HB 974: General appropriations; State Fiscal Year July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027

Official description

Discussed in meetings (16)

The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.

1. House Appropriations Committee, March 9, 2026

   From 0:26:21 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: Subcommittee chairs presented and won approval for budget changes across state agencies. The judicial chair described matching starting pay for assistant prosecutors and public defenders at $78,000. Other chairs outlined expanded pre-K services, school transportation, disability supports, foster care, Medicaid payments, rural healthcare and victim services. The public safety chair proposed additional prison staffing and healthcare funding, retaining 200 prisoners at Lee Arrendale State Prison, and increasing support for domestic violence shelters and child advocacy centers. The transportation chair recommended $10 million more for airport aid and $2.5 million for North Georgia rail sidetracks. In the full committee presentation, the budget presenter said the $38.5 billion revenue estimate was $738 million, or 2%, above the original fiscal year 2026 budget. The presenter highlighted $60.8 million related to literacy, including advance funding to hire elementary-school coaches, and said the budget would fund 200 new disability-service waivers. The presenter also said the House recommended raising school employee health-plan contributions by $50 per member monthly rather than the governor's proposed $143, reducing costs for the state and local schools. No substantive questions or amendments followed. The chair declared approval unanimous, although an opposing voice is audible; no numerical tally was stated.

2. House Rules Committee, March 9, 2026

   From 0:25:05 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2375

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The budget presenter described HB 974 as a $38.5 billion fiscal year 2027 budget, about 2% above the original fiscal year 2026 budget. The presenter said members had begun reviewing it at 9 a.m. No questions were asked during this presentation. The committee approved the bill without voiced opposition, then later placed it on the next day's floor calendar under modified open rules, again without voiced opposition.

3. Senate floor session, March 10, 2026 (legislative day 30)

   From 2:07:30 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Read and Referred)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: A senator requested suspension of a Senate rule to allow receipt and assignment of HB 974, the fiscal year 2027 appropriations bill. The Senate agreed without objection. Later, the clerk read a House message reporting passage and describing appropriations for state government and other authorized activities for July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The chair assigned the bill to Appropriations. There was no debate on spending provisions or Senate passage vote.

4. House floor session, March 10, 2026 (legislative day 30)

   From 1:51:15 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2382

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The Appropriations chair presented a committee substitute for the July 2026 through June 2027 budget, describing a $38.5 billion plan, up $738 million, or 2%, from the original prior-year budget. The presenter said targeted nutrition, transportation and student support funding would replace a poverty grant and highlighted $60.8 million for literacy. The presenter said the House reduced the proposed monthly school health-plan contribution increase from $143 to $50 per member to ease local costs. Other stated priorities included college enrollment growth, prison staffing and healthcare, Medicaid provider rates, autism therapy payment parity, rural healthcare, 200 new disability-service waivers and transportation. One member highlighted $9.3 million in housing vouchers for homeless people with mental health needs; the presenter accepted the member's description. Answering other members, the presenter identified about $119 million in annual school safety grants plus $50 million in bonds, confirmed $1 million for veterans' mental health, and confirmed SunBucks funding and $6.3 million to make reduced-price school lunches free. No opposing speech or floor amendment was offered. The full-House committee endorsed the substitute by voice vote. The House adopted it and passed the bill 159 to 4, then approved immediate Senate transmission 160 to 0.

5. Senate Rules Committee, March 25, 2026

   From 0:39:52 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: A committee member selected HB 974, describing it as the budget and emphasizing the legislature’s constitutional responsibility to complete that work. No spending provisions were discussed. The committee unanimously approved the calendar package containing the bill.

6. Senate Appropriations Committee, March 25, 2026

   From 0:36:41 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair presented a $38.5 billion budget, highlighting over $70 million for literacy coaches, $100 million annually for the Employees' Retirement System, and over $20 million for 1,217 new disability-service waivers. The chair said expected turnover in existing waivers would allow services for all 1,678 people identified as having urgent needs. Other priorities included Medicaid payment increases, foster care, correctional officer raises, school safety and veterans' housing. The chair described a university funding change requiring 1.1 online credit hours to receive the funding provided for one in-person hour, arguing online instruction should cost less. One member questioned the reduction and university input. The chair said university officials had requested a study, but the Senate proceeded with the change while also planning a study. The chair said roughly $125 million was freed, with $100 million directed to retirement funding and $20 million to disability waivers. Asked why school safety funding used bonds rather than reserves, the chair cited the governor's revenue limit and return to borrowing. On retiree benefits, the chair clarified that the retirement system would still set cost-of-living increases. Asked about an autism pilot expansion, the chair described efforts to replicate a foster-care-related pilot in three additional regions. The committee approved the budget unanimously.

