The Columbus Chamber of Commerce would like to commend the Georgia General Assembly, and especially our Columbus legislative delegation, for their dedicated efforts in passing key legislation that benefits Georgia’s business community. Governor Brian Kemp’s tort reform package, along with all the legislation passed during the 2025 Legislative Session, plays a crucial role in ensuring Georgia remains the number one state in the nation to do business.
Quick Highlights
- At the start of the session, the House Democratic Caucus selected Carolyn Hugley to serve as the House Democratic Minority Leader.
- Our Gold Dome Drop-In, presented by TSYS/Global Payments, was a successful event that featured briefings from Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Insurance Commissioner John King, Ian Caraway, Policy Director from Governor Kemp’s office, and members of the Columbus legislative delegation. The event concluded with a reception and dinner with Speaker Jon Burns and his wife, Dayle. A special thank you to Aflac, AT&T, Georgia Power, and Synovus for their support.
- Key appropriations for projects at Columbus State University and Columbus Technical College were included in the FY 2026 budget.
Legislation Passed
- Tort Reform (SB 68 and 69)
- State Income Tax Lowered to 5.19% (HB 111)
- Military Retiree State Income Tax Exemption Increased from $17,500 to $65,000 (HB 266)
- CHIPS Bill perfected in partnership with DCA, Economic Development, and the Governor’s office, creating a 3-year commission to support and advance the semiconductor industry (HB 216)
Governor Brian Kemp has 40 days to either veto, sign, or allow the legislation to become law by operation of law.
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WHAT PASSED
SB 12 – Open Records Act
Sponsor: Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville)
SB 12 aims to clarify the legislative intent behind Georgia’s Open Records Act, specifying that any open records request must go through a public entity or agency rather than said entity’s private contractor. It does not limit the scope of the records that can be retrieved, only who the request must go through. SB 12 passed the Senate on Friday, February 21 and passed the House on Friday, April 4. It is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
SB 68 – Tort Reform Omnibus Package
Sponsor: John Kennedy (R-Macon)
SB 68 proposes several prudent changes to civil practice in Georgia to create balance in the civil justice system. It addresses a number of provisions including anchoring, motion to dismiss, double dipping of attorney fees, seatbelt admissibility, premises liability, phantom damages, and trial bifurcation. SB 68 passed the Senate on Friday, February 21, passed the House on Thursday, March 20, and received full passage on Friday, March 21. It is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
SB 69 – Third Party Litigation Funding
Sponsor: John Kennedy (R-Macon)
SB 69 addresses the need for transparency in third-party litigation funding, banning hostile foreign powers from taking advantage of consumers and legal proceedings. SB 69 passed the Senate on Thursday, February 27, passed the House on Thursday, March 27, and received full passage on Monday, March 31. It is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
SB 89 (now HB 136) – Child Care Tax Credit
Sponsor: Brian Strickland (R-McDonough)
SB 89 introduces a new $250 tax credit per qualifying child under age six while also increasing the state tax credit for child and dependent care expenses to 40% of the federal tax credit while also increasing credits and pathways for businesses to provide childcare for their employees. SB 89 passed the Senate on Wednesday, February 19, and was later combined with HB 136 to ensure this revenue measure was connected to a bill that originated in the House. HB 136, including SB 89’s language received final passage on April 4 and is now awaits the Governor’s signature.
SB 144 – Crop Protection Labeling
Sponsor: Sam Watson (R-Moultrie)
SB 144 protects farmers from unjustified lawsuits and preserves access to critical crop protection tools by clarifying pesticide labeling laws and preventing “failure to warn” lawsuits that could force the removal of EPA-approved plant protection products from Georgia’s farms. SB 144 passed the Senate on Tuesday, March 4 and passed the House on Thursday, March 13. It is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
SB 298 – Interlocutory Appeal
Sponsor: Brian Strickland (R-McDonough)
SB 298 allows state agencies, local governments, and public employees to receive a timely appellate ruling when their claim of immunity is denied at the trial court level. SB 298 passed the Senate on Thursday, March 6, passed the House by substitute on Monday, March 31, and received final adoption by the Senate on Friday, April 4. It is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
HB 81 – School Psychologist Interstate Compact
Sponsor: Bethany Ballard (R-Warner Robins)
HB 81 seeks to enter Georgia into the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists, which would create a system for school psychologists to practice across state lines more easily, establish a commission to oversee the compact, and set rules for participation, discipline, and information sharing among member states. HB 81 received final passage on March 13, and awaits the Governor’s signature.
