SB 432: Education; nonlapsing revenue of institutions of the University System of Georgia and units of the Technical College System of Georgia; extend automatic repeals

Current Georgia law lets University System of Georgia institutions keep a portion of tuition, fees, and related revenue instead of having it lapse back to the state, and it lets the Technical College System of Georgia do the same. Both of these nonlapsing revenue provisions are set to automatically repeal on July 1, 2026 unless extended. A related law lets state agencies write off small uncollectable debts, with a higher $3,000 threshold for university and technical college institutions; that provision is also set to expire in 2026. This bill pushes all three automatic repeal dates back five years, to July 1, 2031, so the nonlapsing revenue rules and the debt write-off rules keep operating without a gap. It does not change the underlying dollar limits, percentages, or reporting requirements, only the sunset dates. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without his signature.

• Extends the automatic repeal date for the University System of Georgia's nonlapsing tuition and fee revenue rule (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-86) from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2031.
• Extends the automatic repeal date for the Technical College System of Georgia's nonlapsing revenue rule (O.C.G.A. § 20-4-21.1) from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2031.
• Extends the repeal date for the state's small debt write-off rule (O.C.G.A. § 50-16-18), which lets agencies discharge small uncollectable debts, from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2031.
• Keeps unchanged the existing dollar caps: $100 for most state agencies and $3,000 for University System and Technical College System institutions.
• Keeps unchanged the 3 percent cap on nonlapsing tuition revenue for university system institutions and the 15 percent cap for technical college institutions.
• Sets the law to take effect immediately upon the Governor's signature or upon becoming law without signature.

University System of Georgia institutions, Technical College System of Georgia institutions, the Board of Regents, the State Board of the Technical College System, and state agencies and departments that write off small uncollectable debts owed to the state.

Without this extension, university and technical college systems would lose their ability to retain tuition and fee revenue that would otherwise lapse, and state agencies would lose their higher $3,000 debt write-off threshold for these institutions starting in mid-2026. The bill keeps these financial tools in place through 2031.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-3-86 to move the University System nonlapsing revenue rule's repeal date from 2026 to 2031, and clarifies the section 'stands repealed and reserved,' preserving its future re-enactment status.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-4-21.1 to move the Technical College System nonlapsing revenue rule's repeal date from 2026 to 2031.
• Section 3 revises O.C.G.A. § 50-16-18(b) to move both the higher $3,000 threshold provision for university and technical college institutions and the general $100 threshold provision's repeal and effective dates from 2026 to 2031.
• Section 4 makes the Act effective immediately upon the Governor's approval or upon becoming law without his signature.
• Section 5 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 471
3. 2026-05-11Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2026-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2026-03-16House Passed/Adopted (House)
6. 2026-03-16House Third Readers (House)
7. 2026-03-12House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
8. 2026-02-20House Second Readers (House)

• Larry Walker (R, SD-020)Primary sponsor
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-001)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Frank Ginn (R, SD-047)
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
• Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
• Jan Jones (R, HD-047)

1. PassedSenate voteFebruary 18, 2026

   30 yea, 21 nay (1 not voting, 2 absent)

   Motion To Engross: Sb 432, Sb 446: Senate Vote #553

2. PassedSenate voteFebruary 18, 2026

   47 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #554

3. PassedHouse voteMarch 16, 2026

   153 yea, 2 nay (6 not voting, 15 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #707

• higher education funding
• University System of Georgia
• Technical College System of Georgia
• state debt collection
• tuition revenue