April 8, 2024 – Post Sine Die Update

As practice rounds at the Masters begin and Spring Break concludes for many, the dust is still settling under the Gold Dome upon the conclusion of the 2024 legislative session. As one member of our local delegation said to us, “I’m still trying to figure out what we did on Sine Die.” We completely understand as it was certainly one for the books as numerous bills died while others were “Frankensteined" to new levels.

Now, the Governor and his team will have 40 days to comb through the bills that made it to his desk for consideration to either be signed, vetoed or to simply go into law if he opts not to sign a measure. The deadline for Governor Kemp this year is May 7, 2024. During the 2023 – 2024 term, literally thousands of bills and resolutions were drafted, although not all were introduced and certainly not all were passed.

On what insiders term Day 39 ½, the day in between Legislative Days 39 and 40, members of the Secretary of Senate’s staff prepare copies of bills and amendments for the notebooks placed on the desks of members while Legislative Counsel keeps track of the number of bills and resolutions they have drafted.

FY 2025 Appropriations

On the final day of the session, the House and Senate agreed to the FY 2025 changes to send it on to the Governor for his consideration. Unlike Congress, items in the state budget can be line-item vetoed by the Governor. Some wins for our key priority areas include:

K-12 Education:

• $2,500 pay raise for certified teachers and staff
• $44.4 million to provide Pre-K lead and assistant teachers a $2,500 pay raise
• $19 million addition to elevate Pre-K teachers to the state salary schedule for K-12 teachers
• $1 million addition to expand the Georgia Apex program, which provides mental health services in Pre-K to 12 grades
• $6.3 million to cover the cost of breakfast and lunch for reduced-paying students
• $1 million to Communities in Schools to leverage matching grant funds
• $205 million for pupil transportation
• $109 million for school safety grants

Higher Education:

• $66 million in the University System of Georgia teaching program to restore formula earnings reduced in FY 2024
• $91.8 million for a 4% cost-of-living adjustment, not to exceed $3,000, for all full-time benefits eligible USG employees (Georgia Highlands College, Georgia, Tech, Kennesaw State University)
• $2.9 million in new formula funding due to enrollment and square footage increases across USG

Transportation:

• $2.4 million in new funding for the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB)
• $2.4 billion in funding for Georgia’s transportation infrastructure
• $43.6 million increase to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) capital programs
• $35.8 million additional to the Routine Maintenance Program

The final House and Senate Budget Agreement document can be accessed here.


Legislative Priorities

As an organization that represents the interests of businesses of all sizes, the Cobb Chamber is committed to advancing a vibrant and prosperous economy by enhancing the business climate and quality of life for Cobb County, the region, and the state. We support proposals that help enhance Cobb’s business climate and continue to bolster the state’s pro-business environment.

To read any of the bills mentioned in FTCS, simply click here and put the bill number in the “Search Legislation” window to read the current version of the bill. You can also see how the bill was voted upon by committee and chamber floor vote. Make sure to click on the “current version” as the title page may have been amended into something completely different than the original bill.

As illustrated in the Cobb Chamber’s 2024 State Legislative Agenda, bills that we engage in fall into one of five categories:

• Economic & Community Development
• Transportation, Mobility & Infrastructure Investment
• Education & Workforce Development
• Healthcare
• Continued Support for Dobbins Air Reserve Base and our Defense Community

Below are just some of the hundreds of bills we read and tracked through the 2024 legislative session.

Economic & Community Development

SB  83 – clarifies the procedures for automobile collision insurance demands and establishes guidelines for insurers to satisfy to prevent unfounded “bad faith” claims, which allows for recovery beyond the insurers’ policy limits. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

SB  362 – prohibits companies from accepting economic development incentives for new projects if they recognize union membership without first holding a secret ballot rather than a card check. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

SB 366 – Tax Expenditures Transparency Act of 2024 – increases the number of economic analyses that are conducted on tax credits and exemptions to 12 per year. It specifies that an economic analysis must be conducted on a credit or exemption if its sunset date is within two years and the credit or exemption represents a state expenditure of at least $20 million. The bill also requires the Department of Audits and Accounts to post a list of economic analyses to be conducted and establish a mechanism to collect relevant data from stakeholders. The House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee will be required to meet no later than January 31 each year to review the economic analyses completed the year before. The measure will also require the general appropriations bill to be referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee upon its first reading in the Senate and, if amended or passed by committee substitute, it would require the bill to be placed on senators’ desks at least 24 hours prior to a vote. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

SB 386 – legalizes and regulates sports betting as a lottery game underneath the Georgia Lottery Corporation. DID NOT PASS

SB 422 – to modify the percentage limitation as to the amount of the investments an electric membership corporation may make and maintain in a gas affiliate. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

SB 426 – limits the ability of a plaintiff to sue motor carriers and their insurers simultaneously. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

SB 435/SR 533 - Subject to approval of a constitutional amendment (SR 533), this bill creates the statutory framework for Community Development Districts (CDDs) to build and maintain public infrastructure and to levy ad valorem tax to bond and to pay for such infrastructure. DID NOT PASS

SB 472 – amends the "Combating Organized Retail Crime Act" that passed during the 2023 legislative session and was supported under the Cobb Chamber’s legislative priorities. This is cleanup legislation needed after its first year of implementation. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

SR 538 – authorizes a constitutional amendment to legalize sports betting and casino gambling. DID NOT PASS

