When lawmakers and lobbyists were greeted by the aroma of grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the Georgia State Capitol on Tuesday morning, there was no question what day it was. In addition to Crossover Eve, Legislative Day 27 marked Georgia PB&J Day under the Gold Dome. In a tradition well-loved by many (excluding one unnamed member of the #GoldDomeReport team), goober lovers of all ranks, from interns to the Speaker of the House, queued up for one or two wedges of the unique delicacy. Now, it will only take a week or so to get that smell out of the South Wing.
Legislators needed the fuel to power through a long day of floor action. Notably, the Senate passed its version of the "Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act" (SB 36) before adjourning shortly after 4 p.m. Across the rotunda, the House passed its omnibus school safety legislation (HB 268) before voting to prohibit school speed zone cameras (HB 225). Work continues on the House floor as this Report goes live, and all are preparing to hunker down for Crossover Day on Thursday.
In this Report:
- Floor Action
- Committee Notes
- New Legislation
- What’s Next
Floor Action
The House took up the following measures on Legislative Day 27:
- HB 37 - Education; require local school systems to notify employees regarding social security withholdings and eligibility for certain benefits (Ed-Leverett-123rd) - PASSED 169-2
- HB 77 - Motor vehicles; encountering funeral procession on two-lane highway; revise responsibilities (MotV-Franklin-160th) - PASSED 171-2
- HB 79 - Firearm Safe Handling and Secure Storage Tax Credit Act; enact (Substitute)(W&M-Newton-127th) - PASSED 165-8
- HB 123 - Criminal procedure; pretrial proceedings in capital offense cases where the death penalty is sought when the accused has an intellectual disability; provide (JudyNC-Werkheiser-157th) - PASSED 172-0
- HB 129 - Ad valorem tax; bona fide conservation use property; remove a limitation on leased property as to certain entities (W&M-Cannon-172nd) - PASSED 165-7
- HB 144 - Income tax; certain medical preceptor rotations; revise tax credit (W&M-Newton-127th) - PASSED 171-2
- HB 154 - Emergency medical services; designate ambulance services as an essential service (Substitute)(Hth-Richardson-125th) HB 180 Probate courts; modify certain requirements for probate judges (Judy-Smith-18th) - PASSED 172-0
- HB 180 - Probate courts; modify certain requirements for probate judges (Judy-Smith-18th) - PASSED 171-0
- HB 197 - Insurance; health care provider to respond to a private review agent or utility review entity's attempt to discuss the patient's care; detail the effort (Hth-Hawkins-27th) - PASSED 174-0
- HB 225 - Motor vehicles; enforcement of speeding violations in school zones through automated traffic enforcement safety devices; repeal all laws (MotV-Washburn-144th) - PASSED 129-37
- HB 235 - Georgia Supporting Living Donor Educators Act; enact (Ed-Townsend-179th) - PASSED 173-0
- HB 244 - State auditor; local governments to request and receive in certain circumstances due date extensions related to filing annual audits; provide (Substitute)(GAff-Cannon-172nd) - PASSED 162-7
- HB 268 - Education; safety, health, and well-being of students and school communities; provide (Substitute)(Ed-Persinger-119th)(Rules Committee Substitute LC 49 2328S) - PASSED 159-13
- HB 304 - Local government; Georgia Municipal Court Clerks' Council; create (Judy-Yearta-152nd) HB 309 Local government; require adoption of a resolution or ordinance and voter approval prior to abolishment of a police force that was created by such method (PS&HS-Clifton-131st) - PASSED 171-2
- HB 309 - Local government; require adoption of a resolution or ordinance and voter approval prior to abolishment of a police force that was created by such method (PS&HS-Clifton-131st) - PASSED 169-3
- HB 314 - Professions and businesses; athletic trainers; revise and update definitions (Substitute)(RegI-LaHood-175th) - PASSED 93-77
- HB 325 - Domestic relations; Protective Order Registry; revise certain definitions (Judy-Martinez-111th) - PASSED 168-0
- HB 348 - Insurance; expand lines of insurance or reinsurance in which a limited purpose subsidiary and captive insurance company may engage (Ins-Williamson-112th) - PASSED 168-0
- HB 406 - Judicial Retirement System; increase retirement age of superior court judges first taking office on or after July 1, 2026 (Substitute) (Ret-Leverett-123rd) - PASSED 167-7
- HB 465 - Autism Missing Person Alert System Act; enact (Substitute) (HumR-Gilliard-162nd) - PASSED 172-0
- HB 551 - Motor vehicles; conditions, procedures, and limitations for issuance of temporary operating permits; provide (Substitute)(MotV-Ridley-6th) - PASSED 168-2
- HB 651- Motor vehicles; use of automated traffic enforcement safety devices in school zones; revise provisions (MotV-Powell-33rd)(Rules Committee Substitute LC 39 4729S) - PASSED 164-8
The Senate took up the following measures on Legislative Day 27:
- SB 9 - "Ensuring Accountability for Illegal AI Activities Act"; enact (Substitute) (JUDY-56th) - PASSED 46-9
- SB 4 - Education; fundamental roles of local boards of education and local school superintendents; revise provisions (Substitute) (ED&Y-27th) - PASSED 36-11
- SB 36 - "Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act"; enact (JUDY-37th) - PASSED 32-23
- SB 63 - "Quality Basic Education Act"; local school systems offer certain exams to home study students; require (ED&Y-45th) - PASSED 53-0