7. House floor session, March 27, 2026 (legislative day 38, part 2)

   From 1:26:24 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (House Disagreed Senate Amend or Sub)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The clerk identified HB 974 as the state budget for July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The committee chair moved to reject the Senate substitute, saying this would begin the process of bringing the chambers together to resolve their differences. No specific spending differences were discussed. The House disagreed to the Senate substitute without objection.

8. Senate floor session, March 27, 2026 (legislative day 38)

   From 2:59:53 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The Appropriations chair presented HB 974 as a roughly $38.5 billion fiscal year 2027 budget. The chair highlighted over $20 million for 1,217 new developmental-disability service slots, saying expected turnover could also cover everyone identified as urgently needing services, provided enough service providers were available. The chair described $100 million for state retiree cost-of-living adjustments, over $70 million for 1,313 literacy coaches, Medicaid provider increases, correctional officer pay supplements, school safety funding and veteran homelessness assistance. The chair also explained a university funding change requiring 1.1 online credit hours to receive funding equivalent to one in-person hour, a $123 million adjustment. Asked about university flexibility, the chair confirmed the Board of Regents retained constitutionally protected spending discretion. Another member and the chair emphasized that total university state funding still increased from the prior year. Asked about disability services' future costs, the chair said another $20 million would be needed the following year. The Senate adopted the substitute and passed the budget 52-0. After the House rejected the Senate substitute, the Senate insisted on its position without objection. No final agreement was shown.

9. House floor session, March 31, 2026 (legislative day 39, part 1)

   From 1:01:32 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (House Insisted)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The Appropriations Committee chair moved for the House to insist on its position on HB 974, the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and to appoint a conference committee to negotiate with the Senate. The House agreed without objection. The presiding officer appointed the Appropriations Committee chair, the majority leader, and the speaker pro tempore to the conference committee.

10. Senate floor session, March 31, 2026 (legislative day 39, part 1)

    From 1:37:07 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Conference Committee Appointed 19th, 20th, 31st)

    Summary by Georgia Commons: A House message stated that the House rejected the Senate substitute to HB 974, the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and appointed negotiators. The Senate budget presenter moved to maintain the Senate's position and appoint a conference committee. The presenter emphasized months of work and the budget's statewide impact but did not discuss particular spending disagreements. One senator suggested adjournment as leverage; the chair expressed confidence in negotiations. Without objection, the Senate maintained its position, and the chair appointed three Senate negotiators. No agreement or final budget vote appears in the transcript.

11. Senate floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, part 2)

    From 4:45:35 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Conference Committee Report Adopted)

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The appropriations chair presented the fiscal year 2027 budget agreement in HB 974. The chair said it funded 500 new community-service waivers and, with openings from attrition, would provide more than 900 opportunities to move people off the waiting list. The chair said $100 million would go toward the state employees’ retirement fund to support more dependable cost-of-living increases. The chair also said the agreement preserved a literacy coach for every school serving kindergarten through third grade, incorporating $70 million into the school funding formula. For the university system, the chair said negotiators reduced the Senate’s proposed $123 million reduction to a planned funding increase to $34 million, while requesting examination of online-course funding and out-of-state enrollment. The chair said most Senate bond projects remained, some agency reductions were restored, and agricultural research increases continued. The chair also thanked budget staff and delivered farewell remarks. The Senate adopted the conference committee report, 53–0.

12. House floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, PM, part 2)

    From 4:01:20 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (House Conference Committee Report Adopted)

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The Appropriations Committee chair presented the negotiated fiscal year 2027 budget in HB 974. The chair said it would expand maternal home visiting to 33 additional counties, place a literacy coach in every elementary school, support foster care and foster-care scholarships, and increase disability waivers and Medicaid provider payments. The chair also described medical education, residency, fellowship, and behavioral-health loan funding, along with efforts to limit school employee health-plan cost increases. The chair said retirement-system investments exceeding $1.2 billion would support a cost-of-living increase above 2%, with an additional pension payment also included. A member questioned reduced funding for correcting SNAP eligibility errors and the absence of a requirement to hire caseworkers. The chair said $5.3 million would address SNAP errors, leaving the agency flexibility to use staff, technology, or both, with reporting requirements. Asked about a free pilot mentioned during negotiations, the chair said an organization had offered one but did not identify it. The House adopted the conference committee report, 163 to 5.

• Read aloud: House floor session, January 15, 2026 (legislative day 4), 0:45:00
• Read aloud: House floor session, January 16, 2026 (legislative day 5), 0:59:33
• Read aloud: House floor session, March 9, 2026 (legislative day 29), 1:12:09
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 25, 2026 (legislative day 37), 0:31:56

Status timeline

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Votes