From the State House to the White House
March 7, 2025 – Issue 08

John F. Kennedy said, “the one unchangeable certainty is that nothing is unchangeable or certain.” Crossover day in the Georgia State Legislator is a perfect example of this sentiment. On the last day for bills to cross to the opposite chamber of origin, legislation which was “certainly not” going to see the floor, proved everyone wrong, and found its way to the debate – some successfully while others were not. With 12 legislative days left, a new game begins…where will all this dead legislation end up by Sine Die? Time will tell. Until then, let’s recap week eight of the legislative session.

In this issue:

• Federal Update
• Amended FY 2025 Budget Signed into Law
• Crossover Day Update
• Tort Reform Heard in House Committee
• Sports Betting, part II
• Cobb Chamber Members at the Capitol
• What’s next?

FEDERAL UPDATE

As a follow-up to last week’s special update, we wanted to ensure you saw the latest developments with regards to the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). Yes, there is another update….hopefully this will be the last. The Department of the Treasury announced on Monday that it will not enforce the CTA against small domestic businesses. Furthermore, it will be issuing a new rule to narrow the scope of the reporting requirement to foreign reporting companies only. Click here to read the announcement by the Treasury.

STATE UPDATE

Amended Budget Moves to the Governor for Approval

Governor Brian Kemp signed the Amended Fiscal Year 2025 budget, which was agreed upon by the House and Senate Monday. Relief from Hurricane Helene is a huge budget priority for the Governor and the General Assembly, and over $867 million is included in the AFY 25 budget for response costs and relief. It includes one-time grants to public rural and critical access hospitals included in the major disaster declaration area to assist in financial stabilization and recovery efforts, disaster relief assistance to impacted farmers and timber producers, and grants to non-profits for Hurricane Helene rebuilding and recovery efforts.

The AFY 25 also adds $1 billion which will be returned to taxpayers through a third one-time special tax refund.

Additional investments of interest include:

• Education and Workforce Development: $140 million in additional allocations to fully fund QBE and support our local school systems to help us build an unrivaled workforce as we work to make Georgia the Top State for Talent.
• School Security: An additional $50 million in one-time funds for another round of security grants to all K-12 public schools.
• Public Safety and Corrections: More than $434 million in new funding for the Department of Corrections to fortify state facilities, invest in Corrections Officers, and equip them with the tools they need to be effective and efficient.
• Fighting Human Trafficking: $3.5 million to design a recovery center for victims of human trafficking - an effort championed by First Lady Marty Kemp - and over $187,000 to expand the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit to the Macon and Augusta regions.
• Local Water and Sewer Infrastructure: Over $266 million in funding for the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to support water and sewer infrastructure development projects across Georgia.
• Local Road Infrastructure: $265 million into the local maintenance and improvement grant program and $46 million to the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank’s grant and loan program prioritizing $7,500,000 for airport projects.
  
  

Crossover Legislation of Interest

While both chambers convened Thursday morning at 10 a.m., adjournment was different for the House and Senate. The Senate finished up its business at 10:10 p.m. Thurs. night, while the House continued until 10:56 p.m. Here is an update on a few of the bills we are monitoring under the pillars from our State Legislative Priorities (from Crossover Day or earlier in the week):

Economic & Community Development
SB 57 by Sen. Blake Tillery
"Freedom of Speech and Belief Act" – prohibits financial institutions or utilities from discriminating against certain individuals. Provides that individuals harmed by violations of this statute may sue the service provider.
FAILED 13-43

HB 56 by Rep. Jesse Petrea
Tuition grants to spouses of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and prison guards who are killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty
PASSED 172-0

HB 111 by Rep. Soo Hong
Income tax; reduces the individual income tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19% and provides for further reductions to 4.99% by 2027 if certain economic conditions are met
PASSED 110-60

HB 112 by Rep. Lauren McDonald III
Income tax; one-time tax credit for taxpayers who filed returns for both 2023 and 2024 taxable years; provide
PASSED 175-0

HB 250 by Rep. Darlene Taylor
Better Small Business Employee Benefits Act; enact
PASSED 165-7

HB 559 BY Rep. John Carson
Sales and use tax; exemption for certain high-technology data center equipment; revise sunset date
Did not Crossover

Transportation, Mobility & Infrastructure
HB 76 by Rep. Stacey Evans
Require public hearings for local transportation projects of significant impact
Did not Crossover

HB 168 by Rep. Mitchell Horner
SPLOST; Require Local Act by General Assembly for Reimposition
Did not Crossover

HB 224 by Rep. Josh Bonner
Highways, bridges, and ferries; construction or maintenance of roads upon military bases or installations paid for by the United States Department of Defense or other entities; authorize
PASSED 172-0

HB 429 by Rep. David Wilkerson
Exempt from ad valorem taxation motor vehicles owned by a natural person for which a title was issued in this state before March 1, 2013
PASSED 166 – 0

Education & Workforce Development
SB 193 by Sen. Matt Brass
Authorizes the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia to establish the adult workforce high school diploma program; to provide for the selection of third-party providers to administer the program; to provide requirements for approved program providers; to provide for disbursement of funds to approved program providers; to provide for reporting
PASSED (03/04/24) 48-0

SB 207 by Sen. Brian Strickland
Professions and Businesses; a pre-clearance process in the licensing of individuals with criminal records who make application to or are investigated by certain licensing boards and commissions; create
PASSED 55-0

