From the State House to the White House
April 10, 2025 – Issue 13: Sine Die Edition, Part 2

It’s hard to believe that a week has passed since the General Assembly adjourned Sine Die. When we published our report on Friday, April 4, despite hallway rumors of an early evening adjournment, we were certain we would be under the Gold Dome well past midnight. However, if you followed us on social media, you witnessed the same surprise we did with the sneaky Sine Die in the Senate shortly after 9 p.m. and the House not long after 10:30 p.m. Many measures were left on the table, frozen in time until January 12, 2026, when the General Assembly reconvenes for the second year of the biennium.

Although the General Assembly is considered a part-time job for lawmakers, the work continues year-round for legislators, lobbyists, and staffers alike. The Advocacy Team at the Cobb Chamber will now pivot to welcoming the Governor and First Lady to our Marquee Tuesday on April 15, finalizing the details of the Legislative Wrap-Up Luncheon on April 24 with members of our local delegation, and preparing to follow study committees during the interim. Additionally, tracking local and federal issues continues as well. In the months ahead, if the subject line “From the Capitol Steps” finds its way to your inbox, be sure to open it for important updates that impact your business.

In This Issue:

• Federal Update
• State Legislation That Made the Finish Line
• What’s Next
• With Gratitude

NEWS OUT OF D.C.

While much of the focus out of Washington, D.C. centers on the executive branch tariff back-and-forth, last week the U.S. Senate released an updated budget resolution that sets a May 9 deadline for more than a dozen committees to approve their piece of the package that will permanently extend the GOP tax cuts and make significant reductions in federal spending.

The reconciliation budget resolutions allow the House to raise the debt limit by $4 trillion and the Senate up to $5 trillion in the reconciliation package. The tug-of-war between the two chambers continues over cuts, but some of the proposed instructions include:

House Energy and Commerce Committee: Instructed to cut at least $880 billion over 10 years. This committee oversees Medicaid, so this target has raised concerns about potential cuts to that program, though specifics remain unclear.

House Agriculture Committee: Directed to cut at least $230 billion over 10 years, likely targeting programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

House Education and Workforce Committee: Tasked with finding at least $330 billion in cuts over 10 years, potentially affecting student loan programs or other education-related spending.

House Ways and Means Committee: Instructed to propose tax legislation that could increase the deficit by up to $4.5 trillion over 10 years primarily to extend 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) tax cuts and raise the debt limit by $4 trillion. However, this is tied to a goal of $2 trillion in total mandatory spending cuts across committees, with a provision that if other committees fall short of $2 trillion, the Ways and Means deficit increase would be reduced accordingly.

Other Committees: Additional committees are collectively tasked with finding at least $1.5 trillion in cuts.

Senate Finance Committee: Instructed to reduce the deficit, though specific amounts are less detailed compared to the House. Comments from Chairman Mike Crapo suggest Medicaid could be targeted, but no exact figure like the House’s $880 billion has been widely publicized.

Senate Agriculture Committee: Also directed to cut spending, potentially affecting SNAP, though the resolution specifies a more modest overall spending cut of $342 billion balanced by $342 billion in new spending (e.g., for border and defense).

The House Armed Services Committee nor the Senate Armed Services Committee is not among those explicitly tasked with cuts at this time. The process is dynamic, with potential adjustments as negotiations between the House, Senate, and the Trump administration (which supports the House’s one-bill strategy) continue. Both chambers’ resolutions unlock reconciliation, meaning committees must draft legislation meeting these targets, which can pass with a simple majority (avoiding a Senate filibuster). The House aims for one large bill by late spring or early summer, while the Senate prefers two bills.

The Cobb Chamber continues to work with Georgia’s Congressional Delegation and U.S. Senators addressing the expiration of 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which includes R&D deductions and the 20% deduction for pass-through businesses, as well as to come to a resolution on the budget so that our businesses and military/defense community can avoid the uncertainty caused by continuing resolutions.

Pause on Tariffs

The President has put a 90-day freeze on the increased tariffs that he announced the week of March 31. However, tariffs on Chinese goods will jump to 125%. As a countermeasure, China raised its tariffs to 84% on goods coming from the U.S. In addition, China has stopped business from six American agriculture companies, including two Georgia-based poultry firms. According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, China was the state’s third-largest trading partner last year, with more than $3 billion in exports.

How is the argument on tariffs impacting your business? We want to hear from you. Please click here and send us a message, which will help us with advocating on behalf of Cobb’s businesses with members of Congress, the U.S. Senate and the federal executive branch.