- SB 91 - State Employees' Health Insurance Plan; Board of Community Health from entering into, executing, or renewing a contract with any pharmacy benefits manager that owns or has an ownership interest in any retail pharmacy; prohibit (H&HS-19th) - PASSED 52-2
- SB 110 - Definitions Relative to the Juvenile Code; definition of neglect and to provide for new definitions (Substitute) (C&F-31st) - PASSED 52-1
- SB 112 - Selling and other Trade Practices; certain protections for consumers relative to warranties of HVAC systems and components of such systems; extend (RI&U-45th) - PASSED 55-0
- SB 124 - Education; State School Superintendent and the Department of Education to take all steps reasonably necessary to implement guidance documents from a federal agency; require (Substitute) (ED&Y-48th) - PASSED 37-16
- SB 126 - Completion Special Schools Act; certain students to be enrolled; lower the age of eligibility from 18 to 16 (ED&Y-45th) - PASSED 50-1
- SB 144 - Fertilizers or Pesticides; a manufacturer cannot be held liable for failing to warn consumers of health risks above those required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency; clarify (Substitute) (AG&CA-11th) - PASSED 42-12
- SB 154 - United States Department of Education; references from the Official Code of Georgia Annotated; revise or remove (ED&Y-50th) - PASSED 37-17
- SB 160 - Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckless stunt driving; replace the forfeiture penalty (PUB SAF-32nd) - PASSED 53-1
- SB 177 - Government Transparency and Campaign Finance; transparency in foreign funded political activities within the state; provide (ETHICS-31st) - PASSED 36-18
- SB 180 - High Demand Apprenticeship Program; opportunities for apprenticeship sponsors to enter into apprenticeship program contracts with State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia; provide (H ED-45th) - PASSED 53-1
- SB 193 - State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia; establish the adult workforce high school diploma program; authorize (Substitute) (H ED-6th) - PASSED 48-0
- SB 199 - State Ethics Commission; shall not accept or reject complaints made against candidates 60 days prior to an election; provide (Substitute) (ETHICS-11th) - PASSED 55-0
- SB 201 - Consumer Transactions; increased consumer protection for homeowners entering into contracts with contractors following natural disasters; provide (Substitute) (I&L-20th) - PASSED 53-1
- SB 241 - Funeral Directors; organic human reduction as a means of disposing of deceased human bodies; provide (RI&U-25th) - PASSED 52-1
- SR 8 - Deputy Brandon Cunningham Memorial Intersection; Paulding County; dedicate (Substitute) (TRANS-31st) - ADOPTED 49-0
- SR 231 - Officer Jeremy Labonte Memorial Interchange; Fulton County; dedicate (TRANS-56th) - ADOPTED 49-0
Late Monday (Legislative Day 26), after time of publication, the Senate took action on the following measures:
- SB 185 - Correctional Institutions of State and Counties; use of state funds or resources for certain treatments for state inmates; prohibit (PUB SAF29th) - PASSED 37-15
- SB 111 - "Georgia Consumer Privacy Protection Act"; enact (ED&T-56th) - PASSED 53-2
- SB 151 - "Joint Development Authority of North Fulton Municipalities Act"; enact (SLGO(G)-21st) - PASSED 32-23
- SB 175 - Elections and Primaries; use of ranked-choice voting; prohibit (ETHICS29th) - PASSED 36-19
- SB 195 - Pharmacies; pharmacists are authorized to dispense preexposure prophylaxis and postexposure prophylaxis under certain conditions; provide (H&HS-52nd) - PASSED 55-0
- SB 29 - DNA Sampling, Collection, and Analysis; collection of DNA samples of individuals arrested for the commission of a felony at the time such individuals are booked or otherwise processed by a detention facility; provide (JUDY-25th) - PASSED 44-11
- SB 56 - Georgia State Indemnification Fund; the Department of Administrative Services to purchase annuities for the payment of indemnification claims; authorize (Substitute) (I&L-31st) - PASSED 54-1
Committee Notes
House Appropriations Committee
Chairman Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin) convened his committee at 8:00 AM for the purpose of considering four wrongful conviction compensation resolutions.
- HR 118 and HR 119, by Stacy Evans (D-Atlanta), are wrongful conviction compensation resolutions for Mr. Michael Woolfolk and Mr. Mario Stinchcomb who were wrongfully convicted and incarcerated in conjunction with the same incident. They were exonerated by the Fulton Conviction Integrity Unit. Both resolutions were passed out of the House last year but did not make it out of the Senate. The committee voted DO PASS.
- HR 129, by Representative Katie Dempsey (R-Rome), is a wrongful conviction compensation resolution for Mr. Lee Clark, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 25 years in prison. Mr. Clark has been exonerated. Representative Dempsey stated that the dollar amount will never compensate for the years that were lost. This measure passed the House last year but did not make it out of the Senate. The committee voted DO PASS.
- HR 128, by Representative Katie Dempsey (R-Rome), is a wrongful conviction compensation resolution for Mr. Joseph Watkins, who was convicted of a crime where he wasn’t present. Representative Dempsey testified that there was juror misconduct, buried evidence, and objectively false testimony by a GBI analyst. This measure also passed the House last year. The committee voted DO PASS.
New Legislation
The following new legislation of interest has been introduced in the House:
The following new legislation of interest has been introduced in the Senate:
