2026 Legislative Session: Week 7 Review from Rep. Bruce Williamson

Dear Friends,

Legislation Week 7 has now concluded. This week, the House approved several bills, including the Amended Fiscal Year Budget, income tax relief, the Insurance Affordability & Claims Integrity Act, and the Georgia Early Literacy Act, among others. These laws are focused on supporting hardworking Georgians facing affordability challenges and improving education.

This upcoming week marks an important date: Crossover Day. On Friday, March 6th, legislation must pass its respective chamber and “crossover” to the other to have a chance at becoming law. The House will work until midnight on Friday to process as much legislation as possible.

Before I discuss the newsletter, I want to say it’s been an honor to serve the people of House District 112. As the 2026 election approaches, I am declaring my intention to seek re-election. It has been a privilege to earn your trust and serve at the Capitol. In my time in office, I have promoted policies benefiting Georgia families, including lowering taxes and regulations, enhancing education, and bolstering public safety. Across the state, Republican leadership has helped Georgia navigate many challenges, from natural disasters to misguided federal policies. I take pride in contributing to Georgia’s resilience during these times. I would appreciate your continued support as we work together to achieve positive outcomes for our community.

Amended Fiscal Year 2026 Budget

The House passed the 2026 Amended Fiscal Year Budget. This fulfills our constitutional duty to pass a balanced budget each year. HB 973 includes a revised revenue estimate of $43.6 billion. The bill prioritizes taxpayer relief by providing $2 billion in income and property tax relief. It also allocates $325 million to the Georgia Student Finance Commission for the new need-based DREAMS scholarship program, $600 million to provide state employees with a one-time $2,000 salary supplement, $400 million to construct a new state mental health hospital, and $250 million for local road improvements.

Income Tax Relief

House Bill 1001, which proposes to accelerate the state income tax reduction by another two basis points from 5.19 percent to 4.99 percent, effective July 1, 2026. From Speaker Burn’s press release, “No one knows how to spend their money better than the ones who earned it. That’s why the Georgia House was proud to pass another historic income tax reduction, which would keep millions of dollars in the pockets of hardworking Georgians,” said House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington). “This is just one of the measures the General Assembly is considering to deliver meaningful tax relief for families, taxpayers, and homeowners across the state. We look forward to working alongside Governor Kemp and our colleagues in the Senate to ensure Georgians can keep more of their money where it belongs—in their pockets.

Insurance Affordability & Claims Integrity Act

The House has passed insurance reform. This will increase fines for bad actors, enforce uninsured motorists laws, crack down on insurance fraud, and tighten insurance processing after storms. The House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Insurance Rates met over the summer and worked alongside Insurance Commissioner John King to draft the following legislation. This legislation will further stabilize Georgia’s insurance market and provide relief to ratepayers.

Insurance costs have risen by about 60% nationwide since 2020, placing a significant financial strain on Georgia drivers, homeowners, and ratepayers. Fortunately for Georgia, since the passage of tort reform in 2025, the following insurance companies have reduced their rates: State Farm, Liberty Mutual, Safeco, Southern General, Progressive, Hanover, Go Auto, Allstate, and Country Mutual. Two new insurance companies have reentered the market, American Integrity and Donegal. But there is more work to be done.

HB 1344, The Insurance Affordability & Claims Integrity Act

Increase nearly 40 insurance fines in Georgia’s insurance code.
Strengthens enforcement of uninsured motorist laws
Cracks down on insurance fraud.
Implements the Fortified Homes Program to shore up homes against storm damage.

HB 1274, Excess Auto Insurance Profits Act

If a company profits 5% above expected profit for 3 straight years, it must file a rate decrease.
Florida and several other states do this, and in one case, it reduced rates by $1 billion for a single company.

HB 1262, Fine Increase Bill

Surprise Billing, Mental Health, and General Fine authority is increased from $2,000 to $10,000 and from $10,000 to $25,000

HB 1263, The Premium Tax Clawback Act

Currently, insurance companies can pursue refunds for premium tax payment “errors” over long periods of time. This bill shortens the clawback period to 3 years.

Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026

The Georgia Early Literacy Act, HB 1193, was passed by the House. This marks the largest education initiative since the passage of the HOPE scholarship. This bill will allocate funding through the Quality Basic Education funding formula to provide literacy coaches for every public school, ensuring that every student is reading at grade level by grade 3. The literacy coaches would be certified teachers holding a literacy coaching endorsement from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. The literacy coaches will implement teaching standards based on the science of reading professional development standards

Legislation Successfully Passed by the House

The Math Matters Act, HB 1030, requires all students who test at the end of 7th grade as “Distinguished” learners to be automatically placed in an Enhanced Math class. It requires 60 minutes of math instruction time for students in grades 4 and 5. It will allow students and their parents to decide whether to opt out of advanced math classes, ensuring this choice isn’t determined solely by the teacher.

The Excellent Teacher Preparation Act, HB 1107, will prepare teachers with the right tools to teach literacy and math. This bill requires the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to publish standardized performance measures, including enrollment requirements, completion and retention rates, graduate and employer surveys, and student performance. This data will be available to the public while protecting privacy and ensuring transparency. This bill will also require the Board of Regents to review performance data annually and determine whether any intervention is necessary in the schools of education.

The Distraction-Free Education Act, HB 1009, builds on last year’s cell phone ban in schools by extending it to high schools. Students with an IEP or medical plan will be able to access devices as necessary.

School Safety, HB 1023, will require local school boards to implement one or more weapon detection systems at all main points of entry for permanent school buildings in Georgia’s public schools to prevent individuals from unlawfully bringing weapons onto school campuses.

Expanding Access to After-School Programs, HB 1123, will expand access to after-school programs to help working families. Public schools that offer after-care programs to students in kindergarten, primary, or upper elementary grades and that also operate pre-K programs will be required to make those programs available to pre-K students on the same basis.