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Legislative Watch

Georgia State Senate – 3.12.2025 Committee Meetings

By March 23, 2025No Comments

On March 12, 2025, the following Georgia State Senate committees met to discuss bills to potentially advance:

Select the associated links to read each bill in full.

Economic Development and Tourism

HB 159

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), would change the aggregate cap for the Georgia Housing Finance Authority from $3 billion outstanding bonds to $6 billion. 

The bill will return to the committee at a later date.

HB 475

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), cleans up outdated language to ensure long-term viability, applicability, and stability of the film tax credit and clarifies that the Department of Economic Development has the authority to communicate rules and regulations regarding which types and distribution methods qualify for the film tax credit. 

The bill will return to the committee at a later date.

HB 233

This bill makes Brunswick stew the official state stew of Georgia. 

The bill will return to the committee at a later date.

HB 14

This bill makes cornbread the official state bread of Georgia.

The bill will return to the committee at a later date.

HB 74

This bill concerns the Class A and Class B Coin Operated Amusement Machines (COAMs) industry in Georgia. Under the Administrative Procedures Act, any state agency or quasi agency must advertise if they are passing a new rule or regulation and open it for public comment. They must also report any changes to the Georgia House of Representatives and State Senate committees. A scrivener’s error removed the need to report changes to the General Assembly; this bill aims to correct that.

The bill will return to the committee at a later date.

HB 360

This bill allows entities that have applied to rehabilitate historic structures in 2027, 2028, and 2029 in downtown Atlanta to receive their tax credits for these projects early as long as they have a certificate of occupancy by 2026.

The bill will return to the committee at a later date.

Science and Technology

HB 147

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), would require an inventory of artificial intelligence systems used by state agencies. The inventory includes the name and description of the system, the system’s use, and any impact assessments made prior to implementation. In addition to the inventory, this bill would require policies and procedures be developed concerning the development, procurement, implementation, utilization, and ongoing assessment of artificial intelligence systems used by state agencies.

The bill will return to the committee for further discussion.

Ethics

HB 414

This bill is a bipartisan bill seeking to cure an issue related to government transparency and campaign finance, to enable the State Ethics Commission to investigate persons not residing in Georgia and to obtain documentation and information located out of state.  

This proposed amendment would allow the Commission to request documents and information from a person who is out-of-state; if that person refuses to comply, the Commission could petition the superior court to order that the documentation or information be provided. It would require the superior court to issue such an order if the court determines the documentation or information is pertinent or necessary to further the investigation or enforcement action. It also provides that if the candidate or public official at issue is not a Georgia resident, the venue for proceedings will be Fulton County.

The bill passed committee.

HB 426

This bill would amend the statute related to magistrate courts to provide for nonpartisan elections of magistrates throughout Georgia. The intention is to maintain the appearance of impartiality. A companion bill also provides for nonpartisan elections for all probate judges. If both bills pass, there will be no more partisan elections of judges in Georgia.  (There was a side discussion of the desirability of also making all sheriff and district attorney elections nonpartisan.)

The bill passed committee.

Banking and Financial Institutions

HB 240

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), is designed to ban trigger leads when a lender pulls a consumer credit card report for a mortgage application. Typically, consumers start receiving messages from solicitors and could be deceived into believing this solicitor is with their chosen lender when that could not be the case. This can lead to privacy invasion and the capture of personal information. 

The bill passed committee. 

HB 241

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), provides regulatory clarity for certain types of earned wage access (EWA), which allows workers to access their pay while they earn it rather than waiting until payday, and enhances consumer protection. HB 241 aims to create these EWA guidelines for providers that offer their services as loans, allowing these providers to fall under the existing lending statutes and ensuring these providers comply with established law. The bill permits a convenience fee of up to $5.

The bill passed committee. 

