UNDER THE GOLD DOME

LEGISLATIVE WEEK 4

A VERY BUSY WEEK

The Georgia House of Representatives returned to the Gold Dome on Monday, February 2, 2026, for Legislative Day 10 as the General Assembly began a busy fourth week of legislative work. With Legislative Day 10 now behind us, we are now more than a quarter of the way through the session, and the pace under the Gold Dome is certainly picking up as we begin zeroing in on key policy priorities. This week, the House Appropriations Committee met midweek to pass House Bill 973, the House’s version of the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 (AFY 2026) budget, which provides state funding through the end of the current fiscal year on June 30, 2026. The House Rules Committee then placed HB 973 onto a Rules Calendar for a full House vote on Thursday, where it passed with bipartisan support. We will now begin working with the Senate to bring final passage to the Amended FY 2026 Budget. In addition to the amended budget, my colleagues and I voted on several bills on the House floor, advancing these measures to our Senate counterparts. During this busy week, we also heard from Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Nels S.D. Peterson, who delivered his annual State of the Judiciary Address before a joint session of the House and Senate. 

NOTABLE LEGISLATION -- PROTECTING BABIES

My colleagues and I also passed House Bill 350, bipartisan legislation that would update Georgia’s Safe Place for Newborns Act. HB 350 would allow fire stations, medical facilities, police stations and ambulance services to implement newborn safety devices for use by mothers who need to safely surrender their newborns. Currently, Georgia does not have any operating newborn safety devices; however, this legislation would allow eligible facilities to opt-in to installing, operating and staffing these devices. Newborn safety devices are enclosed, locked and continuously monitored receptacles designed to allow for the safe surrender of a newborn at locations equipped to provide medical care, facilitate transport to a hospital and, ultimately, support placement into foster care or adoption. Under HB 350, these devices must be placed in a conspicuous location that is visible to staff, and the facility or station must be staffed by emergency medical services providers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Provided that the newborn is no more than 30 days old, a mother would not be prosecuted for safely surrendering her child and could remain anonymous during the surrender. Once a newborn is surrendered, the child would be transported to a hospital for a wellness check. After the child is medically cleared, DHS would be required to take custody within six hours, after which the child would be brought before a juvenile court and placed into foster care or adoption. Funding for these devices would come from donations or grassroots funding, not the state. If passed and signed into law, this bill would prevent the unsafe abandonment of newborns and save infant lives by expanding safe, legal and anonymous options for surrendering a newborn in a crisis situation. 

EDUCATION UPDATE

Later in the week, my House colleagues and I joined Speaker Jon Burns for a bipartisan press conference to introduce House Bill 1193, the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026. The bill would take a statewide approach to early literacy, providing QBE funding for school-based literacy coaches in every public school serving kindergarten through third grade, supported by regional and leadership coaches. HB 1193 would also provide free, curriculum-based professional learning for K–3 teachers and literacy coaches, ensure high-quality instructional materials aligned with the science of reading and establish the Georgia Literacy Task Force to guide assessments and instruction. Recognizing that learning to read is the foundation for all future learning, this legislation reflects the House’s ongoing commitment to providing every resource necessary to make literacy a top priority. We've come a long way since the first Literacy Bill, HB 538, in 2023, and I've enjoyed working with Mrs. Dayle Burns and Speaker Burns on this important issue. HB 1193 should be heard in subcommittee on Monday and in full committee on Thursday. We expect it to be on the floor for a full House vote the following week.

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 1181 -- This bill will cut red tape in the titling process when a family member inherits an an automobile.

HOUSE BILL 1220 -- This bill allows military students and students with IEPs, 504 plans, and other disabilities to waive some requirements for student scholarship organizations.

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.