Senate floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22)
Video: https://vimeo.com/1166402714 (a timestamp t plays at https://vimeo.com/1166402714#t=<seconds>s)
Page: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-20/senate-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.
[0:35:09] Good morning. Good morning.

[0:35:14] The time for convening has arrived. The Senate will come to order. All unauthorized visitors please exit the chamber at this time. Chair recognizes, uh, senator from the sixth.

[0:35:29] Good morning, Mr. President. I hope your press conference went well. Big exciting news for the great state of Georgia. Mr. President, we've got a very long list of pages here today. Excited to have them here from all over this great state. Out of Pearson, Georgia, we have Sarah Abanza. From Marietta, we have Barrett Burkhardt and Jay Cadenhead.

[0:36:02] From Sharpsburg, my home county, we have Ally Childs. From Marietta, Bryn Defnaal. From Axon, Nathan Douglas. From Decatur, Thomas Hodan. From Decatur, Yosh- Yoshiro Lee. From Hawkinsville, Emilynn Owens. From Alpharetta, Karina Ranchod.

[0:36:35] From Locust Grove, we have a set of twins in Shiloh and Ronnie Thomas. From Atlanta, William Wall. Another one from my home county of, and in Sharpsburg, Chase White. And from Dunwoody, we have Ruhi Yadwad. And from Pearson, we have Madely Youngblood. Senator from the eighth has done a good job of recruiting down there.

[0:37:06] Got several from down south all the way up here to the state's capital. Mr. President and ladies and gentlemen, y'all give these pages a big round of applause.

[0:37:20] We appreciate you being here to serve the great people of the great state of Georgia. Mr. President, the journal has been read and found to be correct. I move we dispense with the reading of the journal.

[0:37:32] All right, Senator. Thank you. And it's a good looking bunch, too, there, Senator, that, that is paging for us today, and we appreciate them making all their time and, and coming from near and far to be here. So we appreciate that. Is there objection to dispensing of the reading of the journal? Chair hears none. The reading of the journal is dispensed with. Is there objection to the confirmation of the journal? Chair hears none, and the journal is confirmed. All senators who have bills and resolutions introduced, please bring them to the secretary's desk. First reading and references to Senate bills and resolutions.

[0:38:04] Secretary.

[0:38:05] Senate Bill 535 by Senator Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, a bill to be entitled an act-

[0:38:09] Health and Human Services

[0:38:10] ... Senate Bill 536 by Senator Jones II of the 22nd, a bill to be entitled-

[0:38:14] Health and-

[0:38:14] ... an act to amend. Senate Bill 537 by Senators Harbin of the 16th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article-

[0:38:20] Education and Youth

[0:38:22] ... Senate Bill 538 by Senators Huffstetler of the 52nd and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title-

[0:38:28] Natural Resources

[0:38:28] ... Senate Bill 539 by Senators Robertson of the 29th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Code Section 48-

[0:38:34] Finance

[0:38:35] ... Senate Bill 540 by Senators Anavitarte of the 31st and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend-

[0:38:40] Children and Family

[0:38:40] ... Senate Resolution 820 by Senators Gooch of the 51st and others, a resolution, resolution recognizing Mr. Donald Lynn Seibold in dedicating-

[0:38:49] Transportation

[0:38:49] ... Mr. President, that completes the order.

[0:38:54] First reading references of the House bills.

[0:38:58] House Bill 1020 by Representative Reeves of the 99th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 23.

[0:39:03] Retirement

[0:39:03] House Bill 1027 by Representatives Anderson of the 10th and others, a bill to be entitled-

[0:39:06] Regulated Industries

[0:39:07] ... House Bill 1161 by Representatives Lim of the 98th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend-

[0:39:12] Public Safety

[0:39:13] ... House Bill 1181 by Representatives Ballard of the 147th and others-

[0:39:17] Public Safety

[0:39:17] ... a bill. Mr. President, that completes the order.

[0:39:20] Secretary will read reports of standing committees.

[0:39:23] Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions has had under consideration the following legislation, as instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation. Senate Bill 441, do pass. House Bill 945, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Summers of the 13th District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Education and Youth has had under consideration the following legislation, as instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation. Senate Bill 472, do pass by substitute. Senate Bill 513, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Hickman of the 4th District.

[0:39:54] 513, do pass.

[0:39:56] 4th District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Higher Education has had under consideration the following legislation, as instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation. Senate Resolution 697, do pass. Senate Resolution 698, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Burns of the 23rd District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor has had under consideration the following legislation, as instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation. Senate Bill 230, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Harbin of the 16th District, Chairman.

[0:40:29] Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Judiciary Committee has had under consideration the following legislation, as instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation. Senate Bill 443, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Strickland of the 42nd District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment has had under consideration the following legislation, as instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation. Senate Resolution 610, do pass by substitute. Senate Bill 240, do pass by substitute. Senate Bill 478, do pass. House Resolution 1008, do pass.

[0:41:02] House Bill 432, do pass by substitute. House Bill 956, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Anderson of the 24th District, Chairman. Mr. President, that completes the order.

[0:41:19] Secretary read bills and resolutions for the second time.

[0:41:22] Senate Bill 399 by Senator Harbin of the 16th and others, Mason Cells AED Coordination Act, enact. Senate Bill 428 by Senator Kirkpatrick of the 32nd and others, Medical Assistant Department of Community Health to submit a waiver request to the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, direct. Senate Bill 430 by Senators Robertson of the 29th and others, Taxes. Certain military museums qualify as destination marketing organizations and private sector non-profit organizations, provide. Senate Bill 433 by Senator Strickland of the 42nd and others, Rio's Law. Senate Bill 447 by Senator Dixon of the 45th and others, Control of Soil Erosion and Sedimentation.

[0:41:57] Denial or non-acceptance of permits, revised provisions. Senate Bill 468 by Senator Cowsert of the 46th and others, Sexual Offender Risk Review Board. Reporting requirements of sexual offenders, increase. Senate Bill 482 by Senator Strickland of the 42nd and others, Law Enforcement Officers and Agencies. Persons requesting booking photographs to provide the first and last names of the individuals in the photographs, require. Mr. President, that completes the order.

[0:42:30] It is now time for the morning roll call. Are there any motions to excuse? Recognize the senator from the 41st.

[0:42:40] Thank you, Mr. President. I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senators from the 7th and the 40th.

[0:42:49] Without objection, senators from the 7th and the 40th are excused. I recognize the senator from the 33rd.

[0:42:56] Good morning, Mr. President, and good morning, y'all. I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senators from the 15th, the 34th, the 7th, and the 52nd. Oh, I'm sorry. Take off the 52nd. He's here.

[0:43:13] No, you said the second and what?

[0:43:16] The 15th, 34, and 7th.

[0:43:19] The 15th, 34th-

[0:43:21] And 7th.

[0:43:22] The 7th is here.

[0:43:23] I mean 5th.

[0:43:25] The fifth... The second is here, too. I just saw him a second ago.

[0:43:30] Yeah, but the second is here.

[0:43:31] The 10th is not here.

[0:43:33] Okay.

[0:43:33] I got him, Senator. All right.

[0:43:34] All right. Keep me straight.

[0:43:38] The 10th. We are excusing the 10th. Yep.

[0:43:43] Any other motions to excuse?

[0:43:48] All right. Secretary will call the roll. Senators, signify your presence by voting the yay switch. Secretary, unlock the machine.

[0:46:17] It is now time for our morning devotion. All senators, please take your seats and cease all conversation. I would ask the door keeper to secure the chamber at this time. I now,

[0:46:33] now recognize the senator from the 28th to lead us in our pledge and introduce our pastor of the day. Senator.

[0:46:47] Thank you, Mr. President, and hello, colleagues. We're gonna, uh, first lead you in, uh, saluting our flags. So to the US flag first.

[0:47:01] I pledge allegiance.

[0:47:02] 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. And now our state flag.

[0:47:18] I pledge allegiance to the Georgia flag and to the principles for which it stands: wisdom, justice, moderation, courage.

[0:47:30] Good morning. It's a honor to introduce a man whose life reflects service, leadership, and transformation impact. Daryl L. Winston. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Daryl Winston is a proud graduate of Northside High School. He continued his academic journey at Bishop College in Dallas, Texas, and later earned a bachelor's degree in social welfare from Georgia State University.

[0:48:07] His commitment to service began early as he spent six years in the United States military, serving first as a chaplain assistant and later as a chaplain in the National Guard. His ministry began in Europe, where he faithfully served military personnel and their families during critical moments in their lives. Before fully embracing his pas- pastoral calling, he also excelled in the corporate arena as a marketing executive with Frito-Lay and US Sprint.

[0:48:52] In 1986, he answered his call to ministry, and in 1991, he was ordained at the historic Union Temple Baptist Church in Washington, DC. F- for more than three decades, Daryl Winston has distinguished himself as a pastor, community activist, deputy coroner, youth advocate, and trusted spiritual advisor to leaders in business, politics, government, education, and entertainment.

[0:49:31] His empowerment-driven approach bridges faith and marketplace strategy, equipping his individuals and communities to thrive. In 1995, he founded Greater Works Ministries, which has grown into one of the nation's most innovative churches. He has also launched numerous impactful initiatives and organizations focused on community development, housing, education, and recovery programs, all designed to uplift those marginalized spiritually, socially, economically, and politically.

[0:50:16] A respected thought leader and media contributor, he has written for major publications and appeared on national networks including ABC, CBS, Fox, CNN, TBN, and CBN. His school of ministry has trained more than 2,000 leaders across denominations and faith traditions. Above all, Daryl Winston is a devoted husband to Jaqueta Winston and a proud father of four, and a respected spiritual leader whose legacy continues to shape communities across the nation.

[0:51:04] Please join me in welcoming my cousin, Reverend Daryl L. Winston. Please come forward. Thank you. Thank you. I'll let you get out too. Thank you.

[0:51:22] Yeah.

[0:51:25] Good morning. Good morning. This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. If you're grateful, put those hands together and celebrate the goodness and the grace of God over our lives. Can we celebrate the goodness and the grace of God? Mr. President, distinguished leaders of this great state, this august bodily, body, thank you again for this privilege to share and to lead in prayer.

[0:52:01] As I stand here today, I am gripped, as many of you perhaps are, by the darkness in the land. Find ourselves groping in darkness. It's dark, and it gets darker every day. It's dark. It's the type of dark that reminds me of a sermon that Dr. King, Georgia's favorite son, preached in the late '50s, a sermon that he entitled A Knock at Midnight- Mm.

[0:52:39] Oh ... describing the persistent prayer and the need for prayer. It's dark. It's dark in the moral order. Clearly, it's dark. Demons are sporting themselves in hellish glee. We're dealing with the other-ization of humanity. It's dark. It's dark in the social order. It's dark. It's so dark to where there's a callousness and a cool indifference that's causing us to stagger even into the depths of darkness, and it's even dark in the political order.

[0:53:18] Oh, I would to God that we have some light-bearers. Jesus said in Matthews, "Ye are the light of the world." If there ever was a time we needed carriers of light, the time is now. This darkness has many masses of Georgians and even around this nation, uh, in fear. There are so many crying, crying for bread that will sustain them in darkness.

[0:53:49] Crying out, asking, "How can I cope in times like these?" But one thing for certain that we should be mindful of, that public policies can either be illuminating or answer, be the answer in the midst of darkness, and may public policies and may all that you do be concerned about luminous darkness, that is, bringing light in darkness.

[0:54:20] And may we never forget that creation is groaning in earnest expectation. There's a groaning in this nation that we must be answers to the groan. No matter where we are in this state, no matter where we are in every town, we can be the answer to the groan. Some are already heeding the call for creation. Some are crying out, "How long will I have to contend with not knowing?" Some are crying out for relief.

[0:54:54] Some are crying out for relief in the area of healthcare. Some are crying out for relief in the area of gun violence. Some are crying out for relief in the area of mental health. Even crying out for spiritual power and relief. All of us can answer the cry of the masses who are contending with darkness. Some have been reduced to the corner and they are waiting for the morning to come.

[0:55:26] I'm reminded that the psalter said, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." That word good, good. Our word good is connected to the German word for God, Gut. And we have the power to be somebody's good morning. And may we be the answer to the groan. Let us pray. Oh, merciful, holy God, thank you for this hour, this hour that is shaped and ordained by you.

[0:56:00] As we stand in this place, we call upon the exceeding greatness of your power to saturate every district, every quarter of this state. We come before you because if there ever was a time we needed you, we sure do need you now. If there ever was a time we needed your strength, we need strength now. We need peace now. We need guidance now, wisdom now. And so then we turn to you, merciful one, for you are able to give us grace.

[0:56:33] You're able to strengthen us. You're able to lift us above the weariness, above the heaviness. We pray today, oh, merciful God, stay the hand of the enemy against the least of these. I ask of you, oh, God, to make us sensitive to, sensitive to the disinherited, the disenfranchised, the dispossessed. Let us never be too callous to care. Let us never be too haughty to help.

[0:57:03] Let us be mindful that all that's good and perfect come from you, and that your grace is because we are here. Every state representative, every senator, even the leaders and the servant leaders, I ask that you bless their families. I ask that you surround them in your power, your grace, and your love. Teach us to hear. Teach us to listen. Teach us to salute the divinity in humanity.

[0:57:39] Help us to be mindful that we are the light in the midst of darkness. And it is so. Amen, amen, amen. God bless you.

[0:57:53] Amen. Good job, Pastor.

[0:57:55] Amen.

[0:57:56] Good job.

[1:01:11] Mm-hmm.

[1:01:11] Well, thank you.

[1:01:11] We have a, uh, very... If I can get everybody's attention real quick. If I could, uh, have everybody's attention. We got a very special guest today, Ms. Larkin. She's gonna tell you. This is our sunshine for the day before we get in our, in our order of business here. Here you go, Larkin.

