
- Senate Bill 112, creates a new article in state law to allow an HVAC system manufacturer’s warranty to be conveyed to a new owner of a residential property should a conveyance of property take place;
- Senate Bill 119, revises provisions regarding when manufactured homes become real property, specifically through a certificate of permanent location. Additionally, the filing of a certificate of permanent location and the surrender of a certificate of title would not impose additional licensing or conduct requirements on the lien or security interest holder;
- Senate Bill 193, authorizes the Technical College System of Georgia to establish the adult workforce high school diploma program, which would have a sunset date of July 1, 2031;
- Senate Bill 233, increases the number of members of the Behavioral Health Reform Innovation Commission from to 30. The bill replaces the Involuntary Commitment and Workforce System Development subcommittees with the Addictive Diseases and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The commission’s abolishment date would be extended to December 31, 2026;
One of the highlights of the week was on Thursday when we had a visit from the City of Thomasville and the Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce. Thy were here for the City of Thomasville Day at the Capital as well as to meet with several state agencies. As always, it is great to see folks from home.
On Monday, March 31st, we will return for the 12th and final week of the 2025 legislative session. In the final days of the 2025 legislative session, we will continue working for our districts and fighting for our communities. Please reach out to us with any questions regarding legislation that is still up for consideration.
Please don’t hesitate to schedule a phone call or a visit to the State Capitol to discuss matters that are important to you and your family. I can be can be reached at my office in the Capital Building 245-B until the last day of session which is April 4. Please know that I am in my Capitol office periodically each month after session concludes or can be reached via email at darlene.taylor@house.ga.gov or by phone at (404) 463-2246.
Please contact the District office to reach me in Thomasville once session concludes as this will become the office where I spend most of my time. You may also get constituent support in the District office for matters regarding state agency issues at 225-9943 Ext. 215 and gahouseseat173@gmail.com
As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative.