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The Georgia General Assembly reconvened at the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, for the 12th and final week of the 2026 legislative session. We convened in the House Chamber on both Tuesday and Thursday to finish our final legislative session days this year, while a few committees also met throughout the week to wrap up the year’s work and push legislation toward the finish line. While on the House floor, we worked late into the evenings and early morning, carefully debating and voting on key measures to secure their final passage before the gavel fell on Sine Die. Notably, we gave final passage to House Bill 974, the state’s Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 2027) budget, and by week’s end, the House sent a number of additional bills and resolutions to Governor Brian Kemp’s desk for his signature or veto, and I will discuss several measures that received final passage during our final week under the Gold Dome.
The Budget
The General Assembly fulfilled its sole constitutional obligation of the session with the adoption of the conference committee report on HB 974, the FY 2027 budget. The FY 2027 budget is set by a revenue estimate of $38.5 billion, an increase of $738 million or 1.95 percent over the FY 2026 budget. Reflected in the budget, the Georgia General Assembly prioritizes early childhood literacy efforts, supports children in the state’s foster care system, expands services to Georgians with intellectual or developmental disabilities, bolsters funding to the state’s health insurance plan and improves the state’s ability to provide regular cost-of-living adjustments to retired state employees. The FY 2027 budget provides nearly $100 million to support a statewide literacy initiative to improve reading outcomes for students in kindergarten through third grade, as well as $70.4 million in newly appropriated funds for elementary school-based literacy coaches. The final version of HB 974 also appropriates $18.4 million to fund Regional Education Service Agencies (RESA)-based literacy coaches to align with the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026. Increasing access to quality education for Georgia’s youngest learners is a top priority of the Georgia House, which is why the FY 2027 budget provides $9.7 million to expand access to pre-K programs. The Georgia House was also proud to support a $4 million investment in strengthening student mental health support and services. Furthermore, the General Assembly addresses rising costs in foster care services and appropriates an additional $50 million in funding to the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS). HB 974 allocates $3.8 million to provide support to foster youth, providers and their families, including prevention and reunification services, clothing and supplies and court appointed special advocates. Additionally, the budget provides $800,000 to expand autism screenings for youth in foster care, including $2.5 million to initiate the Georgia Foster Care Scholarship pursuant to Senate Bill 85, which was signed into law in May 2025. This scholarship provides up to $30,000 per year to eligible former foster care students for tuition, room and board, meal plan and books.
To support Georgians with intellectual or developmental disabilities, the FY 2027 budget allocates funding for the addition of New Option Waiver Programs and Comprehensive Support Waiver Programs—Medicaid waiver programs for eligible Georgians with these disabilities—as well as $284,380 for waiver staffing. The budget further includes $997,925 in supportive services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including community support, independent living services and assistive equipment. HB 974 also includes approximately $48 million in state funds to increase reimbursement rates for providers treating patients on Medicaid across the state. This Medicaid funding includes targeted investments for services like dental care, psychiatric residential treatment, primary care physicians, reimbursement for autism services, air ambulance reimbursement, adult heart and lung transplants, nursing home improvements, nursing home ventilator reimbursement rate and durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies, among many other services. To increase the number of healthcare professionals in the state, HB 974 provides $11.2 million in new funding for graduate medical education (GME), building on the state’s work to increase access to quality, affordable healthcare for Georgians. This amount includes $2.8 million for 124 slots in primary care medicine and $1.9 million for 13 new fellowship slots. Additionally, the budget includes $3 million for the Mercer School of Medicine to pilot a pediatric residency with a rural training track and $3 million for the Phoebe-Health Morehouse Consortium for the creation of a regional campus and GME program. The House was also proud to provide $3.7 million to expand the Department of Public Health’s maternal home visiting program to an additional 33 counties. A priority of the General Assembly for several years has been to provide regular and meaningful cost-of-living adjustments for the state’s retirees. To that end, the budget includes a $100 million increase in the employer contribution for the Employees’ Retirement System, enabling the system to provide cost of living adjustments for the state’s retirees. Finally, the FY 2027 budget supports local infrastructure projects across the state with an appropriation of $13.6 million for Local Maintenance and Improvement Grants. Together, these investments reflect a balanced approach to strengthening Georgia’s workforce, supporting vulnerable populations and ensuring long-term economic and fiscal stability for the state.
