Guest Column: Legislative update from Georgia Rep. Bruce Williamson (R-Monroe)

Dear Friends,

We have completed week 8, day 28, which was Crossover Day. What is Crossover Day? It is the last day that legislation must pass its respective chamber and “crossover” to the other if it is to have a chance at becoming law this year. This year, the House addressed 75 bills on Crossover Day!

I am pleased to announce that House Bills 111 and 112 have passed in the House! These bills lower the state income tax from 5.39% to 5.19%, providing $800 million back to taxpayers. Additionally, qualifying Georgians will receive tax refunds ranging from $250 to $500 for the 2024 tax year.

Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones made this statement on the tax relief legislation: “So many family budgets are squeezed by the increasing cost of living, and for those whose homes, farms, and businesses were in the path of Helene, the past year has brought challenges and worry,” said Jones. “We’re rebating hundreds of dollars back to hard-working Georgians to cover expenses and we’re cutting tax rates moving forward because we believe people should keep more of what they earn. And we prioritized recovery payments to hard-hit counties where so many suffered terrible losses-many businesses and farmers wondering if they’d be able to survive. We stand with them as they build back.

“I’m also pleased to announce that my House Bill 586 has successfully passed the House! This bill holds significant importance for both the banking industry and small businesses. It simplifies the lending process for banks and helps save business owners money!

Prioritizing School Saftey, HB 268, Passes the House!

House Republicans have worked to enhance school security across this state. In this session, we have focused on advancing measures to keep students safe by improving inter-agency communications, providing additional mental health resources, and enhancing detection technology. This bill also safeguards parental rights, maintains student privacy, and mitigates the risk of government overreach.

On the passage of the bill, Speaker Burns said, “As the husband of a teacher and the grandfather of students, school safety is personal to me, as it is to millions of our fellow Georgians,” said Speaker Jon Burns. “I have no doubt that the legislation we’ve passed to require the transfer of records from school to school of students who score high for behavioral risks, to provide for more counseling services and to fund school security grants will save precious lives. We are protecting our future, and I believe this is the most consequential legislation we’ll pass this session. It’s a great day to be a Georgian.”

House Bill 268 includes:

1. Requires collaboration and effort from state agencies, school systems, and law enforcement.

2. Requires the sharing of records between school systems and agencies.

3. Transferring students must provide all academic and disciplinary records before enrolling or allow the student to request schools attended by the student within the past two years to provide all academic and disciplinary records within five days of the request.

Since this bill requires schools to share disciplinary records when a student transfers, there are protections in place to ensure that a record of behavioral threat assessment does not have negative implications on a student’s short or long-term success. Only students who meet specific behavioral threat assessment criteria will have an S3 record.
This bill protects parental rights by allowing for a process to reconsider an S3 entry and potentially reverse a behavioral risk determination. Student privacy is also protected by moving specific behavioral threat assessments from students’ educational records. The existence of an S3 record would not impact scholarships, college acceptance, etc., because it is not a part of their education record. A parent can request the S3 record of their child

4. Creates a “qualified mental health coordinator” and grants to local school systems to hire them. The coordinator will help the local school system identify and facilitate interventions with students at risk for mental health concerns.

5. Requires that students in the 6th grade and above have an hour of suicide awareness and prevention training as well as one hour of youth violence prevention training annually.

6. Schools are required to adopt the use of an anonymous reporting app that meets specific standards. At a minimum, there should be a 24/7 anonymous reporting application and a multilingual crisis center.

7. This bill requires a structured, multidisciplinary process to identify, assess, and mitigate potential threats while supporting the safety and well-being of students and staff. GEMA will procure and manage the School and Student Safety Database (S3 Database). This system is designed to collect, integrate, and analyze data related to student behaviors that may pose threats. This system will help local school systems make informed decisions about threats and coordinate intervention services for at-risk students.

8. HB 268 increases penalties for terroristic threats. Schools must suspend and provide counseling to students who make credible threats.

Students will maintain their free speech and do not have to worry about what they say online, on the school bus, in the classroom, etc. The Behavioral Threat Assessment Management (BTAM) team will investigate and provide an impartial analysis of students who are on a pathway to violence; each legitimate threat assessment can remain impartial. Parents also have the right to a process that allows for the removal of unfounded behavioral threat assessments.

This legislation is now in the Senate for their consideration. We will work with our Senate counterparts to provide the best solutions to ensure our children learn and grow in a safe environment.