[1:01:28] Hello. I'm Larkin Kindredgen. My mom is Stephanie Kindredgen, as all of you may know. Um, and I'm nine years old. Um, I love animals, and I hope that all of you guys have a great day today.

[1:05:18] Dr. Watson.

[1:05:52] I'd like to recognize the senator from the 26th as our doctor of the day.

[1:06:07] It gives me a great deal of pleasure to introduce our doctor of the day. Dr. Keisha Renee Callins, MD, MPH, is an obstetrician gy- gynecologist with Community Healthcare Systems, a federally qualified health center network in central Georgia. She currently serves as chair of the National Advisory Council for the National Health Service Corps and was a former NHSC scholar.

[1:06:43] She serves as clinical assistant professor and John McCamm endowed professor with Mercer University School of Medicine. She was appointed by the governor to serve on the Georgia Composite Medical Board in 2014 and 2018 and the Sandra Duncan Deal Early Language and Literacy Board 2017.

[1:07:13] I present to you Dr. Keisha Renee Callins.

[1:07:25] Good morning, everyone.

[1:07:28] Good morning.

[1:07:28] I'm gonna try that one more time. Good morning, everyone.

[1:07:30] Good morning.

[1:07:32] Thank you for your public service, and it is my honor to serve as, um, doctor of the day today. If you have any medical needs, I'll be happy to assist. For the guys in the room, I'll make an exception and I'll take care of you just for today 'cause I'm an OBGYN.

[1:07:48] And I'll just leave you with one of my favorite quotes. Um, in addition to your service, every time you interact with a constituent or a bill, just remember that you may not be able to change the world, but you can change the world of every person with whom you interact. Thank you.

[1:08:12] Sit down here and take a picture.

[1:08:27] Are there any unanimous consents?

[1:09:09] Hearing none, we'll go on to points of personal privilege.

[1:09:18] Does any senator wish to rise on a point of personal privilege?

[1:09:36] The chair recognizes senator from the fifty-six.

[1:09:53] Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and gentlemen, back in August of two thousand twenty, many of you know my older son, Will, at the time, went into kidney failure, and he almost died. Thank God to the doctors at Cherokee Northside Hospital who saved his life, but it began a long road of eleven months later to find out that I would become a perfect match to donate my kidney to my son, Will, which happened on July twenty-first of two thousand and twenty-one.

[1:10:25] It forever changed our lives and opened our eyes to something we needed to do in this state. And thanks to this Senate leading, a couple of years later, we passed the Giving the Gift of Life Act to help people to become both living donors as well as make sure that you have s- got your driver's license marked appropriately. So everyone in this building today, I'm gonna ask you to make sure you pull out your driver's license. In the bottom, there's a heart there that says you're an organ donor. And we've got great groups here today in the Capitol, right down by the south steps on the second floor, because we are recognizing Organ Donation Day and Week.

[1:11:00] We've got folks from the Donor Games, which happens in, uh, every other year in all parts of the country. This year, it's gonna be in Denver. And we've got our friends right here in LifeLink, based right here in Georgia, who every day are working to match and put together the critical process that allows us to give the gift of life. So I'm gonna ask all the folks that are here for organ donation up in the gallery to please stand up so we can recognize you at this time. Please give them a round of applause.

[1:11:33] And thank you, senators, for passing these resolutions unanimously for us to recognize something that's so important. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the will.

[1:11:45] Senator yield the will. Senators, I want to recognize, uh, we've got a group of Georgia's finest in the gallery with us today, uh, the hard men and, good men and women that keep us safe in our counties, our Georgia sheriffs. So welcome. Let's give them a warm Senate welcome.

[1:12:10] Chair recognizes the senator from the sixth for a point of personal privilege. Senator from the sixth.

[1:12:32] Thank you, Mr. President. It's good to have you back. I, I just wanted to point out that the senator from the first yesterday got to act as rules chairman in my absence. And he got one little taste for power, now all of a sudden he's up there trying to take over the whole world. So, uh, y'all quit feeding his ego, please. But I did want to recognize, I do have one of my mayors here, Mayor Dick Ford, and he's here with the organ donors, uh, group as well, as he was a recipient himself.

[1:13:03] So thank you, Mayor Ford, for being here. And I also wanted to point out that it is, uh, it is, it is heart month, February, and I wanted to encourage you all. Um, my mother went in for a routine stress test, uh, just about a month ago, and, uh, they found some, some elevated levels, and so they decided to do a cath on her to, to check out and, you know, see if she had any blockage.

[1:13:42] And so, and again, she was having zero symptoms. Zero. And so she goes in for this routine cath, and I think that's where they stick the balloon up. And, um, as they went in with the balloon, it actually blew up. There was so much blockage, and it turned out she had ninety-nine percent blockage in the widow maker. Ninety-nine percent blockage. And so they did an emergency, uh, stent and got it to ninety, ninety percent openness, so ten percent blockage. So, um, again, she came out feeling no different than when she went in, but the point is, is you just never know.

[1:14:18] And, and so this being Heart Awareness Month, I want to encourage all of you, uh, including myself, I'm, I'm fussing at myself here, to go get checked out. Go see your local heart doctors and make sure that there's no, uh...

[1:14:34] Blockage. Thank you. I yield the wheel. Thank you, Senator. Um, Senator, chairman of the Rules Committee, if you, I mean, some people, you give them an inch and they'll take a mile, is what I've noticed. And, uh, I just wonder if that's not what we're kinda seeing here. It's concerning, but thank you. Chair recognizes the senator from the eighth.

[1:15:05] Thank you, Mr. President. I'll make this quick. Uh, y'all know serving in the, uh, legislature during this time of year takes us away from our families a good, uh, deal of the time. So yesterday, I wasn't able to be there when my youngest son, Alexander Sermons Goodman, our Alec, he, uh, he was named star student. And, um, pretty, pretty proud of that. And, uh, you know, uh, to all the teachers that have poured so much of themselves into him, and to his mama, who has rode him like a government mule on his grades and doing his homework, uh, ever since he entered kindergarten, thank you.

[1:15:40] And, uh, I just want you to know, Alec, that I love you, and I'm so, so very proud of you, and I'm sorry I couldn't be there yesterday, but, uh, you're a great American, uh, buddy, and, uh, hope to see you, get home and see you soon. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the wheel. Thank you, Senator. Chair recognizes the senator from the 36th for a point of personal privilege.

[1:16:22] Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, colleagues. Happy Friday. Uh, I just want, want to add to the conversation around health, uh, that it is heart month, uh, and we have people with us today that have survived because of organ transplants. And I'm here to say that my brother is alive today because he had a double lung transplant Labor Day week. Uh, it matters.

[1:16:53] It matters for people to sign up for, uh, organ transplant, uh, uh, uh, to be d- donors. Uh, as the gentleman from the 56th so movingly, uh, relayed to us his personal experience. Uh, so I simply wanna heartily second that, and there's a shortage all across the country. Uh, the responsible thing to do is for us and our families to all, uh, sign up to be, uh, organ donors.

[1:17:25] Uh, you are saving lives potentially when you do that. Uh, so I simply wanted to underscore that because we are, in my family, so moved by the fact that we have, uh, my brother with us today, uh, successfully surviving. He would not be with us were it not for a double lung transplant. Thank you so much, colleagues. Uh, and safe travels on the way home. I yield the wheel. Thank you, Senator. Chair recognizes the senator from the 29th, majority whip, for a point of personal privilege.

[1:18:06] Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, I come before you today to speak about one subject, but I do wanna mention heart month. Um, I did, um, have the opportunity to gain a cardiologist last year, uh, because of my age. And so I went and got checked out, and he proved, uh, each and every one of you right. Um, either I don't have a heart or I have one that I can plug and unplug in as needed. So, uh, those of you who have accused me of not having one, um, you can feel a little bit of, uh, confirmation today.

[1:18:37] But this morning we talked about something very important. We talked about mental health and the importance of mental health treatment here in the state of Georgia. And I wanna encourage everybody who has been, uh, listening to me over the last eight years, uh, discuss the dangers of recreational marijuana and the dangers of chronic use of marijuana. I would ask you now that you go and read the, um, the editorial in The New York Times, where The New York Times editorial board has now withdrawn their opinion that chronic use of marijuana and recreational use of marijuana has no long-lasting impacts on human beings.

[1:19:15] They continue to prove over and over and over with science that psychosis created by use of high-THC marijuana, recreational marijuana, continues to cause psychosis in, especially in young men between the ages of 14 and 27. So while we wanna come up here and talk about the joys of choice when it comes to recreational drug use and everything else, let's not forget the negative impact that this drug not only has on the human body, but what it has on our workforce, what it has on our young people, and what it has on our schools, and what it has in our colleges, and especially what it has in our jails and prisons.

[1:19:58] So remember, when somebody comes to you and tells you that marijuana does not harm the human being, please kindly encourage them to do their research and come back and have a conversation. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the wheel.

[1:20:14] Thank you, Senator. Chair recognizes the senator from the 28th for a point of personal privilege. She's gonna take her, uh, point of personal privilege from her desk.

[1:20:36] Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you for allowing me to, uh, stand here at my desk. I wanted to encourage everyone this morning to please put on your driver's license that you wanna be a donor. I will share just for a quick second why I'm saying this. I know that many years ago now, and I was in the Senate at the time, I left to go out of town, and my son and my late husband drove me, uh, to the airport.

[1:21:15] And my son was, uh, excited. He got his driver's license that day, so he showed it to me and said, "Look, Mom, look." So I said, "Oh, that's a nice picture." I didn't know what he was talking about. He was talking about the fact that he decided to be a donor. So I looked at it and I said, "Oh, wow, a donor?" And that's what many people think, "Oh, I don't know about being a donor," but he wanted to be a, a donor. And I said... He said, "Aren't you gonna be one?" I said, "I don't know.

[1:21:46] I have to think about it." He said, "Why? You won't miss it. You'll be gone, and you'll be helping people like you like to do." Little did I know that four days later when I was coming back home, I got a call before I got to the airport that told me that my son was i- at Grady's in, um, emergency. So I got off the plane a, a couple hours later, and I got there to see my whole family, everybody crying, and he was a donor.

[1:22:22] He ended up getting killed by a drunk driver, but he was so strong, and he was 18 years old at the time, about to graduate from high school, and he gave all of his bo- well, I'll say seven... He, he was a donor of seven parts of him. So seven parts of him is still living now, laying in other people, and nobody rejected it. And he was right to encourage everyone to please be a donor because two years later, my late husband went for that same stress test that the senator was just talking about, and it, and he thought he was in perfect health.

[1:23:06] He had kidney failure. So we put in to be a donor, and five years later, he had not gotten a pa- a, a, a kidney after our son donated all of his... It doesn't work like that. It's the people who need it the most. So everybody take Carrie Allen James' advice and be a donor and put it on your driver's license because nobody would've known, and he only lived a few hours at Grady Hospital.

[1:23:39] So thank you very much for listening to me, and please encourage it. And thank you, Senator, for being a donor for your son. If, if, uh, my s- husband had been able to get a new kidney, he'd be standing here grinning and smiling and s- and clapping for us right now. Thank you very much.

[1:24:12] Chair recognizes the senator from the 37th for a point of personal privilege.

[1:24:31] Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, I rise today to thank the members of this body for their public service. I rise today to thank our local elected officials and the sacrifices they make to stand for public office because public service is not easy. I harken back to Monday night before I came in on Tuesday morning. I, as many of you know, w- w- work in the architecture and engineering business. I turned my light off at 3:06 AM and set my alarm clock at 6:00 AM to come in in the morning to the Capitol.

[1:25:05] That's what public servants do everywhere across our state. Whether you're driving from three hours from the Capitol to, to serve here and going back home for a short weekend, whether you're doing your business while you're here, or whether you're a mayor back home struggling to not lose your family business because you're serving your community, or becau- if you're a sheriff who's one of the highest capacity people in your county who's made a decision to spend a career in public service and stand for elected office as, as a mayor to protect your community, you are what public servi- pu- what public service is in our state.

[1:25:45] Friends, we got a question before us that's been raised. It's been blanketed across our television screens. This is not a political speech. This is a talk about the value of public service. I have mail pieces showing in my, in my mailbox that refers to empty suit politicians and the voidness of the work they do. They do nothing but talk. The same mail piece puts, puts members who serve our state as bobblehead dolls who talk and do nothing.

[1:26:20] Friends, the service and the sacrifice of our elected officials

[1:26:28] would take your breath away if you hadn't seen it up close and personal. I thank the members of this body

[1:26:37] from the majority caucus to the minority caucus that sacrifice to serve here. I certainly do. I know the senator from the 22nd, the minority leader, he's a, he's an attorney in Augusta that sacrifices to serve down here. It's not easy for him to do that. He's not enriching himself to be here. It's costing him money to be here. It's costing the senator from the 19th to be here and to serve. Friends, we- the question that's before Georgians and I wanna put before the Senate is, there's an attack on public service.

[1:27:10] There's an attack on the principle that individuals who put themselves out for service are somehow not servants but self-serving. And the attacks I see in my mailbox and the attacks I see on the television are attacking all of us, not as a political class, not as elites, 'cause none of us are that. We sacrifice to be here. I wanna ask somebody who's spending $50 million on a campaign that says we're just bobblehead dolls what it means to go to bed at 3:06 in the morning and get up at 6:00 AM to come to the Capitol and serve.

[1:27:45] That's what we're doing. I am outraged by the principle that people that serve in elected office are somehow low-class citizens. Friends, I stand with our elected officials across this state and I, and I'm gonna ask this question: Does public service count? Or is the only thing that counts the ability to spend tens of millions of dollars to buy an election? I can tell you the senator from the 35th who s- serves me in Cobb County, he can't buy an election. He can't write a check for his own election.

[1:28:17] I can't write a check for mine. But friends, it's before us today. Is the leadership of our state for sale for money? Or is it based on service? I know members of this body stand with what public service means and will stand up for those who've sacrificed for it. With that, Mr. President, I yield the will.

