North Gwinnett News

Lawmakers in Georgia convened for legislative days 14-17 this week. Governor Kemp's tort reform bills, SB 68 and SB 69, moved forward from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. SB 68 proposes comprehensive changes to Georgia’s tort laws, including anchoring, premise liability, seatbelt admissibility, and special damages. It also includes an exception for human trafficking victims seeking to file claims. SB 69 focuses on third-party litigation funding, aiming to prevent hostile foreign adversaries from financing lawsuits against Georgia companies for intellectual property or political gains. These measures may be presented before the full senate next week.

In parallel, committee and subcommittee hearings continue for the Fiscal Year 26 Budget in the House and Amended Fiscal Year 25 Budget in the Senate. The session will resume for legislative days 18-21 starting Tuesday.

Several bills are currently under observation:

HB 34 by Rep. Dale Washburn aims to create a solution for tracking compliance with continuing education requirements of professional licenses. It passed out of the House Regulated Industries Committee.

HB 92 by Rep. Shaw Blackmon seeks to delay when local governing authorities can opt out of base year homestead exemption; it passed out of the Ways and Means Committee.

HB 111 by Governor’s Floor Leader Soo Hong proposes reducing the state income tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19%, with further annual reductions until reaching 4.99%. This bill passed out of the Ways and Means Committee.

HB 112 by Governor’s Floor Leader Lauren McDonald III suggests a one-time tax credit for Georgia taxpayers who filed returns in 2023 and 2024: $250 for single filers, $500 for married filing jointly, and $375 for heads of households. The bill passed out of the Ways and Means Committee.

HB 113 by Governor’s Floor Leader Lauren McDonald III would prohibit state agencies from purchasing goods from foreign companies or countries of concern; it passed out of the House Government Affairs Committee.

HB 137 by Rep. Victor Anderson proposes increasing bid limits for public works projects from $100,000 to $250,000; it passed in the House with a vote of 152-9.

HB 147 by Rep. Brad Thomas allows the Georgia Technology Authority to annually inventory artificial intelligence usage by state agencies; it cleared the House Technology and Infrastructure Innovation Committee.

HB 168 by Rep. Mitchell Horner requires a local Act by the General Assembly to reimpose a county SPLOST; it is assigned to the House Mays and Means Committee.

HB 230 by Rep. Yasmin Neal offers a tax credit up to 20% on eligible construction expenses for single-family homes costing $200,000 or less; it's assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee.

SB 28 “Red Tape Rollback Act of 2025” sponsored by Sen. Greg Dolezal aims at streamlining regulatory processes while enhancing oversight over rule-making procedures; it's assigned to Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee.

SB 34 sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler mandates electric utilities charge commercial data centers based on their energy consumption rather than passing costs onto general customers; it's under review in Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee.

SB37 “AI Accountability Act” sponsored by Sen John Albers requires government entities develop AI system usage plans while establishing Georgia Board For Artificial Intelligence—assigned within Senate Economic Development & Tourism committee jurisdiction

SB79 “Fentanyl Eradication And Removal Act” proposed By Senator Russ Goodman intensifies penalties associated with fentanyl-related offenses—reviewed presently inside Judiciary division

SB89 authored By Brian Strickland augments childcare expense-related credits alongside introducing fresh ones benefiting families/employers offering such services—it progressed beyond Finance division recently

Finally SR131 introduced By Carden Summers necessitates constitutional amendment legalizing sports betting/casino gambling whose proceeds support counties/addiction prevention programs respectively—currently evaluated through Regulated Industries/Utilities pathway