From the State House to the White House
Feb. 21, 2025 – Issue 06

The Georgia General Assembly officially hit the halfway mark plus one, finishing up through Day 21 on Fri, Feb. 21. While they were off Monday for the President’s Day holiday, the House and Senate packed four days full of floor action, committee meetings and the introduction of more legislation the rest of the week. Both Chambers return Mon., Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. and the 2025 class of Leadership Cobb will be under the Gold Dome for its Government Day program to catch all the latest action.

Federal Update:

Loeffler Confirmed as Administrator of the Small Business Administration

Former Georgia U. S. Senator, Kelly Loeffler, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to oversee the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Per the U.S. Small Business Administration website, the SBA provides “counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.”

The Cobb Chamber would like to congratulate Administrator Loeffler on this achievement and looks forward to working with her and the rest of the SBA to continue to support Cobb County’s small business community.

State Legislative Update:

Governor’s Judicial Reform Passes the Senate

On Fri., Feb. 21, SB 68 was heard and discussed in the Senate. Two separate amendments were proposed including one by Sen. Bo Hatchett, that addresses the phantom damages section of the bill. The amendment would allow juries to be privy  to information regarding the plaintiff’s initial bill and the actual costs of the plaintiff’s medical bills. The second amendment was offered by Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes, would set a cap on the increase of insurance premiums to not rise above the current rate of inflation.

The amendment by Sen. Hatchett, who also serves as the Governor’s Floor Leader, was approved by the Senate and added to the bill. The other amendment failed. After lengthy debate by both parties, SB 68 passed by a final vote of 33-21. It now moves to the House for its consideration.

Interest groups from across Georgia in favor of improving the state's lawsuit environment packed the hall and Senate gallery to listen to the debate. Many of these groups submitted letters to the full Senate, expressing their approval of SB 68. We are thankful to Sen. Ed Setzler for sharing the Cobb Chamber's letter of support.

As part of our state legislative priorities, the Cobb Chamber looks forward to working with members from the House to continue moving this effort forward as the representatives begin deliberation on SB 68.

SB 69 by Sen. John F. Kennedy, which is the Governor’s second piece of legislation in his agenda regarding lawsuit reform, still sits in the Senate Rules Committee for consideration.

Legislation to Support Georgia Seniors Introduced

This week, Sen. Jason Esteves dropped three separate pieces of legislation aimed at supporting Georgia seniors and bringing down the cost of senior care. “As a caregiver for my mother, one of the 180,000 Georgians living with Alzheimer’s, this issue is close to my heart. We must do everything we can to ensure all Georgians have the resources they need to age with dignity,” said Sen. Esteves. “I am excited to continue my work to bring down the cost of senior care, provide financial relief for our caregivers and improve Georgia’s senior care system.” The following pieces of legislation have been read in the Senate and assigned to the following committees:

• SB 186 – Legislation which would allow assisted living communities and personal care homes to enroll as Medicaid Providers and allow Medicaid funds to be used at these facilities. Referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
• SB 187 – Legislation which increases Georgia’s tax credit for caregivers from $150 to $500. Referred to the Senate Finance Committee.
• SB 188 – Legislation which establishes the Georgia Adult and Aging Services Agency. Referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
  
  

Marietta City Schools Honored for Receiving the Georgia Reads Community Award

SR 222 by Sen. Billy Hickman, Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, Sen. Doc Rhett, Sen. Marty Harbin, and Sen. Ed Setzler congratulates and commends Marietta City Schools for receiving the Georgia Reads Community Award. This award is given by the Georgia Council on Literacy to community partnerships “who, over the last three to five years, set goals for literacy improvements and made progress meeting these goals.”

Kennesaw State Day at the Capitol

This past Wed., Feb. 19 marked Kennesaw State University Day at the Capitol. Joined by Alumni, members of the KSU President’s Parliament Scholar Ambassadors, current students, Scrappy, and a live mascot owl, KSU President Kat Schwaig and her team joined lawmakers at the Capitol to represent the University. Attendees had the opportunity to meet the President and have their picture taken with Scrappy, KSU’s mascot and a live owl. Rep. John Carson gave a morning order recognizing the KSU delegation while they visited the state House.

Just a Few of the Bills We Are Tracking:

New Bills of Interest

HB 475 by Rep. Matthew Gambill
Related to income tax credits for film, gaming, video, or digital production. Legislation requires companies to pay court costs if the denial of certification is upheld by a court of appeal.
Referred to the House Creative Arts and Entertainment Committee

HB 479 by Rep. John Carson
Legislation which allows for tax credits in excess of the amount that can be claimed in a given year to be carried forward to subsequent years.
Referred to the House Ways and Means Committee

HB 505 by Rep. Scott Hilton
Known as the “Career Readiness and Economic Development Act”, this legislation provides for the development of career development plans for secondary students, adds requirements for career development plans, and provides for the development of an electronic platform for career development plans.
Referred to the House Education Committee

HB 511 by Rep. Eddie Lumsden
Legislation which provides for deductions from taxable income for contributions by taxpayers to catastrophe savings accounts and interest earned on such accounts.
Referred to the House Ways and Means Committee

HB 531 by Rep. Matt Reeves
Legislation which would allow direct appeals for rulings that deny sovereign, municipal, official, or qualified immunity to the state, cities, or counties. It would set a 30-day deadline for filing an appeal after an adverse ruling.
Referred to the House Judiciary Committee

HB 541 by Rep. Katie Dempsey
Legislation related to definitions regarding tuition equalization grants at private colleges and universities to include expanding the definition of an approved school to include certain institutions which offer programs in nursing.
Referred to the House Higher Education Committee

HB 554 by Rep. Rick Townsend
Legislation which enacts the “APEX Now Program” which would be a program within the Department of Behavioral Health and Human Services that provides support for mental health services for students and school personnel experiencing incidents of violence, threats of violence, natural disasters, and other crisis situations.
Referred to the House Education Committee

HB 555 by Rep. Derrick McCollum
Legislation which prohibits business enterprises from owning an interest in more than 2,000 single-family residential properties or ten multifamily residential properties.
Referred to the House Judiciary Committee

HB 559 by Rep. John Carson
Related to sales and use tax, this legislation revises the current sunset date for an exemption for certain high-technology data center equipment from December 31, 2031, to December 31, 2026.
Referred to the House Ways and Means Committee

SB 208 by Sen. Billy Hickman
Legislation which excludes any consideration paid to a sports betting licensee from the definition of “bet”, and to exempt wagers places as a part of sports betting related to revenue and taxation.
Referred to the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee

Next Week at the Capitol

Mon., Feb. 24 – Legislative Day 22– Leadership Cobb ‘25 Government Day at the Capitol
Tues., Feb. 25 – Committee Work Day
Wed., Feb. 26 – Legislative Day 23
Thurs., Feb. 27 – Legislative Day 24
Fri., Feb. 28 – Legislative Day 25


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