[1:28:45] Thank you, Senator. Chair calls on the senator from the 29th. What purpose do you rise?

[1:28:55] Uh, Mr., uh, Mr. Chair, excuse me, Mr. President, I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 46th.

[1:29:03] Without objection, the senator from the 46th is excused.

[1:29:09] Does any other senator wish to rise on a point of personal privilege?

[1:29:15] You have before you consent calendar privileged resolutions. Does any senator wish to remove a resolution from the consent calendar? Is there objection to the adoption of the resolutions on the consent calendar? The chair hears none, and the resolutions on the consent calendar are adopted.

[1:29:35] Are there any motions to withdraw and commit?

[1:29:41] Secretary will read the caption of House Bill 455.

[1:29:51] House Bill 455 by s- Representatives Powell of the 33rd and others, a bill to be entitled In Act to amend Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to bingo so as to provide for the information to be provided on applications for bingo games, to revise the provisions regarding the property used for bingo games, to revise the limits on the number of bingo game sessions which are allowed per month, to revise the amount of prize money which may be paid, to revise the compensation for persons assisting in the conduct of bingo games, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes. Mr. President, the committee, the committee of the Senate on econ- economic development and tourism recommends that this bill do pass.

[1:30:28] Senator Echols of the 45th, chairman. Mr. President, I complete your order.

[1:30:33] I recognize the senator from the 6th to speak to HB 455.

[1:30:43] Thank you, Mr. President. I bring to y'all HB 455. This is the bingo bill. We've been trying to pass this bill for a couple years. I do wanna go on the record and say I don't think the legislature sh- should be, uh, legislating on bingo, but we do. Uh, so what this does is it allows if, if a entity or a property wants to have, uh, bingo and they have multiple properties, they can, um, they can move it to a different location without having to reapply for their bingo, bingo permit.

[1:31:21] Uh, it also increases the award, uh, prizes from $3,000 to $6,000. And current law, if anyone is assisting the game of bingo, they're allowed to be paid $30. This takes that for, to $150 per session. With that, I'll yield for questions.

[1:31:45] All right.

[1:31:46] I don't see any questions, Senator.

[1:31:47] All right, I urge your favorable consideration for HB 455. I yield the will.

[1:31:54] Does any senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Chair hears none. Is there objection to the previous question being ordered? Chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Is there objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which is favorable to the passage of the bill? Chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question being ordered? Chair hears none. The question is ordered. The question is on the passage of the bill. All those in favor of the bill will vote yay. Opposed, nay. The secretary will unlock the machine.

[1:33:28] On the passage of the bill, the yays are 38 and the nays are n- eight. This bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed.

[1:33:45] The Secretary will read the caption to House Bill 973.

[1:33:58] House Bill 973, by Representative Burns of the 159th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend an act making and providing appropriations for the state fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2025 and ending June 30th, 2026, known as the General Appropriations Act. Act Number 73, approved May 9th, 2025, so as to make, provide, and change certain appropriations for the operation of the state government and its departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, institutions, and other agencies for the university system, common schools, counties, municipalities, and political subdivisions for all other governmental activities, projects, and undertakings authorized by law, and for all leases, contracts, agreements, and grants authorized by law to provide for the control and administration of funds, to provide an effective date, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

[1:34:40] Mr. President, the Committee of the Senate on Appropriations recommend that this bill do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Tillery, Chairman. And then you read all of this and then down- I recognize our...

[1:35:02] Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Appropriations offers the following substit- substitute. A bill to be entitled an act to amend an act making and providing appropriations for the state fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2025 and ending June 30th, 2026, known as the General Appropriations Act Number 73, approved May 9th, 2025, so as to make, provide, and change certain appropriations for the operation of the state government and for other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order. I now recognize the chairman of our Appropriations Committee, the senator from the 19th, to speak to this, uh, little House bill, House Bill 973.

[1:35:40] Thank you, Mr. President.

[1:35:46] Members of the Senate, thank you for your time this morning. I present to you House Bill 973, the state's amended year budget.

[1:35:57] First, I need to thank some people who were involved in that process. Uh, as you know, we began working on this budget September or October of the year before we come into session. You're watching, uh, revenue numbers. You're talking to folks like the senator from the second to see what matters in his district down on the coast, senator from the 53rd. Uh, he's not here now, but if he was, he'd be, uh, com- complaining to us about things in the northern part of the state. Senators down from the 11th, down in the southwest corner of the state, uh, the 50th from the northeast corner.

[1:36:29] Everyone's bringing their ideas, and those start back in September or October. We work with, uh, Richard Dunn, the OPB director for the governor. We work with his staff closely, and of course, we work with our colleagues in the House, the House Budget Office, Chairman Hatchett, Christine, uh, Murdoch, and, uh, Dave Lackey, who are heading that division. And then we also work with our own team. You know them very well. Our subcommittee chairs work with them daily, and without their help, there's absolutely no way we could get this budget done.

[1:36:59] Before we get going into this, I want to recognize them. Y'all know Lindsey, Caroline, Winona, um, Beckett, Austin, sorry. Uh, w- who have we got over here? Oh my goodness, I'd started doing this, and now I'm gonna totally screw it up. That's awful. Emily, Sam, Virginia, Jennifer, uh, Brett, and Courtney who do that, and of course, also Miss Angela and Miss Emma who, who help me so much as well. Guys, without their help, there's no way we could be here. Please give them a round of applause.

[1:37:41] There are many days they stay here till after midnight working on this document. Um, they are a dedicated team, and they are clear professionals, so it is an honor to work with you. You have seen the governor's budget. You know the items that he talked about. Um, the state's amended budget is $42 billion. It's roughly a $4 billion increase over the, uh, budget that you passed last session, the state's fiscal year budget. Of that $4 billion, about $2 billion goes to roads. About $600 million of the governor's budget went to employee one-time pay increases, 300 million to the inception of ideas in higher education, 50 million to housing, and that was his proposal.

[1:38:18] He also included $1.17 billion in personal income tax rebates. The House took a slightly different approach. They changed that $1.17 billion in personal income tax rebates to a property tax rebate system based out of our homeowners tax relief grants. There's 850 million there. They moved 400 million that was remaining into various line items too, including prisons, including capital expenditures, an optometry school at Georgia Southern, and then $50 million for our state's employee retirement system.

[1:38:49] The Senate tries to take pieces of each of those, those, uh, proposals and create a proposal that we think best represents the priorities that we have made by this body. Let me walk you through a few of those here now.

[1:39:08] In the Department of Education, the Senate's budget takes our QBE formula and adjusts the midterm amounts for about $43.8 million. As student finance, we agree with the governor and the House when we add $8.4 million for a 17% increase in dual enrollment. I tell you, that's gonna be something we're gonna have to address in coming years, though. We also agreed with the reduction of about $85.9 million for the Promise Scholarship, just due to utilization. We will look to replace that again in the fiscal year budget.

[1:39:39] We agreed with the governor and, uh, the governor's position and rejected the House position considering funding to the Guggenheim Building at the Georgia Institute of Technology. That's roughly $88 million. We also included $5 million for the arts and science re- renovation at Georgia State University and $5 million for the re- re- renovation of the Technology Enhanced Learning Center at the University of West Georgia

[1:40:02] The Senate's budget made a different move than the House did on some other ar- areas concerning, uh, bond funding. There was roughly, since we've been funding bonds with cash, there's roughly about $150 million of interest, uh, lying at our s- our finance commission. In that, the Senate, the House decided to take $50 million and to reduce debt service, use that 50 million in other areas of the budget, and apply 50 million of the interest to debt service instead. The Senate took a different approach, instead funding debt service at the level, at the appropriate level that we think is constitutionally required, and allocated that 50 million to three projects.

[1:40:36] Those projects were a nursing building in Athens at the University of Georgia, the optometry building in Statesboro, and to a canine facility that was requested by the Department of Public Safety. At the Department of Community Health, the Senate agreed with the House and added $4.8 million for the establishment of a grant program for rural health and dental clinics. We also agreed with several other rural health adds and, uh, safety adds in the Department of Human Hea- of Health and Human Services' budget items. We agreed and adjusted a figure about $241 million worth, uh, reg- re- regarding, uh, aged, blind, and disabled Medicaid.

[1:41:14] We took a reduction in the low-income Medicaid of $149, almost $150 million, due to utilization. We agreed with the House and Senate, or the House and the Senate agreed, to add a $225,000 add to FODAC. We also, uh, agreed to fund $800,000 for what has been long requested with a veterans' cemetery project receiving federal funds in Augusta. I told you that this budget puts $2 billion towards transportation, but the Senate's budget and the House budget differ slightly, uh, as to how we do that.

[1:41:48] $11.5 million goes into state-owned short line railroads. $15 million roughly to airport aid. We put $250 million towards our local roads and bridges, and $100 million towards a bi- bridge replacement program that we've been doing for multiple years across the state. As you know, many of our bridges, especially on county roads, are older. They have weight limits that are not appropriate. Uh, many of them were built in the '40s and it is a safety issue that we must address herein. We included $13.7 million for jail subsidies for Department of Corrections.

[1:42:22] We had, for a long time, been able to reduce that number to about $5,000. The Department of Corrections was doing a, a pretty good job of moving folks out of our county prisons. There's a deadline they have, 14 days. On the 15th day, we have to start paying local jails. The Senate budget looked at whether or not we could back that up and say, "Maybe we can do it in seven. Maybe we could do it quicker. Uh, is there other things we can do?" But in that process, we also realized that there is a huge backlog that did not exist, uh, more than 14 months ago. The Senate's budget puts $13.7 million to alleviate that backlog and make sure that we resolve it this calendar year.

[1:43:01] At the Bureau of Investigations, you'll see that the Senate agrees with the House add for $14 million for a child welfare reporting system. We know that we have folks who are trying to call in as mandated reporters and state, "Hey, we, we see these issues with children." Sometimes they're teachers, sometimes they're physicians, sometimes they're counselors. How that, uh, information makes it through the system has become a little bit convoluted, and we wanna make sure there's clarity involved there. Our public safety officers have asked for this. The department has, uh, understands what we're asking for here, and the Senate budget includes 14 million at the Georgia Department of In- of Investigation to implement this plan.

[1:43:45] Our state employees have, for many years, s- felt like they got the short end of the stick. You know when we went through budget crisises in the mid two, early 2000s that the COLA that they were guaranteed was removed. We left the COLA on for TRS. We removed the COLA for state employees. We have placed over $1 billion in the state's retiree system over the past three years. We do believe that triggers a COLA this year. We can't tell you the percent yet, but we do believe that that does get triggered.

[1:44:15] But the Senate's not willing to stand there. The House added $50 million to the employee retirement system. The Senate will double that for a $100 million add, helping our state employees understand they are valued, they are appreciated, and we thank for them for the time that they've served our state. In the area of homelessness, the governor's budget had $50 million. We did not quite agree with that number. We cut that down to $25 million. There was just a discrepancy about where that homeless nu- uh, money would go. We thought we needed a little bit more clarity there.

[1:44:45] And of that 25, we then took $15 million and moved it to the Department of Veterans Affairs. And I want s- you to stop for a second and hear me. We did that for a reason. We do wish to address homelessness, and we think that the population that deserves this being addressed most is our veterans population. When we asked the Department of Veterans Affairs what they needed to alleviate this problem, to eradicate homelessness in our veterans community, they told us they thought they could do that figure for about $10 million.

[1:45:17] The Senate's budget says, "That's great. We want you to understand how much we think this matters. We're gonna give you even more," and placed $15 million in the Department of Veterans' Services to eliminate, to eradicate homelessness among Georgia's veteran community. For many, many years, our Senate's budget has funded postpartum care. We've said that after a woman gives birth, if she's on Georgia Medicaid, that we think that that Medicaid should exist a little bit longer than just after the time she gave birth.

[1:45:52] Our first bill carried out Medicaid, uh, eligibility for six months postpartum. A second bill passed in this chamber roughly two years ago extended that to 12 months postpartum. Ladies and gentlemen, the Senate's budget continues to fund that item in our Medicaid budget, and I want you to know that there are eighteen thousand women in Georgia receiving care today, healthcare for them and their small children because of your additions. I mentioned early on that the governor included certain lines...

[1:46:25] Well, I'll skip that one for now and come back to it. At the State Elections Board, there was a decrease in their budget of four hundred and five hundred and forty-four thousand dollars. The Senate restored that cut. And at the Department of Human Services, the Senate fully funds any perceived, uh, need at the Department of Human Services for eighty-nine million dollars. That should that fund any care we thought we've lost, any issues that we thought were there. And then, of course, I've already mentioned to you that we funded the fifteen million dollar project at the Georgia Department, uh, of Investigation regarding importing.

[1:46:58] The Senate's budget also includes twenty million dollars for jor- graduate medical education, for residency programs, psychiatry residency programs as well across our state, realizing that we do have a need among our healthcare workforce, and Georgia can't rely on someone else to grade our doctors. We've got to grow our own. NextGen 911. We're behind other states in implementing this project. The House budget included with the governor around nine million dollars. After the budget passed, though, there was some change on federal guidance over the past two weeks, uh, and we get to have a little updated information than the House was able to see.

[1:47:35] We do believe now that our BEAD funds, our federal BEAD funds that were related to, uh, broadband band deployment, were gonna be eligible to be used on this system. So the Senate's budget reduced the nine million dollars in the n- uh, NextGen 911 down to five million state general funds and instructed the department to use the nine hundred million dollars in federal BEAD funds that have already been awarded to our state to make sure Georgia is NextGen 911 ready and to make sure that our facilities across the state have the most up-to-date information to respond to calls across our areas.

[1:48:13] The Senate's budget includes fifty-five million dollars in infrastructure improvements related to gas lines. I've heard from you that there are areas across our state where gas capacity is so weak that we can't even put another Burger King on the line, much less another industry. Fifty fi- five million dollars in the Senate's budget moves towards infrastructure related to gas lines. And we include thirty million dollars in infrastructure related to water and tier that to Tier 1 counties to make sure that those cities have the water infrastructure they need for development, for growth, and for people.

