On Tuesday, February 18th the day after President’s Day, your General Assemble began the sixth week of the 2025 legislative session. By the end of the week, we reached Legislative Day 21, this means we are now more than halfway through the session. This week, we and our colleagues convened for four legislative days, passing a total of 25 bills. We continued to advance legislation on to the Senate in preparation for Crossover Day, Thursday, March 6th. Legislative Day 28, or Crossover Day, serves as a crucial milestone in the session as it is the final opportunity for bills and resolutions to pass out of their respective chambers and remain eligible to become law.

To start the week, the House unanimously passed House Bill 223, an important bill addressing agricultural losses from Hurricane Helene, particularly among those working in the timber industry who were heavily impacted by the storm’s damage. HB 223 is similar to legislation that was passed after Hurricane Michael; which in 2018 caused much damage and destruction to us Southwest Georgia. This bill would provide much-needed relief to these hardworking Georgians as they try to rebuild from the storm’s damage. HB 223 would exclude various federal disaster relief payments, related to Hurricane Helene recovery from counting toward taxable net income for tax years 2024 through 2029. Furthermore, the bill provides a tax credit for timber losses and materials used to repair or replace greenhouses or structures used for the production of animals, such as poultry houses or livestock barns. The bill includes income tax credits, and if timber producers re-plant following loss, they would be granted up to $400 of credit per acre of property losses. By exempting federal disaster relief payments from taxable income and providing tax credits for timber losses, the bill aims to ensure that those who suffered catastrophic financial setbacks can begin rebuilding without an added tax burden. We in Southwest Georgian still remember the deviation from Hurricane Michael and understand what they are going through. Expanding on our efforts to support our state following Helene’s devastation, the House also unanimously adopted House Resolution 42, which would ratify the executive orders issued by Governor Kemp following the suspension of the collection of motor and diesel fuel taxes between September 24 and October 16, 2024. Hurricane Helene was one of the worst storms in our state’s history, and with the unanimous passage of these two pieces of legislation in the House, we recognize the critical need to help our fellow Georgians.

The House unanimously passed legislation this week to strengthen Georgia’s First Offender Act and ensure that individuals who make a single, isolated mistake are given a chance to move forward without that mistake continuing to affect their lives. Originally enacted in the 1960s, the First Offender Act was established to offer a second chance to those who commit non-violent offenses, with the goal of helping individuals rebuild their lives without being hindered by a permanent criminal record. requires, starting July 1, 2025, individuals sentenced under the First Offender Act would automatically have their records sealed and restricted. Once an individual is cleared of guilt and discharged as a first offender, their records would be sealed within 60 days. Anyone cleared of guilt and discharged as a first offender prior to July 1, 2025, would be allowed to petition the court to have all records sealed and made unavailable to the public within 90 days of filing the petition. If an individual’s First Offender status is revoked, their records would be unsealed, and authorities, such as law enforcement and detention centers, would have the authority to release those records. HB 162 is a step in providing hope to those who may be affected, highlighting the need for second chances in certain instances.

House Bill 283, which also passed in the House this week, would allow individuals the choice of whether or not to sign a traffic citation when pulled over by an officer. Currently, the law states that those who do not sign their citation must post a cash bond. Instead, HB 283 would allow individuals the option to refuse to sign without facing immediate arrest or the need to post bond as long as they agree to appear in court. It was noted that many individuals mistakenly believe that signing a citation is an admission of guilt, but this legislation seeks to clarify that refusing to sign would not affect legal proceedings. The goal of this bill is to reduce negative encounters between citizens and law enforcement, decrease taxpayer costs, free up law enforcement for higher priority tasks and reduce unnecessary jail occupancy. By allowing drivers the right to refuse to sign without immediate legal consequences, the bill would prioritize individuals’ rights, de-escalate situations and promote public safety.

We also focused on solidifying Georgia’s position as a leader in workforce readiness with the passage of the Top State for Talent Act, House Bill 192. HB 192 builds on the successes of numerous workforce development initiatives, such as Georgia’s High Demand Career List, the Georgia MATCH Program and legislation passed last year that strengthens articulation agreements. The bill repurposes a grant program to help schools adjust their career, technical and agricultural education programs to match the High Demand Career List. Workforce readiness is necessary for ensuring that Georgia’s labor force meets the evolving needs of its competitive economy. Additionally, the bill would require the creation of a report on articulation agreements to eliminate redundancy, which would ensure students do not repeat coursework for skills they have already mastered. The Top State for Talent Act strengthens Georgia’s position as a national leader in workforce development, driving growth for Georgia’s economy. We will be creating a clear pipeline of skilled talent, prepared to meet the demands of the future.

