House floor session, February 6, 2026 (legislative day 14)
Video: https://vimeo.com/1162252589 (a timestamp t plays at https://vimeo.com/1162252589#t=<seconds>s)
Page: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-06/house-floor

This is a machine transcript of the General Assembly's video, made by a speech-recognition model. It is not an official record and can mishear words, names, and numbers. Speakers are not identified. The video is the record: every timestamp links to the moment it plays.
[0:20:51] Good morning.

[0:20:58] Our hour of convening having arrived, thank you for being here a little bit early. All members, all members will come to the floor. All members. Mr. Clerk, will you ring the bell?

[0:22:48] Well, good morning. We're going to have the morning roll call. All members present will pre- please vote green to signify their presence in the chamber. Mr. Clerk, will you unlock the machines?

[0:23:43] All members, all members voted?

[0:23:50] If so-

[0:24:02] If so, Mr. Clerk, will you lock the machines? Doorkeepers, if you'll close the doors, please, and keep them closed.

[0:24:14] As is our custom, we will begin our day with scripture reading and prayer by the chaplain. After which, we will pledge allegiance to the flag of our country. Our chaplain this morning, I've enjoyed meeting him this morning. Look forward to his message this morning, our devotion. Our chaplain this morning will be introduced by the gentleman from the 18th House District, Representative Tyler Paul Smith. Chairman Smith.

[0:24:47] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. Good morning. It's good to see the members of this august body one more time. Today, members, I bring to you a very, very close, uh, technically branch kin. If you don't know what branch kin is, uh, I'll explain it to you offline. But, uh, I, I could tell you about, a lot about Brother Toby Powers, but I, I, I can tell you this, that, uh, his wisdom and counsel to me, even before in office, uh, cannot quantify or just tell you how much the Lord has blessed us to have him in our lives.

[0:25:25] I will tell you that it was an honor to have him stand over my great-grandmother when she had passed away. And heaven forbid that I should go before him, if, uh, I were, he would be, uh, standing over me. I don't know if he knew that before this morning, but that's just how much I trust him and think, uh, think of him. So, uh, without any further ado from me, uh, Brother Toby, if you'll come forward and bring us word. Appreciate it.

[0:25:56] Well, good to have you, sir. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We appreciate this body allowing us to be here today and try to share something with you from the Word of the Lord. Appreciate Tyler Paul Smith and the blessing he and his family have been to me and to my family over the years. It is a privilege to us to share with you the Word of God today. Proverbs 11 is where my heart has been directed to this morning. The Word of the Lord says, "A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.

[0:26:32] When pride cometh, then cometh shame. But with the lowly, there is wisdom. The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them." King Solomon writes these words to us in this book of Proverbs, a man endued with the wisdom from the Lord above.

[0:26:53] And he's addressing his sons, the families of royalty. They are leadership amongst God's people. Solomon understood that everything rises and falls on leadership. And, uh, the appearance of professionalism, polish, and charisma are not the essentials for leadership as a godly leader, but it is honesty and fairness in business, according to verse one of our chapter, a sense of humility that turns mere knowledge to an application of wisdom in verse two, and it is integrity that guides our decision-making and allows us to sow good seed with the expectation of good fruit to come from it in verse number three.

[0:27:38] Unlike the days of Solomon, we don't live in a monarchy, and our leaders are not royal, nor are they rulers. Ultimately, this republic is answerable to we, the people, and the governments that are instituted amongst men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Such a republic can only stand in the integrity of its people and those who represent us. As John Adams said, our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people.

[0:28:08] It is wholly inadequate, uh, to the government of any other. Or as Solomon would write in Proverbs 29:2, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." It's a great blessing from God to me to be an heir of liberty in this land. My mother's with me today. She was born in Hanau, Germany, and came here as a little girl. My grandmother grew up under the oppression of the Nazi regime.

[0:28:41] After surviving the horrors of World War II, she left family and friends and home to follow her husband, an American soldier boy, across the ocean, seeking the promise of liberty that has been my inheritance all of my life. In this chamber today, you represent families like mine. Your, you guard freedoms for our offspring. You protect the future of this land of blessing. So it is my lot today to encourage each one of you in this body to exercise yourselves fully in character and integrity.

[0:29:15] Deeply rooted in humility, honor God Almighty in all that you say and do while representing your constituents and the great state of Georgia. Remember that our Lord Jesus said to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy might. This is the first commandment. And the second is like unto it, namely this, that thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, and there is none other commandment greater than these. Or as I often paraphrase this teaching, it's really about the God you serve and the people you love, and everything else is just stuff.

[0:29:53] So while going about the important work of today, may each member of this body keep the words of Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." If you're able and willing this morning, I invite you to stand with me and bow your heads as we pray.

[0:30:16] Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. We give our hearts in thanksgiving to you for letting us live today in the land of preachers, the land of churches, the land of Bibles. We thank you for how you've honored our land. Lord, we seek you and your direction as the God who rules and overrules and super rules. May integrity guide our paths. May we sow good seed that bears good fruit for our future. Give wisdom to these who lead us today and represent us.

[0:30:48] Grant humility to them in their dealings with one another. We pray for grace and safety for those who serve in uniform, and we pray for wisdom for those who serve our land in office. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Guide us with integrity. Be merciful when we fail you, and give us the grace to show mercy unto others. We seek the kingdom of heaven first today, and we believe you, Lord, to add to us the things we need in our lives.

[0:31:20] All of this we ask in the name above all names, Christ Jesus, our bloodstained Redeemer and Lord. Amen. Amen. We'll have the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. GP. Yes, sir. You didn't ...

[0:31:53] Thank you, Brother Toby. Members, if you'll join me in welcoming Brother Toby's mom and dad. We're so lucky to have them with us here to support him.

[0:32:04] Thank you all for being in the people's house. Doorkeepers, you may open the doors. Members, you b- you may join Brother Toby in the south ante room and thank him for his service and that devotion. Thank you very much.

[0:34:39] Members, our doctor of the day today was invited by Dr. Mich- Representative Dr. Michelle Au, and Dr. Jonathan Gillig is our doctor of the day, so if you need Dr. Gillig's services, he'll be downstairs. Chair recognizes Chairman Hilton, the chair of the Committee on Information and Audit. Chairman Hilton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Committee on Information and Audit has reviewed this weekend's Super Bowl matchup, and we believe the Seahawks win by seven. We-

[0:35:10] We've also reviewed the, uh, journal and we have found it to be correct. Thank you.

[0:35:14] You did better on the journal part. Chairman Hilton, the chair of the Committee on Information and Audit reports that the journal of the previous legislative day has been read and found to be correct. Is there any object- objection to dispense with the reading of the journal? Hearing none, the reading of the journal is dispensed with. Is there any objection to the confirmation of the journal? Hearing none, the journal is confirmed. Mr. Clerk, will you read the resolution establishing the order of business for the day?

[0:35:44] Representative Efstration of the 104th moves following me establishes the order of business in our first part of the period unanimous consents, introduction of bills and resolutions, first reading and reference of House bills and resolutions, second reading of bills and resolutions, reports of standing committees, third reading and passage of uncontested local bills and resolutions, first reading and reference of Senate bills and resolutions, morning orders.

[0:36:10] Is there any objection to adopting of the resolu- adoption of the resolution establishing the order of business for the day? Hearing none, the resolution is adopted.

[0:36:23] First reading of bills and resolutions. Mr. Clerk will read.

[0:36:27] House Bill 1197 by Representative Powell of the 33rd, Jasperse of the 11th, Wilkerson of the 38th, Oliver of the 84th, Carpenter of the 4th and others, bill be titled an act to amend Chapter 27 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the Georgia Lottery for Education Act.

[0:36:44] Regulated Industries.

[0:36:46] House Bill 1198 by Representative Gullett of the 19th and Lumson of the 12th, bill be titled an act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 23 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to agents, agencies, subagents and counselors.

[0:36:59] Insurance.

[0:37:00] House Bill 1199 by Representative Carson of the 46th, Blackmon of the 146th, Kelly of the 16th and Williamson of the 112th, bill be titled an act to amend Code Section 48-1-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to definitions regarding revenue and taxation.

[0:37:17] Ways and Means.

[0:37:18] House Bill 1200 by Representative Stevens of the 164th, Petrea of the 166th, Hitchens of the 161st, Gilliard of the 162nd and Westbrook of the 163rd, a bill to be entitled an act to amend an act providing for a base year assessed value of homestead exemption from Chatham County and City of Savannah School District ad valorem taxes.

[0:37:39] Intergovernmental Coordination.

[0:37:41] House Bill 1201 by Representative Gullett of the 19th and Lumson of the 12th, bill be titled an act to amend Code Section 25-2-40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to smoke detectors.

[0:37:54] Agriculture and Consumer Affairs.

[0:37:56] House Bill 1202 by Representative Corbett of the 174th, Mathis of the 133rd and Smith of the 138th, bill be titled an act to amend Code Section 35-6A-17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to Geo- Georgia Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Advisory Board.

[0:38:13] Motor Vehicles.