[1:48:47] I mentioned several buildings were included in the Senate's budget, and again, that's, uh, the, these, these things are important. It's important back in your area. We wanna make sure that when you have, uh, areas in your community that you wish to go to fellowship, that the folks that in those communities have the buildings that they need. We funded the optometry building, as I told you already, at Georgia Southern, the K9 building that was for the Department of Public Safety, the nursing building at the University of Georgia, GBI expansions in Conyers, a Department of Defense facility in Walton County. I already mentioned the University of West Georgia facility, a library in Little Wissy, and of course, as I already mentioned one time before, the, uh, Georgia Tech building, the Guggenheim Aerospace and Avionics building at, uh, Georgia Tech Univers- or Georgia Tech In- Georgia Institute for Technology.

[1:49:31] I'm sorry, Mr. Pro Tem. I was gonna call it trade school, but you know how that goes.

[1:49:36] Oh, yeah.

[1:49:42] I told you already that the Senate had a different position as it related to homelessness and a focus on veterans. The Senate also, uh, wanted to s- express support at the inception of a new program that we saw at the university, uh, system related to needs-based aid. The governor's budget included three hundred and twenty-five million dollars for this item, this project. The House's budget was at three hundred million, and the Senate reduced that down to one hundred million. Again, reminding you this, it's a plus. There's right now zero dollars in that item. It's the inception of the program.

[1:50:14] And we do feel that we support it. We do feel that a hundred million dollars is necessary, and it's necessary for the purposes of going to receive grant aid that we know they're gonna seek from other foundations across the state.

[1:50:29] That two hundred million dollar reduction's gonna become really important here in just a few minutes. The Se- the Senate also needed to create a roughly another one hundred million dollars of reductions. And the where we, where we found those dollars, we're looking across various items an- and reducing those to, to fit priorities that we thought were important but maybe not as important right now. That meant reducing some of the funding to the items on I- seven- I-75 corridor. It still stays over two fi- two billion dollars total. But we took, we accepted a House cut of roughly one hundred million dollars there.

[1:51:02] And then we also looked at what we're doing for state employees. I wanna remind you the governor's budget had a supplement proposed. I've gotten some questions about this. A proposed supplement, never an accepted supplement of two thousand dollars. The Senate's budget proposal reduces that to twelve fifty. And let me tell you why we did that and how we got there. One thousand two hundred and fifty dollars al- alm- uh, roughly pays the taxes that are due on that money and provides a one thousand dollar supplement to state employees.

[1:51:33] But we also want to echo what we've done on our state income tax plan. You see, if we are able to reduce and eliminate the state income tax on families making one hundred thousand dollars or less, well, that puts one thousand dollars back in their pocket. For an average state employee making fifty thousand dollars, that puts five hundred additional dollars in their pocket. And it doesn't do it just one year. It does it every year. While that two thousand dollars was a one-time supplement, eliminating the state income tax on families in Georgia making one hundred thousand dollars and less is a forever supplement.

[1:52:10] And we feel that's the best way to go. If we're able to eliminate that income tax, that family making $50,000, well, that's a $25,000 savings. A family making $100,000, that's a $5,190 savings. If you put that number on top of the $1,000 supplement, it's three times the money to Georgia families that you see in the governor's or the House's proposal. That bill's already passed the Senate, and once our friends in the House act upon it, those Georgia employees, since they are also Georgia citizens, will receive that savings.

[1:52:53] The Senate's budget funded several other items of senator requests. I mentioned FODAC, $2.5 million for BOOST, various recreational activities, the Georgia Tech building, GME, $300,000 to the Side-by-Side Brain Injury Trust, and $1 million to address rural health crisis that we saw in East Central Georgia. The Senate's budget also includes additions for a blueberry breeder program at the University of Georgia. We're hoping that the senator from the eighth can get us some buttermilk and blueberry pancakes.

[1:53:27] And it focuses on modernization across the board in various IT projects that our state is initiating.

[1:53:39] Two last things I wanna talk to you about, and they're big. The governor's propo- budget proposal had $1.17 billion for income tax relief, roughly $500 to every married family, $250 if you're filing singly. The House's proposal, I told you already, addressed property taxes. Roughly $500, depending on your millage rate, if you're in rural areas it's about $300, if you're in more urban areas it's around $500 of property tax relief.

[1:54:12] The Senate's proposal does both. It realizes that families are feeling the crunch. We are laser-focused on affordability, and if we can provide this relief from state funds, surplus funds that have already been collected from those taxpayers, then why the heck would we not return their money to them? The Senate's proposal supports both the governor's income tax propo- return, the inc- the, supports both the governor's income tax refund and the House's homeowners tax, uh, relief grants for a tune of about $1.9 billion returned to state taxpayers.

[1:54:58] The last item is one of the items I feel is the absolute most important in any budget I've been able to present to you, and I believe now this is my 12th or 13th budget.

[1:55:09] We've heard from the sheriffs and police chiefs of our state. For many, many years they have been screaming to us that their jails cannot be our state's mental health facilities, and they have been. And since the state entered into the Olmstead decision in 2010 when Chancellor Perdue was governor, the state has been hamstrung on its ability to answer that call for our sheriffs and chiefs in their local facilities.

[1:55:39] As you know, we have moved and funded millions of dollars of projects, hundreds of millions of dollars of projects in these budgets to get out from underneath that decision, to do what we needed to do for behavioral health, for developmental disability, for mental health and public safety across our state. And because of the actions of you as senators and across the hall of members of the House and our governors for years, in January we were able to file a federal court order to ask to be able to be removed from part of that Olmstead decree.

[1:56:16] On Thursday, last week, just eight days ago, a federal judge signed the order that said Georgia had met its obligation, that we were released from the decisions that previously bound us from being able to build new state hospitals and congregantly care. S- that's eight days ago. We've been hearing from sheriffs for 18 years, but eight years ago we finally had the chance. And based on that, did I say eight days?

[1:56:47] Did I say something different? Sorry. Eight days ago we finally had the chance. And the Senate's budget includes $409 million to build the state's first state mental health hospital since the 1960s, answer the cries of our sheriffs and police chiefs, answer the calls of public safety, answer the calls we've seen on the streets due to homelessness, and to finally make meaningful process in addressing our state's mental health needs.

[1:57:33] There's a lot of folks up there in the audience who are elected in their home communities to keep you safe. And senators, those of you on the back row may not see them. The ones on the front row can. If you wanna move up here, you can see these guys. They're the ones who've been crying and screaming. Crying sounds like they're complaining. They're, it's not complaining, it's, it's begs for help. And they've been doing this now since 2010 and before. You're responding. Sheriffs, chiefs, deputies, jailers, you've been heard.

[1:58:03] Thank you for what you've done for decades. Thank you for having our back, and I hope you see with this proposal we have yours.

[1:58:30] We'll make sure you have your house member's number if you need to call it when you leave too, just to make sure.

[1:58:38] Members of the Senate, thank you so much for allowing me to piece this budget together. Subcommittee chairs, you know that you have had a lot of the work that went into this. This did not happen without you. We accept your proposals, we enter them into the budget, and then we defend you. Thank you so much for the efforts you've made, for the letters you've written. You wr- the letters that senators write reflect the needs of their community, and I hope that you will look at this and, and realize that it's a reflection not just of my ideas for the state, not just of the subcommittee's ideas for the state, not even just the Appropriations Committee's ideas for the state, but of each and every one of you who represent each and every community back home.

[1:59:19] Mr. President, if there are any questions, I'm happy to answer them. Otherwise, I'll yield the well and urge favorable consideration of House Bill 973, the state's amended year budget. You do have a couple questions, Senator. Recognize the senator from the, uh, 38th.

[1:59:37] Thank you, Mr. President. Does the gentleman yield? Yes, sir. Uh, you mentioned that in regards to the governor allocating $50 million to address homelessness that you did not agree and we needed clarity. Yeah. Uh, are you aware that homelessness has increased over the years here in Georgia? W- we're aware, yes, sir. Would you further yield? Yes, sir. Uh, are you aware that veterans make up about 6% of the homeless population, uh, in the state? I was not aware of that figure. I do think that the Senate's budget puts a focus on the veterans community.

[2:00:08] Uh, so if we are to allocate $50 million to just address homelessness amongst veterans, what about the homelessness and unsheltered that are not veterans? Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate the question. I'll point you also to that $409 million that you just stood and clapped for. I personally believe that that $409 million will do more to address homelessness across our state than any other line of our budget.

[2:00:35] Hear, hear. Recognize the senator from 14th. Thank you, Mr. President. Does the senator yield? Sure. Senator, as a preface to my question, uh, the president, Donald Trump, went on record yesterday in Rome saying, and this is a direct quote, "And then I have to listen to the fake news talking about affordability, affordability. What word have you not heard over the last two weeks? Affordability, because I've won, I've won affordability." The question is, have the Senate Republicans made any attempt to correct President Trump on his statement that the affordability crisis is over?

[2:01:06] Well, I think that what you see the president doing is he's trying to make sure that he's addressing the affordability crisis for the country. We're trying to make sure we address the affordability crisis for Georgia. We think the best way we can do that is to return over $2 billion to them in this budget, and I hope you'll vote yes to do that. We also think the best way we can do that is to return over $3 billion to them by eliminating the state income tax on the families in Georgia making $100,000 and less and providing a $5,190 savings to those who make over $100,000. I know that you were not able to support that plan last year.

[2:01:38] But if you can support this $2 billion plan now and we're able to get that plan back across from the House, I do think that that will directly relate to families here in Georgia. Thank you, Senator. Just wondering if the president was keeping abreast of all of our efforts. Thank you again. Recognize the senator from 36th.

[2:01:58] Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, does the gentleman yield? Always to my friend from the 36th. Uh, thanks for the hard work that's gone into, uh, bringing this budget today, uh, by, by, b- under your leadership and s- so many here in the chamber. Um, in, in, in terms of the affordability question- Yeah ... um, it, it, it's, it's true, is it not, that making higher education affordable for our Georgia families and their students, uh, is a major contribution to, uh, the affordability question given all the rising costs of higher education.

[2:02:37] And at this point, the, the, uh, isn't it true that there's, the governor's 325 million, uh, it has in our Senate, uh, budget been reduced down to 100 million, and that we should aspire, and I hope we can do it together, isn't it true, uh, to continue to grow that effort to make higher education affordable so that students can, we can put students in seats and address our workforce shortage?

[2:03:10] Well, thank you for the question. Thank you. First, remember that the Senate's proposal adds $100 million to the Dream Scholarship. Right now, the number in the Dream Scholarship is zero. While the governor's proposal added 300, the House's proposal added 300. Well, I guess the governor's was 325, the House was 300. The Senate's proposal is still an add. It's an add of 100, and let me tell you really why I believe that is. It's out of respect for the chancellor. The members of this body believe the chancellor, they, s- respect the chancellor, and they believe that he can follow through on what he says.

[2:03:41] That, however, with the reason of us not supporting it at a $300 million level was twofold. One, we do believe that the most important issue, the most pressing issue, is that state mental health hospital, and we did need dollars to fund that. That is real. The second thing is, while we, while I agree with you on affordability and making, uh, college affordable, the other thing that I think is more important than making it affordable is making it meaningful. If students felt that their value add from a college degree helped them further their education, get better jobs, make more in the future, then I think they would find more value in college, and they'd be willing to take on those loans.

[2:04:20] Our problem comes now that, look, let's be honest about it. I lived in a dorm with another roommate. We now live in a, a society where if you have someone who's a roommate in the dorm, those folks don't wanna pay for that dorm. They wanna go get an apartment instead. My dining hall was a cinder block building called Bolton Dining Hall. B- Bolton Dining Hall now is a chalet. Um, those costs drive up the cost of higher education. So the value adds to education are where we need to focus and if students think that having that higher education degree is a value add, then I do think they'll take on the loans or the needs-based aid necessary to, uh, achieve it.

[2:04:57] Just one final, uh, quick question. It is true, is it not, that, uh, when we studied this and the Senate did a very- the Senate study committee appointed by the lieutenant governor did a very robust look into all of this and we have the second or third highest student loan debt in the country. Uh, and we can hope that as we move forward we can reduce that by putting more dollars behind needs-based, uh, financial aid. Thank you.

[2:05:24] Yes, and I, I understand your position. My, my position is if the jobs that they're receiving at the end are paying of such high quality, then they should be willing to take on that loan debt to pay them back. If they're not paying that high quality, then we got to question why we're offering that at our higher education facilities to begin with.

[2:05:41] Thank you.

[2:05:44] I got the red light, Mr. President. If you want me to be quiet, I will. And I'll tell you-

[2:05:49] No, Senator, you've done a fantastic job.

[2:05:52] You got more questions? Okay.

[2:05:54] You've done a fantastic job.

[2:05:56] Are there any more questions? Or-

[2:05:57] None, none worth hearing, so you can go ahead and yield the way. So

[2:06:03] Well, friends, thank you so much for allowing me to present this here. I hope you see by our friends in the gallery how important your green vote is today. Thank you so much for allowing me to present this budget, and let's advance public safety, let's advance mental health, let's advance families, and let's advance affordability. Mr. President, I yield the way.

[2:06:22] Yeah, good job, Senator. Good job. Appreciate all your hard work and appreciate your, your office folks there. They've done a really, really good job. You've got a good team over there. So we appreciate that very much. Recognize the senator from the 42nd.

[2:06:48] Thank you, Mr. President, members of the Senate. I rise today in support of the amended budget, in particular the line item that's gonna invest in beds for those suffering, uh, for, a, a mental illness in our state. The- in my time in office, the call that I hate the most, and the call I'm sure some of y'all have gotten many times as well, is from someone that says, "Hey, my child, they're off their meds. Uh, my, my mom, my grandmother is back, you know, in dealing with addiction. They've got this problem, and I've got nowhere to go.

