Jan. 30, 2025 – Issue 03

After urging members to stay in their districts due to Winter Storm Fern, the Georgia General Assembly burned a day on the current adjournment resolution and returned to its full hustle and bustle Tuesday with carryover legislation starting to make its way back to the floor for consideration and committees digging into what they have been sent. Appropriations subcommittees started peeling back the layers of agency requests for AFY 2026 and FY 2027, and the Speaker of the House unveiled his highly anticipated removal of the property tax collection bill. Keep reading to catch all the highlights from Days 6 – 10 of the 2026 session along with updates from the local and federal levels.

 

LOCAL LOOK

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners held their second full meeting this past week on Tuesday, January 27. Included on the agenda were multiple items to note including the appointment of a new Water System Director and the appointment of Commissioner Erick Allen the new Cobb Board of Commissioners Vice Chairman.

After a recommendation from County Manager Dr. Jackie McMorris, the Commission voted unanimously to select Ms. Alicia Giddens as the new Cobb County Water System Director. Giddens has spent 30 years with the water system and was named Deputy Director in 2023. She holds a BS in Biology and Minor in Chemistry from Kennesaw State University. Previously, she has served as the Chair of the Georgia Water and Wastewater Institute Board of Directors and as a member of the Georgia Association of Water Professionals Board of Directors. Alicia’s appointment will be effective Feb. 2, 2026. We congratulate Alicia on her appointment and look forward to our continued partnership.

Photo Credits to Cobb County Government: Cobb TV

NEWS FROM THE GOLD DOME

First Cobb Legislative Delegation Meeting

The Cobb Legislative Delegation, chaired by Rep. David Wilkerson and comprising both House and Senate members, convened its first weekly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 27. The well-attended session by lawmakers and guests alike included key local leaders such as Cobb District Attorney Sonya Allen, Clerk of the Cobb State Court Tahnicia Phillips, Chief Judge Eric Brewton, and other Cobb State Court judges.

Chief Judge Brewton highlighted the county’s Accountability Courts, with particular emphasis on the DUI Court. This program offers eligible offenders intensive rehabilitation focused on mental health and personal accountability, culminating in a graduation ceremony celebrating their achievements.

Clerk Tahnicia Phillips addressed capacity challenges in her office, driven largely by increased records and transaction volume from school-zone traffic cameras. She announced the launch of a new drive-thru system to streamline fee and fine payments for citizens.

The Cobb Chamber Government Affairs Team will continue to monitor the weekly meetings of the delegation throughout the legislative session.

Speaker Announces the HOME Act

Joined by the House Republican Caucus on the southwest steps of the Capitol, Speaker Jon Burns took the podium holding a press conference to announce the Home Ownership and Market Equalization Act (HOME Act) this past Wednesday. HB 1116, the HOME Act, will require a constitutional amendment which will require a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate to pass and then on the Nov. 2026 general election ballot a majority vote to take effect. The bill number of the constitutional amendment accompanying the HOME Act is HR 1114 . At his press conference, Speaker Burns said, “The Georgia HOME Act enables the elimination of property taxes on homesteads statewide, opening the door to homeownership for young families and providing long-term security for seniors.”

The Speaker’s office stated the Georgia HOME Act delivers historic property tax relief by eliminating property taxes on homesteads by 2032, all while keeping currently implemented property tax exemptions intact. Local governments may opt in to the proposal at any time before the mandate takes effect. The legislation also provides relief by doubling the state homestead exemption semi-annually, limiting revenue growth on other properties to 3 percent, and providing Homeowner Tax Relief Grants averaging $500 to taxpayers.”

Legislation on the Move

This week, Governor Brian Kemp's Floor Leader in the House, Representative Matthew Gambill introduced HB 1000. As one of the governor's key legislative priorities, the bill proposes a one-time tax credit for Georgia individual taxpayers who filed state income tax returns for both the 2024 and 2025 tax years. Eligible single filers would qualify for $250, those married filing jointly for $500, and heads of household for $375. The bill has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee for review.

Separately, HB 1001 – another top priority for Governor Kemp – was introduced by Representative Will Wade, also a House Floor Leader for the governor. This legislation aims to speed up the scheduled drop in Georgia's flat state income tax rate, reducing it from the current 5.19% to 4.99% starting in 2026. Under prior law, which flattened the tax and set gradual annual reductions of 0.1% toward that target, the full cut had been projected to take longer. The measure has also been assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee for consideration.

