March 27, 2026 – Issue 11

This week at the Capitol has been a whirlwind of activity, with lawmakers moving from early morning to late-night committee meetings and lengthy floor sessions. In addition to floor days Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Tuesday and Thursday brought jam-packed committee days where members worked to finalize bills that made it through crossover while also reshaping proposals and reviving previously stalled legislation — all with a focus on finding vehicle bills to carry priority measures that didn't make it across on their own.

Today we are going to print earlier than normal so we can keep tabs on the flurry of activity that continues under the Gold Dome on Day 38. Keep reading to learn where the Big Budget is; what is going on with literacy priorities in the Senate; the creation of a new transportation agency as well as a list of legislation that is morphing its way in various forms, hoping to land as a finalized bill on the Governor’s desk.

Note: Today, both the House and Senate convene at 10 a.m. for Day 38 and are likely still in session as you are reading this. Click here to watch the Georgia General Assembly in action.
 

 

Play Ball!

Past Cobb Chamber Chairman Mike Plant, President & CEO of Braves Development Company, joined Derek Schiller, President & CEO of the Atlanta Braves, and Terence McGuirk, Chairman, President & CEO of Atlanta Braves Holdings, Inc. — along with the team mascot Blooper — at the State Capitol to celebrate Opening Day. The delegation met with Governor and Mrs. Kemp, as the Governor has proclaimed March 27 "Atlanta Braves 'A' For the Day" in Georgia, encouraging Georgians to wear their Braves gear on Friday in support of the home team. The group presented the Governor with a Braves jersey bearing number 26, and in turn he gave the delegation a ceremonial copy of the proclamation.

2026 Georgia Association of Manufacturers Day at the Capitol

On Tuesday, March 23, the Georgia Association of Manufacturers held their Day at the Capitol. Manufacturers from across the state came down to the Gold Dome to demonstrate the strength of Georgia’s manufacturing community, and the importance of advocating for our manufacturers and the vital role they play in our state’s economy and workforce.

While at the Capitol, the Georgia Association of Manufacturers, with the help of Speaker Jon Burns, launched the GAM Manufacturing Playoffs. The day marked the first round of the playoffs to determine "The Peachiest Product Georgia Makers Make." According to the GAM website, “the contest recognizes the breadth of ingenuity in our state and awards the maker with the most interesting and innovative product.”

Senate Appropriations – Bills and Budgets

On Wednesday, Chairman Blake Tillery opened the last Senate Appropriations meeting by noting a historic occasion: this would be the final committee meeting held in Room 341 of the Capitol. The room dates to 1889 and has served several distinguished purposes over the years — first as home to the state Supreme Court, then as the dedicated meeting space for the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. In 2005, House and Senate leadership agreed to share the room with the House Rules Committee to address growing space demands. Beginning next year, the committee will meet in the new Legislative Office- Building.

The committee took up three bills, most notably HB 1193, the House’s Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026, and the FY 2027 budget. He stressed that the Senate and House are working hard together on this issue to improve the state’s literacy rates, calling the ranking of literacy rates abysmal considering the state has invested over $14 billion in education funding to only have 29 percent of children in third grade reading at grade level.

The Senate version of the legislation moves funding for 1,313 coaches out of the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula and into a non-QBE grant under the state Department of Education's budget. This shift transfers the cost from local school boards to the state at a price tag of $70 million. The substitute bill also defines the duties of these coaches and specifies the number of hours they are required to spend in the classroom.

Other provisions of the bill prescribe the duties of the Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs) along with addressing the universal reading screeners; high quality instructional materials; and sunsets the Georgia Council on Literacy, shifting its duties to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. Chairman Tillery closed his presentation by outlining parental notification starting in first grade if a student is not ready for promotion.

The bill passed out of committee and is now eligible for consideration at the Senate’s final Rules committee meeting of the 2026 session.

The Chair also presented HB 974 – the FY 2027 budget. The Senate’s big budget has some big differences from its House counterpart.