UPDATE FROM THE STATE LEVEL

Legislation That Made the Final Cut:

HB 136 by Rep. Mark Newton
Expands tax credits for contributions to foster child support organizations. Additionally, the Senate Committee on Finance offered an amendment which added language from SB 89, by Sen. Brian Strickland, which increases the amount of a child care tax credit to $250 dollars per dependent under seven years old, revises a tax credit for employers providing child care, decreases the number of children who use the facility that are required to be children of employees to qualify for such credit, and increases the amount of the credit.
Senate Agreed to the House Amendment to the Senate Substitute (54-0) and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk.

HB 148 by Rep. John Carson
This bill updates Georgia's Public Accountancy Act, focusing on revising education, experience, and licensing requirements for certified public accountants (CPAs).
Passed out of the Senate (52-0) and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk.

HB 217 by Rep. Soo Hong
Legislation which modified Georgia’s Dual Achievement Program, which allows students to earn a high school diploma by completing technical college courses. This legislation changes the program from being a pilot program to a permanent state-wide program.
House agreed to the Senate amendment (143-22) and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk.

HB 153 by Rep. Beth Camp
Legislation which extends the sunset date for a and use tax exemption for maintenance and replacement parts for certain machinery or equipment used to mix or transport concrete.
Passed out of the Senate (44-7) and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk.

HB 216 by Rep. Vance Smith
This bill establishes the Georgia CHIPS and Advanced Technology Commission, a new body focused on promoting semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing in the state.
Passed out of the Senate (50-2) and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk.

HB 224 by Rep. Josh Bonner
This bill amends Georgia state law to allow the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) to construct or maintain private roads on military bases or installations under specific conditions.
Passed out of the Senate (51-0) and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk.

HB 266 by Rep. Stephen Sainz
Legislation which excludes retirement earned as income from active-duty military service up to $65,000. Prior to a House amendment the last week of session, HB 266 excluded all retirement earned from active military service from taxation, however, the new HB 266 is a compromise between the House and Senate to exclude military retired income tax up to $65,000. While this is not a full exemption, the Cobb Chamber supports this step in the right direction. The Chamber will continue to work towards 100% exclusion in the future, but we are grateful for this action by our legislature.
House agreed to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate substitute (167-0) and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk.

HB 360 by Rep. Chuck Efstration
This bill modifies the existing tax credit program for rehabilitating historic structures in Georgia by allowing taxpayers who were preapproved for tax credits in 2027 or 2028 to claim those credits in tax year 2026 under certain conditions. This legislation is critical to improving Downtown Atlanta prior to the FIFA matches in 2026.
House agreed to the Senate Amendment (158-5) and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk.

SB 125 by Sen. Larry Walker, III
This bill makes several technical amendments to Georgia's professional licensing laws, with a primary focus on decoupling the sequential order of experience and examination requirements for professional engineers and establishing a statewide continuing education tracking system.
Senate agreed to House amendment (37-14) and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk.

SB 147 by Sen. Michael “Doc” Rhett
This bill amends Georgia's correctional institution laws to provide more comprehensive support for inmates preparing for release by mandating that the department of corrections offer specific documentation and assistance to help released individuals obtain post-release employment.
Senate agreed to House amendment (51-0) and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk.

SB 193 by Sen. Matt Brass
This bill establishes an adult workforce high school diploma program administered by the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia, designed to help adults between 21 and 40 years old who lack a high school diploma complete their education.
Senate agreed to House substitute (50-1) and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk.

SB 207 by Sen. Brian Strickland
This bill modifies Georgia's firefighter certification laws by creating a pathway for individuals with certain felony convictions to potentially become certified firefighters. Specifically, the bill allows a person who has pleaded guilty under the First Offender Act and successfully completed their sentence to be considered for firefighter certification at the discretion of the council overseeing firefighter standards.
Senate agreed to House substitute (53-0) and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk.

SR 495 by Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick
HR 983 by Rep. Sharon Cooper
A resolution recognizing and honoring the life and legacy of Judge Reuben Green.
Senate read and adopted on 3/31/2025, House read and adopted on 4/4/2025.

What's Next?

Several study committee resolutions were passed and adopted during this session to, presumably, be completed by the start of the 2026 legislative session. Below is a list of the study committees that we will be interested in during the interim and if appointed, will follow:

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Every year, we remind our readers that working 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 Bert Reeves (Georgia Tech) and key members of the committee who include Ashley Jenkins and Will Albers (Gas South), Julia Ayers (Comcast), Michael Wall (Aaron’s), Trey Paris (Freeman Mathis Decisions), Greg Teague (Croy Engineering), Andrew Allison and Casey Tanner (Kennesaw State University), Will Bradley and Andrew Dill (Lockheed Martin), Stephen Vault (Wellstar), Carson Brown and Matt Yarbrough (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.

In addition, we are thankful that Coleman Loftin joined the Cobb Chamber team this past December, and successfully tackled his first legislative session with us.

Our final issue of the 2025 session will be published on or before May 14, when the Governor has fulfilled his duty of reviewing, signing or vetoing legislation.

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.