[0:38:15] House Bill 1203 by Representative Stevens of the 164th, Petrea of the 166th, Hitchens of the 161st, Gilliard of the 162nd and Westbrook of the 163rd, the bill be titled an act to amend an act providing a homestead exemption from Chatham County School District ad valorem taxes.

[0:38:34] Intergovernmental Coordination.

[0:38:36] House Bill 1204 by Representative Schofield of the 63rd, Greene of the 154th, McClain of the 109th, Townsend of the 179th and Davis of the 87th, bill be titled an act to amend Code Section 34-1-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to prohibition of age discrimination in employment.

[0:38:54] Industry and Labor.

[0:38:56] House Bill 1205 by Representative Dickey of the 134th, bill be titled an act to provide a new charter for the City of Yatesville.

[0:39:04] Intergovernmental Coordination.

[0:39:06] House Bill 1206 by Representative Jones of the 25th, Dubnik of the 29th, Erwin of the 32nd, Jones of the 47th and Townsend of the 179th, bill be titled an act to amend Article 19 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to instructional materials and content.

[0:39:24] Education.

[0:39:26] House Bill 1207 by Representative Reese of the 140th, Lupton of the 83rd, Campbell of the 35th, Jones of the 60th and Olaleye of the 59th, bill be titled an act to amend Title 19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to domestic relations.

[0:39:45] Judiciary, Non-Civil.

[0:39:47] House Bill 1208 by Representative Gunner of the 8th, Burchett of the 176th, Leverett of the 123rd, Smith of the 18th, Kelly of the 16th and others, bill be titled an act to amend Article 5 of Chapter 11 of Title 9 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to depositions and discovery.

[0:40:04] Judiciary.

[0:40:05] House Bill 1209 by Representative Stevens of the 164th, Blackmon of the 146th, Petrea of the 166th, Gilliard of the 162nd and Gaines of the 120th, bill be titled an act to amend Code Section 48-8-3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to exemptions relative to state sales and use taxes.

[0:40:24] Ways and Means.

[0:40:26] Bill 1202- 1210 by Representative K- Kahaian of the 81st, Byrd of the 20th, Dunahoo of the 31st, Washburn of the 144th and Bonner of the 73rd, bill be titled an act to amend Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 11 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions relative to dependency proceedings.

[0:40:49] Judiciary, Juvenile.

[0:40:51] House Bill 1211 by Representative Kelly of the 16th, Hawkins of the 27th, Newton of the 127th, Gullett of the 19th, Gambill of the 15th and others, bill be titled an act to amend Code Section 33-24-56.3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to colorectal cancer screening. Health. House Bill 1212 by Representative Stevens of the 164th, Carpenter of the 4th, Barton of the 5th, Cannon of the 172nd, LaHood of the 175th, and others. The bill be titled an act to amend chapter 13 to title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to specific business and occupational taxes.

[0:41:27] Ways and Means. House Bill 1213 by Representative Cummings of the 39th, McQueen of the 61st, Sanchez of the 42nd, Smith of the 41st, Ridley of the 22nd, and others. The bill be titled an act to authorize the City of Mableton, Georgia to exercise all redevelopment and other powers provided. Intragovernmental Coordination. House Bill 1214 by Representative O'Steen of the 169th, Purchetta of the 176th, Williams of the 148th, Kelly of the 16th, Corbett of the 174th, and others. The bill be titled an act to amend chapter eight of title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to sales and use taxes.

[0:42:02] Ways and Means. House Bill 1216 by Representative Stevens of the 164th, Green of the 154th, Carpenter of the 4th, Dempsey of the 13th, Jones of the 143rd, and others. The bill be titled an act to amend article three of chapter 13 to title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to excise tax on rooms, lodgings, and accommodations. Ways and Means. House Bill 1217 by Representative Berry of the 56th, Cannon of the 58th, Jackson of the 165th, Westbrook of the 163rd, and Willis of the 55th.

[0:42:33] The bill be titled an act to amend title 31 and chapter seven of title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to health and the Department of Economic Development. Economic Development Tourism. Suspend just a minute, Mr. Clerk.

[0:43:01] Thank you, members. Proceed, Mr. Clerk. House Bill 1218 by Representative Flournoy of the 74th, Hilton of the 48th, Neal of the 79th, Olaleye of the 59th, Berry of the 56th. The bill be titled an act to amend part 14 of article six of chapter two to title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to other educational programs under the Quality Basic Education Act. Education. House Bill 1219 by Representative Lewis-Ward of the 115th, Powell of the 33rd, Hugley of the 141st, Green of the 154th, Mitchell of the 88th, and others.

[0:43:33] The bill be titled an act to amend article six of chapter three to title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to property owners associations. Regulated Industries. House Bill 1220 by Representative Ballard of the 147th, Efstration of the 104th, Hilton of the 48th, Jones of the 47th, Donatucci of the 105th. The bill be titled an act to amend chapter 2A of title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to student scholarship organizations. Education. House Bill 1221 by Representative Draper of the 90th, Oliver of the 84th, Evans of the 57th, Gunter of the 8th, Leverett of the 123rd.

[0:44:11] The bill be titled an act to amend article six of chapter three to title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to property owners associations. Judiciary. House Bill 1222 by Representative Lewis-Ward of the 115th, Powell of the 33rd, Hugley of the 141st, Washburn of the 144th, Mitchell of the 88th, and others. The bill to be entitled an act to amend chapter three of title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to regulation of specialized land transactions.

[0:44:41] Regulated Industries. House Bill 1223 by Representative Gullett of the 19th, Crowe of the 118th, Momtahan of the 17th, O'Steen of the 169th, Herring of the 145th, and others. The bill be titled an act to amend code section 50-18-72 relating to when public disclosure is not required. Judiciary. House Bill 1224 by Representative Barrett of the 24th, Efstration of the 104th, Gaines of the 120th, Holcomb of the 101st, Camp of the 135th, and others.

[0:45:13] The bill to be titled an act to amend chapter 12 of title 13 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to automatic renewal provisions. Agriculture and Consumer Affairs. House Bill 1225 by Representative Barrett of the 24th, Efstration of the 104th, Gaines of the 120th, Holcomb of the 101st, Camp of the 135th, and others. The bill to be entitled an act to amend chapter 12 of title 13 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to automatic renewal provisions.

[0:45:45] Agriculture and Consumer Affairs. House Bill 1226 by Representative Clark of the 100th, Smith of the 18th, Ridley of the 22nd, Powell of the 33rd, Bonner of the 73rd, and others. The bill be titled an act to amend article two, chapter three, title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to justification and excuse.

[0:46:08] Judiciary Non-Civil. House Bill 1227 by Representative Gullett of the 19th, Fleming of the 114th, Momtahan of the 17th, Sainz of the 180th, Thomas of the 21st, and others. The bill to be entitled an act to amend chapter two, title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to elections and primaries generally.

[0:46:29] Governmental Affairs. House Bill 1228 by Representative McCollum of the 30th, Oliver of the 84th, Olaleye of the 59th, Panitch of the 51st, Gullett of the 19th, and others. The bill be titled an act to amend chapter five of title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to ad valorem taxation of property. Ways and Means. House Bill 1229 by Representative Stevens of the 164th, Carpenter of the 4th, Washburn of the 144th, DeLoach of the 167th, McDonald of the 26th, and others. The bill be titled an act to amend title three of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to alcoholic beverages.

[0:47:05] Regulated Industries. House Resolution 1242 by Representative Glaize of the 67th, Carter of the 93rd, Griffin of the 149th, Paris of the 142nd, Jackson of the 165th. Resolution supporting the revision of the quality basic education and full-time equivalent funding formulas. Education. House Resolution 1243 by Representative Martin of the 49th, Burns the 159th, Hugley the 141st, Crowe the 118th, Camp of the 135th and others. A resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to authorize creation of the Georgia Next Generation 911 Fund.

[0:47:41] Public Safety and Homeland Security. House Resolution 1244 by Representative McCollum of the 30th, Oliver of the 84th, Lally of the 59th, Panitch of the 51st, Gullett of the 19th and others. A resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Georgia so as to provide that any business enterprise included but not limited to private equity having an interest. Ways and Means. House Resolution 1245 by Representative Ford of the 170th, Dickey of the 134th, Campbell of the 171st, O'Steen of the 169th, Cannon of the 172nd and others.

[0:48:19] A resolution commending the Georgia peanut industry and recognizing March 2026 as Georgia Peanut Month at the State Capitol. Special Rules. House Resolution 1246 by Representative Baker of the 64th, Barnes of the 86th, Douglas of the 78th, McCollum of the 30th and Ali of the 106th. A resolution recognizing February as National Canned Food Month in the State of Georgia. Special Rules. Senate Bill 239 by Senator Walker of the 20th, Robertson of the 29th, Harvin of the 16th, Mallett of the 2nd, Williams of the 25th.

[0:48:53] The bill be titled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 18 to Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to funeral directors and establishments. Regulated Industries. Senate Bill 403 by Senator Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Walker of the 20th, Anavard of the 31st, Parent of the 44th, Albers of the 56th and others. The bill be titled an Act to amend Article 5 of Chapter 12 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to disposition of unclaimed property.

[0:49:23] Judiciary. That completes first readers.

[0:49:49] Second reading of bills and resolutions. The clerk will read. Mr. Clerk.

