| Dear Friends, That’s a wrap, friends! We’ve wrapped up another successful session together. Until next year, Sine Die! House Republicans have worked hard to advance a variety of conservative policies aimed at making your life even better. These efforts included improving education, protecting religious liberty, boosting public safety, offering tax relief and rebates, and ensuring the integrity of women’s sports. We’re really proud of all we’ve accomplished! From the House Republican Caucus Press Release: Republican Caucus Chairman Bruce Williamson said this session resulted in bills that he’s long worked on. “When I first ran for the House more than a decade ago, I campaigned on tort reform, religious freedom and tax cuts,” said Williamson. “This year, all of these important policies went from good ideas to realities. In one session, we safeguarded businesses we depend on, people of faith like me and millions of others, and hard-working Georgians earning a paycheck.” I’m really excited about one of the policies that has passed this session: the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). It’s unbelievable to think that this legislation has been a decade in the making! Just this week, the House gave a thumbs up to SB 36, RFRA, and Governor Kemp has already signed this legislation into law! This new law closely mirrors the federal legislation championed by President Bill Clinton and backed by then-Congressman Chuck Schumer. By aligning with 39 other states, this law brings back First Amendment protections for all Georgians. Before this important step, many Georgians were at risk of government overreach that could have limited their freedom to practice their religion. Now, thanks to this law, the practice of religion enjoys the same legal protections as other cherished rights under the First Amendment here in Georgia. Here’s an important article discussing the necessity for Georgia to implement a Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) in its state code. Did you know that until now, Georgia was the only Republican-controlled state without such a law? Additionally, we were the only state among the top 15 states for business that did not have an RFRA law in place. Why Georgia’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act Is Necessary To Protect People Of Faith |
Comprehensive School Safety Bill Passes
| House Republicans are dedicated to preventing another tragedy like the one at Apalachee High School. We have developed a thorough school safety plan that not only focuses on the security requirements of school buildings but also ensures that our students have access to the mental health services they need. Below are the specific policies established by House Bill 268: * Requires all relevant student records, including education and disciplinary records, to be shared with the receiving school in a given time frame when a student transfers between school districts. *Allows for the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to establish a statewide alert system to report and monitor incidents of safety threats made against schools. *Requires schools to adopt threat assessment plans to provide a structured, multidisciplinary process to identify, assess and mitigate potential threats to schools while supporting the safety and well-being of students and school personnel. *Requires all public schools to implement a mobile panic alert system, much like the system used at Apalachee, which we know saved countless lives and prevented a much larger tragedy.Creates “qualified student advocacy specialist” positions and grants to fund these positions for local school systems. *Requires that students in sixth grade and above receive an hour of suicide awareness and prevention training, as well as one hour of youth violence prevention training annually. *Requires all high-needs schools to implement positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), which are proven to reduce disciplinary incidents, increase a school’s sense of safety and support improved academic outcomes. *Increases penalties for terroristic acts and requires schools to suspend and provide counseling to students who make credible threats. For more information regarding the school safety measures established by House Bill 268, please visit the following link:https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69929 Speaker Jon Burns and Lt. Governor Burt Jones Applaud Final Passage of 2025 Priority Legislation: School Safety |
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The Riley Gaines Act Receives Final Passage
| I am excited to share that the Riley Gaines Act has successfully passed, prohibiting biological males from competing in women’s sports in Georgia. This legislation is crucial for maintaining athletic integrity and safeguarding the achievements of female athletes. It promotes a fair playing field and ensures their physical safety. Additionally, this bill upholds the privacy of personal spaces. Speaker Jon Burns and Lt. Governor Burt Jones Applaud Priority Final Passage: No Boys In Girls’ Sports |
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Fiscal Year 2026 Budget, HB 68, Conference Committee Highlights
| Economic Development *The FY 2026 budget provides $450,000 to the Department of Agriculture for equipment needed to combat the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. *$1.8 million in new funding to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities for programs that address homelessness. *Provides $975,420 to aid in preventing and combating wildfires. Education$ *22.7 million to support a statewide literacy initiative to improve reading outcomes for grades K-5. * $6.9 million to provide grants to school systems for “qualified student advocacy specialists” to identify and facilitate appropriate intervention for students at risk for mental health concerns. *$108.9 million for school security grants at $47,124 per school to use as they deem necessary to enhance school security. *$14.7 billion to fund the Quality Basic Education (QBE) program fully, a record amount of state funds provided to k-12 education. *$10.2 million for additional funding for pupil transportation. *Provides $14 million in lottery funds for the Georgia Pre-K program to continue implementing the recommendations of the House Early Childhood Education Working Group. General Government *Includes an additional one-time $10 million for the Employees’ Retirement System to provide an enhanced annual benefit adjustment for eligible retired state employees. This is in addition to any cost of living adjustment granted by the Board of Trustees. *$1.5 million for supplemental payments to first responders with PTSD. Health *HB 68 includes $16.9 million in reimbursement rate increases for providers treating patients on Medicaid across the state. *The services include $4.9 million for emergency medical services (EMS) transports to provide payment for the first 10 miles of transportation and air ambulance transfers. *$701,766 for neonatologists and maternal-fetal medicine specialists; $5.4 million for applied behavior analysis; $3.7 million for primary care physicians; $1.5 million for dental code increases; and $500,000 for privately-owned intermediate care facilities treating individuals with