In the late hours of Sine Die, we gave final passage to Senate Bill 33, which would provide property tax relief and seeks to improve transparency in how local tax dollars are managed. This legislation would create the Local Homestead Option Sales Tax (LHOST), a one-percent sales tax that local communities could choose to adopt, in order to offset reductions in homestead property taxes on primary residences. Under the LHOST, a homestead would be categorized as a primary residence including no more than five acres of land surrounding the residence. By shifting a portion of the tax burden from property taxes to a locally controlled sales tax, SB 33 aims to help homeowners—especially those on fixed incomes—manage rising housing costs. The bill would also streamline how local governments could use collected tax revenue, ensure school tax calculations properly reflect homestead exemptions and strengthen protections for taxpayers by preventing retroactive tax bills when exemptions are granted in error. Overall, this measure is designed to deliver meaningful tax relief, while maintaining essential local services.
Legislation Passed & Headed to Governor Kemp for Signature or Veto
· House Bill 1193, the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026, a landmark measure aimed at promoting and advancing comprehensive early literacy and reading education aligned with the science of reading throughout the state. The bill, a priority of the Georgia House this session, would expand literacy infrastructure, funding and accountability for students in grades kindergarten through third. Importantly, HB 1193 would provide grants for every public school with K–3 students to hire a school-based literacy coach, who would spend no less than 70 percent of the school day working directly with students and teachers, while coaching educators in evidence-based practices and modeling instruction. Regional and leadership literacy coaches based in Georgia’s 16 RESAs would also work alongside these school-based coaches and school leaders to further strengthen literacy instruction statewide.
· Senate Bill 556 also received final passage and would make several significant updates to Georgia’s higher education, student aid and campus safety policies. The bill would establish the Dedicating Resources to Educationally Advance More Students (DREAMS) Scholarship, a need-based financial aid program for eligible students attending postsecondary institutions in Georgia. The scholarship would provide up to $3,000 per year for a maximum of eight semesters or 12 quarters. Additionally, the legislation would further increase the maximum contribution limit for college savings accounts under the Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan Act from $235,000 to $550,000 and provide related tax benefits for certain tuition savings programs. Overall, SB 556 aims to expand access to higher education, enhance student safety and strengthen Georgia’s long-term workforce and financial planning systems.
· House Bill 463 also received final passage and would deliver significant tax relief to Georgians by gradually reducing the state’s individual income tax rate from 4.99 percent to 3.99 percent over time. The bill would also increase the personal exemption for dependents from $4,000 to $6,000, raise the standard deduction from $24,000 to $36,000 for married couples and from $12,000 to $18,000 for single filters and increase the income exclusion for retirees aged 65 and older from $65,000 to $70,000 per eligible taxpayer. Additionally, HB 463 would exempt the first $1,750 of income earned on tips and the first $1,750 of income earned on overtime, allowing Georgians to keep more of what they earn, while maintaining the state’s long-term fiscal stability.
· House Bill 1344 received final passage. Drafted based on the findings and recommendations of the House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Insurance Rates, HB 1344 would establish the Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act to strengthen consumer protections, enhance transparency and accountability in insurance practices and help stabilize costs for policyholders. The bill would increase around 40 fines for insurance companies when laws or insurance policy provisions are violated during the claims process, enforce uninsured motorist laws, crack down on insurance fraud, including illegal “runner” activity, and improve storm claim processing. It would also enhance the Fortified Homes program to help Georgians protect their homes from storm damage, require local governments to report how premium tax revenue is used to lower citizens’ insurance premiums, limit premium tax refund requests to three years and restrict how insurance companies can use aerial imaging. Additionally, HB 1344 would ensure at least two years are allowed to file property and casualty claims and would enact provisions related to short-term rental insurance policies. Collectively, these measures advance the Georgia House’s priorities by providing meaningful tax relief, strengthening consumer protections and promoting long-term financial stability for families and homeowners across the state.