• $100 million cost of living adjustment for state retirees
• $20.9 million to pay for 1,217 more people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to receive state services. It’s a significant increase from the Kemp and House budgets, which would fund services for 100 and 200 additional people, respectively.
• Cut $123.5 million from the University System of Georgia  to reflect the cost savings from the increasing number of online classes;
• $30 million in bonds for school safety that was also supported by the House;
• $2,000 pay supplements to correctional officers to improve recruitment and retention;
• $20 million to fund 1,217 additional NOW/COMP waivers for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to receive state services;
• $5 million to annualize addressing veteran homelessness
• Cut $6,500,000 from the Department of Economic Development for tourism
• Spend $70.4 million to pay for a literacy coach in every elementary school
• Decreased Department of Education transportation funding grants by $3 million
• Provides $10 million in 20-year bonds for design, construction and equipment for the renovations of the Student Success and Construction Management program facilities at the Marietta Campus of Kennesaw State University
• Maintained funding that would restore funds for jail-based competency restoration at the Cobb County Jail

The Senate is set to consider the big budget as its third piece of legislation on Day 38. Chairman Tillery shot over a letter to House Chairman Matt Hatchett to start negotiations. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the budget finalized on Day 40 at this rate.

 

A New Transportation Agency?

In another act of stripping and substituting, the Senate Transportation Committee erased HB 297, which originally dealt with multipurpose off-highway vehicles, and replaced it with language that would abolish the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) and the Atlanta-region Transit Link (ATL) Authority. Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte originally introduced this legislation in committee prior to crossover, but it did not move. Under this legislation, GRTA and the ATL would be consolidated into a single body renamed the Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority.  If passed, regional transit planning responsibilities would shift from the ATL to the Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner. It would also allow counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions outside the metropolitan area to enter into transportation services contracts with the new authority.  The measure is now eligible for selection by the Rules Committee to receive a vote on the Senate floor.
 

Christmas Trees, Zombie Bills and Vehicles

The final two weeks of the legislative session are known for rapid movement and significant changes to legislation, meaning bills often look very different than they did at the start of the year. As we noted in earlier editions, some bills that failed to cross over were described as "mostly dead." That characterization proved especially fitting this week.

Under the Gold Dome, lobbyists and lawmakers have plenty of colorful names for the way legislation transforms as it moves through the committee process. Language from different “mostly dead” bills show up as substitutes or amendments either as a new section of the “vehicle” or completely replacing the original language. While there are many bills that look different than they did in January, the following are pieces of legislation that have shifted around and will look for final passage in their newest form. Your Chamber Government Affairs Team will continue to track these Christmas trees and zombie bills through Day 40.

HB 169 by Rep. Chas Cannon
Originally, this bill limited solar energy exceptions for conservation and forest land tax covenants to contracts entered before July 1, 2026. The Senate Finance Committee passed a substitute this week, changing the legislation to create a tax credit for small businesses that offer certain benefits to their employees, including individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement.
This bill is currently in Senate Rules and is eligible for selection.

HB 232 by Rep. Deborah Silcox
Originally, this legislation was titled the Interstate Massage Compact Act and created a State Interstate Massage Compact in the State of Georgia. The substitute version of the legislation establishes the State Construction Industry Licensing Board with divisions for electrical, plumbing, conditioned air, low voltage, and utility contractors.
This bill is currently in Senate Rules and is eligible for selection.

HB 229 by Rep. Yasmin Neal
Originally, this piece of legislation exempted materials used in construction of capital outlay projects for educational purposes. Now, the new version of the bill provides a tax exemption for tips and overtime.
This bill is currently in Senate Rules and is eligible for selection.

HB 369 by Sen. John Albers
This bill originally related to vehicle and equipment standards for motor vehicles used for the sale of food. The original language was stripped out during the Senate Ethics Committee meeting last week and now has the language from SB 573 which amends Georgia law to require nonpartisan elections for certain county officers and district attorneys in counties that have abolished the office of county coroner. The new language also adds school boards to the list of impacted offices.
This bill passed out of the Senate by substitute on Wednesday, March 25, and heads back to the House for an agree/disagree.