[2:07:20] I've got no resources for them." And this is the worst part. Oftentimes that person tells me that, "I was told if I could just get them arrested, like, they would just get arrested, maybe they would get help." That is the system that we've operated under for way too long. And we've asked our jails to be our mental health hospitals. We have sent people with mental illness and with addiction to get help at the county jail.

[2:07:50] And I'm proud of this Senate for stepping up today with a big step forward and saying, "That's not how we're gonna do things in Georgia anymore." We're gonna make sure that in Georgia we send people to get the help they need, and that we save our jails and our prisons for those who need to be locked up. We save our resources to lock up those that we know need to be locked up, not those need to get help. Last year, this Senate joined me in a bill that addressed competency proceedings.

[2:08:21] We learned in that bill last year that we have people sitting in jail waiting for a competency evaluation and competency restoration longer, waiting for that evaluation, sitting in jail longer than they would actually be serving in prison or in jail if they went and pled guilty. And we got ahead of that last year with a Band-Aid that tries to fix the process as to how folks get in that system to start with. This is more than a Band-Aid.

[2:08:51] This is a solution, and it's a great step in the right direction, and I appreciate our leaders from around our state that joined us today. We recognize where we put y'all, recognize the position that you've been put in, and I thank you for joining us and make sure that we as a state get this right moving forward. With that, Mr. President, I'll yield the way.

[2:09:10] Thank you, Senator. Recognize the senator from the 29th.

[2:09:22] Thank you, Mr. President, colleagues. First of all, I want to thank the senator from the 19th and his leadership through this process. Um, serving as a subcommittee chair on public safety, um, his advice, his guidance, and his support, and also the support from the Senate budget team made this a rewarding and eye-opening experience for me. But having spent 31 years as a deputy sheriff in Georgia, having started out at a time when mental health in our jails was not a problem, I understand the wave of chaos that has rolled into our jails throughout the state of Georgia in all 159 counties and into the roles of our deputy sheriffs and police officers each and every day.

[2:10:08] I remember the time when I went out, and understand now my major was criminal justice for two reasons. I thought it was interesting, and I thought it might be the easiest thing I could take. What I did not realize is I was entering the most rewarding career that any man or woman in the state of Georgia could ever choose. But I was surprised to see what happened to society as I served in there, and that was the mental health explosion that happened in the early 1990s, late 1980s.

[2:10:46] I was shocked as a sergeant when I had to go to the bookstore and buy the most expensive paperback I've ever bought. And if you come to my office today, I can tell you I'm one of four individuals in this capital that has copies of the DSM-5 in their office. And as a deputy sheriff, I never thought I would need a DSM-5 laying on my desk so I could understand all the conditions that everyone had that walked through the back door of the Muskogee County Jail. While it was a very valuable tool for resource, it was a very sad thing that I had to sit in there each and every day and understand that the majority of the men and women that we were holding in custody were really good people who made really bad decisions, and in many cases, based on things going on in their heads that they had no control over.

[2:11:35] And while I consider myself an exceptional law enforcement officer, I was never formally trained to be a mental health professional. And for that reason, I wanna thank the senator from the 19th and everybody that worked on this budget to realize the stress that is being placed on every sheriff's office and police department in this state by overwhelming them with a population that should be being treated and not being incarcerated. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

[2:12:09] Bring it down to senator from the 13th. Thank you, senator from the 29th.

[2:12:23] Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, in 2000 and... I believe it was just '23 and '24, I stood before you with a bill that we worked on with a nonpartisan c- committee during the summertime. We brought you Senate Bill 62. And I stood before you, I believe it was either on sine die, and I said, "We can do better. We can do better when it comes to helping homeless." We worked on this bill. We had everybody work on this bill.

[2:12:53] We, we met many times, and one of the things that was missing in our homeless to help homeless was what? Mental health facilities, the number one thing. I am so proud of the senator from the 19th, and I wanna address to the senator from the 38th's question. This is how we help homeless, by putting these mental health institutions in, and I hope and pray this is the first of many to come in our state. Thank you for what you're doing. Please vote for this bill.

[2:13:25] This is what it means. We're helping homeless, and we're putting veterans out there and telling our veterans, "No longer are we throwing you away and discarding you." We're saying, "We're here to help." So instead of saying we can do better, let me end by saying, we are making it better now. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the

[2:13:45] floor. Thank you, Senator. Is there any other senator who wishes to speak for or against the measure? Chair hears none. Is there objection to the previous question being ordered? Chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Question is on the adoption of the committee substitute. Is there objection to the adoption of the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is there objection to agreeing to the poor committee, which is favorable to the passage of the bill? Chair hears none. The reporter committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question being ordered?

[2:14:16] Chair hears none. The main question is ordered. Question is on the passage of the bill by substitute. All those in favor of the, of the bill will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

[2:15:30] On the passage of the bill.

[2:15:35] Good

[2:15:38] job.

[2:15:54] Good job. Good job. On the passage of the bill, the yays are 49, the nays are one. H- And this bill, having received requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed by substitute.

[2:16:09] Recognize, recognize the, uh, senator from the 19th. For what purpose do you rise, Senator? Uh, motion, Mr. President. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately transmit House Bill 973 to the House. The senator has asked for unanimous consent. Is there objection? Without objection, motion granted. Good job, everybody. Good job, senator from the 19th. You did a really good job, and appreciate all the appropriation chairs, uh, the subcommittee chairs and everything.

[2:16:40] Really, really nice job, and, uh, did a lot of good work. We appreciate all the, uh, law enforcement men and women who attended here today, and the sheriffs in particular and their offices. Uh, good job. That's something that's been a long time coming, so we greatly appreciate that. Very good. In other announcements, uh, we're gonna keep working through. Uh, I know, um, leadership has provided lunch inside the Annie Room. We're gonna continue to work through, uh, lunch, so, uh, as we work through the bills, go in there and grab you something. And, uh, but we're gon- We're just gonna go and try to p- knock these things out as quickly as we can.

[2:17:15] So, Secretary Reed, House Bill 973.

[2:17:24] Senate Bill 440, I'm sorry.

[2:17:28] Senate Bill 440 by Senator Kirkpatrick, the 32nd, and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Title 16, 19, 31, 48, and 49 of the OCGA relating to crimes and offenses, domestic relations, health, revenue, and taxation, and social services respectively, so as to modernize and update provisions relative to duties or functions of the Department of Public Health, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services recommend that this bill do pass. S- Respectfully submitted, Senator Watson of the 1st, Chairman.

[2:17:59] Mr. President, that completes the order.

[2:18:01] Recognize the senator from the 32nd. Now if I can get everybody's attention, I need everybody kind of settle down so we have the senator so she can hear herself talking in here. So conversations that are going on, just take them outside please.

[2:18:25] Thank you, Mr. President. I think of this bill as another step in, uh, rolling back the red tape. This bill is an agency bill by the Department of Public Health, and it's a cleanup bill that removes obsolete or unused code sections and updates statutes to reflect how our programs operate today. It does not create new programs, expand regulatory authority, or change any benefits that people are currently receiving. Why it's needed is that today, DPH is technically out of compliance with multiple code sections tied to advisory committees or programs that no longer exist.

[2:19:04] By cleaning up these, by cleaning up these provisions, we can improve transparency, reduce confusion, and free up staff time at DPH. There are several major categories, and I'm just gonna give you a few examples. We went through all of these in detail in committee. There's, um, a whole category of outdated marriage-related health requirements, including a marriage manual that, um, was put in place in 1973.

[2:19:36] There's also a bunch of a-- dormant boards, commissions, and positions that include things like, um, programs for, um, cancer advisory, which has been taken over now in other ways by CORE. And then the PDMP advisory committee is not needed anymore because that program's up and running and doing well. There's another section that aligns statutes with current operations.

[2:20:06] So the home visiting pilot, for example, for, um, a pregnancy, that's now a permanent DPH service. It's not a pilot anymore. Then we also have a reporting and unfunded mandates that this bill addresses. For example, emergency epi- uh, EpiPen injection. It removes the requirement that every time someone uses an EpiPen, they have to report it to DPH. No Georgians lose services as a result of this bill.

[2:20:37] It does not shut down any active funded programs, and it cleans up outdated and unused sections of Georgia code, and I'd be happy to answer any questions and would ask for your favorable consideration.

[2:20:56] Thank you. I yield the well.

[2:21:00] Recognize the senator from the 44th to speak to the measure.

[2:21:21] Thank you, Mr. President, and thanks to the, uh, chair lady from the 32nd. I was inspired during this Black History Month to, um... This bill goes into some provisions in our state code related to sickle cell disease. And so I wanted to share a couple things about some newfound critical technology, um, related to sickle cell that are, are helping with these very provisions that we need to, to go ahead and eliminate from our code, while still mentioning that we need to push forward towards more cures.

[2:21:54] Of course, um, the members of this body all know that we have had extraordinary scientific progress on this genetic blood disease that affects millions of people worldwide, including over 100,000 people in the United States. It primarily impacts people of African, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and South Asian descent. The disease changes the shape of red blood cells from smooth, round discs into rigid, sickle-shaped cells.

[2:22:25] These cells can block blood flow, causing severe pain episodes, organ damage, infections, stroke, and significantly shortened life expectancy. And for decades, treatment options were, were limited, and those with sickle cell have suffered from excruciating pain. But in just the last few years, science has entered a new era. In 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration improved the first gene editing therapy for sickle cell disease called Casgevy.

[2:23:01] This was developed using CRISPR technology, and it works by editing a patient's own stem cells so their body can produce healthy hemoglobin again. Shortly after, another gene therapy, Lyfgenia, was also approved. These therapies represent something once thought impossible, a functional cure without the need for a donor. What a marvel of modern medical science.

[2:23:34] These CRISPR gene, uh, technologies are also being used to great effect in other serious illnesses. But for patients with sickle cell who have lived with this debilitating pain crisis since childhood, the advances are life-changing. Some pers- participants in the clinical trials have now gone years without severe pain episodes. And for families who have spent countless nights in emergency rooms, this is a hope realized.

[2:24:04] But the point I wanna make is that these scientific breakthroughs alone are not enough. The treatments are extraordinarily complex and currently cost millions of dollars per patient. So colleagues, let us not take our eye off the ball even as we celebrate recent successes. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

[2:24:33] Thank you, Senator. Looks like we have some, uh, amendments here. Secretary, read the amendments.

[2:24:44] Amendment one offered by Senator Jackson of the 41st. Amend SB 440 by replacing line 28 with the following: the Department of Public Health to make conforming changes to provide for Medicaid expansion to provide for related by inserting before line 620 the following: said title is further amended in Article 7 relating to medical assistance generally by revising code section 49-4-142.2 relating to expansion of Medicaid eligibility through an increase in the income threshold as follows: 49-4-142-point 2.

[2:25:15] On and, and after July 1st, 2014, neither the department, the board, nor any other representative of this state shall expand Medicaid eligibility under this article through an increase in the income threshold without prior legislative approval, provided however, that this shall not apply to any increase resulting from a cost of living increase in the federal poverty level. But legislative approval required under this code section shall be by act of the General Assembly or the adoption of a joint resolution of the General Assembly. B, this code section shall not apply to a waiver request along with other necessary amendments for the creation of the Peach Care Plus program pursuant to Code Section 49-4-142.6 and for other purposes.

[2:25:53] Mr. President, Senator Jones of the 22nd offers Amendment 1A to amend the amendment. Mr. President, Senator Jones II of the 22nd offers the following Amendment 1A. Amend the amendment to SB 440 by replacing lines five through 52 with the following: said title is further amended in Article 7 relating to medical assistance generally by adding a new code section to read as follows: 49-4-142.6. The department may authorize appropriations to obtain federal financial participation for payments to providers of medical assistance for Medicaid recipients pursuant to this article and to fund the state's portion of the cost to expand the Medicaid program under a political, applicable federal law, provided however that such appropriations shall not be authorized if the federal government does not provide a minimum of 90% of such funding.

[2:26:40] Keep going. Section 24. Section 23 of this act shall be considered legislative approval for purposes of Code Section 49-4-142.2. Section 25. Mr. President, I move to adjourn. Mr. President, that completes the order.

[2:27:07] Trying to figure out which, who was first in line, so. You go ahead. What's the, so-

[2:27:14] All right, I'll s- call on Senator Jones then. Senator Jones, uh, from, senator from the 22nd.

[2:27:32] Thank you, Mr. President. This, uh, Amendment 1A is just a quick cleanup bill to deal with affordability crisis in Georgia and pretty simple bill. With that, I yield the floor.

[2:27:51] Senator, senator from the 41st, come talk about this little cleanup bill y'all wanted to attend to. Just a little cleanup bill, yeah, yeah.

[2:28:09] Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, I rise and ask that you would support Amendment 1A and Amendment 1. These are very simple bills. They're healthcare affordability bills, and so we urge you to vote green. Thank you. I yield the floor.

[2:28:29] Senator, uh, from the 47th, she has yielded the floor. Would you like to speak on behalf of this bill?

[2:28:39] Senator from the 47th? All right. Senator from the 22nd, would you like to speak on the bill or did you have a question?

[2:28:50] President, I was, um, isn't it true I was rising to ask questions for both of the authors of Amendment 1, Amendment 1A, of what they say is cleanup legislation? And I was curious if this is, any issue has been presented in a bill so far, it's been heard in any committee. Uh, but it sounds like they're not willing to take any questions on it at all and, and I, that was what I wanted to do. So isn't that all true, Mr. President, that they won't take any questions, that we don't know if this was ever presented in a committee, it's been vetted at all, it's being thrown at us here at this midnight hour here on Friday?

[2:29:22] The s- the senator has wisdom far beyond his years. Recognize the senator from the 1st to speak to the measure.

[2:29:40] While I admire the craftiness of this, uh, legislation, I certainly have to speak, uh, against this. Uh, there is no fiscal note. Ah.