[0:49:54] House Bill 1181 by Representative Ballard of the 147th, Corbett of the 174th, Sainz of the 180th, New of the 40th and Ehrhart of the 36th. A bill relating to certificates of title for motor vehicles. House Bill 1182 by Representative Rhodes of the 124th, Leverett of the 123rd, Ridley of the 6th, Williams of the 148th, Corbett of the 174th. A bill relating to soil amendments. House Bill 1183 by Representative Sainz of the 180th, Bonner of the 73rd, Ballard of the 147th, Rice of the 139th, Burchette of the 176th and others. A bill relating to imposition rate, computation, exemptions and credits for state income tax.

[0:50:26] House Bill 1184 by Representative Bonner of the 73rd, Thomas of the 21st, Cannon of the 172nd, Ballard of the 147th. A bill relating to state militia. House Bill 1185 by Representative Efstration of the 104th, Gambill of the 15th, Wade of the 9th, Seabaugh of the 34th, Gunter of the 8th and others. A bill relating to corporations, partnerships, associations and courts. House Bill 1186 by Representative Stevens of the 164th, Gilliard of the 162nd, Hitchens of the 161st, Westbrook of the 163rd and Jackson of the 165th. A bill to repeal an act creating the Garden City Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Authority.

[0:50:58] House Bill 1187 by Representative Hong of the 103rd, Gambill of the 15th, Seabaugh of the 34th, Wade of the 9th, Gunter of the 8th and others. A bill relating to provisional and final remedies in special proceedings. House Bill 1188 by Representative Sanchez of the 42nd, Washburn of the 144th, Frye of the 122nd, Lally of the 59th, Oliver of the 84th and others. A bill relating to the Fair Business Practices Act of 1975. House Bill 1189 by Representative Moore of the 91st, Panitch of the 51st, Bell of the 75th, Baker of the 64th, Sanchez of the 42nd. A bill relating to sexual offenses.

[0:51:29] House Bill 1190 by Representative Sanchez of the 42nd, Berry of the 56th, McQueen of the 61st, Westbrook of the 163rd, Cameron of the 1st and others. A bill relating to elementary and secondary education. House Bill 1191 by Representative O'Steen of the 169th, Bonner of the 73rd, Hitchens of the 161st, Corbett of the 174th, Cannon of the 172nd and others. A bill relating to prestige license plates for special plates for certain persons and vehicles. House Bill 1192 by Representative Taylor of the 173rd, Efstration of the 104th, Hugley of the 141st, Hatchett of the 155th, Stevens of the 164th and others.

[0:52:02] A bill relating to public assistance. House Bill 1193 by Representative Irwin of the 32nd, Burns of the 159th, Hatchett of the 155th, Dubnik of the 29th, Jones of the 47th and others. A bill relating to education. House Bill 1194 by Representative Leverett of the 123rd, Efstration of the 104th, Williamson of the 112th, Lumsden of the 12th. A bill relating to insurance requirements for transportation network companies and their drivers. House Bill 1195 by Representative Leverett of the 123rd, Mathiak of the 82nd, Gullett of the 19th, Camp of the 135th, Cooper of the 45th. A bill relating to telemedicine by veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

[0:52:34] House Bill 1196 by Representative Smith of the 18th, Miller of the 62nd, Hong of the 103rd, LaHood of the 175th, Fleming of the 114th and others. A bill relating to criminal trespass involving a wild animal. House Bill 1215 by Representative Parrish of the 115th, Jackson of the 128th, Hagan of the 156th and Prince of the 132nd. A bill relating to the number of judges of superior courts. Three second readers.

[0:53:29] Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Reports of standing committees Mr. Clerk will read. Representative Chris Erwin of the 32nd District, chairman of the Committee on Education, submitted the following report. Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Education has had under its consideration the following bills of the House, has instructed me to report the same back to the House with the following recommendation. House Bill 971, do pass. House Bill 383, do pass by substitute. House Bill 1009, do pass. House Bill 1023, do pass by substitute.

[0:54:02] House Bill 907, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Representative Chris Erwin of the 32nd District, chairman.

[0:54:12] Representative Lauren McDonald of the 26th District, chairman of the Committee on Intergovernmental Coordination and Local, submitted the following report. Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Intergovernmental Coordination and Locals had under its consideration the following bills of the House and Senate, and has instructed me to report the same back to the House with the following recommendations. House Bill 877, do pass. House Bill 936, do pass. House Bill 937, do pass. House Bill 938, do pass. House Bill 939, do pass. House Bill 940, do pass. House Bill 941, do pass.

[0:54:42] House Bill 952, do pass. House Bill 953, do pass. House Bill 982, do pass. House Bill 1026, do pass. House Bill 1037, do pass. House Bill 1057, do pass. House Bill 1093, do pass. Senate Bill 316, do pass. Senate Bill thir- 317, do pass. Senate Bill 348, do pass. House Bill 1074, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Representative Lauren McDonald of the 26th District, chairman. Representative Gunter of the 8th District, chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, submitted the following report.

[0:55:16] Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Judiciary has had under its consideration the following bills of the House, has instructed me to report the same back to the House with the following recommendations. House Bill 545, do pass. House Bill 948, do pass by committee substitute. House Bill 979, do pass. House Bill 1121, do pass. House Bill 1215, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Representative Gunter of the 8th District, chairman. Representative Smith of the 18th District, chairman of the Committee on Judiciary Non-Civil, submitted the following report.

[0:55:46] Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Judiciary Non-Civils had under its consideration the following bill of the House, and instructed me to report the same back to the House with the following recommendations. House Bill 57, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Representative Smith of the 18th District, chairman. Representative Gerald Greene of the 154th District, chairman of the Committee on State Properties, submitted the following report. Mr. Speaker, your Committee on State Properties had under its consideration the following resolutions of the House, and has instructed me to report the same back to the House with the following recommendations.

[0:56:17] House Resolution 1050, do pass. House Resolution 1051, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Representative Gerald Greene of the 154th District, chairman. That completes the reading of the reports of standing committees.

[0:56:45] Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

[0:56:50] Members, we do have a local calendar this morning.

[0:57:11] All members will come back to the floor. We will be taking up a local calendar. For what purpose does Chairman McDonald rise? Mr. Speaker, I'd like to make a motion. State your motion, sir. I'd like to move SB 348, recommit it to Intergovernmental Coordination.

[0:57:35] Rep-

[0:57:54] Representative McDonald moves that Senate Bill 346 be recommitted to Intergovernmental Coordination and remove Senate Bill 348, I'm sorry, 348 be recommitted to the Committee on Intergovernmental Coordination. Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption? Senate Bill 348 by Senator Lucas of the 26th Hancock County. Senate Bill 348 changes the districts of the Board of County Commissioners of Hancock County. On the gentleman's motion that Senate Bill 348 be removed from the local calar- calendar and be sent back to the Committee on Intergovernmental Coordination, is there objection?

[0:58:34] Hearing none, it is so ordered.

[0:58:43] We'll take up the local calendar now. One bill on the local calendar relates to homestead exemption and requires a recorded two-thirds roll call vote for passage. The third reading and passage on uncontested local bills. If there is no objection, we will vote on the local calendar as a whole with a recorded vo- recorded vote without Senate Bill 348. Hearing none, it is so ordered. Mr. Clerk, will you read the local calendar without Senate Bill 348?

[0:59:16] House Bill 877 by Representative Jackson of the 68th City of Fayetteville. House Bill 936 by Representative Cannon of the 172nd City of Berlin. House Bill 937 by Representative Ford of the 170th Marion County. House Bill 938 by Representative Ford of the 170th Tift County. House Bill 939 by Representative Ford of the 170th Tift County. House Bill 940 by Representative Ford-

[0:59:43] Proceed, Mr. Secretary.

[0:59:44] House Bill 940 by Representative Ford of the 170th, Tift County. House Bill 941 by Representative Ford of the 170th, Tift County. House Bill 952 by Representative Franklin of the 160th, Bulloch County. House Bill 953 by Representative Franklin of the 160th, Bulloch County. House Bill 982 by Representative Camp of the 135th, City of Barnesville. House Bill 1026 by Representative Sharper of the 177th, City of Valdosta. House Bill 1037 by Representative Cummings of the 39th, Cobb County.

[1:00:16] House Bill 1057 by Representative Kendrick of the 95th, Gwinnett County. House Bill 1093 by Representative Burchett of the 176th, City of Waycross, Ware County. Senate Bill 316 by Senator Goodman of the 8th, Clinch County. Senate Bill 317 by Senator Goodman of the 8th, Clinch County. House Bill 1074 by Representative Reeves of the 99th, City of Suwanee.

[1:00:44] Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered on the local calendar? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bills? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall these bills now pass? All tho- all those in favor of the passage of the bills on the local calendar will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no. And Mr.

[1:01:15] Clerk, will you unlock the machines?

[1:01:41] Have all members voted?

[1:01:48] All members voted?

[1:02:05] All members voted? All members voted. If so, Mr. Clerk, will you lock the machine? On the passage of the local calendar without Bill, without Senate Bill 348, the yays are 165, the nays are zero. These bills, having received the requisite constitutional majority, are therefore passed. Members, we'll move on to morning orders now. I'm gonna recognize Representative Glaize for up to a two-minute order on Black History Month.

