North Gwinnett News

Lawmakers in Georgia gathered for legislative days 18-21, marking the halfway point of this year's session. With six legislative days remaining before Crossover Day, the Senate spent two hours debating SB 68, a bill on lawsuit reform prioritized by Governor Brian Kemp. Senator Bo Hatchett introduced an amendment allowing juries to hear both original billed charges and actual amounts paid by insurance. The bill passed with a vote of 33-21.

Several bills are currently under consideration:

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

HB 82, known as the "Georgia Guest Worker Act" and sponsored by Matt Reeves, proposes a guest worker program to address labor shortages. It is assigned to the House Committee on Industry and Labor.

HB 92, sponsored by Rep. Shaw Blackmon, seeks to delay the date when local authorities can opt out of base year homestead exemption. It passed in the House with a vote of 173-1 and now moves to the Senate.

Governor's Floor Leader Soo Hong sponsors HB 111, which would reduce the state income tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19%, with further reductions planned annually until it reaches 4.99%. This bill has cleared the Ways and Means Committee.

HB 112 offers a one-time tax credit for taxpayers who filed returns in 2023 and 2024, providing $250 for single filers and $500 for married couples filing jointly. Sponsored by Lauren McDonald III, it also passed out of committee.

Another bill from McDonald III, HB 113, prohibits state agencies from purchasing goods from foreign companies or countries of concern and has been approved by the House Government Affairs Committee.

Rep. Victor Anderson's HB 137 proposes increasing bid limits for public works projects from $100,000 to $250,000; it has moved forward in the Senate after passing in the House.

HB 147 allows annual inventory checks on artificial intelligence usage by state agencies; it passed unanimously in the House under Rep. Brad Thomas's sponsorship.

Other notable bills include SB 12 on open records requests and SB 28 aimed at streamlining regulatory processes; both have progressed through their respective committees.

Senator John Albers sponsors SBs focused on AI accountability (SB 37) and consumer privacy protection (SB 111), each advancing through committee stages.

The regulation of sports betting is addressed in SBs sponsored by Senators Billy Hickman (SB 208) and Carden Summers (SR 131), proposing taxation frameworks and constitutional amendments respectively.