HB 583 by Rep. Lydia Glaize
Originally, this piece of legislation increased the number of free license plates issued to certain veterans. Long gone is that language as the new substitute includes HB 1377 which clarifies that special district mass transportation sales and use taxes cannot be used to provide free or reduced fares for public transit services. Additionally, it modifies the rules for resubmitting a transit SPLOST to voters if it fails, requiring an eight-year waiting period after the initial election if the measure fails.
The bill is on the Senate Rules Calendar for Day 38.

HB 1344 by Rep. Matt Reeves
Currently, this bill is known as the “Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act.” The original language of the bill increases fines on auto, business, homeowner, and property insurers and addresses insurance fraud.

This week, in the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee, a substitute for the bill was introduced which combines multiple insurance reform bills, as well as the original language, into one packaged piece of legislation, aka a Christmas Tree. HB 1344 now includes specific sections of language from HB 1274, HB 1262, HB 1263, and SB 503. Each of these pieces of legislation was created based on recommendations from the House Blue Ribbon Study Committee on Insurance Rates.

• HB 1274 by Rep. Matt Reeves – Legislation which allows the Commissioner of Insurance to order refunds of excess profits made by insurers writing private passenger automobile insurance policies.
• HB 1262 by Rep. Eddie Lumsden - Legislation which increases the maximum monetary penalties that the Commissioner of Insurance can impose for violations related to mental health parity, general enforcement, surprise billing, and prepaid legal services plans.
• HB 1263 by Rep. Eddie Lumsden – Legislation which allows insurance companies to claim a refund for any fees or taxes mistakenly or illegally paid to the Commissioner within three years of the payment date.
• SB 503 by Sen. Marty Harbin – Language from this piece of legislation was added exempting "rental home marketplace guarantees" from the definition of property insurance.

This bill now sits in the Senate Rules Committee and is eligible for consideration.

HB 1393 by Rep. Bill Werkheiser
This bill currently allows rural hospitals in Georgia to collaborate and negotiate jointly with third-party payors to increase their purchasing power while maintaining their independence and grants them immunity from antitrust laws for these activities.

This week in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, a substitute was presented that replaced the bill’s original language with language removing certificate of need requirements for most healthcare facilities except skilled nursing facilities.
This bill sits in the Senate Rules Committee and is eligible for consideration.

SB 111 by Sen. John Albers
This bill previously was originally titled the “Georgia Consumer Privacy Protection Act” and was designed to protect consumer data privacy by changing how businesses collect, process, store, and disclose personal data.

This week, the House Judiciary Committee stripped the bill of its original language and added language from HB 662 related to the rural hospital tax credit. The new legislation adds rural emergency health care entities to the rural hospital tax credit. It also adds rural facilities licensed to provide labor and delivery services.
This bill sits in the House Rules Committee.
 

Legislation on the Move

Legislation continued moving through both the House and Senate at a steady pace this week. With Day 38 underway as you receive this newsletter and Day 39 scheduled for Tuesday, the window is closing for bills hoping to make it across the finish line and onto the Governor’s desk by Day 40.

Although all the bills highlighted below saw passage this week, several remaining proposals may have to wait until the 2027 session to re-emerge—unless they are taken up and voted on before Sine Die.

As always, please feel free to view the legislation we are tracking each week at the Gold Dome by visiting our Relevant Legislation Tracker page on our website.

HB 154 by Rep. Gary Richardson
Legislation known as the "Georgia Sunshine Protection Act," aims to establish permanent daylight-saving time in Georgia. It requires the Governor to request that the United States Secretary of Transportation place Georgia in the Atlantic standard time zone year-round.
PASSED out of the Senate by substitute (45-5) and heads back to the House for an Agree/Disagree.