[1:02:44] Representative Glaize.

[1:02:51] Lady, hold just for a moment.

[1:02:59] If you have to have a conversation right now, you need to take it to the ante room. This is an important morning order for many reasons. Representative Glaize, Representative Stevens. Ladies, recognize.

[1:03:16] Thank you.

[1:03:16] Representative Gilliard.

[1:03:19] This morning we come to recognize-

[1:03:23] Representative Westbrook

[1:03:24] ... someone in our chamber for Black History Month. This is a surprise for Representative Edna Jackson, who is a lifelong civil rights leader. Educator.

[1:03:42] Trailblazer.

[1:03:58] She has, her roots, grassroots were activism, legislative leadership, municipal governance. She engaged in the civil rights movement from the age of nine as a volunteer with the NAACP Youth Council. She participated in historic sit-ins, wade-ins, kneel-ins, and voter registration drives.

[1:04:24] Oh, my God.

[1:04:25] And the landmark march of 1963 in Washington, 1965 in Selma to Montgomery march. She was the protege of W. W. Law and Eugene Gaston, where she worked with the national NAACP. And as we know her, the queen of the heart of Savannah, she was our mayor. And served eight years. Prior to that, she served 12 years on city council.

[1:04:57] She held national roles in the National League of Cities, and was second vice president of GMA. We know her now as the heart of this legislature on the House side. She is what we call one who will never be forgotten for her service to Georgia. And as an alum of Savannah State, devoted 30 years of her life, and continues to fight to make sure that they stay sustainable.

[1:05:31] So Edna Jackson, you are not just a representative. You are not just a woman who has made a difference and impacted this state, but you are the queen of our heart.

[1:05:53] Go, darling. They all yours. All right. Where's, where's the president? She, she's ... Where she gone? Leading you. Hi. Let me, please, uh, m-

[1:06:07] The lady's recognized.

[1:06:12] I am just so excited. You know, I, I run around in here and I enjoy what I do, but it is not ... You know, I, I don't look for things, you know. I d- I just think things happen for a reason. Absolutely. And I came up under two great leaders. Yes, she is. Wesley. And Al did, too. That's how long we've known each other as well. We came up under Wesley Wallace Law, the member, the president National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

[1:06:44] And I came up under Gene Gadsden, the first African American judge in the City of Savannah. They trained me well. She did. Because, uh, Judge Gadsden has always said to us as young people, "It is not about the I, it is about the we." Mm. Because you cannot do everything for yourself. I am so excited. Oh, my God. Take a lot of pictures.

[1:07:18] And all of my friends, you are all my friends. Uh-huh. You have taught me an awful lot. I am sickening, and I know I am. But that is okay, because I fight for the things that I believe in. Yes, you do. And the fight never ends. Yes, ma'am. And I don't care whether you're Democrat or Republicans, you are my friends and people that I have ... I'll run by you often, say, "Tell me about so and so and so." And that is because it is very important.

[1:07:52] Gene Gadsden, again, said to me, "You know, if you're going to make a difference, you have to cross the aisle. And if you're going to make a difference, you have to be sincere." And that is what I try to do. So thank y'all, 'cause I don't want Speaker tell me, "Oh, time." Knocked y'all.

[1:08:22] Thank you, baby. Oh. Fantastic. Oh. That's yours too. Did I re- You got it. No, no, no. It came with the prop. Oh, thank y'all.

[1:08:31] All someday.

[1:08:32] That right there's for you. Oh.

[1:08:33] Thank you, Representative Glaze.

[1:08:34] Thank you. You're welcome. And I've known him a long time. You didn't tell me this. I don't know. Let's go this way, baby. And my sisters of Delta, thank you too. I wanna get a picture. I got the g- g- ... Oh. Come, come. Yeah, go that way. I am so proud.

[1:08:49] Representative Jackson, I'll always try to say that, but growing up near Savannah, I know her as Mayor Jackson.

[1:08:56] Take one picture. Come on.

[1:08:56] She did great work in that community, and still is doing that.

[1:08:59] Come on.

[1:08:59] And a great member of this house.

[1:09:00] Come on, Buddy.

[1:09:00] Congratulations.

[1:09:02] Come on. Come on, Buddy. You do those things. I am.

[1:09:06] Buddy. Buddy.

[1:09:07] You know that. Can we get the picture with Buddy and, and, and Al? One photo. Thank you, y'all. Oh, my God. Okay. Thank you. Great job. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Y'all, y'all gonna escort her back. Thank you.

[1:09:22] Y'all escort her back, the lady back out. Representative Carter.

[1:09:31] Representative Carter's recognized for a morning order. Give the lady your attention, please.

[1:09:36] So if you would join us-

[1:09:37] And friends

[1:09:38] ... down front. In your red. It's great.

[1:09:41] Yeah. I am wearing it.

[1:09:43] Well, good morning. Today is the official Go Red for Women. And this is the American Heart Association's day of advocacy to bring awareness to heart disease in women. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in women, more than all the cancers combined. And so they've been working diligently to bring awareness.

[1:10:14] There has been research and opportunities to extend our lives. And for me, I'm extremely fortunate to be here with you, because my grandmother died of a massive heart attack, and my mother died of a heart attack in her sleep. And a few months before being elected to the State House, I also had an attack on my heart. And what I didn't share with you all, since I've been elected I've also had a stroke. So I say, just give me s- give me some breathing room sometime when, you know.

[1:10:45] So I'm very passionate, but I'm also trying to balance. But we have some friends here this morning as well. And I'm sorry I didn't bring Renee. Theresa, your friend standing next to you, please stand up, one of our advocates for, uh, heart disease. And we have, uh, Ms. Carlene and some students from Lithonia Middle School. If you all would join us as well in standing. And we wanna take a moment to celebrate every person in this chamber who has been touched and personally affected by heart disease, and you are still here.

[1:11:17] So I challenge you this day that we do everything we can to make sure we have saved a life. Because for me, God allowed me to live, so I am gonna do everything I can for my community, for you, that we could extend our lives. And some of it's gonna start with how we eat, what we're drinking, whether or not we're exercising. And I'm guilty, but every w- every year we do a little bit better. So thank you, um, Mr. Speaker, for giving us this, uh, privilege and this opportunity to again bring awareness to, uh, heart disease in women.

[1:11:53] Men, we know you die too, but we wanna keep some more women alive. Thank you. We yield the will.

[1:11:59] Thank you for your advocacy and your work. And thank you, ladies, for being here, all that are here in support. Representative Jasmine Clark is recognized for a morning order. Representative Clark.

[1:12:15] Give the lady your attention, please. Representative Clark.

[1:12:18] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This morning it is my honor to, uh, welcome the Georgia State University Public Policy Club to the People's House. They are a, uh, club that provides students with meaningful opportunities to engage with public policy, governance, and the legislative process at the local, state, and national levels. They are joining us here today in the gallery. Could y'all please stand?

[1:12:51] GSU in the house. Yay.

[1:12:53] Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for your engagement. We appreciate you. And again, welcome to the People's House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[1:13:04] Yay.

[1:13:04] Representative Anderson and friends has... Representative Victor Anderson.

[1:13:17] Representative Tim Fleming. Representative Martin Mon- and, and friends. There's too many of y'all for me to name. Representative Anderson is recognized.

[1:13:27] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sorry for the delay, comer- colleagues there. Uh, today we would like to recognize, we have in the Capitol and around the, the grounds here, the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials, these, uh, better l- known as GAVREO. These are the folks who are boots on the ground that are out there conducting our elections in the counties, in the precincts, and we've got a group of them here. If... We got them waving up here. If y'all will stand.

[1:13:58] Thank you for what you do for the State of Georgia, the voters in Georgia, and we're glad to welcome you to the People's House.

[1:14:07] Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[1:14:10] Thank you. Y'all got a hard job. We appreciate what you do. And keep working with us, please. Representative Glaize is recognized for another...

[1:14:26] And this is PTA Day, all right? So some folks are gonna join you.

[1:14:35] Education.

[1:14:36] Education. Mr. Chairman.

[1:14:40] Mr. Chairman.

[1:14:40] Chairman Erwin.

[1:14:44] PTA Day. Great organization. Thank you, Representative Glaize. Le- the lady is rec- Wait, hold, hold just a moment.

[1:14:55] Now the lady is recognized.

[1:14:57] Thank you so much. We want to welcome Georgia PTA in the house with us. They're in the gallery, and we're gonna start with their president is with us, Anita Higgins Jones, and her executive team. This is Georgia PTA president for 2026. She has her legislative, uh, support with her, Weldon Johnson. And downstairs we have First Sergeant Charleston with the Duluth High School Naval ROTC.

[1:15:27] As you guys know, the PTA was founded in 1897, where they give children a voice and improve the lives of children and youth throughout this state. They strengthen the connection between community and home. More than a century later, their purpose still remains the same, and the foundational work is the reason why PTA continues to thrive across this nation. Georgia PTA is committed to supporting students, families with key initiatives.

