2026 Legislative Update - Week 6 Recap

The Georgia House of Representatives reconvened at the State Capitol on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, to begin the sixth week of the legislative session following the President’s Day holiday. Last week marked an important milestone in our work under the Gold Dome. By the end of the week, we completed Legislative Day 22—meaning we are officially more than halfway through the 2026 legislative session. The weeks ahead will bring long days in the House Chamber as we remain steadfast in our work to pass legislation that benefits our communities and strengthens our state. See highlights of last weeks activity in the Georgia House of Representatives.

House Bill 1063 – Data Centers

The House passed House Bill 1063 last week. This legislation would prohibit electric utilities from passing along costs tied to building and maintaining data centers with annual electricity demand of 100 megawatts or more to residential or retail customers. Georgia has experienced unprecedented growth in energy demand from data centers across our entire state, prompting members of the House Special Committee on Resource Management Water Subcommittee and Energy Subcommittee to study the industry firsthand and the demands these facilities place on local municipalities. Over the summer, these subcommittees traveled across the state to tour facilities, meet with community leaders and examine data centers to better understand their impact on local communities and the state’s energy infrastructure. The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) has already adopted cost allocation rules to address this growth, and HB 1063 would codify those rules into state law to ensure they cannot be weakened, reinterpreted or bypassed in the future. To further ensure that residents and businesses are protected from costs associated with data centers, the bill would establish four contract requirements for electric service to these facilities: minimum billing requirements to ensure data centers cover their own costs of service; flexible contract terms that reflect the scale of these projects; performance and credit protections to safeguard ratepayers if a data center defaults; and termination provisions to protect ratepayers if a contract ends early. Additionally, HB 1063 would intentionally leave determination of incremental costs to the PSC, recognizing that the data center industry is still evolving and regulators need flexibility to adapt while maintaining their framework. The provisions under HB 1063 would apply only to new data center contracts, leaving existing agreements unchanged. It is estimated that we have more than 100 data centers in Georgia, with growth and demand only expected to increase in the future, and this legislation establishes the groundwork for responsible economic growth as this industry continues to evolve.

House Bill 256 – Foster Placements Bill of Rights

Last Tuesday, the Georgia House passed House Bill 256, legislation that would rename the “Foster Parents Bill of Rights” to the “Foster Placements Bill of Rights,” meaningfully expanding protection of foster care providers under state law. The bill would extend the same statutory rights afforded to traditional foster parents to relative caregivers and fictive kin—individuals who share close, family-like bonds with a child—recognizing the vital role they play in Georgia’s child welfare system. Furthermore, the bill would add new protections for foster placement caregivers, including the right to apply a reasonable and prudent parent standard so that caregivers can determine the foster child’s ability to engage in extracurricular activities. The bill would also allow foster placement caregivers to request the presence of a trained, certified volunteer advocate during meetings with the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) when the foster child is present, ensuring both the caregiver and child are supported during these meetings. Additionally, the bill would protect caregivers from retaliation for filing complaints with the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and affirm their right to seek and obtain independent legal counsel or advice regarding the foster placement’s status. Collectively, these provisions seek to support foster placement caregivers as they navigate the complex fostering process while caring for some of Georgia’s most vulnerable children.

House Bill 1061 – Mandi Ballinger Act – Juvenile Court System Study Committee

On Friday, the Georgia House unanimously passed House Bill 1061, known as the Mandi Ballinger Act, in honor of our late colleague and former chair of the House Judiciary Juvenile Committee, recognizing her years of commitment advocating for juvenile justice reform. This legislation would create a 12-member organizational committee composed of the chairpersons of the House Committee on Judiciary Juvenile and the Senate Judiciary Committee—who would serve as co-chairs—along with other designated state and criminal justice officials. The committee would begin work by September 15, 2026, and would be tasked with preparing Georgia for the potential inclusion of certain 17-year-olds within the juvenile court system by examining best practices from other states, national juvenile justice standards and the operational, security, technological and infrastructure needs associated with such a change. The committee would consult with law enforcement, juvenile court attorneys, youth advocates and other experts to evaluate what it would take to raise the juvenile court age in Georgia. By December 1, 2027, the committee would submit a detailed report to the governor, lieutenant governor and members of the General Assembly outlining necessary statutory changes, operational expenses, capital and staffing needs, an implementation timeline and supporting data and analysis. Currently, Georgia treats most 17-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system—one of only a few states that still does this—and this legislation would initiate a formal planning process to determine how the state could align with other states that have raised the juvenile court age to 18. Juvenile courts often focus on accountability and rehabilitation, helping young people redirect their lives before adulthood and reducing recidivism and improving long-term outcomes.

House Bill 419 – Opioid Antagonists Available in University & Technical Systems of Georgia

This legislation would require institutions within the University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia to make opioid antagonists, such as naloxone, readily available to students and university personnel. Under the bill, students, visitors and university employees would be permitted to possess opioid antagonists on campus or at a university system sponsored activity, and institutions would be required to maintain a supply of these medications for use in the event of an opioid overdose. Additionally, campuses that maintain one or more Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) would be required to store opioid antagonists in a designated compartment within three feet of the AED, ensuring that they are easily accessible in an emergency. HB 419 would also authorize university personnel to administer an opioid antagonist to any individual they believe in good faith to be experiencing an overdose while on campus or at a campus sponsored activity. Importantly, university personnel would be granted immunity from civil liability or professional discipline for administering the medication. By expanding access to life-saving medications like naloxone on our college campuses, students and staff would be able to respond more quickly and, ultimately, prevent opioid overdose deaths and save lives.

This week, we returned to the Capitol for our seventh week of session beginning with our first committee workday. A full slate of committee meetings were held yesterday to focus on reviewing legislation ahead of Crossover Day. These meetings are critical to ensuring priority legislation is thoroughly considered, vetted and passed out of committee, giving these bills the opportunity to be placed on a Rules Calendar and brought before the full House for a vote. I encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns regarding measures under consideration this session.

February is National Cancer Prevention Month

Many of you know that I was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in 2024. It is a momentus ocassion to “ring the bell” at the conclusion of your cancer treatments. I am thrilled to announce that I have completed my treatments and I am now cancer free. My house colleagues surprised me with a “ring the bell” ceremony and recognition on the House floor last week.

February is National Cancer Prevention Month and the primary goal is to raise awareness about cancer prevention and encourage individuals to take proactive steps to reduce their risk of developing cancer. I was diagnosed during a routine physical and because I caught it early, I was able to undergo treatment and I am now cancer free.

“I encourage annual screenings for both men and women. It may save your life like it did mine.”

I encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns about the bills currently under consideration. You are welcome to schedule a phone call or a visit to the State Capitol to discuss matters that are important to you and our community. You can reach me at 404-656-5125 and via email at stan.gunter@house.ga.gov.

As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative.

Respectfully,

Stan Gunter

Representative of Georgia’s 8th District