In the Senate, legislation that is a priority of the Majority Caucus passed out of the Senate Finance Committee. SB 382 by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler would mandate the statewide base-year homestead exemption for all local governments and streamline the process for calling a referendum on special district option sales and use tax. Previous legislation that passed in 2024, HB 581, allowed an opt-out for local governments, which over 300 entities utilized; SB 382 would not allow local governments or school systems to opt out. The bill now sits in Senate Rules where it is eligible to move to the Senate Floor.

Finally, as you’ve likely seen in the news, data centers are a national discussion and it has not escaped the attention of Georgia lawmakers either. SB 408 by Sen. Nan Orrock would advance the sunset date on the Data Center Sales and Use Tax Exemption from 2032 to 2027. SB 410 by Sen. Matt Brass, who is also the chair of the Senate Rules committee, testified on his legislation this week which would repeal the data center tax exemption for any new facilities. SB 421 by Sen. RaShaun Kemp would prohibit local governments and authorities from entering into nondisclosure agreements regarding electricity or water usage of any entity. SB 436 by Sen. Jaha Howard would also prohibit nondisclosure agreements between local governments regarding water or electricity usage by any entity and would additionally suspend the issuance of new Data Centers Sales and Use Tax Exemptions from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. HB 1012 by Rep. Ruwa Romman would establish a moratorium on the issuance of a permit, license, or certificate for the constitution or development of a data center between the date the bill is signed into law through March 1, 2027. HB 1059 by Rep. Derrick Jackson, called the “Data Center Impact Assessment and Development Moratorium Act of 2026”, would prohibit the construction or development of new data centers between July 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028, and establish the Data Center Impact Assessment Commission. HB 1063 by Rep. Brad Thomas would require electric utility providers to protect residential and retail electricity customers from costs associated with building and operating data centers through various contract requirements.

Certainly as the session progresses, there’s more to come on this issue in the days leading up to Crossover.

Relevant Legislation

With only 30 days left in the session, we’ve seen an uptick in the number of bills that have been introduced now that the budget recess has concluded – over 100 measures introduced this week alone. Your Cobb Chamber Government Affairs Team continues to track, monitor and report on new legislation that correlates with our State Legislative Agenda, and is added to our Relevant Legislation tracker.

Included on our Relevant Legislation Tracker are the following bills of interest that were introduced this week:

From the Senate

SB 421 by Sen. RaShaun Kemp
Legislation known as "The Data Center Transparency Act," amends existing Georgia law to prohibit local governments, authorities, and other political subdivisions from entering into agreements that keep information about an entity's electricity or water usage secret.
Assigned to the Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee

SB 422 by Sen. Timothy Bearden
Legislation which aims to shift most municipal elections in Georgia to even-numbered years, starting after December 31, 2026, and will extend the terms of most current municipal officers by one year to facilitate this transition, though this extension will not apply to officers already serving two-year terms in municipalities with staggered election schedules. The bill also adjusts the timing of party primaries to align with the new election cycle and revises existing law to ensure that municipal elections, unless specifically exempted, will occur in even-numbered years.
Assigned to the Senate Ethics Committee

SB 429 by Sen. Jason Dickerson
Legislation which establishes a new section of Georgia Law concerning landlords and tenants, defining "disabled veteran" broadly, including those with service-related disabilities rated at 100 percent or compensated at that level due to unemployability, specific limb losses or vision impairments, or those who are unable to walk without assistance. It also defines "income" as federal adjusted gross income from all sources. The key provision is that landlords will be prohibited from requiring a disabled veteran to have a monthly income exceeding twice the amount of the monthly rent to qualify as a tenant.
Assigned to the Senate Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security Committee

SB 432 by Sen. Larry Walker III
Legislation which extends the automatic repeal date for provisions allowing the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia to retain certain collected revenue from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2031. Additionally, the bill extends the authority for state agencies, including the University System and Technical College System institutions, to administratively write off small uncollectable debts or charges, which are $100 or less for most agencies but up to $3,000 for the University and Technical College Systems, from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2031.
Assigned to the Senate Finance Committee

SR 599 by Sen. Doc Rhett
A Resolution recognizing and commending the City of Austell

SR 600 by Sen. Doc Rhett
A Resolution recognizing and commending the Mayor and City Council of the City of Mableton.

SR 601 by Sen. Doc Rhett
A Resolution recognizing and commending the City of Powder Springs.

SR 620 by Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick
A Resolution commending Leadership Cobb and the Leadership Cobb Class of 2026.