[2:29:55] Oh, no fiscal note. Oh my goodness, no fiscal note. I s- I tell you what, goodness gracious. Uh, in all reality though, we do have a waiver for Medicaid expansion. We have what's called Pathways and ACCESS. Uh, you've heard me speak multiple times in the past how ACCESS is a fabulous success that everyone on the left and the right are in full agreement. It gives people insurance from 100% up to 400% on the state-based exchange, the second largest in the nation, and you cannot pay more than 8.2% of your salary at the highest level.

[2:30:37] Oh, by the way, that increase was 8.1% under Obama. So 8.1 to 8.2 is the rise in four years. And then let's talk about 100% on down called Pathways out of poverty. A tremendous success in the state of Georgia, so much so that it is now a model for the rest of the nation. And it requires, oh my goodness, 20 hours of work a week, 20 hours of volunteer work, i.e.

[2:31:13] cutting the grass at the, uh, YMCA, or going to vocational technical school or going to college. And now the feds actually expanded what Georgia was trying to do to get a, uh, to get more people enrolled on the Medicaid through having a child at home. Georgia had it at six years old. The feds expanded to 13 years old. So we'll have more people covered under those carve-outs.

[2:31:45] It is ever so impres- uh, impressive of what we have done here in the state of Georgia that we're models for the rest of the nation. I think we should be proud of what we have done. And let's talk about Medicaid explosion, I mean, expansion that you have proposed. Medicaid expansion, uh, does exactly what Governor Deal feared. He feared that it would go from 95% to 90% to 85% and on down. And that is exactly what it has done for people who have expanded Medicaid explosion, expansion, whatever you wanna call it.

[2:32:23] Mr. President, no fiscal note, no warning, no committee process, no hearings. Uh, again, admire the craftiness, uh, of this, of these, uh, amendments, but I recommend that we vote this down and do not put this on an agency bill through Department of Public Health. Thank you very much. I yield. Uh, actually I will, uh, answer questions if- You do have a couple questions, Senator. Recognize the senator from the 42nd.

[2:32:53] Thank you, Mr. President. Does the senator yield? Yes, sir. Senator, do you chair a, a committee here in the state Senate? I do. Chairman of HHS. And so as chairman of that committee, I'm just looking at amendment one. Have you seen this proposal, um, prior to right now? I have not seen this at all, no. And so do you further yield? I do. And when's the first time you saw this amendment one? Uh, about three or four minutes ago. All right. And then so do you further yield?

[2:33:24] Yes, sir. Let's make it easy. Yield for a series of questions. I will happy to yield to the- So amendment 1A, same question. Um, as chair of the committee, is this something you've seen other than the last couple minutes? No, sir. And so do you know what amendment one would cost us as a state financially? Oh, wow. Uh, billions of dollars, uh, but I don't know the exact amount. It would be, I mean our, that section of the budget is 24% of 37 billion, I think our budget is now. Uh, so even if you do 20% of 37 billion, that's, uh, about $5 billion.

[2:34:00] Uh, that's a lot of money. Uh, Senator, doctors are maybe a little bit better th- than at math than most lawyers, but do you, you threw some numbers out. You're throwing just billions around like it's nothing. Do you know the exact amount it would cost as far as amendment one? I, I, you know, that's, that's how much we're paying now. Uh, I have no idea what Medicaid explosion would cost us now. I do not. All right, so you don't know what amendment one would cost us. What about amendment 1A? Um, how much would that cost us as a state if we were to pass amendment 1A?

[2:34:30] I, I do not. That would be more. The 1A, uh, if I remember correctly, was the, that was the Medicaid, uh, expansion. I think one did not, uh, didn't affect us relating to PeachCare, and 1A was the Medicaid, uh, expansion explosion. Um, and that's, uh, that, that's, who knows how much that would be. It, we don't really know. And going back to the underlying bill, you, I think you said this is an agency bill. Is this a bill the particular agency asked us to pass? Department of Public Health. This was red tape roll- rollback for the Department of Public Health.

[2:35:03] It was getting rid- rid of, I don't know, a dozen or so different, uh, sections of law relating to Department of Public Health. And that particular aspect of that, I mean, in Department of, uh, in the, uh, Health and Human Services Committee, uh, even the senator from the 36th was a strong proponent, so much of the red tape rollback, that she, uh, made the motion of do pass. And we honored that and, and felt that that was ever so important when it came to, uh, cleanup, when it came to, uh, Department of Public Health.

[2:35:35] So Senate Bill 440 we're considering is a department bill that rolls back some red tape that has bipartisan support from this body. It was 100% in committee, yes. And so if we were to adopt amendment one or amendment 1A, um, without knowing what it's gonna cost, without having a chance to even debate the issuing committee, without having any questions even answered from the authors of the amendment, would that potentially put Senate Bill 440 at risk of not passing? It, it would, yes.

[2:36:02] And what would be the impact if we didn't pass Senate Bill four forty? How would that impact healthcare in our state and delivery of healthcare services in our state?

[2:36:09] Well, I mean, the dozen or so, uh, uh, sections of that particular bill, uh, would certainly affect, uh, the operational, uh, security when it comes to the Department of Public Health. Uh, and it would further increase budgetary issues within that section.

[2:36:28] Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate you taking my questions. Um, and, and, um, isn't it true that it would be wise for us as a body to at least make sure we know what something's gonna cost before we pass it and make sure that when we have someone bringing us an issue, that they at least are willing to stand up there and take questions about what they're bringing us and not be fearful of the questions they might get and potentially the answers they might have to give from the well. Isn't that true?

[2:36:53] Uh, that is true. Certainly the s- chairman knows as, as if he, of what he speaks. Thank you.

[2:37:00] You do have one other question, Senator?

[2:37:02] Um, I think, uh, I think we're ready to go. I'd be happy to vote on this. I would recommend voting down the amendment.

[2:37:10] Then you just say you yield then.

[2:37:11] I will yield the well.

[2:37:19] Recognize the senator from the 22nd to speak to the measure.

[2:37:39] Thank you, Mr. President. There's a lot of this bill that is about transparency, and this is about the least transparent thing I've ever seen since I first saw the amendments when I got back to my seat after presenting the bill, and it's, uh, creative, but, uh, it's also an agency bill, and I would bet that no one has talked to DPH, either the senator from the 41st or the 22nd. They've been working on this bill for months, and, um, I would strongly recommend that we vote down the two amendments and vote for the underlying bill.

[2:38:12] Thank you. I yield the well.

[2:38:31] We, we have a, uh, another amendment here. Secretary, read the caption.

[2:38:54] Mr. President, Senator Tillery offers the following amendment, amendment 1B, by replacing the language therein with the following: amend SB 440 by repl- by placing after line 620, "This act shall become effective upon the first day of July 2026." Mr. President, that completes the order.

[2:39:49] The senator from the 19th has wonderful timing. He, uh, dropped that amendment and then, there you are. Hey, brought your whole staff in here to get photos here.

[2:39:59] Well, I didn't know if I had the votes, Mr. Chairman. Um, thank you, senators. What this allows us to do is to, uh, I was reading the bill, noticed when you get to line 620 there is no effective date, replaces the, uh, amends the amendment, striking the language and then adding the effective date into Amendment 1. Uh, thank you so much. Uh, happy to yield the floor.

[2:40:16] Thank you, Senator.

[2:41:56] Okay. Senator from the 6th, for what purpose do you rise?

[2:42:01] Mr. President, I make a motion that we resolve debate.

[2:42:07] We're, we're doing that right now, Senator.

[2:42:11] There's a motion to resolve the debate.

[2:42:17] Just-

[2:42:19] Resolve

[2:42:44] debate.

[2:42:45] Reco- recognize the senator from the 6th.

[2:42:48] Mr. President, I withdraw my motion.

[2:42:51] Thank you, Senator.

[2:43:02] Recognize the senator from the

[2:43:09] 2nd.

[2:43:17] Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, I r- rise in support of Amendment 1 and Amendment 1A, and I wanna clarify a couple things that I heard earlier about the need for a fiscal note, and I absolutely made that argument from this very well maybe a week or two ago, and I argued about the necessity and the importance of a fiscal note. But then I thought, "Well, maybe I was wrong," and so we passed s- four pieces of legislation without a fiscal note to tell us how much something would cost.

[2:43:55] And so I had to look up the textbook definition of precedent. A precedent is an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent or similar a- similar circumstances. And so I believe that the precedent was established when we passed those four, uh, pieces of legislation a few weeks ago without fiscal notes, that the minority caucus decided that we would introduce these amendments since you all would move forward without a fiscal note on the impact of this bill to the state budget.

[2:44:27] And so now we're talking about the impact to the budget today, but now we've heard all session long the lectures on affordability. Well, folks can't afford healthcare, and this is healthcare for working people. This is healthcare for working folks. This is healthcare for people who need it, and guess what? This is your opportunity to do the right thing, and if you have to hold your nose and vote yes, you can turn your head and vote yes, but you could do the right thing on this legislation today to ensure that working folks have the opportunity to have the access to healthcare, and it is important.

[2:45:02] So let's not talk about affordability in just, in just vain, repetitious words. Let's be serious about it. This is one opportunity that we can address the affordability in healthcare, and we can do something about healthcare to make sure that people can afford healthcare. This is not new legislation. We've debated this ad nauseam in this body, but guess what? Folks are still uninsured, under-insured, and in fact, we've spent more money on the program than we have on the healthcare for the people on the program. So let's talk about red tape and bureaucracy.

[2:45:34] This is our opportunity to do the right thing, so don't come and lecture the minority party, the minority caucus about affordability when you have the opportunity to make sure working folks have healthcare. That's what this is, is healthcare for working folks, healthcare for small business owners that cannot afford to pay big premiums because they can't raise the wages, they can't cover, uh, the employer-sponsored portion of healthcare, but we could just do the right thing and vote yes on this legislation. And I know this would be a policy shift for many of you, but it's the right thing for working folks, and we can do that to make sure that everybody has an opportunity to have healthcare in this state, because I think we all could agree it is a travesty that folks could die without having healthcare.

[2:46:14] And Mr. President, with that, I wanna remind everybody this isn't new. You set the precedent, majority party, that you've moved four pieces of legislation with no fiscal note. So, uh, my grandmother als- also told me what's good for the goose is good for the gander, so if it was good then, then it's good now. Let's vote yes and let's get this healthcare for working folks of this state. And with that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

[2:46:37] All right, Senator. Recognize the senator from the 14th.

[2:46:51] Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. President. I think we all benefit from some clarity about exactly what vote is about to happen. Oh, I should say votes, because prior to the senator from the 19th's proposed Amendment 1B, we were only gonna take one vote on this, and now we're about to take two So we're grateful to the majority party for belting and suspendering, uh, this vote so that we can see twice exactly where the Senate Republican caucus is on this issue. Let's be clear about what Medicaid expansion would mean.

[2:47:23] It would mean half a million Georgians get health insurance that don't have it right now, and let's be clear about who gets it. The 138% number of the federal poverty line means that families making up to 45,000 roughly per year would be covered, and individuals making up to $22,000 per year. Folks, these are not Vanderbilts we're talking about. These are not Rockefellers we're talking about who are getting the health insurance under Medicaid expansion, and it is not some drastic expansion that covers the entire state.

[2:47:55] We're talking about folks who really need the help, people in the coverage gap who are not currently covered, who are driving up not just their own healthcare costs when they go to the doctor, but everybody's. Everybody's healthcare costs go up when these folks lack care. And we have a requirement under federal law, under the statute known as EMTALA, when you walk into an emergency room in this country, you are guaranteed care. So America has already made the decision to treat people who are in dire need, but then we make the senseless decision not to pay for it on the front end, to give those folks preventative care so they don't have to walk into the ER once everything is finally falling apart.

[2:48:36] So let's be very clear about what these votes are about to mean. If you vote no on amendment 1A, you are voting against Medicaid expansion. If you vote yes on 1B, you are voting against Medicaid expansion, and the Senate Republican caucus is about to do that twice. Let's also briefly remember that Brian Kemp told us that we didn't need Medicaid expansion because he's got this other plan, Pathways. Do you guys know how much of a failure that plan has been? Deloitte, the consulting firm, has been paid over $10 million on their contract to try to implement Brian Kemp's failed Pathways program, and at the time, a year after the program's rollout when ProPublica first reported on this, less than 2% of the eligible Georgians had been covered by Pathways.

[2:49:23] So a lot of the contract with Deloitte, $250,000 per month for teams to hand out brochures, $300,000 a month for Deloitte to produce reports about its own performance. We wanna crow in here about wasted taxpayer money? I mean, the Pathways program was certainly good for Deloitte, but it wasn't good for Georgians who lack health insurance. So Medicaid expansion is the common sense 90% federal match program. Again, billions of dollars of federal money we're leaving on the table to cover half a million Georgians and the Georgians who need it most, under 45 grand per year for a family and 22 grand per year for individuals.

[2:50:00] Kind of unbelievable that in 15 years we haven't done it, and of course, the only reason we haven't done it is because Barack Obama was the president who created the law. So do what you will. Thanks, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator. All right, we're gonna take up, um, the amendments here. Nobody else has signed up to speak. Is there objection to amendment 1A authored by the senator from the 22nd? Is... All right, no objection. Is there amendment-- Is there objection to amendment 1B?

[2:50:32] Point of order. Point of order. I'm sorry. In special.

[2:50:40] Yeah. Only into the special-- not into special actions. We're just taking these, uh, two up right now. Is there objection to 1B? Yes. You object, all right. All those in favor of amendment 1B will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

[2:52:02] On the adoption of 1B, amendment 1B, the ayes are 31, the nays are 20, so this amendment passes.

[2:52:13] Question now is on adoption of amendment one as amended by 1A and 1B. Is there objection? Objection. There is objection. All right. All those in favor- Your objection can be effective immediately All those in favor of amendment one as amended by 1A and 1B will vote yay. All those opposed, nay.

[2:52:43] Secretary, unlock the machine.