SR 579 – authorizes a constitutional amendment to legalize sports betting and use the proceeds for pre-k and HOPE scholarships. DID NOT PASS

HB 30 – defines the term “antisemitism,” adds the term to the hate crimes statute, and requires state agencies to consider antisemitism for acts of discrimination. SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR

HB  808 – raises the sales tax exemption threshold of tangible personal property from $7,500 to $20,000. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB  1015 – accelerates the reduction of the state’s personal income tax by ten basis points to 5.39%, effective for the 2024 tax year. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 1019 – increases the statewide homestead exemption from $2,000 to $4,000, the first increase since 1978. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB  1023 – reduces the state’s flat corporate income tax rate from 5.75% to match the personal income tax rate. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 1114 – directs the Insurance Commissioner to collect and analyze anonymous data from insurers related to tort-related risks. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 1180 – amends the film tax credit by limiting transferable credits, increasing criteria required to receive an additional 10% “uplift”, and altering the aggregation rules for qualifying projects. DID NOT PASS

HB 1181 – reduces the carryforward period on several tax incentives and adds or moves the sunset date for several incentives to 2029. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 1192 – enacts a two-year suspension of the sales tax exemption on equipment purchased for use in hyperscale or multi-tenant data centers. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 1267/HR 598 – moves the Georgia Tax Tribunal into the judicial branch and renames it Georgia Tax Court, subject to passage of a constitutional amendment in November 2024. The constitutional amendment will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot while the enabling legislation is AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 1371 – limits the liability of owners/occupiers of land if a third party contributes to a claimant’s injury and provides for apportionment of fault. DID NOT PASS

Transportation, Mobility & Infrastructure Investment

HB 617 – directs the Georgia Department of Transportation planning division to develop a statewide freight and logistics implementation plan. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 915 and 916 – the amended FY 2024 and FY 2025 budget – see highlights above. SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR and AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 1358 – abolishes the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority and Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and transfers all assets, obligations, duties, powers, property, and employees to the State Road and Tollway Authority.  DID NOT PASS

Education & Workforce Development

SB 26– authorizes workforce boards and other agencies to conduct meetings via teleconference. SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR

SB 157 – requires transparency in occupational licensing for applicants with a criminal background who have lived in Georgia for at least five years. DID NOT PASS

SB 233 – establishes state-funded promise scholarship accounts for participating students and allows funds appropriated to elementary and secondary education to be used for pre-k capital outlay projects. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

SB 440 – simplifies dual enrollment processes into a single pathway called Accelerated Career and clarifies two defined diploma tracks for students: general diploma and Accelerated Career diploma. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

SB 497 – incentivizes employers to hire apprentices and provide work-based learning opportunities in high-demand career fields. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

SB 351 – creates a model program in the Department of Education to establish methods for responsible digital citizenship and the safe and appropriate use of technology, social media, and the internet. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 926 – Second Chance Workforce Act - provides for the waiving of fees to reinstate a driver’s license when appropriate and allows for a license suspended due to missing a court date to be reinstated when the court date has been rescheduled. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB  982 – requires the State Workforce Development Board to develop, approve and annually publish a High-Demand Career List identifying those careers most critical to the state’s current and future workforce needs. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 1021 increases the child tax deduction from $3,000 to $4,000 per child. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 1027 – requires that students complete at least one computer science course to graduate high school. DID NOT PASS

Healthcare

HB 1339 – changes the certificate of need process for counties with fewer than 50,000 people and establishes a commission tasked with reporting on issues related to access and quality of healthcare for low-income and uninsured populations. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

Continued Support for Dobbins Air Reserve Base and our Defense Community

SB 398 – makes enhancements to the Georgia Joint Defense Commission by moving it administratively to the state office of Economic Development and expands the mission of the commission to “military, the defense industry, defense research and technology, military families, and veterans’ affairs.” In addition, it increases the number of appointees to the commission by adding the Chancellor of the University System, a representative from either the public or private sector in military or defense research and a representative from the defense industry contractor. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 880 – allows military spouses to use an existing license in good standing from another state to obtain employment in an expedited manner. Service member is defined as an active or reserve member of the armed forces, including the National Guard. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

HB 995 - administration of a nationally recognized multiple-aptitude battery assessment that predicts success in the military (i.e. Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)) is administered during normal school hours and shall be made available school and system wide. All students enrolled in grades 11 & 12 shall have the opportunity to participate in the assessment at least once. AWAITING THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

With Gratitude

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again, working down at the State Capitol is a team sport. At the Cobb Chamber, we are grateful for our partnerships that extend through our Government Affairs Committee Chaired by Hillary Thrower (The Home Depot) and Bert Reeves (Georgia Tech) as its Vice Chair. Other key members of the group include Ashley Jenkins and Will Albers (Gas South), Julia Ayers (Comcast), Michael Wall (Aaron’s), Trey Paris (Freeman Mathis Decisions), Greg Teague (Croy Engineering), Casey Tanner (Kennesaw State University), Andrew Dill (Lockheed Martin), Stephen Vault (Wellstar), Joseph Santoro (Council for Quality Growth), and our partners at the Technology Association of Georgia, Regional Business Coalition of Metropolitan Atlanta, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Our final issue of the 2024 session will be published on or before May 7, when the Governor has fulfilled his duty of reviewing, signing or vetoing legislation. 

For an archive of previous From the Capitol Steps editions covering the 2024 Legislative Session, click here.

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.