Last week, the Georgia House of Representatives returned to the Gold Dome on Monday, March 3rd, kicking off the busiest week of the 2025 legislative session so far. Thursday, March 6th marked Crossover Day, a critical deadline for legislation to move from one chamber to the other. The House worked late into the evening, passing a record 75 bills and resolutions on Crossover Day alone that are now awaiting consideration in the Senate. With many pieces of legislation to consider, it was a week of intense activity and crucial decision-making as we worked to ensure that we had every opportunity to advance sound legislation to address the pressing needs of our state and its citizens.
We began the week by fulfilling our constitutional duty with the final passage of House Bill 67, the Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) 2025 budget, which largely prioritizes recovery efforts in the wake of the catastrophic Hurricane Helene. Set by a revenue estimate of $40.5 billion, including $2.7 billion in surplus funds, the budget provides a $4.4 billion increase, or 12.2 percent, over the original Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget.
A key focus in the Georgia House last week was prioritizing the state’s education system, safeguarding Georgia’s children and enhancing school safety. As a result, the House passed House Bill 268, a comprehensive measure aimed at improving the safety, health, and well-being of students and school communities across Georgia. HB 268 would empower Georgia schools to be better prepared for emergencies, giving families peace of mind knowing that their children are safe at school and that comprehensive and effective plans are in place to protect and provide support services to Georgia’s students.
As the House prioritized public safety in schools, we also took up a bipartisan measure aimed at incentivizing safe, responsible firearm storage through the passage of House Bill 79, the Firearm Safe Handling and Secure Storage Tax Credit Act. This bill would introduce new provisions under Georgia law, offering taxpayers a credit of up to $300 for eligible expenses related to firearm safety training and secure storage devices. HB 79 would outline a clear path toward creating safer homes and communities across Georgia, reduce preventable tragedies and provide a cost-saving incentive for Georgians.
In an effort to improve our state’s criminal justice system, the House unanimously passed House Bill 123, which would eliminate the death penalty as a punishment when sentencing individuals who have intellectual disabilities (ID). HB 123 has been a longstanding priority in the House, reflecting a continued effort to create a fairer and just criminal justice system.
We also passed legislation to improve maternal health outcomes with House Bill 89, which would enhance oversight and coordination of maternal care services. It is critical, especially for mothers in underserved communities, to receive the care and support they need to successfully care for themselves and their babies.
The House fulfilled one of Governor Kemp’s legislative priorities this session with the passage of House Bill 112, which would provide a one-time income tax refund for taxpayers who filed returns for both the 2023 and 2024 tax years. With an estimated total distribution of $7.6 million, the measure underscores the House’s commitment to returning taxpayers’ hard-earned money back into their pockets.
The House also unanimously passed House Bill 262, a necessary measure to strengthen the resilience of Georgia’s healthcare infrastructure, by creating a grant program to acquire and install backup generators for affected rural hospitals – acute care hospitals located in rural counties with fewer than 100 beds and located in any region where the governor declared a state of emergency after July 1, 2024. In response to vulnerabilities exposed by Hurricane Helene and other recent storms in our state, this legislation would ensure that rural healthcare facilities can continue to operate and provide uninterrupted essential medical services during power outages.
House Bill 465 also passed unanimously in the House last week and aims to protect missing individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). HB 465, the Autism Missing Person Alert System Act, would add ASD to the list of conditions eligible for triggering the Mattie’s Call state-wide alert system. The unanimous passage of HB 465 reflects a strong commitment to enhancing safety and support for individuals with autism and their families.
My colleagues and I also passed legislation this week to reform school-zone speed enforcement by implementing greater transparency and a fairer citation process. House Bill 651 would limit automated speed camera operation to a four-hour window around school starting and dismissal times and enforce a 10-mph buffer above the school-zone speed limit before a citation is issued. Alternatively, the House also passed House Bill 225, which would remove automated school-zone speed cameras altogether, with the goal of outright banning unjust citations. The House sent both bills to the Senate for its consideration in hopes that at least one of the two bills will receive final passage to address the House’s desire to reform this practice.
The Georgia House of Representatives will reconvene at the State Capitol on Monday, March 10th for Legislative Day 29. With Crossover Day behind us, the House will now begin to consider legislation that passed in the Senate and vice versa. With Sine Die approaching on April 4th, I encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns about the bills currently under consideration. Please feel free to schedule a phone call or visit the State Capitol so we can discuss the issues that matter most to you and your family.
