HB1438: HB1438 Tariff Transition Advisory Councils Act; enact

This bill responds to concerns that federal and international tariffs hit different parts of Georgia's economy unevenly, affecting farmers, manufacturers, shipping companies, and small businesses in different ways depending on the region. To address this, it creates five regional Tariff Transition Advisory Councils inside the Department of Economic Development, covering Northwest Georgia, Northeast Georgia, Metro Atlanta, Middle Georgia, and South Georgia. Each nine-member council would include business, labor, agriculture, local development, and education representatives who serve unpaid two-year terms. The councils would gather data on tariff impacts, talk to affected businesses and workers, and recommend mitigation strategies such as worker retraining or export support. The Department of Economic Development would report the councils' findings each year by December 31 to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and House Speaker, and post the reports publicly.

• Creates five regional tariff transition advisory councils within the Department of Economic Development covering all of Georgia.
• Sets each council's membership at nine unpaid volunteers representing business, labor, agriculture, local development, and higher education or research.
• Directs councils to collect data, conduct outreach, and develop mitigation strategies like workforce retraining and export support for tariff-affected industries.
• Requires the Department of Economic Development to submit an annual public report to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and House Speaker by December 31.
• Authorizes the Department of Economic Development to provide staff, meeting space, and data support, and to seek outside grants or funding for the councils.

Georgia businesses in manufacturing, logistics, and agriculture; workers and labor organizations; farmers and agribusiness groups; local development authorities and chambers of commerce; technical colleges and universities; and the Department of Economic Development, which would run and staff the new councils.

Georgians in industries exposed to tariffs, such as farming, manufacturing, and shipping, would gain a formal, region-specific channel for raising concerns and shaping state responses. The councils' annual public reports would give lawmakers and the public more information about how tariffs are affecting different parts of the state.

• Section 3 adds a new Chapter 41 to Title 50 creating five regional councils with boundaries set by the commissioner of economic development to match existing economic development districts.
• O.C.G.A. § 50-41-2 sets nine-member councils with specific seats for business, labor, agriculture, local development, and education or research representatives serving two-year terms.
• O.C.G.A. § 50-41-3 lists council duties including data collection, outreach, mitigation strategy development, and coordination with agencies like the Department of Agriculture and Department of Labor.
• O.C.G.A. § 50-41-4 requires an annual report by December 31 to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and House Speaker, which must be posted publicly online.
• O.C.G.A. § 50-41-5 directs the Department of Economic Development to provide administrative support and allows it to pursue federal grants or philanthropic funding for the councils.
• Section 2 states the General Assembly's findings that tariffs create uneven regional economic impacts requiring localized analysis.

1. 2026-02-26House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-25House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-24House Hopper (House)

• Anne Westbrook (D, HD-163)Primary sponsor
• Samuel Park (D, HD-107)
• Michelle Au (D, HD-050)
• Teddy Reese (D, HD-140)
• L.C. Myles (D, HD-126)

• tariffs
• economic development
• agriculture policy
• workforce development
• state government advisory boards