--- title: House Rules Committee, March 3, 2026 collection: meetings id: 2026-03-03/house-rules-2 cite_as: House Rules Committee, March 3, 2026, video https://vimeo.com/1170017352 (machine transcript by Georgia Commons) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-03/house-rules-2 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-03/house-rules-2.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-03/house-rules-2/text source_url: https://vimeo.com/1170017352 date: 2026-03-03 status: machine transcript corpus_version: meetings-2026-10-23-8c15ead0f18d license: Machine transcript and summaries by Georgia Commons from the General Assembly's public video; the video stays on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-03.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-03/house-transportation.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-03/house-rules-3.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/index.md chamber: House body: House Rules Committee body_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/house-rules.md meeting_kind: rules session: 2025-2026 Regular Session start_time: 2026-03-03T14:00:00-05:00 location: 341 CAP duration_seconds: 2396.0 video_id: 1170017352 video_title: 2.3.26 Rules (PM) bills_discussed: - HR 1114 - HB 1116 official_records: - https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-journal-document-library/2026-regular-session-house-journal.pdf?sfvrsn=e39df1be_2#page=1685 summaries_model: gpt-6.1-sol transcript_turns: 68 --- # House Rules Committee, March 3, 2026 House Rules Committee; March 3, 2026; 2025-2026 Regular Session. Video, on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/1170017352. > 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. ## Summary written by Georgia Commons Written by gpt-6.1-sol from the transcript below. It is not part of the record. Quote the transcript or the video, not the summary. The committee approved revised versions of [HR 1114](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1114) and [HB 1116](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1116), a paired property-tax relief proposal. The sponsor described a 10-year reduction in the taxable share of home values, sales-tax options to replace property-tax revenue, and state grants to help local governments and schools. Members questioned school funding, financial analysis and whether the proposal would increase sales taxes. The committee approved both substitutes without stated opposition, then placed both measures on the day's supplemental floor calendar under a structured rule. Members voiced objections to each calendar placement, but the chair declared both approved after voice votes. No vote counts were given. ## Bills discussed (2) Each account was written by gpt-6.1-sol from the stretch of the transcript it names. The bill's number is said in that stretch, unless it was the only bill on a committee's agenda. ### HR 1114. Homeowner's Incentive Adjustment clause; remove cap on benefits - CA [HR 1114](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1114) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:26:20](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1580s), turns 1 to 59. Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1732: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-journal-document-library/2026-regular-session-house-journal.pdf?sfvrsn=e39df1be_2#page=1736. The sponsor presented a substitute for [HR 1114](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1114), describing a framework to reduce the taxable share of home values from 40% to 10% over 10 years, preserve existing exemptions and give fully disabled veterans a full homestead exemption. The sponsor said sales taxes would offset homeowner property taxes dollar for dollar, with grants supported by revenue from data centers after their exemption expires in 2028. One member asked about schools and whether lawmakers could decline to fund grants. The sponsor cited replacement-revenue options and said the companion legislation provides a dedicated fee for 10 years. A second member requested independent state and local financial analysis, raising concerns about school and local budgets. The sponsor cited local-government analysis and expert consultations, directed the member to local-government organizations' websites, and cited increases of $6.4 billion from 2019 to 2024 and $3.5 billion in local sales taxes as support for relief. Answering another member, the sponsor said as many as two-thirds of local governments could eliminate homestead property taxes by 2028, while others could reduce them gradually. The committee approved the substitute without stated opposition and later placed it on the supplemental calendar by voice vote despite objections. No count was stated. ### HB 1116. Homeownership Opportunity and Market Equalization Act of 2026; enact [HB 1116](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1116) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:33:57](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2037s), turns 29 to 67. Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1732: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-journal-document-library/2026-regular-session-house-journal.pdf?sfvrsn=e39df1be_2#page=1736. The sponsor said the substitute for [HB 1116](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1116) would carry out the property-tax relief plan, reducing the taxable share of home values from 40% to 10% over 10 years. The sponsor described sales-tax options for counties, cities and schools, generally within the existing five-cent local cap, with a separate city option. The sponsor also described increasing the school reserve limit from 15% to 25%, studying school funding for two years, and counting local homestead exemptions toward schools' local funding share. The sponsor said a data-center excise tax equal to otherwise payable state sales tax would support homeowner-relief grants after the existing exemption expires. A member asked whether increased sales taxes would replace property taxes and how many additional taxes the proposal would create. The sponsor answered that two existing sales-tax pennies would be repurposed, cities could seek an additional penny by referendum, and the choices would be local. Asked about the cap, the sponsor said it was five cents, excluding MARTA. The committee approved the substitute without stated opposition, then placed it on the supplemental calendar by voice vote despite objections. No count was stated. ## Official records of this meeting - 2026 House Journal, pp. 1681 to 1763 (2026-03-03): https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-journal-document-library/2026-regular-session-house-journal.pdf?sfvrsn=e39df1be_2#page=1685 ## Transcript (68 turns) [0:25:49](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1549s) Good