Legislators were back under the Gold Dome this week Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for Legislative Days 32 through 35, and Tuesday served as a committee work day.  Lawmakers are quickly running out of time to get their bills across the finish line.  Next week the legislature is back in session Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for Legislative Days 36 through 38, and Tuesday and Thursday will serve as committee work days.  The following week is the final week of session—Sine Die is set for Thursday, April 2.  

Any measure that successfully makes it through both chambers by the time the legislature gavels out for the year will be sent to Governor Kemp’s desk for his consideration.  The governor and his team then have a 40-day bill review period to determine which bills the governor will sign into law and which bills he will veto. 

Governor’s Priorities 
This week the Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1000.  The measure, which is a legislative priority for Governor Kemp, would provide for a one-time tax credit for all Georgia taxpayers who filed returns in 2024 and 2025.  Single taxpayers would receive $250, married taxpayers filing jointly would receive $500, and taxpayers filing as heads of household would receive a $375 tax rebate.  The bill is now headed to Governor Kemp’s desk for his signature.  

The Senate also passed House Bill 1302 this week, which is another legislative priority bill for Governor Kemp.  The measure would reconstitute the Office of Student Achievement as the Office of Education and Workforce Strategy.  This new office would assume responsibilities related to education and workforce preparedness, including overseeing a comprehensive statewide education and workforce plan and establishing a single statewide accountability system for schools.  The measure would also remove a sunset date for accessing HOPE Scholarship funds for dual enrollment students.  After passing the Senate 48 to 1, the bill is headed to Governor Kemp’s desk for his signature. 

Property Tax Reform
This week the House Ways and Means Ad Valorem Subcommittee took up Senate Bill 382 by Senator Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome), which would cap annual increases of the assessed value of homes at the rate of inflation and would not allow local governments or school systems to opt out.  A similar bill from 2024 included an opt-out provision for local governments and school systems, which more than 300 entities across the state took advantage of.  Senate Bill 382 has been scheduled for a hearing in the full Ways and Means Committee.  

The House’s property tax legislation, House Bill 1116, received a hearing in the Senate Finance Committee this week, but the committee did not take a vote.  

Gas Tax Suspension
On Wednesday the House passed House Bill 1199 by Representative John Carson (R-Marietta) 163 to 4.  The underlying bill was the annual Internal Revenue Code (IRC) conformity bill that would update the state tax code to align with changes made to federal tax law over the previous year.  The bill was amended in the House to also include language that would suspend Georgia’s gas tax for 60 days.  The Senate officially agreed to the House substitute on Thursday afternoon, sending the bill with the 60-day gas tax suspension to Governor Kemp’s desk. 

Time Change
On Wednesday night, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee considered House Bill 154.  The original bill by Representative Gary Richardson (R-Evans) would designate ambulance services as an essential service.  The committee substitute version of the bill stripped that language and replaced it with language that would keep Georgia on Atlantic standard time year-round.  In his presentation of the bill in committee, Senator Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia) said states can opt out of daylight savings time, but they cannot stay on daylight savings time year-round unless a law is passed by Congress. 

The bill would allow Georgia to go to the U.S. Department of Transportation to petition that Georgia move from the Eastern Time Zone to the Atlantic Time Zone.  Senator Hatchett said if that is approved by the federal government, Georgia would move to Atlantic Standard Time, which he noted is the same time as Eastern Daylight Time.  

The measure passed out of the Health and Human Services Committee 11 to 2 and is now eligible for selection by the Rules Committee for a floor vote.  Because the Senate amended the bill that was sent over by the House, if it passes the Senate, it will need to go back to the House for an ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’ motion.  

Elections Legislation
This week the House Governmental Affairs Committee took up Senate Bill 214 by Senator Max Burns (R-Sylvania).  The version of the bill passed out of committee would mandate the state to provide new voting equipment by January 1, 2028 that includes ballot-on-demand printing and an optical scanning system.   A previous version of the bill would have required paper ballots, which would have been pre-printed ahead of the election, and would have required the new voting system to be implemented ahead of the 2026 election.  Ballot-on-demand printing would print a blank ballot as a voter arrives at his or her polling place.  Under the legislation, scanners would then be required to create and store digital images of every ballot tabulated.   The measure is now eligible for selection by the Rules Committee to receive a vote on the House floor.  

High School Cell Phone Ban
This week the Senate Children and Families Committee passed House Bill 1009 by Representative Scott Hilton (R-Peachtree Corners).  The bill would expand the Distraction-Free Education Act to high schools in Georgia.  A bill passed last session requires all public elementary and middle schools to implement a ban on cell phones and other personal electronic devices for the entirety of the school day.  House Bill 1009 would apply the same electronic device ban to public school students in grades nine through twelve.   The measure is now eligible for selection by the Rules Committee to receive a vote on the Senate floor. 

Senator Resigns
Senator Nabilah Parkes (D-Duluth) resigned her seat, effective immediately, to focus on her run for lieutenant governor.  Parkes will face Senator Josh McLaurin (D-Sandy Springs) and CPA Richard Wright in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in May.  A special election will be called to fill the remainder of Parkes’ state Senate term, but the seat will remain unfilled for the remainder of the legislative session.  


This weekly Legislative Update report is courtesy of the Regional Business Coalition of Metropolitan Atlanta (RBC), an organization of over a dozen of the largest and most active Chambers of Commerce throughout the metro Atlanta region. RBC member chambers represent over 15,000 member companies who employ millions of metro Atlanta residents. The RBC’s primary goal is to represent the interests of RBC Chamber members on regional public policy issues impacting our transportation, water and air quality and to advocate for solutions that improve metro Atlanta’s quality of life and economic vitality.