House Bill 148 updates the certification process for public accountants in Georgia, it passed unanimously. The bill updates the requirements by reducing the education requirement to a four-year college degree with a concentration in accounting, along with two years of relevant work experience. Alternatively, individuals could still obtain licensure by completing a master’s degree with a concentration in accounting or taxation and one year of experience. It also updates existing mobility practice privileges to allow accounting firms to perform certain work without the need to maintain an office in Georgia. This change would modernize the CPA licensure process and enhance flexibility for accounting professionals and firms, which would contribute to the expansion of Georgia’s workforce and provide more opportunities for qualified individuals to serve as CPAs.

This week, we also took a significant step to ease a burden on Georgia families by unanimously passing House Bill 181, which would remove unnecessary costs and delays for families seeking a Georgia Certificate of Foreign Birth for children who have already completed the foreign adoption process and received U.S. citizenship. Currently, Georgia law requires adoptive families to undergo a “re-adoption” or “domestication” process. This process can involve hiring an attorney, navigating the court system and obtaining a report of adoption — essentially an acknowledgment of the adoption. The report must then be submitted to the Georgia Department of Vital Records to obtain the Certificate of Foreign Birth. This re-adoption process can be redundant and costly for families who have already invested significant resources in adopting a child internationally. Additionally, without the Certificate of Foreign Birth, adoptees are left with only their birth certificate from their country of origin, which can present challenges when using it for identification purposes. HB 181 would address this by allowing children who have automatically acquired U.S. citizenship through foreign adoption and who hold a Certificate of Citizenship to skip the extra step of obtaining a report of adoption to receive a Certificate of Foreign Birth. HB 181 would update the process to be quicker and less expensive for Georgia families by eliminating the need for unnecessary legal steps.

We and our House colleagues turned our attention to enhancing protections for household pets through the passage of House Bill 177, which would allow for a protective order in cases of family violence or dating violence to include provisions for the care, custody and control of any household pet. This would apply to pets owned by either party or by a child living in the household. Family and dating violence can often have a significant impact on household pets, with animals sometimes being harmed or threatened as a means of controlling or intimidating victims. HB 177 would ensure that victims of domestic violence are not forced to leave their pets behind when seeking safety, thus removing a common barrier that often prevents victims from escaping abuse.

We were honored with a visit from the Technical College System of Georgia. They were at the Capital to honor the Outstanding Teachers of the Year. Making the event very special is that our own Rhea Brashear, an instructor at Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC), has been awarded the title of 2024 Outstanding Adult Education Teacher of the Year. This recognition celebrates Brashear’s outstanding dedication, innovation, and impact in the field of adult education. With her receiving accolades was SRTC President, Jim Glass, and Amy Carter, Special Assistant to the President. Rhea Brashear was selected by a panel representing business, industry, and higher education. Selection criteria included teaching experience, leadership abilities and professionalism, proven innovation in teaching techniques, community involvement, and a strong commitment to adult education. For the next year, she will serve as the technical college system’s ambassador for adult educations. Thank you, Mrs. Brashear for your service to our state, you honor us with your service. As always it is great to see folks from home.

We also passed the following bills during this the sixth week of session:

• House Bill 38, which would provide Georgia College Completion Grant (GCCG) eligibility to students who have completed 70% of a four-year program or 45% of a two-year program. The sunset date for the GCCG program would be extended to June 30, 2029;

• House Bill 51, would authorize the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to finance and manage projects related to natural gas facilities, including outside any certified areas of a non-municipal gas company. This would include the storage, supply and distribution of natural gas, pipelines, storage tanks, natural gas distribution systems, associated equipment, vehicles, properties, furnishings and devices. The bill empowers the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to create and enforce regulations to fulfill its responsibilities and add “natural gas systems” to the personal liability of the authority’s members, officers and employees;

• House Bill 53, updates criteria for veterans to be eligible for burial in a Georgia veterans cemetery. Members would qualify in accordance with the federal Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act of 2021, provided the member died after August 1, 1990, and completed a full term of service with an honorable discharge. Reserve and National Guard members who died during service, as well as immediate family members, would also be eligible. The Department of Veterans Service may charge burial fees;

• House Bill 58, defines the term “ticketed entertainment event” and would make it illegal to fly an unmanned aircraft within 400 feet of a ticketed entertainment event without proper consent. Anyone found guilty of violating the terms of this bill would be punished as a misdemeanor;

• House Bill 73, changes future elections for the Seminole County Board of Education to be nonpartisan;

• House Bill 85, changes superior court judicial compensation to have the annual salary of each superior court judge set by the General Assembly with that salary not exceeding 90% of the annual salary fixed for judges of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The new structure would also cap the locality pay for each superior court judge at no more than 10% of the state annual salary. The bill would not alter retirement benefits that were previously in existence. Superior court judges in office on July 1, 2025, would opt into this compensation structure by filing written notification with the Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia and the governing authority of each county comprising the judge’s judicial circuit. A superior court judge who does not exercise this option would maintain the existing compensation structure for that judge. All local laws, ordinances and resolutions in effect that tie a state, county or local salary to that of any superior court judge’s salary would be suspended until July 1, 2026, with that state, county or local salary remaining the same during that period of suspension. That salary would remain unchanged until the suspension is terminated, local legislation sets the compensation or local ordinance becomes effective;