intellectual disabilities. *$8.8 million in new funding for maternal health. This includes $3.9 million to expand the newborn add-on payment for delivery services in rural Georgia. It also included $2.9 million to expand the state’s home visiting program from 50 to 75 counties throughout the state. *$7.4 million in new funding for graduate medical education. Higher Education *HB 68 included $169.5 million in formula funds for the University System of Georgia to reflect a 2.7% increase in enrollment and a .5% increase in square footage. *Additional $17 million for the Dual Enrollment program at the Georgia Student Finance Commission. *$10 million to increase the HOPE Private award amount to match the Zell Private award amount in order to offer parity in HOPE Public and HOPE Private award policies. *$141 million to fund the Promise Scholarship fully as established pursuant to SB 233 in the 2024 session. *Additional $33 million in formula funds for the Technical College System of Georgia to reflect a 10.6% increase in enrollment. Human Resources *The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities receives $1 million to expand alcohol use disorder peer support in emergency departments. *$19.2 million to address growth in foster care and the increased care costs. Almost $900,000 to provide clothing and supplies for foster youth, keep foster children closer to their families, and deter child welfare involvement, and $6.1 million for a 2% provider *rate increase for Child Caring Institutions, Child Placing Agencies, foster parents, and relative caregivers. *The Department of Veterans Services receives $3.6 million to operate nursing home beds. $1 million for research and services for veterans with PTSD. Public Safety and the Courts *$10.6 million to implement a new salary structure for Supreme Court justices, and superior courts to allow them to be competitive with other states. *Since FY 2021, the General Assembly has increased correctional officer and juvenile correctional officer salaries by 63.9%, showing a continued investment over the last five years in Georgia’s correctional officers. The Fiscal Year 2026 budget includes an additional 4% increase for these officers, totaling $13.4 million for the Department of Corrections and $3.1 million for the Department of Juvenile Justice. This budget also institutes a 6-month incremental salary step increase totaling $9.6 million as a retention initiative to maintain momentum and net more correctional officers, with the goal of returning to a fully staffed prison system. Inmates and staff are safer when the facility is fully staffed. *HB 68 provides the Department of Corrections with $15 million to address critical capital maintenance and repairs and $19.2 million for additional skilled maintenance staff to repair critical infrastructure needs. Transportation *The Capital Construction program budget totals $1.1 billion in state funds; the Capital Maintenance program receives an additional $110 million for resurfacing; the LMIG program increases to $247.6 million; and the Routine maintenance program increases by $33.7 million to keep up with material and contracting costs. *Airport Aid receives an additional $3.6 million to bring the base to $30 million. |
Additional Highlights
| Here is a partial list of legislation that received final approval and has been forwarded to the governor’s office. Combating Threats from China Act of 2025-Higher Education This legislation, HB 140, mandates quarterly reports on funding received from individuals or entities associated with China. Expand Foster Child Tax Credit HB 136 expands the tax credit for contributions to foster child support organizations to allow such organizations to expand services. Sick Leave Days for Teachers HB 136, which was incorporated into SB 148, will increase the number of teacher sick/personal days from 3 to 5 days per year. This legislation also includes provisions for providing courses for hinting safety in grades 6 through 12 and a pilot program to determine the best design standards for outdoor learning spaces to be incorporated into the existing curriculum. Local Charter School Authorization and Support Act of 2025 This act, SB 82, aims to promote and support the approval of new local charter school petitions. It also mandates accountability measures for local school boards that deny charter petitions subsequently approved by the State Charter Schools Commission. Georgia Early Literacy Act HB 307 guarantees alignment of all curricula with Science of Reading standards. It establishes a definition for dyslexia, forms the Literacy Coach Coordinating Committee, and empowers the Literacy Council to enhance its efforts. Teacher Training in the Science of Reading SB 93 is a companion bill to HB 307, the Georgia Early Literacy Act. This legislation provides teachers with training to teach reading and prohibits the use of the three-cueing system in high-quality instructional materials. State-approved educator preparation programs must focus on evidence-based reading instruction methods. Exempt State Income Tax from Military Retirement Benefits House Bill 266 will exempt an individual’s military retirement benefits from state income tax up to $65,000, making Georgia a friendly military retirement state. Consumer Protections Following Natural Disasters Senate Bill 201 enhances protections for consumers who enter into contracts with contractors after a natural disaster. One of these protections includes prohibiting the disbursement of insurance proceeds to contractors for one year following the disaster. This measure safeguards consumers from contractors who might delay or inadequately perform their repair responsibilities. Employment Security This legislation, SB 191, amends the law to enhance the notice provisions and appeals process concerning unemployment benefits and clarifies the administrative procedures for determining and appealing unemployment benefits. Government Serves the People Act SB 46 aims to improve service delivery by state agencies. It requires the establishment of a State of Georgia Government Service Delivery Lead within the Georgia Technology Authority, tasked with overseeing and enhancing service delivery standards, policies, and guidelines while drawing inspiration from the effective customer service models of Chick-fil-A and Home Depot. Banning Taxpayer-Funded Sex Change Surgeries for Prison Inmates The title of SB185 says it all. The Democrats chose to walk out on the debate regarding this common-sense legislation. All but two Democrats opted not to vote on it. I voted YES in favor of fiscal responsibility and protecting your tax dollars. |
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Honored to stand with the National Trooper of the Year, Julian Mapes and his wife who reside in Monroe. Julien was recognized with an Invite Resolution and did a great job making remarks to the entire Georgia House of Representatives. He is a true public servant and a national hero.
Here is the video of the presentation recognizing Trooper Julian Mapes.
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As we approach the summer months, I will continue sending monthly newsletters to keep you informed, even though we are out of session.
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