[2:52:49] I recognize the senator from the 31st. For what purpose you rise? Parliamentary inquire. State your inquiring. Can someone please explain to me why the minority party wants to vote against their own amendment? Senator's passionate about what he speaks.

[2:53:10] The- Uh- ... recognize. Pa- parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiring. Isn't it true that amendment 1B amended amendment A 1, which was ours, gutting Medicaid expansion? Isn't it true that this bill does not do what we were trying to do with our first amendment?

[2:53:28] So that's for each and every senator to decide. Senator from the 22nd.

[2:53:40] Senator from the 44.

[2:53:43] Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiring. Isn't it true that the majority party, majority caucus just voted against giving 500,000 Georgians health insurance? Well, Senator, you're entitled to your opinion.

[2:53:58] On the adoption of the amendment by the senator from the 41st, the yays are 31 and the nays are 20, and this amendment has passed.

[2:54:13] Question now is on one, the passage of SB 440 as amended. Is there objection to agreeing to the ported committee, which is favorable to the passage of the bill? Chair hears none. The ported committee is agreed to. Is there objections to the main question being ordered? Chair hears none. The main question is ordered. The question is on the passage of the bill as amended. All those in favor of the, of the bill will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

[2:55:39] On the passage of the bill, the yays are 51, the nays are zero. This bill, having received requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed as amended.

[2:56:06] Secretary, read a message from the House.

[2:56:16] Mr. President, the following message was receiv- was received from the House through Mr. Riley, the clerk thereof. Mr. President, the House has disagreed to the Senate substitute to the following bill of the House, House Bill 973 by Representative Burns of the 159th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend an act making and providing appropriations for the state fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2025 and ending June 30th, 2026, and for other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order. Recognize the senator from the 19th.

[2:56:46] Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Senate insist on its position on House Bill 973. Hear, hear. The senator...

[2:57:03] The senator from the 19th has insisted on the Senate's position. Is there objection? All right, with- without objection, we, we live on to fight another day, Senator. We fight another day. So, recognize the senator from the 31st- 33rd, for what purpose do you rise? Yes, Mr. President. I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 35th for business inside the Capitol. Without objection, senator from 35th is excused. Secretary, read Senate Bill 427.

[2:57:49] Senate Bill 427 by Senator Watson of the 1st and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 34 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to medical practice relative to physicians so as to provide for limited provisional licenses and a pathway to license for certain internationally trained physicians, to provide for definitions, to provide for qualifications and conditions, to provide for penalties, license sanctions, and enforcement, to provide for one or more medical directors, to provide for annual reports, to provide for rules, regulations, and procedures, to provide for conditional automatic repeal, to provide for related matters, to provide for a contingent effective date, to prov- or to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

[2:58:23] Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services recommend that this bill do pass by substitute. Senator Watson of the 1st, chairman. Mr. President, Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 427, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 34 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to medical practice relative to physicians so as to provide for a limited provisional license and a pathway to licensure for certain internationally trained physicians and for other purposes. Mr. President, Senator Orrock of the 36th offers Amendment 1.

[2:58:54] Mr. President, Senator Orrock of the 36th offers a- Amendment 1. Amend the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services substitute to Senate Bill 427 by inserting a federally qualified health center after Title 31 on line 46, by inserting a federally qualified health center after hospital on lines 39, 36, 30- 91, 102, 116, 119, 131, and 159. Mr. President. Mr. President, that completes the order.

[2:59:23] I recognize the senator from the 1st to speak to Senate Bill 427.

[2:59:34] Thank you, Mr. President. Um, I bring you, uh, Senate Bill 427. This has to do with basically, uh, internationally trained physicians practicing in the State of Georgia. We've been working on this for about three years. We've worked with the Georgia Composite Medical Board, uh, physicians, nurses, uh, all the way around. Um, the first section, I'm gonna take it through the sections. The first section's definitions as usual, but it basically gives the board, uh, allowing them to issue a limited provisional license.

[3:00:06] Uh, of course, this is for full-time employment under a supervising physician. That physician, uh, uh, who's given the, uh, limited license has to be in good standing, no revoked or suspended or restricted licenses. They have to complete a medical education. They have to done five years of, uh, practicing after at least two years of post-graduate training or at least 10 years, uh, after graduating from medical school. You have to pass, uh, the boards, the step, uh, uh, certification, uh, and so forth.

[3:00:40] Has to have received the specialty board certification, not convicted of any crimes, has to be in the United States legally, and has to successfully pass an English proficiency examination that includes components of reading, speaking, writing, and listening as prescribed by the board rules. Also allows for, uh, an interview, uh, if needed. Uh, so

[3:01:02] They, they get a limited provisional license and they can practice for four years, uh, in the, in a rural county. Uh, and then after that, they can apply, uh, for more of a full-time license where they get two additional years to practice in underserved areas as defined by the board rules, which does include the federally health qualified centers, of which in the state of Georgia there are about three hundred and fifty, and, uh, covers about a hundred and forty counties. Uh, this, um, uh, allows them to transition into practicing in the United States.

[3:01:38] Uh, this allows for, uh, certainty that these physicians are of good quality and, uh, can take care of patients in an appropriate fashion. Uh, the amendment, uh, the bill's not quite finished, but I wanted to discuss the amendment, uh, done by the, uh, the senator from the 36th. Uh, and I'm in full agreement with this. We've discussed this. We actually discussed it in, uh, committee also. Uh, this would allow them to not in addition, in addition to the rural counties, they can also go, uh, in federally qualified, uh, health centers.

[3:02:14] So again, that's a hundred and forty counties, about three hundred and fifty or so federally h- health qualified, uh, centers that are underserved. The last part of the bill, and I'm, I'm in full agreement with the amendment and I, she agreed to allow me to speak in favor of it, uh, in t- trying to save time on a Friday afternoon, though I certainly didn't know that the prior amendments were gonna be done, but we're all happy to be here and ready to go home. The last part of the bill does, uh, define how many physicians that we have from, uh, foreign medically trained or international, uh, trained, and allows the composite board to track how many physicians we're talking about and from where they're from.

[3:02:56] Uh, so that is, uh, also, uh, part of the bill, uh, helps us, uh, to understand this issue in particular. Let me just talk about the, little bit of the big picture. The big picture is that the state of Georgia, because of our population growth, if you look back, you remember the previous census was nine point five million in the state of Georgia, and now we're, uh, we did the last census at ten point nine. We're over eleven million people now. Per capita physician, we're still way behind. We're actually worse than we were about twenty years ago. And that's why it's important to use all avenues, and this is a piece of the puzzle when it comes to physician to healthcare, not only rural counties, but underserved areas too.

[3:03:36] Uh, with that, uh, Mr. President, I'll be happy to answer any questions.

[3:03:40] You do have a question, Senator. Chair recognizes senator from the 29th.

[3:03:45] Thank you, Mr. President. Senator, does the senator yield?

[3:03:48] Absolutely.

[3:03:49] Senator, in, in listening to you testify this legislation, is it not true that you are attempting to expand the availability of good healthcare throughout rural Georgia?

[3:04:00] Absolutely. I mean, there are physicians in our community, just in my practice alone, uh, we have, uh, physicians from, from Syria to Africa, uh, to India, to all over the world, and they're some of the smartest and brightest, uh, physicians in our community. Um, so yes, absolutely.

[3:04:18] Thank you.

[3:04:22] You further yield, Senator?

[3:04:23] Yes.

[3:04:24] Uh, recognize the senator from the 37th for a question.

[3:04:29] Does the senator yield?

[3:04:29] Yes.

[3:04:30] Isn't it true that the qualifications for the physicians we're talking about, um, require they have an education background that's consistent with the education we have here in the States?

[3:04:39] That was, that was, that's very true. We wanted to, to safeguard that, that we're not giving, uh, inferior medically health, you know, trained people, uh, to take care of people in the, in the rural areas or underserved areas. We want the same good quality that we have here in the United States, well-recognized. There are well-established medical schools and residency programs, uh, throughout the world, and there's accepted areas related to that. The composite board is well aware of where those schools are. I mean, there, there are physicians that we all know that have trained in Scotland or England or other places.

[3:05:12] Uh, India. Uh, one of my partners trained in India, came back here and did a residency. Uh, yes, so that quality, uh, is important, uh, is, is, is guaranteed with this.

[3:05:23] So, uh, gentleman further yield?

[3:05:24] Yes.

[3:05:24] So isn't it true that this doesn't apply to every medical school around the world, but, but those medical schools that essentially meet our standards to be able to sit for the MCAT and the, the same standards that our, our schools have-

[3:05:35] Yes

[3:05:36] ... this isn't a, this isn't just throwing the door open to any medical school around the world. It's only those ones that meet those standards, correct?

[3:05:41] You're absolutely correct.

[3:05:42] Thank you, sir.

[3:05:48] Mr. President, if there are no further questions-

[3:05:51] You, no further questions, Senator.

[3:05:53] Thank you very much. Ask for your favorable consideration. And again, I am, uh, in favor of the amendment, um, offered by the lady from the 36th. Thank you.

[3:06:03] Chair recognizes the senator from the 36th. Do you wish to speak to your amendm- amendment or do you waive?

[3:06:12] Senator from the 36th, you waive. You wanna speak to your amendment? She waives. Thank you.

[3:06:21] Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Chair hear- Chair hears none. Question is on the adoption of the amendment number one by the senator from the 36th. Is there objection to the adoption of the amendment? Hearing none, amendment nu- number one is adopted. The question is on the adoption of the committee substitute as amended. Is there objection to the adoption of the committee substitute as amended? Hearing none, the committee substitute as amended is adopted.

[3:06:54] Is there objection to agreeing to the report of the committee which is favorable to the passage of the bill? The chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question being ordered? The chair hears none and the main question is ordered. The question is on the passage of the bill by substitute. All those in favor of the bill will vote yay. Opposed, nay. Secretary will unlock the machine.

[3:07:22] On the passage of the bill, the yeas are forty-five and the nays are three.

[3:08:21] This bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed by substitute.

[3:08:33] All right, the Senate will suspend for just a minute.

[3:08:41] Motion?

[3:09:25] Recognize the senator from the nineteenth.

[3:09:27] And make a motion, Mr. President.

[3:09:29] Uh, state your motion.

[3:09:30] I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately transmit House Bill nine seventy-three to the House.

[3:09:37] Uh, the senator from the nineteenth has asked for unanimous consent that the Senate immediately transmit House Bill nine seventy-three to the House. Is there objection?

[3:09:47] There is no objection. So moved.

[3:10:02] The secretary will, will read our last bill, SB four oh nine.

[3:10:15] Senate Bill four oh nine by Senator Walker of the, the third, of the twentieth, and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter nine of Title thirty-three of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to regulation of rates, underwriting rules, and related organizations so as to provide for homeowner protections with regard to insurance companies' use of aerial satellite images, to provide for definitions, to provide for certain procedures, to r- require that homeowners be allowed sixty days to correct, to provide for regulations, to provide for related matters, to provide for a short title, to provide for an effective date and applicability, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

[3:10:45] Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor recommend that this bill do pass by substitute. Senator Harbin, chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor offers the following substitute to Senate Bill four oh nine. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter nine of Title thirty-three of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to regulation of rates, underwriting rules, and related organizations so as to provide for homeowner protections with regard to insurance companies' use of aerial or satellite images and for other purposes. Mr. President, that will be the order.

[3:11:12] I'll recognize the senator from the twentieth district to speak to SB four oh nine.

[3:11:21] Thank you, Mr. President. So this body has supported me in several measures over the last few years to protect Georgia consumers with regard to insurance, and it's particularly their homeowners insurance. I'm very, very proud of a bill we got passed and the governor signed last year to extend the non-renewal statute, uh, for homeowners insurance from thirty days to sixty days. Uh, I'm involved with a national organization called the National Conference of Insurance Legislators, and they take, took note of this bill that we passed to, uh, give more protection to consumers with regard to their homeowners insurance, uh, extending that non-renewal statute, and they have, uh, adopted a resolution encouraging all the states in the nation to do the same.

[3:12:14] We also passed, uh, a s- what I call the storm chaser model, uh, bill to protect consumers after a natural disaster from unscrupulous contractors taking advantage of their insurance benefits and assigning those benefits to a contractor, and then the contractor basically leaving town and not ever doing the work and just getting the check. Uh, this is, was adopted at the NCOIL meeting in Atlanta this past November as a national model.

[3:12:47] So continuing along those lines, um, where we're all up here wanting to fight for Georgians and make sure they have the transparency and the protection they need, we have to adjust for new technologies that are being used in the underwriting process, and it's pretty common now for insurance companies to use aerial imagery to under- as part of their underwriting process on the insurance on your home. This is typically either satellite imagery or fixed-wing aircraft, but it could also possibly be, be drones.

[3:13:25] But, uh, it, it's really commonly fixed-wing aircraft that have a real powerful camera on them, and they can zoom in and take a picture of your roof, of your house, your yard, and that kind of thing. Uh, we saw, during the real hard insurance market, a practice of some major national insurance carriers using that imagery as a reason to non-renew people's homeowners insurance. And they would, back before we extended it to 30 days, they would give them a, a 30-day notice, like, you know, "Your, your roof does not meet our underwriting criteria, so we're gonna non-renew your coverage," leaving the customer having to scramble to try to find replacement coverage, uh, trying to understand what the issue is.

[3:14:16] Oftentimes the agent doesn't get a lot of information. Um, of course, now they gotta do it at least 60 days. But, um, I had a, when I was chairing the insurance committee, I had a lot of agents all over the state calling me, having difficulty with this, trying to advocate for their customers, their clients, and not feeling like they were getting, uh, all the information they needed. So I worked on this along with the NCAL group. We've got a model bill in NCAL that we're working on.

[3:14:47] We haven't passed it yet, but I wanna go ahead and pass it in Georgia. Um, and this bill does not prohibit the use of aerial imagery, because it is a valuable tool and an efficient way for insurance companies to, uh, get information on the property they're insuring. But it simply requires the insurance company, if they're gonna make an adverse underwriting decision based on aerial im- aerial imagery, a, a photo from the air of your house, or your, your house and yard, that they have to, they will now, if we pass this, they will now be required to send the policyholder, along with the non-renewal, uh, they, they would have to send the policyholder and the agent a picture.