[1:15:59] They've also brought with them the first African American president of the national PTA, Mr. Otha Thornton. I don't see him, but downstairs you'll be able to hear and see the Naval ROTC. Thank you so much for what you do, and we're giving you a rounds of applause.

[1:16:21] Good job.

[1:16:21] And if we have students with us from PTA, please stand.

[1:16:34] All right. Yay. Good job.

[1:16:36] Great organ- organization. You know, it is about parents and teachers. Thank y'all for being here. We appreciate you. And thank you for incorporating your young people today to be pages. Thank you for that, and welcome young people. Chairman Cheokas from down in Sumter County, America, Georgia. Chairman Cheokas.

[1:16:58] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, members, please join me in welcoming the FFA students of Marion County Middle High School. Stand up, guys. They were brought here by their FFA teacher-

[1:17:13] Yeah.

[1:17:13] Uh, yeah, of course, um, John Hagan. These young men and women represent the best of Georgia's future. So go Eagles.

[1:17:25] Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[1:17:27] Thank you.

[1:17:28] Thank you, Representatives. Welcome to the People's House. Love those jackets. We appreciate y'all being involved. It is about you all and about Georgia's future. That completes our morning orders. We'll move on to the rules calendar.

[1:17:54] Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to House Bill 945, 945?

[1:18:00] House Bill 945 by Representative Williamson and the 112th and others to be entitled an act to amend Title 7 of the Official Code of Georgia Anteater relating to, rel- relating to banks and finance so as to provide for holds on accounts of eligible adults for suspected financial exploitation. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Banks and Banking, that committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute.

[1:18:26] Chairman Williamson is recognized to present House Bill 945. Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As, as Speaker says, it's always a great day to be a Georgian. It's a particularly great day as we are, we're able to join together this morning in representing, uh, representative of, of honoring Representative Jackson for a lifetime of service and achievement. So it's, it's a s- a double great day. But I'm here before you members and colleagues to present you, uh, House Bill 945 by committee substitute LC620310S.

[1:19:00] Uh, this House bill is the Department of Banking and Finance's annual housekeeping bill. As always, it's a comprehensive and very practical update to Georgia's financial laws. This bill contains revisions to all the laws com- uh, impacting our financial provider landscape, which includes banks, credit unions, merchant acquirers, limited purpose banks. For those of you that don't know, that's the intermediary banks that facilitate our credit card transactions. Farm bank officers, offices, installment lenders, and the like. It comes with the support of all the re- the respective associations and interested parties that are regu- that are, are part of the financial landscape, including the Georgia Bankers Association, Community Bankers, and Georgia Credit Union affiliates.

[1:19:44] As I mentioned, always we're doing technical and conforming updates, uh, streamlining merger and notification procedures with financial institutions. We're updating credit report requirements, clarifying exemptions for federally insured institutions, and updating mortgage, installment loan, and fair lending provisions. But importantly, this measure this year includes three major new updates. First, the bill gives banks and credit unions the ability to temporarily pause suspicious transactions when they reasonably... Mr.

[1:20:14] Speaker, I just left, I lost my notes. Um, that is just my luck this morning. It's happened to me quite often. Uh,

[1:20:29] th- thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, when we s- when we suspect, uh, an elderly disabled adult is being financially exploited, we know the problem we have in this country right now of financial fraud, i- on the elderly pop- population, it almost hit a quarter of a billion dollars in lost funds last year. So this, this year, this bill will, uh, allow us to have some appropriate guardrails for the first time, allowing our financial institutions to sort of be a front line of defense for our elderly and, um, disabled population.

[1:21:02] Uh, key features would include that the financial institutions when they suspect financial fraud, and they've been properly trained to, to, uh, find this fraud, would be able to put a temporary hold only on the suspicious transaction, importantly only on the suspicious transaction, not on the customer's other funds, uh, for up to 15 days while they got to the bottom of it. It would allow, uh, the account holder appoint a trusted contact, someone in the family or a trusted advisor that the financial institution could contact to make sure that the, the, the transaction was legitimate.

[1:21:40] Uh, it would require the financial institutions to have internal policies, procedures, and employee training. In, in, in return for that, it would provide limited liability protections for institutions which are operating in good faith protecting our seniors and the disabled population's funds. So the bottom line, this feature provides a practical time-limited tool to stop scams before the money is lost while still preserving customer access to their regular transactions. Second, for the first time, this bill would put guardrails around virtual cu- currency kiosks, which is, which are often called crypto ATMs.

[1:22:17] This, uh, measures would require clear fraud warnings, full fee and pricing disclosures, transaction receipts, fee caps, and daily limits for transactions. Those key features would include, um, daily transaction limits of $2,500 for new customers and $10,000 for existing customers. Importantly, it would o- offer for the first time refund rights for victims of fraud. If the fraud is reported within the first five days, uh, they would be able to get the entire transaction back if they were able to prove it from the current, from the ATM operator, so it wouldn't go off into, into cyberspace and be unrecoverable.

[1:22:59] After five days, the account holder, if they were able to prove fraud, it would, um, it would be limited to the transaction fee that the kiosk operator, um, would've otherwise been in, uh, had the rights to. And finally, uh, this House bill modernizes litigation finan- financing oversight. In our tort reform efforts last year, we did require the licensing of m- of, uh, litigation financiers. Uh, that bill required a one-time, one-time registration.

[1:23:31] This bill will require annual registration to make sure if a company's litigation finance firm is sold, we would know who the new owners are. It would allow us to do the criminal background checks on the new owners. It would give authority to the Department of Banking and Finance, uh, to issue cease and desist orders on financial, um, litigation financiers that were not registered. Uh, and this would improve transparency around foreign ownership and funding sources. In short, Mr. Speaker and members, this bill protects consumers, especially our seniors.

[1:24:03] It modernizes our laws for today's financial realities. It gives regulators the tools they need without stifling legitimate business. It doesn't cost the state any more to do this, so it's, it's, uh, financially friendly to the taxpayer. That being said, Mr. Speaker, I'd be happy to answer any questions the members may have. The gentleman has a couple of questions. Yes, sir. And then we have a member who will speak in favor.

[1:24:26] Up the center aisle, Representative Lynn Smith. Chair Lady Smith is recognized for a question.

[1:24:30] Yes, ma'am.

[1:24:32] Thank you. Um, gentleman yield?

[1:24:33] Yes, ma'am.

[1:24:34] Thank you for bringing this bill to us. If this bill had been in place, would it have prevented a Ponzi scheme that occurred by some bad actors in my community?

[1:24:46] That's a great question, but, uh, no, ma'am, this would not have had anything to do with that. That would have been, um, the, the securities, um, division of the Secretary of State's office. Uh, this bill, uh, is, is designed to protect a consumer's, um, banking assets, banks and, and savings and loan. But it's the right sentiment, though. Bottom line, there's fraudsters out there everywhere. This bill would protect another set of, of customers.

[1:25:17] Thank you. Thank you for all-

[1:25:18] Yes, ma'am

[1:25:18] ... the safeguards in the bill.

[1:25:19] Yes, ma'am. Thank you.

[1:25:21] Gentleman yield?

[1:25:23] Yes, sir.

[1:25:23] Representative Barnes to your left. You have a question, Representative Imadi Barnes.

[1:25:27] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does gentleman yield?

[1:25:29] Yes, yes, ma'am. I do.

[1:25:31] Thank you. Does this bill protect seniors from things like, um, the text messages that may come to their phones and they press it and it-

[1:25:42] No, unfortunately, it doesn't. This is just a good first step where the funds are being, uh, withdrawn from our depository institutions in Georgia.

[1:25:50] I still appreciate the bill.

[1:25:51] That's something we, we need to figure out how to do. Again, we're just making our-

[1:25:55] Right

[1:25:56] ... baby steps towards protecting, the, the things we can do right now.

[1:25:59] Yes. I still appreciate the first step. Thank you.

[1:26:01] Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Representative.

[1:26:03] Representative Holcomb to your left is recognized for a question.

[1:26:07] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does gentleman yield?

[1:26:08] I do.

[1:26:11] Help me understand something. On page six, at the top of it, it says, "If a financial institution has reasonable cause to suspect that a transaction may involve, facilitate, result in, or contribute to financial exploitation, the financing institution may," so it's optional-

[1:26:27] Correct

[1:26:27] ... but is not required to place a hold on the execution of a financial transaction on an account. If they have reasonable cause to suspect that something is problematic, why is it a may?

[1:26:39] Well, this bill would have the institutions voluntarily opt in for the training piece of it. In return for that, there would be some limited liability protections for them. Absent that training and absent that opt-in, then they're, they would be, um, I guess, at risk for, to our friends in the trial bar. I, I can't answer that, as far as the may. I, I know... Well, let me put it this way, Representative Holcomb. I don't know of any, of, in, of our state regulated institutions, which we've talked about, of state chartered banks and state chartered credit unions, that would intentionally let a customer get out the door when they, they suspected financial fraud.

[1:27:21] I believe that they would do everything they could to get a branch manager over or the, one of the officers of the bank to talk through before they let somebody walk out with a sack full of cash to go put in one of these cryptocurrency machines.