HB 328 by Rep. Kasey Carpenter
Legislation which expands eligibility for student scholarships to include children of active-duty military members stationed in Georgia and students with certain disabilities and also increases the annual aggregate limit for tax credits available for contributions to student scholarship organizations from $120 million to $225 million per year. Additionally, the bill prohibits members of the General Assembly and their spouses from receiving income from student scholarship organizations that receive contributions eligible for tax credits.
PASSED out of the Senate by substitute (30-20) and heads to the House for an Agree/Disagree.

HB 1009 by Rep. Scott Hilton
Legislation which requires local school systems and public schools to establish policies and procedures for student use of personal electronic devices in grades nine through twelve during the school day. These policies must address device storage, communication protocols, and consequences for violations.
PASSED out of the Senate (52-0) and heads to the Governor’s desk.

HB 1112 by Rep. Carter Barrett
Legislation which allows merchants in Georgia to round the total price of goods or services to the nearest five cents when customers pay with cash (legal tender). It also specifies how to handle exact change when paying with legal tender and provides tax exemptions for any rounding gains or losses.
PASSED out of the Senate by substitute (50-0) and heads to the House for an Agree/Disagree.

SB 179 by Sen. Clint Dixon
Legislation which requires computer science courses for high school graduation starting in the 2031-2032 school year and increasing the allowable charge per student per semester for Georgia Virtual School courses from $250 to $350. It also requires local school systems to allow representatives of patriotic societies to speak with students during school hours.
The House AGREED to the Senate Amendment to the House Substitute (99-66) and heads to the Governor’s desk.

SB 427 by Sen. Ben Watson
Legislation which establishes a pathway for internationally trained physicians to obtain a limited provisional license and eventually a full license to practice medicine in Georgia. The program aims to increase access to medical care, particularly in rural areas, by allowing qualified foreign-trained doctors to practice under supervision.
The Senate AGREED to the House Substitute (46-4) and heads to the Governor’s desk.

SB 430 by Sen. Randy Robertson
Legislation which expands the definition of "tourism product development" to explicitly include military museums and other institutions dedicated to preserving military history. It also modifies procedures for changing designated non-profit organizations that promote tourism, requiring approval from the Hotel Motel Tax Performance Review Board based on specific criteria and establishing quarterly meetings for the board.
PASSED out of the House by substitute (169-0) and heads back to the Senate for an Agree/Disagree.

SB 503 by Sen. Marty Harbin
Legislation which makes several changes to Georgia's insurance laws. It exempts rental home marketplace guarantees from being considered property insurance, updates regulations for insurance fraud, and modifies provisions related to motor vehicle insurance and claims processing.
PASSED out of the House by substitute (165-2) and heads to the Senate for an Agree/Disagree.

SB 540 by Sen. Jason Anavitarte
Legislation which requires operators of "AI companion chatbots" to make clear disclosures that users are interacting with an AI, not a person, and to implement safety measures, especially for minors. It also mandates protocols for addressing severe harm and outlines enforcement by the Attorney General.
PASSED out of the House by substitute (166-0) and heads to the Senate for an Agree/Disagree.

SB 566 by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler
Legislation which revises requirements for ad valorem property tax bills and assessment notices to include more detailed information about exemptions, credits, and preferential assessments. It also amends procedures and definitions related to homestead exemptions, including how base year values are calculated and how taxpayers must report ineligibility, with penalties for failure to do so.
PASSED out of the House by substitute (161-1) and heads to the Senate for an Agree/Disagree

SB 594 by Sen. Timothy Bearden
Legislation which establishes new criminal offenses related to fraudulent election interference, the distribution of AI-generated obscene material depicting children, and digital identity fraud. It also introduces enhanced sentencing for offenses committed using artificial intelligence and requires disclaimers for AI-generated media in campaign advertisements.
PASSED out of the House by substitute (159-6) and heads to the Senate for an Agree/Disagree.
 

Next Week at the Capitol

Mon., Mar. 30 – Legislative Committee Workday
Tues., Mar. 31 – Legislative Day 39
Wed., Apr. 1 – Legislative Committee Workday
Thurs., Apr. 2 – Legislative Day 40 – SINE DIE!!!


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.