UNDER THE GOLD DOME

LEGISLATIVE WEEK 3

BUDGET WORK CONTINUES

Following “budget week,” the Georgia House of Representatives began the third week of the 2026 legislative session on Monday, January 26, with a pro forma session due to Governor Brian Kemp’s State of Emergency declaration after Winter Storm Fern swept across much of North Georgia over the weekend. As soon as road conditions improved, my colleagues and I returned to the State Capitol on Tuesday to resume our legislative business. Throughout the remainder of the week, several House Appropriations subcommittees continued to meet to review specific portions of the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 (AFY 2026) and Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 2027) budget proposals. Other House committees were hard at work this week, holding meetings to take up legislation that was not passed or signed into law during the 2025 legislative session and is still eligible for consideration, as well as newly introduced legislation. The House Rules Committee also convened this week for the first time this session to consider legislation and set our first Rules Calendar and subsequent floor vote. By the week’s end, we passed and adopted our first pieces of legislation of the session in the House Chamber. 

NOTABLE LEGISLATION -- PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

Also, this week, House Speaker Jon Burns held a press conference where he announced one of his legislative priorities for the 2026 legislative session—the Georgia Homeownership Opportunity and Market Equalization (HOME) Act of 2026, or House Bill 1116. The bill would enable the full elimination of homestead property taxes, or taxes on primary residences, by 2032 and would provide tools for local governments to make up for lost revenue. To help offset potential revenue losses, the legislation would authorize an optional, flexible five-penny local sales tax, as well as optional local assessments and fees. It would also cap revenue growth at three percent for non-improved, non-exempt properties, establish a homeowner tax relief grant and double the statewide homestead exemption every other year until 2032, providing phased-in tax relief for Georgia homeowners. I am proud to have signed onto HB 1116 which was filed this week, and I’ll be sure to update you on its progress.

EDUCATION UPDATE

The House Education committee met for the first time of the 2026 session on Thursday, January 29. We heard from Chris Green, President of the Georgia Student Finance Commission, and Dana Rickman, President and CEO of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education.

I was honored to be reappointed as the chairman of the Curriculum and Academic Achievement Subcommittee, and I look forward to our first meeting on Monday afternoon. This year, our focus will be on three things -- Literacy, School Safety, and Learning, and these topics will guide our legislation.

SPONSORED AND CO-SPONSORED LEGISLATION

Because the Georgia General Assembly operates on a two year cycle, bills introduced last year are still "alive" during this second year of the biennium. You can click on the red text of the bill number to read the text of each bill.

HOUSE BILL 372 -- This bill will allow teachers who have attained 30 years of creditable service to return to the classroom after certain qualifications have been met. This will allow school districts to ensure that quality teachers are in our classrooms. This program is already in place in Georgia, but it ends this June. HB 372 will ensure this program continues. This bill was heard during the interim in the Retirements Committee and an actuarial study was ordered.

HOUSE BILL 487 --This bill will require that computer science become a graduation requirement beginning in 2031. At the end of last session this bill was merged with SB 179 sponsored by Senator Clint Dixon, and is now listed under that bill number. It passed the House last year, and is now waiting for the Senate to agree to an amendment.

HOUSE BILL 988 -- This bill will require the state health benefit plan to cover hormone replacement therapy for biological women experiencing perimenopause and menopause when such therapy is ordered or prescribed by a licensed physician

HOUSE PAGE PROGRAM

If your child is between the ages of 12 and 18 and would like to come participate in a House floor session, I would love to have them work with me one day as a House Page. They will see the inner workings of our governmental process, meet students from across the state, participate in a tour of the Capitol, and have fun! Their day at the Capitol will not be counted as a school absence. Please reach out to my administrative assistant at the link below to arrange this special day for your child. I can't wait to meet them!

LINKS AND INFORMATION

You can click the link below for our website and watch all our floor session days and committee meetings on livestream. If you want to catch up with previous years, all the meetings and floor sessions can be found in our archives. I look forward to continuing to represent your families, and I encourage you to contact me if you need assistance.