[3:15:34] The picture that they're basing their decision on, it has to be date stamped, and it can may, can be no older than nine months old. Um, so it's simply just to allow the client, the policyholder, and the agent to know what, what exactly they are looking at. And then there's some language in there to give the policyholder some time to, to reju- to address the issue, and hopefully get the insurance company to rescind the non-renewal.

[3:16:06] Um, good cumer- consumer protection measure. I'd be happy to answer any questions, Mr. President, and if there are none, I just ask for your favorable consideration. Uh, you do have a couple. Uh- Be glad to yield. Uh, s- the senator from the 47th.

[3:16:27] Thank you, Dr. President. And, uh, but, uh, would this fine senator yield? Absolutely. You know how much I love to ask questions, and, you know, one of the things that to me, y- the four digits of this bill is what number? 409. That's kind of a cleanup bill. That's kind of what I'm looking for. The, uh, is it not true that the Dogs are gonna clean up Texas tomorrow to, uh, STAG? I believe, I believe they are. They're gonna get after it. Yes, sir. Is it not true that you're looking for tickets for that game?

[3:16:58] I, I am. Yes, sir. We're looking for you. Thank you. Go Dogs. Go Dogs. All right, you have one more question, senator from the 26th. As, as long as it's friendly like that from the senator in the back, I'm happy to take it. Can always yield. I enjoyed Macon, Macon Day yesterday- ... with the good senator. Thank you, Mr. President. Would the, uh, the gentleman yield? Yes, sir. So if they do this with a satellite imagery or a drone, how many days will the insured have to deal with appealing it and asking them about the satellite image or, or the drone image?

[3:17:44] So they, they will still have the s- because of the legislation you helped me pass last year, they'll have 60 days. Prior to that, it would've been 30, but now they h- will have 60.

[3:17:58] Can I just tell you all that I met the fine senator from Macon, I believe I was seven years old when I first met him, and I've, uh, admired him and considered him a friend since then. Senator, you have no more questions. Thank you. I yield the well.

[3:18:20] Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Chair hears none. Is there objection to the previous questions being ordered? Chair hears none, and the previous question is ordered. The secretary will...

[3:18:34] Oops, here we go. The question is on the adoption of the committee substitute. Is there objection to the adoption of the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is object to, is there objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which is favorable to the passage of the bill? Chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question being ordered? The chair hears none, and the main question is ordered. The question is on the passage of the bill by substitute. All those in favor of the bill will vote yes, oppose nay. Secretary will unlock the machine.

[3:20:11] On the passage of the bill, the yays are 49, the nays are zero. I'm sorry, the nays are zero. Yes. Uh, this bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed by substitute.

[3:20:24] All right.

[3:20:32] I recognize the senator from the 50th for a motion. Thank you, Mr. President. I ask for unanimous consent that Senate Bill 398 be taken from the table.

[3:20:47] Secretary, read the caption.

[3:20:51] Senate Bill 398 by Senator Hatchett of the 50th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to wiretapping, eavesdropping, surveillance, and related offenses, so as to establish criminal offenses of virtual peeping, to prohibit the use of a generative artificial intelligence system to generate images of individuals without the knowledge that such generation was without authorization or consent, to provide for penalties, to provide for an exception, to provide for definitions, to provide for related matters, to provide for an effective date and applicability, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes. Mr. President, I call PC order.

[3:21:25] The senator from the 50th District has moved that Senate Bill 398 be removed from the table. Is there objection? Hearing none, Senate Bill 398 is removed from the table.

[3:21:41] The secretary will read the caption of Senate Bill 398.

[3:21:49] Senate Bill 398 by Senators Hatchett of the 50th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to wiretapping, eavesdropping, surveillance, and related offenses, so as to establish criminal offenses of virtual peeping, to prohibit the use of a generative artificial intelligence system to generate images of individuals without the knowledge that such generation was without authorization or consent, to provide for penalties, to provide for an exception, to provide definitions, to provide for related, for related matters, to provide for an effective date and applicability, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Judiciary recommends that this bill do pass.

[3:22:24] Senator Strickland, chairman.

[3:22:28] Mr. President, the Senate Committee offers a substitute.

[3:22:28] Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Judiciary offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 398. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to wiretapping, eavesdropping, surveillance, and related offenses, so as to establish criminal offenses of virtual peeping and for other purposes. Mr. President, I call PC order.

[3:22:46] I recognize the senator from the 50th District to speak to Senate Bill 398.

[3:22:58] Thank you, Mr. President and members. Uh, today I rise not just as a senator, but I rise as a father of four daughters, I rise as a husband, and I rise as someone who knows that every single one of us in this chamber has someone we love who could be harmed by what we're about to talk about. This bill is personal to me because what we are confronting is something that did not exist just a few years ago. Right now, there are artificial intelligence platforms that allow a person to take an ordinary photograph of someone, your wife, your daughter, your coworker, your friend, and with a few clicks digitally remove their clothing to fabricate an explicit image that never existed, to manufacture humiliation, and it can be done in seconds.

[3:23:54] No consent, no warning, no accountability. And this is not hypothetical. This is happening right now across our state to teenage girls, teenage boys. It's happening to adults. It's being used as a bullying tactic in schools. It's being used for revenge, and it's being used to destroy reputations.

[3:24:19] As a father of daughters, I cannot ignore that. The idea that someone could take a picture of a young girl from social media, from a school event, from anywhere, and use artificial intelligence to generate a fake intimate image of her is sickening. The idea that someone could do that to anyone, child or adult, and create something so degrading and so invasive without ever touching them is unacceptable.

[3:24:50] Technology has now reached a point where someone can digitally undress another human being without their consent. That is a violation. It's a violation of privacy, it's a violation of dignity, and it's a violation of basic human di- decency. Now, artificial intelligence is an incredible tool. We've heard it will transform medicine, it'll improve agriculture, it'll help us solve problems we have struggled with for decades, and it's going to allow humanity to do things we've never imagined.

[3:25:24] But like every powerful tool ever created, it can be misused. And when te- and when technology is used to fabricate sexually explicit images of real people, when it becomes a tool to exploit, to humiliate, to degrade, the law must respond. If this makes you furious as a father or a spouse, it should make you firm as a legislator, and this bill is firm. This legislation makes it a felony to knowingly use artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit images of another person without that person's consent.

[3:26:04] It makes unmistakably clear that dignity, fabricated intimate... Excuse me. That digitally fabricated im- intimate images are treated as real violations under our criminal law, because the harm is real, the humiliation is real, and the accountability must be real. This bill imposes meaningful criminal penalties for those who engage in this conduct. Because when someone deliberately uses AI to fabricate an intimate image of a real person, that is not innovation, that is exploitation.

[3:26:42] I want you to imagine the moment a young girl realizes an explicit image of her- ... has been created even though she never posed for it. Imagine the panic, the shame, the fear.

[3:27:02] That harm begins at the moment of creation and Georgia should make it crystal clear that this conduct is criminal from the start.

[3:27:12] With technology right now where it's headed, this bill draws a line in the sand. It says, "We can embrace artificial intelligence, we can welcome innovation, but we will not allow technology to strip away a person's dignity. Not our daughters, not our sons, not our wives, not anyone." And this matters and I make no apology for being passionate about this because I refuse to accept a world where my daughter's dignity is subject to someone else's software, where a line of code has more power over their image than they do.

[3:27:46] That's not progress, that's exploitation, and in Georgia we should not tolerate it. I respectfully ask for your support and I'm happy to yield for questions.

[3:27:57] Do have a question, Senator. Chair recognizes the senator from the 41st.

[3:28:02] Thank you, Mr. President. Senator, do you yield?

[3:28:04] I do.

[3:28:04] I thank you so much for your passion and your concern about, um, young people and our, our daughter and women. I'm deeply, um, appreciative of that. Isn't that true?

[3:28:12] That's true.

[3:28:13] Uh, can you speak to intent or malicious intent? Is that included in this bill? Um, I'm, I'm concerned about a, you know, a romantically involved couple and someone creates an image, um, thinking that it's a nice gift within the confines of a coupleship in a relationship, and, uh, has no intention to distribute. This person, is their intent, um, to distribute involved in here or malicious intent included to preclude people who are just involved in a romantic relationship and, and use that technology for fun from getting a, a felony?

[3:28:50] Yeah, I think there is an intent portion here. You have to knowingly create an image of someone without their consent. And, and I think, you know, the protections in this bill are strong but they're, they're necessary. Um, I don't know if that offers your or answers your question but you have to do it knowing that they did not consent to it.

[3:29:17] Do you further yield?

[3:29:17] I do.

[3:29:19] Can you consider a scenario, is it possible, can see a, consider a scenario in which someone for Valentine's Day thinking it's an act of love might, uh, produce this type of image where AI within the confines of a romantic relationship can, can you conceive of that being possible?

[3:29:35] I think the lang- the language you're looking for is on line 65 and it says, "Includes an image of an adult with the knowledge that the generation of such material including such image was not authorized or consented to by such a- adult." So in that scenario if it's a romantic partner you were to generate that thinking that it would've been consented to or was consented to, I, I think that would be okay in that situation. But obviously if, if the person that you made it for objected then I would hope you would delete it immediately.

[3:30:08] Uh, thank you. Uh, just one final question if you'll yield.

[3:30:10] Mm-hmm.

[3:30:11] Um, isn't it true that I stand with you and agree that we should protect our children and protect innocent people from being violated in this way?

[3:30:20] It is true. Thank you.

[3:30:25] No further questions, Senator.

[3:30:26] Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

[3:30:35] Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? The chair hears none. Is there objection to the previous question being ordered? Chair hears none and the previous question is ordered. The question is on the adoption of the committee substitute. Is there objection to the adoption of the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is there objection to agreeing to the report of the committee which is favorable to the passage of the bill? Chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question being ordered?

[3:31:06] Chair hears none and the main question is ordered. The question is on the passage of the bill by substitute. All those in favor of the bill vote yea. Opposed, nay. The secretary will unlock the machine.

[3:32:18] On the passage of the bill the yias are 48 and the nays are 1. This bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed by substitute.

[3:32:34] Yes, we do it.

[3:32:34] Mr. Secretary, please read a message from the House.

[3:32:38] Make sure you get all the way down. I'm gonna hit you if you-

[3:32:47] Mr. President, the following message was received from the House through Mr. Riley, the clerk thereof. Mr. President, the House insists on its position in disagreeing to the Senate substitute and has appointed a committee of conference to confer with a like committee on the part of the Senate on the following bill of the House. House Bill 973 by Representative Burns of the 159th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend an act making and providing appropriations for the state fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2025, and for other purposes. The Speaker has appointed on the part of the House Representatives Hatchett of the 155th, Jones of the 47th, and Abstration of the 104th.

[3:33:18] Mr. President, that'll please be ordered.

[3:33:23] Chair recognizes the senator from the 19th for a motion. Thank you, Mr. President. They've done it again. I move that the Senate adhere to this substitute to House Bill 973 and that a committee of conference be appointed. The senator from the 19th. Do I need to speak?

[3:33:49] You're welcome to speak to it, Chairman.

[3:33:59] Thank you, Mr. President. Here we are again. As you know, earlier today, with only one dissenting vote, who was only a freshman and obviously voted wrong on accident,

[3:34:12] this body almo- unanimously passed its budget, supporting public safety, supporting Georgia families, supporting mental health, and we sent it back. And three times, like the three little pigs, the House has sent it back to us. First it was too hot, then it was too cold. But Mr. President, I ask that this third time you please appoint a committee of conference that we send back one more time to make sure we get this bill just right.

[3:34:45] And I say as I said four years ago, Mr. President, as you're appointing this conference, as it is in your sole purview to do, give us Lucas or give us death.

[3:35:09] Mr. Chairman, you're singing my song there. That's, uh, puts me in a tough spot.

[3:35:20] Uh, the s- the senator from the 19th, our belo- our beloved red-headed, fair-skinned appropriations chairman has moved that the Senate adhere to the substitute to House Bill 973 and that a conference committee be appointed. Is there objection? Hearing none, the chair appoints the senator from the 20th.

[3:35:56] Yourself. This is per the rules of the Georgia Senate, actually. Y'all should have thought of that, about that before you elected me president pro tem. Uh, senator from the 20th, the senator from the 31st, and the senator, senator from the 19th. Thank you.

[3:36:18] Chair recognizes, chair recognizes the senator from the 19th.

[3:36:25] Thank you, Mr. President. I ask that the unanimous consent of the Senate immediately transmit once again House Bill 973 to the House. Senator's move that we immediately transmit House Bill 973 to the House. Is there objection? Hearing none, the bill will be immediately transmitted.

[3:36:46] All right, on a Friday afternoon, this is what we've been waiting on. Chair recognizes the senator from the 31st. Mr. President, before I make that motion that everybody wants to hear, I want to wish Jackson Fuentes in the Senate press office a happy birthday.

[3:37:14] Mr. President, I move that the Senate stand adjourned pursuant to HR998 till 10:00 AM on Tuesday, February 24th, while we adhere to our position on the budget. Secretary will read the announcements. The Rules Committee will meet upon adjournment in room 450 of the Capitol. The Special Committee on Investigations will meet upon adjournment of the Senate Rules Committee in room 450 of the Capitol. Mr. President, I hope you'll please the order. If I could get, let me get your attention for one second, this important amo- announcement.

[3:37:44] Uh, we're gonna declare Thursday of next week, February 26th, John Bullock Day, so pack accordingly. The majority leader has moved that the Senate stand adjourned until 10:00 AM on Tuesday, February 24th, 2026. All those in favor of the motion will say aye. Those opposed? All those in favor, aye. Those opposed, no. No. The ayes clearly have it. The Senate is adjourned.