Legislative-Updates

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 […]

On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, we and our legislative colleagues returned to the Gold Dome for Legislative Day 32, ready to resume our work on behalf of the people we serve. With only a few legislative days remaining in this year’s session, we are focused on important legislation that will bring real results for our communities and our state, and every moment counts as we work diligently. With just two weeks remaining until Sine Die on Friday which will be April 4th, we want to highlight some important measures addressed during the 10th week of the 2025 legislative session. This week, the House passed Senate Bill 68, which brings balance to our courtrooms by preserving victims’ rights while eliminating incentives for frivolous lawsuits, helping to stabilize high insurance costs while lowering the “tort tax” every Georgian pays when the courts are abused.  The bill creates a new framework for claims related to negligent security, and limiting property owners’ liability in certain situations. SB 68 also changes how medical expense damages are calculated.  Additionally, it requires courts to rule on a motion to dismiss within 90 days after the conclusion of the briefings on that motion. If the court does not issue a ruling within this 90-day period, a party would be able to file a motion to terminate or modify the case. However, this remedy would not prevent the use of other available options to address the court’s inability to rule in a timely manner. The bill amends current state […]

The Georgia House of Representatives returned to the State Capitol following a fast-paced and eventful Crossover Day last week.   We began our 9th week on Monday, March 10th which was Legislative Day 29.  Now with Crossover Day behind us, the House began to review and vote on legislation that passed over to our Chamber from our Senate. Additionally, we and our colleagues successfully passed the House’s version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget, House Bill 68. This critical piece of legislation outlines and allocate the funding for the state’s operations and services in the upcoming fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. The House passage of HB 68 serves as a significant milestone in the legislative process, fulfilling our constitutional obligation to pass a balanced budget. It lays the foundation for the priorities that will guide Georgia’s growth and development for the next year, with significant investments in education, healthcare, and public safety, while still working with our communities that were damaged by Hurricane Helene. With a revenue estimate of $37.7 billion—marking an increase of $1.6 billion or 4% over the original FY 2025 budget—the House’s version of HB 68 places a strong emphasis on addressing the critical needs of Georgia’s education. As such, a large portion of HB 68 will support a statewide literacy initiative aimed at improving reading outcomes for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, recognizing reading proficiency by the f third grade is central to future academic success. The House’s version […]

The General Assembly returned to the Gold Dome on Monday, March 3rd for the busiest week of the 2025 legislative session. Crossover Day, a critical deadline for legislation to move from one chamber to the other occurred on Thursday, March 6th. The House worked late into the evening, passing a record 75 bills and resolutions on Crossover Day. They now await consideration in the Senate. With many bills to consider, it was a week of activity and movement and crucial decision-making as we worked to ensure that we had every opportunity to advance good sound legislation to address the pressing needs of the People of Georgia. We began the week by passing the Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) 2025 budget, fulfilling our constitutional duty with the final passage of House Bill 67.   It prioritizes recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. The storm’s widespread destruction prompted an urgent need for recovery, and this budget allocates critical funding to help rebuild affected communities. Set by a revenue estimate of $40.5 billion, including $2.7 billion in surplus funds, the budget provides a $4.4 billion increase, or 12.2%, over the original Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget. Notable allocations include $113 million for the Governor’s Emergency Fund to continue the state’s emergency response efforts, $50 million for debris removal and $285 million in disaster relief for farmers and timber producers. While Hurricane Helene relief is a top priority in the AFY 2025 budget, we also addressed the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) needs, it is also a […]

