UNDER THE GOLD DOME

LEGISLATIVE WEEK 10

IN THE HOME STRETCH

The Georgia House of Representatives reconvened on Monday, March 16, for Legislative Day 32 and the start of the 10^th week of the 2026 legislative session. Following Monday’s legislative day, House committees met for a very productive committee workday on Tuesday to continue reviewing and considering legislation that crossed over from the Senate after Crossover Day. Throughout the week, my House colleagues and I remained busy and engaged as we worked to advance legislation out of committees and on the House floor. By the end of the week, the Georgia General Assembly completed Legislative Day 35, leaving only five days left in the 2026 legislative session. Although the end of session is drawing near, some of our busiest session days are still ahead of us. We will continue working diligently in the days ahead to pass meaningful legislation for the citizens across our great state.  

YOUR MONEY

One of the most notable measures that the House championed this week was House Bill 1199, which, most importantly, will temporarily suspend Georgia’s excise tax on motor fuel for 60 days. This suspension comes at a critical time as Georgians have faced sharp increases in gas prices amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, placing added financial strain on families and business across the state. Prices at the pump will begin to reflect this change in the coming days as retailers receive new shipments of motor fuel. Georgia’s excise tax on gasoline is currently 33.3 cents per gallon and 37.3 cents per gallon of diesel. Beyond the gas tax suspension, HB 1199 also updates Georgia’s tax code to align with recent changes to the federal Internal Revenue Code and establishes a $100 million annual cap on the state’s low-income housing tax credit for years 2026 through 2028, helping to bring greater structure and predictability to the program moving forward. My colleagues and I were proud to join Governor Brian Kemp on Friday as he signed this important legislation into law, immediately enacting the gas tax suspension and delivering swift, meaningful relief to Georgians feeling the impact of rising fuel costs.

To further provide much-needed tax relief to Georgians, the Senate gave final passage to House Bill 1000 this week, which Gov. Kemp also signed in to law on Friday. The bill provides a one-time income tax refund to eligible Georgians who filed individual income tax returns for both the 2024 and 2025 tax years by the applicable deadlines. Once a taxpayer files their 2025 return, the Georgia Department of Revenue will issue a refund equal to the lesser of the taxpayer’s 2024 Georgia income tax liability or a set amount based on filing status: $250 for single filers or married individuals filing separately, $375 for heads of household and $500 for married couples filing jointly. This legislation is one of Gov. Kemp’s legislative priorities this session and was funded in House Bill 973, the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 (AFY 2026) budget. This is the fourth year in a row that the General Assembly has passed legislation to provide one-time tax refunds to return money to eligible Georgians and ensure families directly benefit from the state’s continued economic growth.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Building on the House’s efforts to combat human trafficking across our state, my colleagues and I passed Senate Bill 570, also known as the Georgia Human Trafficking Prevention Training Act, with bipartisan support on Thursday. SB 570 would require hotels and third-party managed short-term rental properties’ employees to complete annual training on identifying and reporting suspected human trafficking, with the initial training required within 60 days of hire and renewed each year. The legislation would apply to on-site employees at inns and hotels, as well as short-term rental properties, but it would not apply to individual owners managing their own property or rentals used less than 15 days per year. The training would cover key topics, such as defining human trafficking, recognizing warning signs, understanding the differences between labor and sex trafficking and outlining response procedures, including how to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline or local law enforcement. Additionally, owners and managers would be required to create policies for reporting suspected trafficking and keep records of employee training. Owners, operators or managers who fail to comply with these requirements would be subject to a fine of $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second offense and $2,000 for a third or subsequent violation. Hotels and rental properties are often associated with human trafficking activity, making it essential that we equip staff with the knowledge and tools needed to recognize warning signs and help prevent vulnerable individuals from becoming victims.

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 PASSED THE HOUSE unanimously. It was heard in the Senate Retirement Committee, but no vote was taken on the bill. It is likely that this bill will be combined in committee with SB 150 which has similar language which will allow our two chambers to take the most desirable parts of each bill.

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. The Senate added another amendment, and therefore this bill will have to return to the House for us to agree to it.

HOUSE BILL 1181 -- This bill will cut red tape in the titling process when a family member inherits an an automobile. HB 1181 PASSED THE HOUSE. This PASSED THE SENATE this week unanimously and is now awaiting Governor Kemp's signature.

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. HB 1220 PASSED THE HOUSE. This bill received passage in the Senate Education Committee.

HOUSE RESOLUTION 1529 -- This resolution proposes the formation of a House study committee that will examine the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) that measures school district performance. This resolution passed the House Special Rules Committee unanimously.

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.