HB 635 by Rep. Marcus Wiedower
State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors; revise provisions
PASSED 171-2

Healthcare
HB 291 by Rep. Darlene Taylor
Health; certification of community health workers; provide
PASSED 169-4

Support for Dobbins Air Reserve Base and our Defense Community
SB 109 by Sen. Ed Harbison
Life Insurance; a policy of group life insurance from excluding or restricting liability for certain deaths occurring while an individual is an active duty service member; prohibit
PASSED 53-0

HB 52 by Rep. Carmen Rice
Ad valorem tax; qualified disabled veterans; extend homestead exemption to unremarried surviving spouses or minor children
PASSED 170-5

HB 266 by Steven Sainz
Increases the retired military income tax exclusion to $35,000 with annual increases of $5,000 per year until it reaches $65,000 and increases the eligible age
PASSED 171 – 0

HB 583 by Rep. Lydia Glaize
Provide for the issuance of two free license plates for veterans who are totally disabled
PASSED 171 – 0

Update on the Governor’s Lawsuit Reform Package

During the Committee Workday, Wed., March 3, the House Rules Subcommittee on Lawsuit Reform heard supporting and opposing testimony on SB 68, the first bill in the Governor’s lawsuit reform package. Notably, Jacob Daly, a Senior Counsel at Freeman, Mathis, and Gary LLP, gave testimony in support of SB 68 and took questions from members of the Rules Subcommittee.

The Rules Subcommittee focused on sections one through five of the bill, while accepting comments on the overarching legislation. Chairman of the Rules Subcommittee on Lawsuit Reform, Rep. Rob Leverett, stated additional opportunity for testimony on sections six through eight will occur later at a date yet to be announced. The Rules Subcommittee did not take any action regarding SB 68.

SB 69, the second bill in the Governor’s lawsuit reform package, was not discussed in the Rules Subcommittee.

It is anticipated there will be a few more hearings on the legislation before it moves to the floor for House consideration. The Cobb Chamber continues to work with members of the Georgia General Assembly to seek a meaningful tort reform passage this session.

House Takes a Gamble on Sports Betting

The House Higher Education Committee approved the two measures that would legalize gambling in Georgia. Under HR 450, a proposed constitutional amendment, 15% of the first $150 million in annual proceeds from sports betting would go toward programs and services aimed at preventing Georgians from becoming addicted to betting and treating those who do fall victim to problem gambling. The rest would be used to administer sports betting and to support Georgia's pre-kindergarten program. If signed into law, voters would decide the question on the November 2026 statewide ballot.

The enabling legislation, HB 686, would put the administration of sports betting under the Georgia Lottery Corp. It would permit the licensing of 16 licenses to applicants interested in operating sportsbooks, which includes some of the state's professional sports teams that have expressed interest in obtaining a license. An amendment added to the bill would increase the tax rate on the proposed proceeds from sports betting from 20% to 24%, which would raise an additional $40 million for Georgia’s Pre-K program.

While there appeared to be some hope of the legislation on Crossover Day evening, neither the constitutional amendment nor the enabling legislation made it out of the House by the time of adjournment.

Mableton Day at the Capitol

Rep. Terry Cummings hosted Mableton Mayor Michael Owens and a group of students from Pebblebrook and South Cobb High Schools on Feb. 24. The event was the first initiative of the Mayor’s Educational Impact Fund, a non-profit created in 2024, in part, giving Mableton students access to experiences they might not otherwise have and to raise the awareness of the great things that are happening in south Cobb schools. The group was recognized in the House Chamber with a morning order; met with delegation members Senator Donzella James and former Attorney General Sam Olens.

Cobb Chamber Members Spotted Under the Gold Dome

On Feb. 20, Chris Wasserman of Wasserman Talent Solutions along with American Transaction Processors Coalition testified before the Senate Economic Development Committee as a subject matter expert on workforce development. Wasserman shared insights about Georgia’s strong FinTech community and the collaborative strategies needed among the government, private, and education sectors.

Awarded by the Georgia Council on Literacy, the Georgia Reads Community Award honors communities that have demonstrated at least three years of impactful literacy partnerships and measurable progress in reading outcomes. The Cobb Collaborative was one of 10 recipients statewide to receive a $25,000 grant to further strengthen local literacy initiatives and expand their reach to students and families in need. Along with Marietta City Schools, the Cobb Collaborative was recognized by the Georgia General Assembly on Feb. 25.

Twelve Days to Go…What’s Next?

We anticipate the House moving on the FY 2026 budget early next week to give the Senate an opportunity to work on its version. At the same time, while the session floor days take a brief pause to allow for the committees work on crossed over legislation (and find vehicles for those bills that did not) and the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, the legislature is still on track to keep its planned Sine Die of Fri., April 4.

Next Two Weeks at the Capitol

Mon., March 10 – Legislative Day 29
Tues., March 11 – Legislative Day 30
Wed., March 12 – Committee Work Day
Thurs., March 13 – Legislative Day 31
Fri., March 14 – Recess Day

Mon., March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
Tues., March 18 – Legislative Day 32
Wed., March 19 – Committee Work Day
Thurs., March 20 – Legislative Day 33
Fri., March 21 – Legislative Day 34

Cobb Chamber Government Relations Team: Coleman Loftin and
Amanda Seals catch up on bills during Crossover Day 2025.

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.