Georgia CommonsGeorgia General Assembly
Meetings on February 19, 2026
Machine-readable: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-19.md
Senate Rules Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee reviewed bills awaiting Senate floor consideration and selected five for the next day's calendar: SB 409, SB 427, SB 440, HB 455 and HB 973. The calendar motion passed by voice vote, which the chair described as unanimous. Presentations covered legislative and magistrate retirement, budgeting, medical cannabis program communication, court claim limits, homeowner protections, healthcare licensing, public health code changes and local government audits. Members asked questions about licensing radiologist assistants, including whether it would improve hiring and provide career advancement for radiology technicians. The other reviewed bills were not included in the approved calendar.
House State Planning & Community Affairs Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered two bills. It approved HB 689, which the sponsor said would allow the existing Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless to support homelessness prevention without itself providing new money. Members first approved an amendment changing dates from 2026 to 2027. The bill then passed by voice vote, with opposition heard and no count stated. The committee also held a hearing on a substitute for HB 753, which the sponsor said would create a fund to help communities address blighted properties using existing funds and grants. Members asked about property rights, funding and staffing needs. The chair kept that bill as a hearing only and called for a small group of members to meet with the Department of Community Affairs before further action.
House Natural Resources & Environment Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee heard a presentation from Revatera about Arcana Biocole, a wood-based fuel pellet that company representatives said could replace coal in existing equipment and create demand for Georgia timber. Representatives described using artificial intelligence to develop the product and said a pilot production run in southeast Georgia was planned within three weeks. Legislators asked about emissions, costs, water resistance, reopening closed mills, using North Georgia wood waste and export demand. Company representatives said export markets offered stronger pricing, while domestic competitiveness and some performance claims still needed testing at commercial scale. In response to questions about comparisons with coal, a representative clarified that the production run performed well against major coals used for electricity generation, rather than every specialty coal. No legislation was taken up and no votes were recorded.
House Insurance Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved all five bills it considered. HB 1263 would set a three-year deadline for insurance premium tax refund claims, and HB 1262 would raise penalties for certain insurance law violations. HB 1274 would require auto insurers to seek rate reductions after exceeding anticipated profits for three consecutive years. Members discussed excluded drivers, uninsured motorists and access to geographic insurance data before approving the broader insurance package, HB 1344. The committee also approved HB 170, concerning providers’ access to explanations of benefits. All five passed by voice vote, with no numerical vote totals stated.
House Rules Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee heard bill presentations and set House floor calendars for Thursday and Friday. Members questioned a proposal to create state terrorism-related offenses, including its need, speech protections and investigative resources. Other presentations addressed professional training, property association fees, mental health facility background checks, utility disconnections and criminal penalties. The committee approved a technical correction to HB 1199, returned HB 1042 and HB 1226 to their subject committees, and placed five bills on Thursday’s calendar and five measures on Friday’s calendar. No opposition was voiced to those actions. The chair announced there would be no Friday Rules meeting and that the next meeting would be Monday at 11 a.m.
House floor session, February 19, 2026 (legislative day 21)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The House passed four bills: HB 1020, changing retirement eligibility for district attorneys, 164-0; HB 1027, allowing longer municipal electric sales contracts, 162-2; HB 1161, clarifying where drivers should pull over for traffic stops, 162-2; and HB 1181, simplifying inherited vehicle title transfers, 166-0. The House returned HB 1180 to the Rules Committee without objection. Members also heard first and second readings and committee reports on numerous measures, recognized Mercer University’s president and Echo Park Speedway, and adopted a group of honorary resolutions. Other remarks covered Black history, lupus advocacy, visiting community groups, adoption and a request to reopen a deported veteran’s immigration case. The House adjourned until February 20 at 9 a.m.
Senate floor session, February 19, 2026 (legislative day 21)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The Senate read newly introduced bills and resolutions, assigned them to committees, received committee recommendations, and gave several measures a second reading. The chair said there were no bills on the day's rules calendar, and no bills received a final passage vote. The Senate adopted SR 590, recognizing Lupus Advocacy Day, and an unidentified group of resolutions on the consent calendar. Several senators spoke in support of SB 536, a newly filed voting-rights proposal, but no vote on it occurred. Other remarks addressed prison deaths, firearm safety, community events, and memorial tributes. The Senate adjourned until 9:30 a.m. on February 20.
House Economic Development & Tourism Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved HB 490, concerning human-trafficking prevention training for lodging businesses, and sent it to the Rules Committee by voice vote. Members paused the meeting to clarify whether training requirements would cover homeowners who manage their own short-term rentals. The discussion ended with agreement that the written exemption addressed that concern, and no amendment was adopted. The committee also heard presentations from music-industry representatives, Trilith Live and Echobase about jobs, manufacturing, venues and tourism. Presenters urged statewide coordination through a music office and renewed music tax incentives. Members discussed competition from other states, music education and connections between music and film work. No vote followed the music presentations.