afternoon, everybody. [0:25:57](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1557s) Good afternoon. Thank you for your patience. Uh, it's that time of the year, and we're gonna go ahead and get, call our meeting to order and start. This afternoon, we're gonna, uh, call on Chairman Blackmon to present the rules substitute to House Resolution 1114, LC339898S. Chairman Blackmon. [0:26:25](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1585s) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, so as you said, it's LC339898S. And I don't believe, Mr. Chairman, I have talked about, uh, a bill or a measure or measures more than I have, um, this regarding property tax, whether it be members or constituents or local governing bodies. But this, uh, bill and this resolution is designed to provide much needed property tax relief for our homeowners. [0:26:56](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1616s) Um, it reduces the taxable value from 40% down to 10%. It includes a disabled veteran homestead benefit. 100% disabled veteran gets 100% homestead exemption. It, um, sets the framework for the sales tax that, uh, could be used to backfill the reduction in homeowner property tax, which would be a dollar for dollar property tax offset, and it establishes a, um, again, the grant fund to backfill local governments, and it, uh, notes that we would use proceeds dedicated from high speed, uh, data centers as that exemption runs out in 2028. [0:27:45](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1665s) It, uh, preserves all existing exemptions. And again, I, uh, I think it's been respectful of local governments, um, but is designed to help, uh, make the American dream of owning your own home every Georgian's dream. Be happy to try to answer any questions, Mr. Chairman, members of the committee. [0:28:11](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1691s) You've, you've heard this presentation. We have a question. Uh, Leader Hugley. [0:28:17](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1697s) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, uh, Mr. Chairman, for your work on this, uh, piece. Talk to us about, uh, the impact on schools. I, I hear you talking about local governments, but what, what say the schools? [0:28:33](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1713s) Um, have worked very, very closely with the schools. And, um, I, I, I think that we have come up with a plan that rolls this, uh, 40% down to 10% over a 10-year time period and gives our local governments the opportunity to adjust year over year and, and gives, uh, several opportunities and different ways to, to backfill those dollars, whether it be their choice to use local sales tax, whether it use growth, or whether they have to access perhaps the fund that's set up here. [0:29:07](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1747s) Thank you for the question. [0:29:08](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1748s) One other question. On line 57, I'm looking at the, I believe, the latest version of the, uh, constitutional amendment. It says the General Assembly may appropriate such amount each year for grants to local governments and school districts. What happen if we decide not to? [0:29:29](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1769s) Well, again, this is the framework. The enabling legislation will drill down into how that is done, and it actually does provide for a 10-year, uh, dedicated fee, uh, for that very purpose. [0:29:45](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1785s) Rep. Park has a question. [0:29:51](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1791s) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, uh, Chairman Shaw, uh, Ch- Chairman Blackmon, um, do we have any independent analysis in terms of the fiscal impact this would have at the state and local level, just given all of the information that we've heard from so many different sources, um, uh, you know, and the potential harmful impacts it would have on school budgets as well as those of local governments, um, especially given, uh, that we have, we've just received this latest iteration? [0:30:20](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1820s) Oh, uh, well, I think the latest iteration, um, again, is, is coming from our local governments, and much of the analysis has been done, uh, at that level. I think we've obviously consulted with, uh, a number of experts, whether it be economists or CPAs or others, to kinda help verify, and we've encouraged local governments to share with us any of their numbers that they bring forward. If you look historically at the data, I, I think what is, is probably maybe most troubling is what we've seen in increases, and I think that is the study that is, is most, um, enlightening, if you will, as to what the taxpayers have been paying over the last several years and what has been increasing in their bill as homeowners. [0:31:07](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1867s) And if you look at the some six point four billion increase from 19, uh, 2019 to 2024, or if you look at the three point five billion increase in the local sales tax, I think you see more than enough dollars over a period of time to give some homeowners some tax relief, much needed tax relief. Thank you for the question. [0:31:28](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1888s) Just a, a follow-up, if I may. Just, y- you know, if, I don't think I've received all of the materials that you may have received from ACCG or GMA. If there's something that you could share or make public so that we have a full understanding as to the impact of what we're voting on, that would be very helpful. [0:31:44](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1904s) Yeah, uh, Representative Park, I, I would direct you to their website. They've made this public, uh, on, on kind of their splash page. [0:31:51](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1911s) Thank you. [0:31:52](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1912s) Thank you. [0:31:54](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1914s) Okay. Chairman Newton has a question. [0:31:57](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1917s) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Chairman Blackmon, thank you for this. I- it- help me if I'm understanding right. This bill in the newest iteration allows the possibility for some homeowners to see their taxes go away completely in the next two or three years. Is that right? But others can may take up to 10 years before ... [0:32:17](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1937s) Yeah, as you drill down into the enabling legislation by, y- you know, in 2028, it does offer, uh, that direct relief using existing sales tax