HB 377

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), relates to manufactured housing, titles for which are typically issued by the state similar to a motor vehicle to show ownership; any lien holder is also included on this certificate because these homes can be moved. The law is unclear whether these homes become real estate when placed on land. This bill allows these owners to surrender their certificate of title and record a certificate of permanent location in the real estate records to be deemed real estate. Any lien will remain. 

The bill passed committee. 

Education and Youth

HB 105

This bill would increase the indemnification of the estates of public school personnel killed in the line of duty, such as by a mass shooter, to $150,000 from the current $75,000.  The amount has not been increased since 2001. This bill would bring that indemnification in line with that for law enforcement officers’ estates.  

The bill passed committee.

HB 235

This bill would require that employers of public school teachers and of employees of state post-secondary schools provide those employees up to 7-day leaves of absences to donate bone marrow and up to 30-day leaves of absence to donate organs, all with no loss of paid leave time or tenure, provided the employee submits medical documentation at least 7 days prior to the leave of absence.  

The bill passed committee.

State and Local Governmental Operations

HB 614

This bill will allow a city or county to adopt a local ordinance to prohibit fireworks within 200 yards of a commercial facility housing confined horses.

The bill passed committee. 

HB 516

This bill will allow county and regional library boards to conduct meetings through teleconferencing; current law only allows statewide agencies to meet remotely. This bill intends to address the issue of recruiting library trustees, as this issue has been exacerbated due to the traveling distances required for in-person meetings. 

The bill was tabled. 

HB 137

This bill increases the Public Works purchasing limit that triggers mandatory bidding from $100,000 to $250,000, which has been in place since 2001 and has never been adjusted. This adjustment is based on inflationary factors. The bill covers municipalities, local governments, county commissions, and state agencies.

The bill passed committee. 

HB 155

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), relates to the annexation-dispute resolution process, specifically issues regarding filling arbitration panels. It aims to prevent annexations from ending in a non-appointment of an arbitration panel that results in being referred to the judicial system. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will be able to more easily create these panels by giving the DCA the option to use county managers and administrators as well as city managers and administrators as long as they meet certain qualifications. 

The bill passed committee.

Judiciary

HB 86

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), changes the pay structure for various state judges to impose a more hierarchical pay structure.

The bill passed committee. 

HB 161

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), would expand the crimes for which the Georgia Bureau of Investigations can issue an administrative subpoena to obtain the subscriber information from a telecommunications company.

The bill passed committee.

HB 270

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), cleans up inconsistencies in Georgia Code regarding the issuance of summons. The court can currently grant and issue a summons to the sheriff, their deputy, or a lawful constable of the involved county.

The bill passed committee. 

HB 392

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), will clean up the language regarding 2024’s constitutional amendment that moved the tax tribunal to the judicial branch from the executive branch. 

The bill passed committee. 

HB 483

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), provides protections for inspectors of code enforcement by enhancing penalties for specific assault and battery crimes committed upon inspectors of code enforcement in certain circumstances.

The bill passed committee. 

HB 618

This bill will require sellers of residential property to make disclosures regarding flood damage and any history of flood damage about a property they are attempting to sell. By law, renters are currently given this kind of disclosure, so this bill would offer that same potential oversight to potential homeowners. This bill would be revising the Fair Business Practices Act of 1975.

The bill will return to the committee for further discussion.

Transportation

HB 575

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), requires a public hearing for transportation development plans that require Department of Transportation authorizations. The bill gives the Department the ability to negotiate with condominium associations for common areas, codifies a program to pay bonuses to get disabled or abandoned large vehicles off the roadway, and allows the department head to get started on utilities work with a written agreement. 

The committee did not vote at this time.

HB 58

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), would not allow unmanned aircrafts to fly over ticketed event zones with exceptions and provides a 400 ft buffer from the event location, aligning with existing FAA practices. An amendment removed a fireworks event from the definition of a ticketed event.

The bill as amended passed committee.

HB 156

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), would allow for vertiports to be recognized as a general aviation facility under the definition of a “landing field”. This designation would allow general aviation facilities to receive federal grants.