· Senate Bill 402 mirrors House Bill 943, which also received final passage and would establish similar measures to improve support, services and outcomes for children in foster care across the state. Statistics show that children in foster care are six to seven times more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder than their peers, and too often, parents enter the child welfare system to seek resources when they do not know where to turn. To help remedy this, the legislation would establish a five-year pilot program, administered by the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) within the DHS, to provide screenings and clinical evaluations for autism spectrum disorder to children in foster care, while prioritizing those diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or reactive attachment disorder, or who have been prescribed psychotropic medication. The program would be rolled out in phases, beginning in select regions and expanding statewide, with a focus on children who may be at higher risk or who are already receiving behavioral health treatment. By prioritizing early identification and support, both SB 402 and HB 943 aim to improve outcomes for children in foster care and ensure that they receive the specialized care and resources they need to thrive.
· House Bill 256 will revise the Foster Parents Bill of Rights to be the Foster Placements Bill of Rights, which would apply to foster parents, relative caregivers and fictive kin. The bill would add new rights for foster placements, including the right to apply a reasonable and prudent parent standard when determining a child’s ability to participate in certain extracurricular activities; the right to request that a certified volunteer advocate be present at all meetings with the DHS when the foster placement is present; the right to be free from retaliation or discrimination based on a complaint or grievance with DFCS; and the right to seek and obtain independent legal counsel regarding the foster placement’s status.
· House Bill 1283, the Family Justice Center Act would authorize the creation of Family Justice Centers—multiagency facilities that provide coordinated services to victims of family violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, human trafficking and related crimes. These centers could be established by a county or municipal government, a district attorney’s office or a designated nonprofit, with governance structures based on whether they would be operated by a government entity or a nonprofit corporation.
· Senate Bill 406, or the Georgia Property Owners’ Bill of Rights Act, also received final passage this week to improve transparency and accountability for homeowner’ associations. Under the bill, associations would be required to register with the Georgia Secretary of State before collecting fines, fees or filing liens, including paying a $100 registration fee and filing a copy of their governing documents and registration statement. Residents who believe they have been harmed by an association’s actions or inactions could file complaints within 180 days of the incident, prompting a hearing and possible review by an arbitrator, with both initial and court-level appeals available. The bill would also limit foreclosure actions to liens between $2,000 and $4,000 or 12 months of unpaid assessments, excluding fines and fees. The measure would also require a 60-day notice period before a lien could be foreclosed by the association.
· House Bill 651, automated traffic enforcement safety devices would be exempt from regulation by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and would instead be overseen by the Department of Transportation, including through the approval and issuance of permits for use of such devices by local governments. The devices would be required to include lights that flash yellow when authorized to issue citations. Beginning July 1, 2027, citations could only be issued when the speed of a motor vehicle exceeds the posted speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour, within an hour before and an hour after the school’s starting and dismissal times. Specifically, DPS would be authorized to issue a $2,500 fine for a first violation and $5,000 for a second violation to local governments or law enforcement agencies in violation of this chapter, and upon a third violation, DPS could suspend or revoke a local government’s device permit. Additionally, HB 651 would make several changes aimed at ensuring fairness and transparency in the use of automated traffic enforcement devices, including reducing the electronic processing fee for civil monetary penalties from $25 to $10 and requiring that citation notifications mailed to motorists prominently display the name and seal or logo of the governing body. Local governments would be prohibited from adding additional taxes or fees to these penalties or using the funds to pay law enforcement salaries. Contracts for such devices would require approval by local referendum every six years, giving communities a direct voice in whether these contracts continue. If a referendum is rejected, the question could not be resubmitted for three years. HB 651 would strengthen safety in school zones, while ensuring accountability, transparency and local control in the use of automated enforcement devices.
Now that the 2026 legislative session has come to an end, Gov. Kemp will have 40 days to sign or veto legislation that received final passage by the House and Senate this year. Some measures will become state law upon his signature, though some may include a later effective date as specified in the legislation. Any legislation not signed or vetoed within 40 days of Sine Die will automatically become state law. To keep up with which bills the governor signs into law this spring, please click here.
It is an honor to serve you in the State House and I encourage you to share your thoughts on how I can best support our district and what matters most to you and your family, as your input is invaluable. My top priority is to continue working diligently on behalf of your family, our district and the state to create and implement simple, smart and effective government.
As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative for the 2025–2026 legislative term.
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