On Monday, February 24th we returned to the Capitol to resume our legislative duties. During the week, we convened in the chambers for four days, of active debate of legislation.  Tuesday was set aside for a full day of committee meetings.  While the House did not convene in the chamber on Tuesday, we and our colleagues diligently working to move legislation through the committee process. This week, the House voted on several bills and resolutions – the most of any week so far. We would like to highlight a few notable pieces of legislation that passed the House this week as we sprinted towards Crossover day. With the unanimous passage of House Bill 428, the House took a significant step in supporting Georgians and their growing families. This legislation would codify the right to in vitro fertilization (IVF) in our state’s law. Many couples face the heartbreaking challenge of infertility, with the Centers for Disease Control reporting that 19% of women experience this struggle. IVF has provided a safe and effective path to parenthood for many, and in 2021 alone, more than 2,300 children were born in Georgia through this medical intervention, and members of the House shared stories of their personal connections to this life-changing medical procedure. These testimonies underscored just how vital IVF is for families struggling with infertility, making our vote to protect this right even more meaningful. We were proud to stand with our colleagues in ensuring that those who rely on IVF have the legal […]

On Tuesday, February 18th the day after Presidents’ Day your General Assemble began the sixth week of the 2025 legislative session. By the end of the week, we reached Legislative Day 21, this means we are now more than halfway through the session. This week, we and our colleagues convened for four legislative days, passing a total of 25 bills. We continued to advance legislation on to the Senate in preparation for Crossover Day, Thursday, March 6th. Legislative Day 28, or Crossover Day, serves as a crucial milestone in the session as it is the final opportunity for bills and resolutions to pass out of their respective chambers and remain eligible to become law. To start the week, the House unanimously passed House Bill 223, an important bill addressing agricultural losses from Hurricane Helene, particularly among those working in the timber industry who were heavily impacted by the storm’s damage. HB 223 is similar to legislation that was passed after Hurricane Michael; which in 2018 caused much damage and destruction to us Southwest Georgia. This bill would provide much-needed relief to these hardworking Georgians as they try to rebuild from the storm’s damage. HB 223 would exclude various federal disaster relief payments, related to Hurricane Helene recovery from counting toward taxable net income for tax years 2024 through 2029. Furthermore, the bill provides a tax credit for timber losses and materials used to repair or replace greenhouses or structures used for the production of animals, such as poultry houses or […]

This week, the Members of Georgia House of Representatives returned to the Capitol on Monday, February 10th for the fifth week of the 2025 legislative session. We have been hard at work, addressing the many issues that matter most to you and advancing important legislation through the legislative process. This week, and for the first time this year, we passed several bills on the House Floor making progress on a range of priorities. While this week was certainly our busiest yet, we recognize that the pace will only continue to speed up as we move closer to Crossover Day. With Crossover Day, Legislative Day 28, quickly approaching, it’s a critical time for bills and resolutions to clear their respective chambers and progress through the legislative process. The House unanimously passed House Bill 61 this week, which builds on the foundation of a similar bill from last year, House Bill 804. It was introduced during the 2024 legislative session but did not receive final passage. HB 61 would update current law to allow for separate license plates for ambulances and hearses, with an annual $20 license fee for motor-driven ambulances. HB 61 would also require the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicles to issue distinct license plates for these two types of vehicles—one labeled “Ambulance” and the other “Hearse.” Currently, both vehicles share the same license plate reading “Hearse/Ambulance,” a carryover from the time when hearses were also used to transport patients to hospitals. However, as ambulances and hearses now serve separate […]

Your Georgia House of Representatives reconvened on Monday, February 3rd for the fourth week of the 2025 legislative session. Monday was Legislative Day 10; we are now more than a quarter of the way through our 40-day session. This week, our efforts were focused on fulfilling our constitutional duty to pass a balanced budget. To that end, the House Rules Committee convened for the first time this year and set the first Rules calendar of the session. The Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) 2025 budget, House Bill 67. It outlines the state’s spending through June 30, 2025. The House’s version of the AFY 2025 budget is based on the Governor’s revised estimate of $40.5 billion. It including $2.7 billion in surplus funds for a total infusion of $4.4 billion, which is an increase of 12.2% over the original Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget. This increase in revenue is the result of Georgia strong economy and leadership’s careful spending. The House version of the budget emphasizes strengthening Georgia’s economy while prioritizing early education, healthcare, higher education and public safety. One of the most critical areas addressed in the House’s version of the amended budget is the urgent need to provide relief for Georgians impacted by Hurricane Helene. Because of the widespread devastation caused by the storm, it is essential that we continue to direct needed resources for recovery efforts to those who were affected. Both your representatives are proud members of the Appropriation Committee and worked work diligently to use these funds […]