The bill passed committee.

HB 164

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), removes a sunset clause from a previous bill that raised truck weight to 88,000 pounds. 

The bill passed committee.

Public Safety Committee

HB 283

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), is designed to reduce negative encounters between law enforcement and citizens, save taxpayer dollars, free up law enforcement for more high-priority calls, and ensure everyone goes home at the end of the night. If a citizen refuses to sign the ticket after being pulled over, the officer is allowed to write “refused to sign the ticket” and leave the scene without any further conflicts. This also allows the officer to avoid arresting the citizen and lets the county avoid spending taxpayer dollars to jail the citizen.

The bill passed committee. 

HB 494

This bill requires mopeds to be covered by insurance.

The bill passed committee. 

HB 549

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), expands the time frame for which an organization can seek reimbursement for training from a peace officer or their subsequent employers. Currently, reimbursement is required if the officer is hired by another agency within 15 months after the officer completes mandated training; this bill increases that to 36 months. Eligible expenses include equipment and materials, housing and transportation costs incurred during training, the officer’s salary during basic training, and up to 90 days of salary paid during the office’s field training. 

The bill passed committee.

Agriculture and Consumer Affairs

HB 495

This bill, discussed previously seeks to move the Rural Prosperity and Innovation Center from under the University System of Georgia to the Department of Agriculture. 

The bill passed committee. 

HB 398

This bill allows cottage food operators to expand their small businesses. These individuals must currently get a license through the Department of Agriculture and can only sell their products to the consumer directly. This bill seeks to open an avenue to allow these cottage food operators to sell to a third party vendor so that the vendor can sell to retail stores, grocery stores, or restaurants. 

The bill passed committee. 

HB 331

This bill aims to ban people from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits in parking lots. This bill will ban the sale of animals in parking lots, on the side of the road, and in popup flea markets unless the seller has a license through the Department of Agriculture. Animals may be given away for free at these locations but not in exchange for money. If someone is caught selling six dogs in one day, this will constitute their first, second, third, and additional offenses, and they will be fined accordingly. 

The bill passed committee. 

Finance

HB 111

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), aims to accelerate the income tax cut schedule as voted on in previous years. The income tax for 2025 would be 5.19% allowing the state to reach a 4.99% tax rate by 2027.

The bill passed committee. 

HB 112

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), a one-time tax credit for taxpayers who filed returns for both 2023 and 2024. The credit will be $500 for those filing jointly, $375 for head of households, and $150 for individual filing.

The bill passed committee. 

HB 165

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), would provide victims of hurricane Helene a one time tax deduction of $500. 

The bill passed committee. 

HB 266

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), will allow all military retirement income to be free of state income tax. Previous versions of the bill had escalations that did not fully exempt it from income tax.

The bill passed committee. 

HB 511

This bill, discussed previously (see HERE), aims to allow individuals to reduce their taxable income by way of a Catastrophic Savings Account (CSA), which can be used when a declared catastrophic event occurs. 

The bill passed committee.

Health and Human Services

HB 329

This bill will expand access to fertility care in Georgia by allowing advanced practice providers such as Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants to perform inseminations. This will increase provider availability and decrease the financial burden and wait times on Georgia families. 

The bill passed committee. 

HB 506

This bill would provide Medicaid coverage for tobacco cessation treatments. The change has the potential to reduce the number of citizens who require Medicaid for lung issues.

The bill passed committee.

HB 584

This bill will change the governing body of the Heath Care Facility Regulation division from the Department of Community Health to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. The change would reassign management of licensing and oversight of drug abuse treatment and education programs, narcotic treatment programs, community living arrangements, and adult residential mental health. This change will better align programs at the state and federal level.

The bill passed committee.

HB 645

This bill removes the requirement for senior living homes, assisted living homes, and long-term care facilities to test new residents and new staff members for COVID-19.

The bill passed committee.