[1:27:35] Uh, I, I agree with you that, uh, on page eight-

[1:27:39] Okay

[1:27:39] ... they have, um, protection for if they implement a hold, meaning that they have reasonable, um, cause-

[1:27:48] Direct-

[1:27:48] ... to suspect that there's something problematic.

[1:27:50] Direct, direct me to the line, please.

[1:27:52] Sure. It's section 7-1-239-18. It begins on line 181. So that makes sense to me, if they're protected in the event that they have reasonable cause to suspect that there's some type of financial fraud taking place. But we don't have a similar protection for if they don't. So if they have reasonable cause and don't act-

[1:28:14] No

[1:28:14] ... and that's the part that I'm not sure I understand.

[1:28:17] You know, I, I don't have a law degree as you do, Representative, but this line 182 is only gonna apply if they have opted in and gone through the, established the policies, procedures, and trained their personnel. That's my understanding of the reading of the bill.

[1:28:39] Okay. Yeah, I, I read it as if they act and place a hold, then they wouldn't be subject to liability by doing so. But I'll take another look at that.

[1:28:48] I'm happy, I'm happy to get with you offline if there is any kind of ambiguity in that. Happy to work with you moving forward.

[1:28:55] All right. My last question, if I may, is on the crypto side. If you go to page 19, um, line 451, "The fee commission spread or other charges shall not exceed"-

[1:29:10] Where? I'm sorry. Um...

[1:29:13] Nine-

[1:29:13] Page-

[1:29:14] Page 19 by pagination, line, line 451 of the bill.

[1:29:21] Okay.

[1:29:22] It allows the fee commission spread or other charges to be 18%. 18% seems really high.

[1:29:28] I agree with you, and that was discussed at length in committee. And by the way, the, our banking committee, this did come out w- uh, unanimously. We had great discussions. And similar to what we were talking about earlier in this, uh, that w- we have so much, um, fraud going on that there's, there's so many things we need to do. Th- this is a first step, uh, to regulate these unregulated machines right now. But as I understand it, these machine operators are collecting up to 30% fee right now without any kind of customer protections.

[1:30:03] This 18% does, um, contemplate the fact that if there is financial fraud and you're able to prove it within the first five days or get them involved, law enforcement involved within the first five days, there is a full customer refund of that transaction, which is not the case now. So that would obviously drive up the cost to the, uh, kiosk operator. So that's where I kinda reconcile that, well, okay- At least it's not 30%. 18% is still pretty high, but they're gonna have a pretty good bit of exposure because there's a lot of scamsters out there and hopefully a lot of customers that get duped into it within that first five days would get their money back.

[1:30:42] So that would drive up their cost.

[1:30:44] Okay. Thank you.

[1:30:45] Yes, sir. Mr. Speaker-

[1:30:46] Yep

[1:30:46] ... I'd be happy to answer any other questions.

[1:30:48] You have, uh, several more.

[1:30:50] I guess I'll just-

[1:30:51] Uh, Representative Park Cannon is recognized to your left, right out front, is recognized for questions.

[1:30:55] Yes, sir.

[1:30:55] Lady's recognized.

[1:30:55] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Do you yield?

[1:30:57] Yes, ma'am.

[1:30:58] Thank you so much. I am excited to see legislation around cryptocurrency in our state. There are many other states that are leading in this, but we can lead in the South. My question is, um, as it permits, do you know how many of the crypto ATMs are in this state at this time?

[1:31:14] I do not.

[1:31:15] Okay. And then do you yield for another question?

[1:31:18] Yes, ma'am.

[1:31:19] On line 360, it seems like it gets a little, mm-

[1:31:26] While you're, while you're looking at that, I should say probably too many. I'm not a fan of these, but they're out there and I think they need to be regulated.

[1:31:33] Mm-hmm. Okay. Line 360 seems to get a little subjective. It says, uh, "Virtual currency transactions are frequently used by persons seeking to defraud customers." Uh-

[1:31:45] G- give me that line number again please before-

[1:31:47] 360.

[1:31:47] Yes, ma'am.

[1:31:50] Um, I was just wondering if there is any factual basis for that, and particularly, have you spoken with the Atlanta Blockchain Center or any of the other upstanding crypto agencies in the state?

[1:32:02] I know that the crypto, uh, um, machine owners are very much in favor of this bill. I know that we were approached by them and they w- had discussions with the cryptocurrency, uh, crypto ATM, uh, universe, I'll say that. I was not at the table with any of the blockchain people. I wouldn't even understand that part, uh, Representative. But I understand it's complicated. Maybe Representative Jones might be able to help us on that next time. But it's, it's again, it's just a good faith effort to protect those at-risk seniors that are walking in there.

[1:32:36] Um, and, um, I'm, I'm not, it's not limited to seniors. I take that back. In this, in this part of the bill, it would protect anybody, uh, within the first five days, uh, for a new customer. Th- that transactions would be limited to $2,500. And again, that's just an effort to have a... And the kiosk operators agreed to it because the scamster's gonna come in, um, use artificial intelligence, whatever, to have their, sounds like their granddaughter's calling grandmother, she's in jail, she's gotta have cash, and it's gotta be cash, and it's gotta be put through a, go to this cryptocurrency machine.

[1:33:12] And this would just, uh, help tamper the, the, uh, the fraudster's efforts in that regard.

[1:33:19] Gentleman, you have Representative Barrett to your left, right out front, is recognized for a question.

[1:33:23] Yes, sir.

[1:33:23] Representative Carter Barrett.

[1:33:25] Does the gentleman yield?

[1:33:26] I do.

[1:33:28] Is it not true that there's just an alarming increase in, uh, in- incidents of financial fraud and abuse of senior citizens in the state of Georgia and all over this country today?

[1:33:39] Yes, sir. As I referenced, almost a quarter of a billion dollars last year according to official estimates.

[1:33:44] And does the gentleman further yield?

[1:33:45] I do.

[1:33:47] Is it not true that the, many of the members of the Banks and Banking Committee have spent an inordinate amount of time in the last year t- talking about financial abuse and fraud in the state of Georgia, and everything from Ponzi schemes, et cetera, and, and ways to, to batten down the hatches to protect seniors and all Georgia families from financial abuse and fraud?

[1:34:08] That's correct. And to that point, a- again, as I previously mentioned, all the regulated industries are at the table. And I forgot to mention the consumer protection people, uh, from, uh, all the, all the nonprofit entities that are, um, um, helping protect consumers were aware of it as well.

[1:34:27] And does the gentleman further yield?

[1:34:28] I do.

[1:34:30] W- with considerable banking experience, do you consider this first step as a, as a very important measure from a community bank perspective-

[1:34:38] I do

[1:34:39] ... to help encourage folks?

[1:34:40] Because it is a, it's a first step. We have zero protections now, and this is a great first step towards getting our arms around. And I look forward to the day where we can figure out how to stop the scamsters on the techs that were alluded to earlier. But Mr. Speaker, with that being said, uh, I'm gonna yield the will and ask for the body's favorable consideration.

[1:34:59] We had a couple of more questions, but the gentleman has yielded the will. Representative Sandra Scott is recognized to speak to the bill. Representative Scott.

[1:35:10] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Um, I can say that thank you for the bill, uh, Representative Williams, because I was a victim of, of a scam sort of like that, where I was on my computer and Microsoft came in and said, "Oh, um, your antivirus, uh, need to be redone." And they were working in the back of my computer. They could see everything on my computer, and they were going in just having me to go around.

[1:35:44] And then when they start talking about, "You need to pay $50 because your, um, account need to be thing," and I got to thinking, "Okay, I don't even have Microsoft." Everything buzzed. But, um, I jumped up and I ran out the house and went straight to the bank. I went straight to the bank once I, I realized that this is a scam. I said, "This is a scam." They were like, "No, no, no. Um, you need to..." And then they were trying to tell me how to deposit the money, how I need to go about depositing money.

[1:36:15] And they was working in the back of my computer, really trying to get into my account. And so I just kept them on the phone a- and I rode down to my bank and I said, "I'm trying to s- someone is trying to scam me. Someone is trying to scam me." And I'm calling my son, tell him, "Call and cancel my bank account. Call and cancel my bank accounts." And I still had them on the phone, and I got in the bank and, um, uh-

[1:36:40] Thank God no one was in the bank, so I was able to run up to the teller and say, "There's someone working in the back of my computer." And so she got on the computer and she went to going through it all, and she said, "Yep." And, and she was able to freeze my account. And she said, "You are lucky." She said, "Because last week a couple came in here and they were not that lucky." She said, "By the time we flipped over to the screen, all they money was gone. They saw the money up there, and the next one we flipped over, all their money was gone." So I thank you for bringing this bill because we definitely need some protection, and we need the protection for people to be able to go into your computer in the back screen and do something about that, too.

[1:37:21] So thank you for bringing this bill. And I ask you all for your favor- favorable consideration for this bill. Thank you. And I yield the way. Thank you, Representative Scott. I'm glad you were smarter than they were, no doubt about that, and protected yourself. That completes our discussion on House Bill 945. Representative Holcomb, I thank Chairman Williams. We glad to work together, and if there's some concerns, we c- we can correct them, uh, over in the Senate, and if we need to, we'll get it back here. Thanks for your insight.