This was return to work week at the Gold Dome.  Members of the Georgia House of Representatives returned to the State Capitol following the major winter storm that impacted much of our state, but especially us in South Georgia.  This is the week we traditionally hear the State of the Judiciary from the Chief of the Georgia Supreme Court.  Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs, addressed a joint session of the House and Senate in the House Chamber on Tuesday.  He stressed the rise in public confidence in state courts, noting that more than half of Americans now give positive ratings to their state judicial systems. This statistic is encouraging as more than 95% of all court cases nationwide are handled in state courts. He also highlighted that Georgia courts are proactively examining the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on our legal system and have formed a committee to assess their findings and discover what challenges or opportunities could come from the use of AI in the judicial system. The Judicial Council’s Standing Committee on Court Reporting Matters has met with stakeholders to discuss this ongoing issue. This year, he noted that the Judicial Council is prepared to submit a balanced proposal that would allow trial judges the option to have some court proceedings be recorded by a digital system, thus reducing the amount of time spent retrieving necessary records. When court proceedings are prolonged, victims are often subject to delays in receiving justice, and this proposal would help victims […]

This week the Georgia General Assemble did not meet in full session. Monday was the day we celebrate and honor the life and work of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. As a National Holiday, numerous events across the state are planned and many of the members of the General Assembly were able to attend these services. This year because of the inauguration of the 47th President, Donald Trump, there were even more events to celebrate. In addition, Monday night was the final College Football Championship Game, played at Mercedes Bentz Stadium. We welcomed many visitors in Atlanta for all the festivities. However, one we also received a frosty visit in the form of an “Artic Blast” and it disrupted our traditional schedule. The, the second week is commonly known as “budget week.” It is when we customarily conduct joint hearings with the House and Senate Appropriations committees, where the governor, state leaders and agency experts present their budget recommendations to the joint committee. However, Governor Brian Kemp declared a State of Emergency on Monday in anticipation of winter storms across the state. Despite the weather setback, Gov. Kemp released his official budget report to the joint committee, and legislators and staff continued working remotely to ensure the budget process remains on time. Passing a balanced budget is our one constitutional obligation, and each year, budget week serves as the opportunity to begin the process for the state’s financial planning, covering both the remainder of the current fiscal year [Amended Fiscal […]

The Georgia General Assemble began the first day of the 2025 legislative session on Monday, January 13, 2025. It is the beginning of Georgia’s 158th biennium.  To begin the session, all 180 House members took the Oath of Office.  Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Bogg administered the oath in the House Chamber.   Following the swearing-in, we immediately got down to business by electing the Speaker of the House and Speaker Pro Tempore. Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) was re-elected as the 75th Speaker of the House, and Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton) was also re-elected to her respective position. Both are experienced leaders and have great records for bringing needed legislation for all Georgians. After the election of the Speaker and Speaker Pro Tempore, we observed a moment of silence to honor the life and legacy of Former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on December 29, 2024, in Plains, Georgia. He was 39th President of the United States and Georgia’s 76th Governor—the only Georgian elected president.  This moment of reflection symbolized the House’s collective gratitude for his life and his contributions to Georgia and our nation. Following the ceremonial duties, the House went to work establishing the House Rules and we voted to adopt an Adjournment Resolution.  The Resolution establishes the legislative calendar for the 2025 legislative session. In accordance with the State Constitution, the General Assembly is required to be in session for 40 non-consecutive legislative days. This year Senate Resolution 6, outlines the legislative calendar, with […]