• House Bill 86, which would revise salaries for justices of the Supreme Court, judges of the Court of Appeals, the judge of the State-wide Business Court and the judge of the Georgia State Tax Court. Fixed dollar amounts would be repealed and replaced with a base salary equal to that of judges of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia with each justice of the Supreme Court not receiving more than 100 percent of that base salary, each judge of the Court of Appeals not receiving more than 99 percent of that base salary and the judge of the State-wide Business Court, as well as the judge of the Tax Court, not receiving more than 95 percent of that base salary;

• House Bill 90, amends Georgia law related to bona fide conservation use property to increase the maximum acreage to qualify as a bona fide conservation use property from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres. These changes would be effective on January 1, 2027, only if the related constitutional amendment is ratified by voters in the statewide election held in November 2026;

• House Bill 92, updates Georgia law related to base year homestead exemptions by changing the date by which local governments must follow certain procedures to opt out of the base year homestead exemption from March 1, 2025, to March 31, 2029. Local governments would be required to opt out by March 31st of any given tax year for the opt out to be applicable to that same tax year. The last of the three required public hearings related to opting out of the program would be required to occur within 30 days of the effective date of the opt-out resolution. Relating to requirements for annual notices of current assessments, the bill would allow for a levying or recommending authority to provide an estimate for the current year’s taxes utilizing the previous year’s millage rate and current assessment if the estimated rollback rate is not certified by the time the annual notice is given. Additionally, local governments may provide, as part of the annual notice of assessment, an estimated amount of ad valorem taxes owed for the current year. The bill would also allow for a homestead exemption applicant to complete an application for an exemption during or in lieu of an appeal of a homestead reassessment;

• House Bill 116, renames the Motor Carrier Compliance Division within the Department of Public Safety and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and would update further language to reflect this change;

• House Bill 117, requires all commercial food service establishments that serve shrimp to conspicuously display “FOREIGN IMPORTED” or “FOREIGN IMPORTED SHRIMP” by each menu item containing imported shrimp;

• House Bill 147, defines the term “artificial intelligence” and revises the responsibilities of the Georgia Technology Authority. It requires the authority to conduct an inventory of all systems that utilize artificial intelligence and are in use by any state agency. The authority would be mandated to develop and establish procedures that govern the development, implementation and assessment of artificial intelligence systems used by agencies to prevent unlawful discrimination against individuals or groups. The authority would also be required to prepare an annual report regarding the inventory of artificial intelligence systems in use by agencies and to make this report available to the state offices specified in the bill;

• House Bill 155, provides guidelines and requirements for objecting to a proposed annexation and the arbitration process that follows;

• House Bill 167, revises restrictions relating to hunting feral hogs, bears and deer. The bill would make the color fluorescent pink an acceptable outer garment color that can be worn while hunting these animals under specific circumstances;

• House Bill 196, requires health insurers to reimburse a pharmacy for a drug dispensed to a covered person on the State Health Benefit Plan based on the national average drug acquisition cost. Additionally, the bill would require a professional dispensing fee that is not less than the professional dispensing fee paid by the state under the Social Security Act;

• House Bill 205, requires the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to develop a list of unmanned aircraft systems approved for use within this state;

• Senate Bill 16, which would prohibit any member of the governing authority of a local government to engage directly or indirectly in a bail bond business within the jurisdiction of their respective government.

As busy as this week was, we made time to spend with folks from home. It was great to spend a few minutes with the wonderful Keve Family. Kevin and Kristi were here with their children Audrey and Cooper. They were able to advocate and share their concerns for educating our children, especially in South Georgia. Thanks for taking the time to visit. Also walking the Hall of the capital this week was Daryl Patz. He had concerns with healthcare issues to share with us. It was a surprise to see Coach Floyd from TCCHS at the Capital Friday. He was visiting the Capital. Coach, it was great to have you on hand.

We resumed work on Monday, February 24th for our seventh week of the session. We encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns regarding the bills being considered. Please don’t hesitate to schedule a phone call or a visit to the State Capitol to discuss matters that are important to you and your family.

We can be reached as follows: Rep. Chas Canon, his office is 501-C Coverdell Legislative Office or via email at chas.cannon@house.ga.gov or by phone at: (404) 656-0177. Rep. Darlene Taylor may be reached at her office in the Capital Building 245-B or via email at darlene.taylor@house.ga.gov or by phone at (404) 463-2246.

Thank you for allowing us to serve as your state representatives.