Senate Education and Youth Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee unanimously approved an amended substitute for SB 472, after discussing school financial oversight and superintendent contracts. It also heard SB 513, which the sponsor said would require attendance support plans and could affect extracurricular participation and access to new driver's licenses or permits. Committee members supported addressing absenteeism, while DeKalb County students and an IDRA witness raised concerns about inconsistent attendance records, transportation barriers and unclear requirements. Members also questioned the driver's license provisions. The committee voted on SB 513, but the transcript does not clearly announce the result or a vote count.
House Judiciary Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved HB 1028, which would restructure district attorney pay, by a 6-5 vote after adopting an amendment to also cap local supplements for circuit public defenders. Members rejected a separate amendment that would have delayed the changes until state-funded district attorney salaries rose at least 50%. The committee also approved HB 1042, addressing access to judges’ protected information for real estate transactions, and HB 1021, increasing the amount the court clerks’ authority may retain for administrative expenses. Members discussed HR 1023, a proposed constitutional amendment on parental rights, but took no vote. The sponsor requested help revising its child-protection language, and the chair discussed returning to it Monday.
House Transportation Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved HB 1137, extending authorization for MARTA’s existing 1 percent sales tax, and approved an amended substitute for HB 1277, changing transportation project review thresholds, reporting and surplus property sales procedures. One member opposed HB 1277. The committee also heard extensive discussion of HB 1342, which would address road construction delays tied to utility relocation. The sponsor and highway contractors called for coordinated schedules and accountability, while utility representatives and several committee members raised concerns about permit restrictions, unforeseen delays and removing mediation. The committee tabled HB 1342 with no opposition heard and called for further discussions.
House Education Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered eight bills and approved each by voice vote. The bills addressed oversight of virtual schools enrolling students from other districts, teacher preparation programs, school finances, prekindergarten after-school care, math instruction, private-school scholarship eligibility and payments, and extracurricular access for public virtual-school students. Members asked about financial investigations, audit standards, scholarship payment tracking, and notice requirements for extracurricular participation. Several sponsors presented substitute versions incorporating earlier feedback. The chair asked sponsors to complete the paperwork needed to move the bills to the Rules Committee.
Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee unanimously approved HB 945, covering suspected financial exploitation, cryptocurrency kiosks and litigation financing oversight, and SB 441, requiring state approval of certain local government investment pools. The committee also held a hearing on SB 424, which would recognize gold and silver as legal tender and establish oversight for storage and electronic payments. Supporters described it as a way to protect purchasing power and make gold easier to use. Opponents questioned the need for state involvement and raised concerns about competition, taxpayer risk and consumer confusion. No vote was taken on that proposal. The chair planned further consideration and a vote on Tuesday.
Senate Natural Resources and the Environment Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved six measures: SR 610 to study recycling, SB 240 with a substitute proposing sweet bay magnolia as the state flower, HR 1008 to change regional water council membership, HB 956 concerning solid waste management, SB 478 concerning outdoor stewardship funding, and HB 432 to create turkey hunting permits and commemorative stamps. Members amended the recycling study proposal to add tires and reduce committee membership. They also amended the turkey proposal to move two dates to July 1, 2027. A member requested further discussion with the department about starting the turkey program earlier. The water council, state flower and outdoor stewardship measures passed unanimously.
Senate Judiciary Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee unanimously approved SB 443 by committee substitute and sent it to Rules. The chair said a subcommittee had already heard testimony and that the substitute addressed most concerns raised by committee members and speakers. No members asked questions, debated the bill or offered amendments during this meeting.
Senate Higher Education Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered SR 697 and SR 698, resolutions recognizing a technical college student award winner and a chemistry instructor. A Technical College System of Georgia representative explained how colleges select student and teacher honorees and invited members to attend the award banquets. Members voiced support for SR 697 in a voice vote, with no opposition heard. The chair announced that SR 698 passed by voice vote. The committee then adjourned.
Senate Insurance and Labor Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved a substitute for SB 230, which would raise the condominium insurance deductible amount payable by a unit owner from $5,000 to $25,000 and add notification language. Members discussed insurance coverage gaps, premiums and whether owners’ individual policies would cover larger assessments. The committee also heard SB 324, concerning life insurance policyholder protections, agent access to policy information, annual reports and searches for unclaimed benefits. After questions and industry concerns, the sponsor agreed to further discussions before a vote. The chair postponed SB 503 until the following week because some people needed for the discussion could not attend.