HB 111 – Personal Income Tax Reduction
Sponsor: Soo Hong (R-Lawrenceville)
HB 111 accelerates the reduction of the state income tax by twenty basis points to 5.19%, effective for the 2025 tax year. HB 111 passed the House on Thursday, March 6 and passed the Senate on Thursday, March 20. It is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
HB 112 – One-Time Taxpayer Rebate
Sponsor: Lauren McDonald (R-Cumming)
HB 112 provides a one-time tax credit for eligible Georgia taxpayers who filed returns in 2023 and 2024, with the amount based on their 2023 tax liability or a fixed amount determined by filing status, whichever is less. Joint filers would receive $500, heads of household would receive $375, and single filers would receive $250. HB 112 passed the House on Thursday, March 6 and passed the Senate on Thursday, March 20. It is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
HB 192 – Top State for Talent Act
Sponsor: Matthew Gambill (R-Cartersville)
HB 192 updates the focused programs of study for grades 6-12 to align with the High-Demand Career List published by the State Workforce Development Board and develops individual college and career plans for students in grades 6-12. HB 192 received final passage on March 28 and awaits the Governor’s signature.
HB 217 – Dual Achievement Program
Sponsor: Soo Hong (R-Lawrenceville)
HB 217 seeks to extend the Dual Achievement Program for another five years in Georgia, while making some administrative changes to reporting and oversight. HB 217 received final passage on the amended substitute on March 4, and now awaits the Governor’s signature.
HB 339 – Ride Share Liability
Sponsor: Rob Leverett (R-Elberton)
HB 339 creates a more favorable environment for ridesharing services in Georgia by clarifying and reiterating such service providers are not vicariously liable for contract drivers. HB 339 passed the House on Tuesday, March 4 and passed the Senate on Wednesday, April 2. It is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
HB 475 – Film Tax Credit Administrative Cleanup
Sponsor: Matthew Gambill (R-Cartersville)
HB 475 modernizes the film tax credit language to reflect industry changes since the original bill was passed 20 years ago. It provides the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) with legal protections against frivolous lawsuits, enables GDEcD to charge reasonable fees for missed applications and/or deadlines, clarifies GDEcD’s rulemaking abilities, and updates the 2005 definition of “multimarket commercial distribution” to reflect current distribution models, such as streaming services and ad-supported television. HB 475 passed the House on Friday, February 28, passed the Senate by substitute on Tuesday, March 25, and received final passage on Thursday, March 27. It is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
HB 579 – Occupational Licensing
Sponsor: Matt Reeves (R-Duluth)
HB 579 streamlines the occupational licensing process in the state by granting the director of the professional licensing boards division the ability to review and approve applications, expediting licensing decisions and improving operational efficiency. It passed the House on Thursday, March 6 and passed the Senate on Thursday, March 27. It is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
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WHAT FAILED TO PASS
SB 51 (now HB 377) – Municipal Contracting Changes
Sponsor: Ed Setzler (R-Acworth)
SB 51 changes the way municipalities and counties contract professional services (such as architectural, engineering, design services, etc.), requiring cities and counties to consider the qualifications of contractors rather than just cost when awarding professional service contracts. SB 51 passed the Senate on Monday, March 3, and has been assigned to the House Governmental Affairs Committee. The text of SB 51 was incorporated into HB 377, which failed to pass by Sine Die.
SB 207 – Second Chance Hiring
Sponsor: Brian Strickland (R-McDonough)
SB 207 reduces barriers to occupational licensing for people with criminal records while maintaining public safety protections and increasing transparency and fairness. SB 207 passed the Senate on Thursday, March 6. On Friday, April 4, it passed the House by substitute, was amended in the Senate in the late hours, and failed to receive a final agree by the House before it adjourned Sine Die.
HB 445 – Property Tax Parity
Sponsor: Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta)
HB 445 creates parity between personal property tax and real property tax appeals by allowing for personal property tax appellants to have their cases reviewed by a qualified hearing officer rather than the county board of equalization, ensuring they have access to the same level of expertise and procedural fairness as their real property counterparts. HB 445 passed the House on Thursday, March 6, and was tabled by the Senate on Wednesday, April 2. It was never brought off the table and failed to receive final passage.
HB 341 (now HB 370) – Small Business Health Insurance Tax Credits
Sponsor: Mark Newton (R-Augusta)
HB 341 would provide tax credits to small employers in Georgia who offer Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA) to their employees. ICHRA are agreements by which an employer provides an employee with a stipend for them to purchase their own health insurance coverage in the market. HB 341 passed the House Ways and Means Committee but failed to advance further. The text of HB 341 was placed into HB 370 and passed the Senate, it was then amended on the floor of the House on Sine Die, and failed to receive final passage from the Senate as amended.