HB1300: HB1300 Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan Act; raise maximum amount of contributions allowed per beneficiary for savings trust accounts

This bill is an omnibus higher education package. It raises the maximum balance allowed in Georgia's 529-style college savings accounts (the Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan) from $235,000 to $550,000 per beneficiary, and creates a new state income tax deduction of up to $2,000 per beneficiary (more for joint filers) for contributions to qualified tuition savings programs, running from 2026 through 2031. It also creates a new needs-based DREAMS scholarship funded by an endowment, capped at $3,000 per year for up to eight semesters; a new medical school scholarship that must be repaid through four years of practicing medicine in Georgia; a requirement that University System and Technical College System institutions stock opioid antagonists (like naloxone) and allow people to carry and administer them with legal immunity; and changes to how advanced fine arts courses count toward HOPE scholarship eligibility. It also excludes part-time workers from a state retirement plan and adjusts the lottery reserve funding formula. Most provisions take effect July 1, 2026.

• Raises the maximum total balance allowed across a beneficiary's Georgia 529 college savings accounts from $235,000 to $550,000 (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-634).
• Creates a new state income tax deduction of up to $2,000 per beneficiary (up to $4,000 or $8,000 for joint filers) for contributions to qualified tuition savings programs from 2026 through 2031, after which the deduction repeals.
• Establishes a new needs-based DREAMS scholarship of up to $3,000 per academic year, funded through a new endowment fund administered by the Georgia Student Finance Authority.
• Creates a new medical school scholarship covering full cost of attendance, which recipients must repay through four years of practicing medicine in Georgia after graduation.
• Requires University System of Georgia institutions and Technical College System units to stock opioid antagonists like naloxone, allows staff and visitors to carry and use them, and grants legal immunity for good-faith administration.
• Changes how advanced fine arts courses factor into HOPE scholarship grade point average calculations, starting with students graduating after July 1, 2026.

Families saving for college through Georgia's 529 plan, Georgia taxpayers who contribute to tuition savings programs, low-income undergraduate students, medical students committing to practice in Georgia, University System and Technical College System staff and students, and state agencies managing the lottery reserve and retirement plan.

Families could shelter far more money in tax-advantaged college savings accounts and claim a new tax deduction for contributions. Low-income students and aspiring doctors would gain new scholarship funding, while campuses would be required to keep overdose-reversal medication on hand, potentially affecting emergency response during opioid overdoses.

• Section 5-1 raises the Georgia 529 plan's maximum account balance cap from $235,000 to $550,000 per beneficiary, effective upon the Governor's approval.
• Section 5-2 creates a new income tax deduction (O.C.G.A. § 48-7-27) of up to $2,000 per beneficiary for contributions to qualified tuition programs, capped higher for joint filers, repealing January 1, 2031.
• Section 1-1 creates the DREAMS scholarship, capped at $3,000 per year and eight semesters, funded by a new endowment fund with principal, scholarship, and transitional accounts.
• Section 4-1 creates a medical school scholarship covering full cost of attendance, repayable through four years of in-state medical practice or repayment of the award.
• Sections 3-1 and 3-2 require University System and Technical College System institutions to stock opioid antagonists near defibrillators and grant immunity from civil liability or discipline for good-faith use.
• Section 2-1 excludes advanced fine arts course grades from HOPE scholarship GPA calculations for students who graduated before July 1, 2026.
• Section 7-1 revises the formula for the lottery shortfall reserve, requiring 10 percent of excess reserve funds to be appropriated for educational programs each year.
• Section 8-1 sets most of the Act's provisions to take effect July 1, 2026, except the savings plan change, which takes effect upon the Governor's signature.

1. 2026-04-02House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-02-18House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-17House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-12House Hopper (House)

• Devan Seabaugh (R, HD-034)Primary sponsor
• Beth Camp (R, HD-135)
• Jan Jones (R, HD-047)
• Carmen Rice (R, HD-139)
• Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)
• Matt Barton (R, HD-005)

• 529 college savings plans
• HOPE scholarship
• opioid overdose response
• tax deductions
• medical school scholarships