Governor Kemp Signs the 2025 Supplemental Budget

This week, Governor Kemp signed the 2025 Supplemental Budget, which provides tax relief, assists victims recovering from Hurricane Helene, allocates funds for school safety, and much more.

Here are some highlights from House Bill 67:

Provides $145 million to be added to the Governor’s Emergency Fund to continue the state’s emergency response efforts related to Hurricane Helene.
Provides $150 million in additional funds to provide disaster relief assistance to farmers and timber producers.
Provides $501 million to the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to support the development and construction of additional surface water resources for Georgia’s coastal region to meet demand.
Provides an additional $114 million to the Department of Education for the increase in students over last year. It also gives funds to charter schools and the Special Needs Scholarship.
Start-up grants to the Summer Food Service Program in underserved areas.
Shores up to state employee retirement system, which will provide greater COLA benefits to retirees.
Provides $333 million for the Department of Corrections to make infrastructure safety, security, and technology upgrades.
$53 million in one-time funds for additional school security grants to K-12 public schools to improve school safety.

Additional Highlights

In The News:

The House addressed 75 pieces of legislation on Crossover Day. I have highlighted a few that you will find interesting.

Distraction Free Education Act: HB 340 requires local school systems to implement policies and procedures that keep students in kindergarten through eighth-grade cell phone-free from bell to bell. This bill includes exceptions for students on a 504 plan or IEP.

Provide for Hunting Safety Courses: HB 451 amends the Quality Basic Education Act to allow local school boards to provide hunting safety instruction for students in grades 6 through 12. This course will teach about hunting practices, conservation ethics, and wildlife appreciation.

Education: Increase the Number of Sick Days: HB 127 increases the number of sick days for teachers from 3 to 5 per year.

Georgia Automatic Renewal Transparency Act: HB 529 addresses the surprise automatic renewal charges that often catch customers off guard. This bill enables consumers to opt out of automatic renewals after the specified contract period. It also seeks to simplify the cancellation process for consumers.

Rehabilitation of Historic Structures (Downtown Atlanta): HB 360 will encourage the revitalization of Atlanta’s historic districts by providing a tax credit for pre-approved rehabilitations as long as they meet the certificate of occupancy deadline. This initiative targets explicitly the rehabilitation of structures within the Cabbagetown Historic District. This will beautify Atlanta before we host the Super Bowl.

Combating Threats from Foreign Countries of Concern Act of 2025: HB 150 requires the university system to report quarterly on funding received from foreign countries, entities, or individuals of concern. This report should include the amount and type of funding, a description of the provider, and the purpose of the financing. This will increase transparency and oversight of foreign financial influence.

Improving County Roadways: HB 532 will allow the Department of Natural Resources to use grant money to pay local counties for road improvements such as road grating.

Emergency Preparedness: HB 425 offers a tax credit for purchasing and installing emergency power generators at convenience stores, gas stations, and skilled nursing facilities. This will enable individuals to obtain fuel for their generators during storm emergencies and help skilled nursing facilities better care for their residents during storms.

Entry-Level Housing: HB 159 raises the bond limit for the single-family residential housing program from $3 billion to $6 billion. This will boost the funding available to assist more first-time homeowners in purchasing their first home.

Animal Protection (Dogs, Cats and Rabbits): HB 331 prohibits the transfer of dogs, cats, and domestic rabbits at various public or outdoor locations, including roadsides, parks, and markets. However, exceptions are made for licensed animal shelters, transfers at residences or veterinary offices, and prearranged transfers at law enforcement facilities. This law aims to curb “puppy mills” and other unsafe animal trading while ensuring animal welfare.

Georgia Nicotine Vapor Products Directory Act: HB 577 aims to develop a directory of authorized vaping products. This bill will require manufacturers to certify that their products comply with federal and state laws. Many vaping products currently originate from China, and their chemical contents remain unknown.

Extend Homestead Exemption to Families of Disabled Veterans in the Event of Death: HB 52 will extend the homestead exemption to the un-remarried surviving spouses and dependent children of disabled veterans in the event of their death. This homestead exemption will follow them from county to county in this state as families relocate, which frequently occurs during tragic events.

Modernize Insurance Regulations for Small Businesses: HB 348, of which I am the sponsor, reforms the definitions and regulations for small businesses that self-insure for their own risk.

Police Officer Training: Alzheimer’s and Dementia: HB 238 requires the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council to create and maintain an at-risk adult training course focusing on police officers’ responses to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

A Week in Pictures