[1:37:51] Thank you, Representative Williams. Um, that completes our discussion. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to adopting the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes.

[1:38:23] All those opposed will vote no. And Mr. Clerk, will you unlock, will you unlock the machine?

[1:38:52] Have all members voted?

[1:38:56] All members voted? If so, Mr. Clerk, will you lock the machine. On the passage of House Bill 945, the yays are 161, the nays are 5. This bill, having received a requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed. Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to House Bill 980? 980. House Bill 980 by Representative Barnes of the 73rd and others being titled, "An Act to Amend Chapter 12 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to Commissions and Other Agencies so as to create the Georgia-Ireland Trade Commission, to provide for members and purpose of the commission, and to provide for annual reporting." This bill having been referred to the Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, that committee recommends that this bill do pass.

[1:39:55] Chairman Bonner is recognized to present the bill.

[1:40:04] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning, colleagues. Uh, I bring to you today House Bill 980.

[1:40:13] Thank you. I'll be presenting House Bill 980, uh, which creates the Georgia-Ireland Trade Commission. This is a commission composed of 15 appointed members, 4 from the House, 4 from the Senate, and 7, uh, by the governor. The purpose of this commission is to advance bilateral trade between Georgia and the country of Ireland, to continue to pro- promote business and academic exchanges, encourage mutual economic support, and encourage mutual investment in the infrastructure of both Georgia and Ireland. There's no cost of this commission to the taxpayer, as the commission will raise funds to do its work.

[1:40:48] Currently, there are 25 other states that have this same commission, and there are another 15 states that have this in process. Georgia and Ireland have a long history with deep economic and cultural ties. As many of you know, Georgia Southern University maintains a campus in Wexford, just south of Dublin. They are one of our largest trading partners, and Irish-owned companies employ over 10,000 Georgians. This bill will further enhance that successful relationship and ensure that, ensure that Georgia's continued access to profitable markets within the UK and the European Union.

[1:41:26] And with that, Mr. Speaker, I'll entertain any questions. Representative Roberts to your left. Representative Shay Roberts to your left has a question. Lady's recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Isn't it true that I fully support this bill and signed on to it? And isn't it further true that I made a suggestion for one amendment that one of the two members of the House should automatically go to anyone who is actually a citizen of Ireland? Good point. So, and, and is it also true that you said that would be a great argument to make to Mr.

[1:41:57] Speaker? Thank you very much. Well, I appreciate, um, the co-chair of the Georgia-Ireland, uh, Caucus, uh, signing on to the bill and providing your support. Thank you. So learned something today I didn't know. Thank you. Representative Tran is recognized for a question. To your left in the back. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the gentleman yield? I do. Is it not true that Ireland's grown one of the largest medical technology hubs, and by them expanding operations here to work with Georgia Tech, it helps the health of our state?

[1:42:31] Absolutely. Well said, and I completely agree. Does the gentleman yield for one more question? I do. Would it be-

[1:42:41] Beneficial for us to have this relationship so that we perhaps in a future renovation have a similar drinking hole that they have in their capital.

[1:42:55] Uh, the gentleman knows of what he speaks.

[1:43:00] Not sure we can duplicate what they're doing there in that, in that particular part of the capital. We've been there. The back corner could be the Irish advocates. Let's see. Uh, Representative Reese.

[1:43:13] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the gentleman yield?

[1:43:15] I do.

[1:43:16] Isn't it true that right now as a state we share a great relationship with the country of Ireland, and that this commission will help us expand upon that relationship and trade relations certainly benefiting our port?

[1:43:27] I wholeheartedly agree. Thank you.

[1:43:29] And isn't it further true that a delegation of members went to Ireland this summer, and I also visited Ireland, not on that trip, but separately, and they showed me the same level of respect and appreciation and love for our state as they did when the delegation was there?

[1:43:44] Absolutely. The Irish people are fantastic. They love Americans, and they are, they are, uh, excited about this new relationship that we're about to enter into.

[1:43:57] With that, Mr. Speaker-

[1:43:57] You have one more, I apologize.

[1:43:59] Okay.

[1:43:59] Representative Bazemore. Right to your left is recognized.

[1:44:03] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the gentleman yield?

[1:44:06] To my friend, I do.

[1:44:07] Thank you. And isn't it true that you headed a delegation to go to Ireland, and I was one of those individuals that went, and it is important for us as we went over there to continue to build a relationship and to work with them, especially since they have such a connection with Georgia.

[1:44:27] Absolutely. I would, I would ag- agree with that. Um, the connections that we made during those trips were fantastic, and to learn about the investment that Ireland has made in our state-

[1:44:37] Mm-hmm

[1:44:38] ... and the opportunities we have in the country of Ireland as well.

[1:44:41] Thank you for the bill. Appreciate it.

[1:44:42] Thank you. With that, Mr. Speaker, I will yield the will.

[1:44:46] Gentleman has yielded the will. Thank you for bringing the bill. Thank you, members, for engaging in that good Irish conversation. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes.

[1:45:16] All those opposed will vote no. And Mr. Clerk, will you unlock the machine?

[1:45:47] Have all members voted?

[1:45:54] All members voted. If so, Mr. Clerk, lock the machine. On the passage of House Bill 980, the yays are 166, the nays are two. This bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed.

[1:46:16] Members, you just made the day of a great friend of ours, Senator Mark Daly from Ireland, who's work- been here in this building many, many times and hosted many of you who've visited Ireland. He's a really good man and a great public servant. Congratulations, Senator Daly. We appreciate your involvement and your coop- cooperation. And by the way, the Ryder Cup will be there in 2027 in Ireland, so good for our Irish friends. Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to House Bill 629?

[1:46:52] House Bill 629 by Representative Hawkins of the 27th and others to be entitled an Act to Amend Part 3 of Article 16 to Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to health so as to remove the requirement of having a licensed physician in automated external defibrillator programs. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Health, that committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute.

[1:47:18] Chairman Hawkins, are you ready, sir? Chairman Hawkins is recognized to present the bill.

[1:47:24] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before you, you have House Bill 629. Uh, this bill, uh, actually does a couple different things. One, it removes the requirement of the physician in the establishment of AED training in, in the grammar schools. Originally, we just did the high schools. They had physicians in there. This was way back in the time when the AEDs were more complicated. CHoA came to me and said after we had the bill last year, "We need some help.

[1:47:54] There's too many elementary schools, too, too few physicians in the rural areas." And also the AEDs are now, uh, automated to the point where you place the pads on the chest, press a button, and it tells you what to do or what not to do. Also added to this bill this year is stop-the-bleed kits. This was brought to me by Northeast Georgia Medical Center, who has an affiliate over in Barrow County. Um, unfortunately, the shooting there at the school in Apalachee, uh, brought this to the attention of the school systems.

[1:48:29] So this bill adds stop-the-bleed kits to the schools w- along with the AEDs to be kept in the same location. Uh, the funding for this comes from the Trauma Commission, so there's no f- financial impact to the state.

[1:48:44] This'll create more safety and save more lives in the schools and our children in the state. If there are no questions, uh, Mr. Speaker, I will ask for your- You do have a question. I'm sorry. I was- Oh. ... distracted by the Irish. Well, let's see. Uh, Represen- Representative Dr. Newton to your right has a question. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the gentleman yield? Yes. I totally yield. Isn't this bill a, an important bill? Didn't many of us with American Heart Association yesterday met a young man, a middle schooler, who had gone up for a layup and, um, and passed out and had no pulse and was revived by one of these, uh, defibrillator, um, automated defibrillators.

[1:49:23] Right. And isn't, isn't your bill going to get more of those by lowering some of the regulatory burden, getting them in more of our elementary and middle schools? Yes. Yes. There will be a- Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much for the bill, sir. Thank you. You have no further questions. Thank you. We do have one minor who would, member who would like to speak in favor of the bill. Representative Carter, we appreciate your advocacy on hearts, and we appreciate your speaking to the bill. The lady's recognized. Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to ask your support for this legislation, and it's so appropriate that we're hearing this bill today on Go Red for Women.

[1:50:03] But I also want to tell you that there's a parent sitting in the gallery who had no idea that we would be talking about this legislation, and who has experienced firsthand if a defibrillator had been in that school, that our baby girl would still be with us. Theresa, let us acknowledge you. Stand up.

[1:50:27] Please join us in voting for this bill. Amen. I know. I yield, I yield the floor. Lady's r- yielded the floor. That completes our discussion on House Bill 629. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to adopting the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill?

[1:51:01] Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no. And Mr. Clerk will unlock the machines.

[1:51:29] Have all members voted? All members voted?

[1:51:41] If so, Mr. Clerk, will you lock the machine? On the passage of House Bill 629, the yeas are 168, nays are zero. This bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed. That completes the rules calendar. We'll move on to afternoon orders. Here's how we're gonna do this. Representative Ali,

[1:52:09] we're gonna recognize you first. Then it, it, then it will be Rep- Representative Edna Jackson, and Representative Stinson will be the last two. The gentleman's recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members of this house, on the screen is Blake. Blake is a 13-year-old boy in the DHS system. His tender heart, outgoing demeanor, and immense smarts all make him a rock in the people around him's lives, and it will be for those that eventually choose to adopt him as well.