From the House

HB 1023 by Rep. Chuck Efstration
Legislation which mandates that local boards of education and other public school governing bodies in Georgia must implement "weapon detection systems," which are defined as security technologies or devices capable of identifying weapons like firearms or hazardous objects, regardless of whether they are carried by an individual.
Assigned to the House Education Committee

HB 1027 by Rep. Victor Anderson
Legislation which allows local governments in Georgia, specifically counties and municipal corporations, to enter into longer-term contracts for the sale of electric power, as well as natural gas and water utility services, extending the limit from ten years to twenty years.
Assigned to the House Governmental Affairs Committee

HB 1030 by Rep. Sandy Donatucci
Legislation requiring the State Board of Education to establish content standards for advanced math courses in middle and high school and mandating that local education agencies offer these advanced courses.
Assigned to the House Education Committee

HB 1037 by Rep. Terry Cummings
Legislation concerning the Act which established the State Court of Cobb County, increasing the annual additional compensation for the Chief Judge of the Cobb State Court from $11,328.25 to $11,894.66. Additionally, the legislation increases the salary of the judges of Division 1 of the Cobb State Court from $217,134.20 to $227,990.91.
Assigned to the House Intergovernmental Coordination Committee

HB 1043 by Rep. Sandra Scott
Legislation known as the "Georgia Trauma Informed Child and Youth Trafficking Response Act," aims to establish a unified, trauma-informed statewide system to address child and youth trafficking by creating a dedicated state-wide care coordination office within the Department of Human Services.
Assigned to the House Judiciary Juvenile Committee

HB 1047 by Rep. Dale Washburn
Legislation which changes the definition of municipalities as it relates to the water and sewer projects and costs tax. The bill would change the qualified municipality definition from municipalities with an average wastewater flow of at least 85 million gallons per day or if its wastewater system interconnected with a large municipality to any “qualified municipality...and any consolidated government created by the consolidation of a county and one or more municipalities in this state.”
Assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee

HB 1059 by Rep. Derrick Jackson
Legislation known as the "Data Center Impact Assessment and Development Moratorium Act of 2026," prohibits the construction or development of new data centers, defined as facilities housing working servers, from July 1, 2026, to December 31, 2028, by preventing local governments from issuing necessary permits, licenses, or certificates, though this moratorium does not apply to permits already issued before July 1, 2026.
Assigned to the House Technology and Infrastructure Committee

HB 1063 by Rep. Brad Thomas
Legislation which would require electric utilities to protect residential and retail electricity customers from costs associated with building and operating data centers. The bill would require contracts between electric utilities and data centers to include specific terms and conditions to achieve this protection, such as minimum billing requirements to cover the costs of serving the data center, contract lengths that can exceed standard service tariffs, performance and credit provisions to safeguard other customers if the data center defaults on its contract, and termination clauses to protect them if the service contract ends.
Assigned to the House Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications Committee

UPDATE ON IMPENDING FEDERAL SHUTDOWN

Last week, we were oh-so-optimistic that the Congress and U.S. Senate would finalize the remaining FY 2026 budgets and send them to the President’s Desk. Sadly, the turmoil and unfortunate events in Minnesota have derailed movement in the U.S. Senate. As a reminder, the current Continuing Resolution that reopened the government after a 43-day shutdown expires on January 30, 2026.

At the time of our publication, six of the 12 annual appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2026 have been enacted into law with full-year funding. Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced Friday afternoon that the Senate is poised to vote on a series of amendments and then pass a massive package of appropriations bills to fund the federal departments and agencies.These cover:

• Agriculture
• Legislative Branch
• Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (often bundled together)
• Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS)
• Energy and Water Development
• Interior and Environment

These were signed into law in phases: the first three via the November 2025 CR (P.L. 119-37), and the latter three last week (e.g., H.R. 6938 signed around January 23, 2026).

While passing the House, the remaining six appropriations bills have not yet been approved by the Senate or by conference. These agencies/departments without full year secured funding include:

• Defense (Department of Defense / Pentagon)
• Homeland Security (DHS, including ICE, TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard, etc.)
• Labor
• Health and Human Services (HHS)
• Education
• Transportation
• Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• State (Department of State / Foreign Operations)
• Treasury (and related Financial Services / General Government elements)

These represent the bulk of discretionary spending and a majority of federal civilian employees. If another continuing resolution is not passed or the final bills do not pass by the deadline, a partial shutdown would affect these areas starting January 31, 2026, causing furloughs of non-essential personnel, routine operations halted, and disruptions in services like certain regulatory functions, grants processing and airport security staffing impacts, to name a few.

If you have any questions about the Cobb Chamber Government Affairs Committee, the Cobb Chamber legislative priorities or advocacy in general, please reach out to Amanda Seals, Executive Vice President of Advocacy and Government Relations, or Coleman Loftin, Senior Manager, Government Affairs and Advocacy.