Georgia CommonsGeorgia General Assembly
Meetings on February 20, 2026
Machine-readable: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-20.md
Senate Rules Committee, February 20, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee heard brief presentations on bills concerning education, health care, courts, public records, retirement and other topics. Members unanimously approved SB 171, SB 392, SB 395, SB 428 and SB 430 for the floor calendar. The committee also unanimously approved a consent calendar containing SR 684 and SR 744, after sponsors described wording corrections to those resolutions. The chair said SB 487 remained under review. No calendar action was recorded for the other bills discussed.
House Banks & Banking Committee, February 20, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered two bills. It approved HB 1272, which the sponsor described as a state licensing and oversight framework for payment stablecoin issuers. Members questioned consumer protections, fraud prevention, reserve requirements and the Department of Banking and Finance’s ability to oversee the industry. The committee also discussed HB 1112, which would allow certain cash purchase totals to be rounded to the nearest nickel. Members asked about disclosure, sales taxes and continued use of pennies. A voice vote was taken on that bill, but the chair did not explicitly announce the result before adjourning. After adjournment, speakers continued discussing clarifying language and preparing a substitute.
House Motor Vehicles Committee, February 20, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee discussed planned changes to HB 1267, including vehicle-related penalties and dealer oversight, but took no vote because revised language was not ready. Members also considered moving dealer oversight into one agency. The committee approved a substitute for HB 809 that would set a 50 mph minimum speed on interstates and Georgia 400 beginning July 1, 2027. It also approved HB 1191 after adding a January 1, 2027 effective date to allow time to prepare for the license-plate changes.
House Human Relations & Aging Committee, February 20, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee discussed and approved HB 906, which would require long-term care facilities with websites to link to the Georgia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Members examined proposed fines, how violations would be handled, and whether families would understand that the program is independent of facilities. The committee adopted an amendment requiring an explanation of the program before the link. An amendment to remove the penalties failed for lack of a second, so the penalties remained. The approved version also included language allowing qualified medication aides to administer GLP-1 medications in personal care homes and assisted living communities. No vote count was stated.
House floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The House passed HB 1061, which the sponsor said would move certain 17-year-olds into juvenile court, by 155–0; HB 1199, an update linking Georgia tax law to selected federal provisions, by 106–54; and HB 1086, requiring warning signs on certain buildings with lightweight trusses, by 161–0. The House also approved a five-bill local calendar, including agreement to a Senate substitute, by 162–0. Members postponed HR 1000 and HR 1049 to the next legislative day. After recessing, the House disagreed with the Senate’s changes to HB 973, insisted on its position and appointed three members to negotiate a compromise. The session also included bill readings, committee reports, community recognitions and adoption of honorary resolutions. The House adjourned until February 24 at 10 a.m.
Senate floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The Senate passed six bills, including HB 973, its revised state budget proposal, which the Appropriations chair said included $409 million for a new mental health hospital and about $1.9 billion in tax relief. The House rejected the Senate’s budget changes, and the Senate appointed a conference committee to negotiate differences. Senators also passed bills addressing bingo, Department of Public Health laws, licensing internationally trained physicians, insurers’ use of aerial images, and AI-generated explicit images. During debate on SB 440, senators proposed Medicaid expansion, but an amendment replaced that proposal with an effective date. The chamber also heard first and second readings and committee reports, adopted an unspecified group of consent-calendar resolutions, and adjourned until February 24.