[1:52:41] But we need to make that possible, and we can do that at itsmyturnnow.dhs.georgia.gov. It's where we can make a difference, more than just legislation. Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you so much, members of this house. Thank you, Representative.

[1:53:04] Representative Stinson?

[1:53:09] Or Representative Jackson?

[1:53:17] Representative Edna Jackson. Is she ...

[1:53:26] Representative Edna Jackson is, is recognized. The lady will ... And she has some friends there with us. Members, if you will join me in giving the lady our attention. If you'll all stand with, with us- Thank you ... and join the lady as she offers condolence. Will you all stand and give the lady your attention, please? Oh, that. Uh, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am going to relinquish this. I've asked my colleague to please- Okay ... uh, present this resolution on behalf of the residents of the city of Savannah and all of Chatham County.

[1:54:03] Thank you, Ms. Edna. Where's that at? In Chatham County. You're close. And Chatham County. Okay. And Chatham County. Commending Otis J. Brock Jr., uh, family friend and exemplary resident of Chatham County, for a life of love, service, and extraordinary accomplishments. Otis Brock was born October 17th, 1933, in Montezuma, Macon County, Georgia, to Otis Brock Sen- Senior and Ruby Brock.

[1:54:35] He was united in love in marriage to the lovely Annette Kennedy Brock, and devoted father to Donna and Otis, and loving grandfather to Zuri, Zoe, and Elijah. He served honorably in the United States Army during the Korean War era.

[1:54:52] and matriculated to the Savannah State College, where he was a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated. A star basketball player at Savannah State College, coached by the legendary Theodore Ted Wright. Just outstanding athletic ability and humanity. He was the all CIAC, um, athlete from 1953 to 1956, and CIAC's most valuable player in 1955. 30 years he served as a pivotal educator and administrator in Savannah Chatham County Public Schools.

[1:55:24] He was a teacher and coach at Saul C. Johnson High School in Savannah, Georgia, served as principal of Alfred Eli Beach High School for six years from 1971 to '76, and retired in '86 as director of secondary education for Savannah Chatham County Public School System. After retirement, he returned to Savannah State College, his beloved alma mater, as the college's second women's volleyball coach, women's cross country coach, and as women's head basketball coach. His dedication aided the college, now known as Savannah State University, making the transition from NCAA Division III athletics to NCAA Division II.

[1:56:02] And whereas Otis Brock Jr. was a lifelong devoted member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the National Association of Guardsmen, and the Wolves Club. He departed this life January 28th, 2026, after a life of exemplary service to mankind. Now therefore, let it be resolved. Thank you, Otis Brock, for an exemplary life and enduring friendship to all who knew and loved him. And if we may recognize our friend, Otis Brock, with a moment of silence. Thank you.

[1:56:31] Save up there.

[1:56:33] Hmm?

[1:56:35] Yeah.

[1:56:35] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield the floor.

[1:56:37] Thank you.

[1:56:37] Thank you, Representatives.

[1:56:38] Thank you. You're welcome.

[1:56:39] Quite the exemplary life. What a great impact he's had on, on his neighbors in Savannah. Members, if you will remain standing, wanna recognize Representative Patty Stinson and some friends.

[1:56:55] Thank you.

[1:56:56] Number of them as she offers condolences for another passing. Members will give the lady in the wheel your attention, please, and your respect, and if you'll rise.

[1:57:09] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, we rise in honor of the beautiful life and legacy of Mrs. Barbara Parmer of Fort Valley, Georgia. Fort Valley State University mourns the passing of Barbara Parmer, a beloved member of the Fort Valley State University family, whose legacy of service, generosity, and devotion to the institution will be felt for generations.

[1:57:39] Barbara Parmer graduated from Fort Valley State College in 1966 and remained deeply connected to the university throughout her life. She served as faculty emeritus, gave generously as a donor, and together with her husband, Thomas Parmer, spent many years on the Fort Valley State University's foundation board. Their longstanding support and leadership made a lasting impact on the university, which is honored through their ballroom, uh, the ballroom that's named in their honor, located in the Pedigroo, Pedigroo Center there on the beautiful campus of Fort Valley State University.

[1:58:17] Mrs. Parmer was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a proud lifelong member of Delta Sigma Theta, and we are so honored to stand and recognize her life and legacy. And I'm gonna pause quickly for Representative Teddy Reese.

[1:58:34] Thank you, Representative Stinson, and thank you for this beautiful tribute remembering Ms. Barbara Parmer. When we think about our HBCUs, and we think about the matriculation on those campuses, some people may wonder why there's such love and such character and such energy around those institutions. And Ms. Parmer represents why that exists. It's not just a place of education, but it's a place of culture. It's a place of nurturing. It's a place of personal growth, especially for those who felt that life opportunities may have fleeted them on many paths.

[1:59:06] So Ms. Parmer represent the generation of leaders who have spent their lives in sacrifice giving back to so many others so that they can be great Georg- Georgians. So on this day, we recognize her. We say thank you to her family for allowing her to be that beacon of light at Fort Valley State University for so many years. Thank you.

[1:59:31] We want her family, the Parmer family, the Fort Valley State University family, and the Fort Valley city community to know that Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal, and the Georgia House of Representatives will certainly be in prayer for them as they lay her own re- to rest on tomorrow afternoon with a beautiful homegoing celebration that has been planned in the Pedigroo Center at Fort Valley State University. And with that said, may we have a moment of silence.

[2:00:03] In Jesus' name, amen.

[2:00:04] Amen.

[2:00:05] Thank you, colleagues.

[2:00:07] Thank you, members. Great life, great service to her neighbors, but especially huge impact on Fort Valley State. That completes our afternoon orders.

[2:00:38] Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to a group of privileged resolutions?

[2:00:48] Honoring the life and memory of Sly Lewis Perry Jr. Honoring the life and memory of Dr. Thomas L. Coleman. Honoring the life and memory of George and Sally Lauderdale. Recognizing and commending Dr. Aduk Aramu.

[2:01:15] Recognizing and commending the 2025 Technical College System of Georgia award winners. Recognizing the 52nd anniversary of the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta. Recognizing and congratulating Annabelle Tidmore, Miss Cobb County Teen 2026. Congratulating the Cartersville Middle School competition cheerleading team for winning the 2025 GHSA Class 4A State Championship.

[2:01:43] Congratulating the Cartersville High School competition cheerleading team for winning the 2025 GHSA Class 4A State Championship. Recognizing and commending Roots & Routes Indo-US Chamber of Commerce. Honoring the Georgia Building Authority team for excellence in the restoration of the Georgia State Capitol. Recognizing and commending Dominique Virbel, Miss Cobb County 2026. Honoring and commending Spectrum News Georgia. Recognizing February 9th through 13, 2026 as Georgia Donor Week at the State Capitol.

[2:02:20] Commending the University of West Georgia cheerleading team. And for other purposes. That completes the reading of our privileged resolutions.

[2:03:07] Is there any objection to adopting the privileged resolutions? Hearing none, the resolutions are adopted. We'll move on to announcements. Representative Berry is recognized for an announcement.

[2:03:25] We're almost done.

[2:03:27] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. City of Atlanta delegation will be meeting right after, upon adjournment. We will have lunch in Capitol 230. So City of Atlanta delegation meeting in Cap 230 after lu- after adjournment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[2:03:40] Thank you. Chairman Tyler Paul Smith. There he is. Gentleman's recognized.

[2:03:48] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee will meet 30 minutes upon adjournment. 30 minutes upon adjournment in Capitol Room 132. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[2:04:00] 132. Thanks for bringing our chaplain. Good man. We appreciated him. Representative Jasmine Clark is recognized for an announcement.

[2:04:10] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If any members are interested in coming and greeting the members of the Georgia State Public Policy Club, we will be in 514 CLOB, um, at 11:00. There will be a light lunch there. Um, but yes, the students would love to meet with you all and learn a little bit more about you. So again, Georgia State University Public Policy Club, 11:00, Room 514 CLOB. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[2:04:41] Join the lady at 11:00 and the students. That completes our announcements. Now listen up, members, for the man that never ages. He looks the same today as he did yesterday anyway, but I don't know. Well, we have a birthday on Saturday, February the 7th. The clerk of this House, Bill Riley, will be separ- celebrating a birthday. Thank you for your service, Mr. Clerk.

[2:05:20] Many years young. Many years. He is still an avid skier.

[2:05:28] That completes our work for the day. The majority leader of this House is recognized for a motion of registration.

[2:05:35] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that this House stand adjourned until 10:00 AM on Monday, February 9th, 2026.

[2:05:44] On the motion of the majority leader that this House stands adjourned until 10:00 AM, Monday, February the 9th, 2026. All those in favor will say, "Aye."

[2:06:01] Aye.

[2:06:01] All those opposed will say, "No."

[2:06:07] No.

[2:06:07] I think that it was close, but the ayes have it. We are adjourned. We'll see y'all on Monday. If you have pages today, if you would join me, we have, uh, quite a number of pages. If y'all would join me down front if you have a page today. Thank you, everyone.