HB978: HB978 General appropriations; State Fiscal Year July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027

HB978 is the general appropriations bill that would fund Georgia's state government for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. General appropriations bills authorize spending for state departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, and institutions, along with the university system, common schools, counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions and government activities. The version of the text made available here contains only the bill's introductory framework: Part I states that funds are appropriated for the fiscal year, Part II sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law, and Part III repeals any conflicting laws. The specific line-item funding amounts for individual agencies and programs, which are the substance of any budget bill, are not included in this excerpt.

• Establishes that money is appropriated for state government operations for the fiscal year from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (Part I).
• Sets the bill to take effect as soon as the Governor signs it, or as soon as it becomes law without the Governor's signature (Part II).
• Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with this appropriations act (Part III).
• Covers funding authority for state departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, institutions, the university system, common schools, counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions, though the specific dollar amounts are not shown in this text.

State government agencies, the university system, K-12 public schools, counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions all depend on this bill for their operating funds. State employees, students, and residents who rely on state-funded services would ultimately be affected by whatever amounts the full bill specifies.

This bill sets Georgia's entire state budget for a full fiscal year, determining how much money schools, universities, counties, and state agencies have to operate. Without the detailed funding tables, the practical effects on any specific program or agency cannot be assessed from this text alone.

• Part I appropriates funds for the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027, though specific amounts are not included in this excerpt.
• Part II sets the effective date as the date of the Governor's approval or the date the bill becomes law without approval.
• Part III repeals all laws or parts of laws that conflict with the act.

1. 2026-01-16House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-15House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-15House Hopper (House)

• Jon Burns (R, HD-159)Primary sponsor
• Jan Jones (R, HD-047)
• Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
• James Hatchett (R, HD-155)

• state budget
• Georgia appropriations
• public schools funding
• state government spending