pennies, um, and, and, you know, the possibility on cities for an additional, the, the, uh, components of the bill kind of get into that a little bit more. But it does provide that as many as two-thirds of all of our local governments could eliminate homestead property tax as early as 2028. [0:32:45](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1965s) But if you don't mind, a follow-up. In the others, the homeowners could expect to see a gradual reduction instead of opening their bill and being shocked at how much it's gone up. The plan is that for it to go down, even if it takes 10 years, would each year they'd see a, a reduction? [0:33:00](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=1980s) Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman. You take, as we mentioned in committee yesterday, if you take that, uh, 40% of taxable value and you roll it down over 10 years by 3% and you get to 10%, you're gonna have less and less, uh, property tax owed as a homeowner, and so the sales tax, if you were to implement that fix or that backfill, that it would cover more and more sales tax, uh, as, as we move over time. [0:33:25](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2005s) Thank you. Thank you for your work. [0:33:26](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2006s) Yes, sir. Thank you, Chairman. [0:33:28](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2008s) Okay. I don't see any other questions. Um, [0:33:34](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2014s) do I hear a motion to approve the rule substitute to House Resolution 1114? That's LC33-9898S. [0:33:44](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2024s) Moved. [0:33:46](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2026s) Is there any opposition? It's approved. Okay. Now we're gonna call on Chairman Blackmon to present, uh, House Bill 1116, the rule substitute. That's LC33-9896S. [0:34:06](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2046s) Right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. Um, similarly, without getting into, uh, too much more, I would just mention that, that this, uh, bill once again provides, helps provide much needed tax relief for our homeowners. It similarly takes the, uh, 40% of taxable value down to 10% over, over a 10-year period of time. It, uh, delineates, and there's about, I think about 15 pages, uh, related to the mechanics of the three pennies that can be used. [0:34:37](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2077s) That, uh, is an LHOST, um, an S/LHOST, and a MHOST, uh, the first of which being a county/city split, the S/LHOST being the, um, school, uh, penny, and then also, uh, the MHOST, which would be available if cities chose to, to divide out from the counties. It all operates, uh, other than the city, uh, up under the same five cent cap that we currently have. You utilize the, uh, lost and floss provisions, uh, to move into that homestead arena. [0:35:14](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2114s) And a- as you reduce homestead property tax or backfill the, the, the roll-down, um, you would move into other properties. Um, we take the school, um, reserve fund and we move it in this bill from 15% to 25%. Um, we also provide for a, uh, two-year study on the funding formula as it regards to our, to our schools, and we enable exemptions, um, to count towards the digest again for our schools, uh, of the, the local, um, homestead exemptions a- as it pertains to their local fair share. [0:35:55](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2155s) Uh, and then we also, uh, get into the, uh, the grant fund and the mechanics where we take, uh, the, uh, high-speed data center funding and create an excise tax equal to the amount of sales tax that the state would otherwise receive as, uh, as that particular exemption runs out. And it is, uh, again, put aside for homeowner, homeowner relief. Um, again, be happy to, to try to answer any questions. Much of this is language provided to us, uh, by our local governments. [0:36:29](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2189s) And, uh, again, we've continued to, to try to make adjustments in accordance with their requests. Um, [0:36:38](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2198s) but that is, in short, the bill, Mr. Chairman. [0:36:42](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2202s) Okay, you've heard the explanation of the bill. Do we have any questions for the chairman? You do have a question. Whip Park has a question. [0:36:50](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2210s) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So just to, um, clarify my mind, the structure remains the same in which we are eliminating property taxes that would be paid for by increased sales taxes. Is that correct? [0:37:05](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2225s) Actually, you have two repurposed pennies. Um, and, and again, if by ren- referendum the cities choose to sort of bifurcate, then they could create an additional penny. [0:37:18](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2238s) S- so how many additional taxes is the enabling legislation creating? [0:37:24](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2244s) A- additional taxes? [0:37:26](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2246s) Yes. [0:37:26](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2246s) It doesn't necessarily create any additional tax. All that, all these are local pennies and local decisions. [0:37:32](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2252s) S- so w- with respect to the, um, on line 106, the 5% threshold, that's not increasing the current 9 cent cap. Is that correct? Or are we increasing that amount? [0:37:46](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2266s) No, it's a 5 cent and it excludes MARTA. [0:37:49](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2269s) Okay. Thank you. [0:37:50](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2270s) Thank you. [0:37:53](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2273s) Okay. Don't see any other questions. Do I hear a motion to approve rule substitute to House Bill 1116, LC3398 96S? [0:38:08](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2288s) So moved. [0:38:09](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2289s) Second. Have a motion and a second. Is there any opposition? It's approved. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [0:38:16](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2296s) Thank you, Chairman, members of the committee. [0:38:19](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2299s) Okay. Let's set us a supplemental calendar for today. March 3rd, day 26, 2026, under structured rule. House Resolution 1114, L- LC3398 98S. Moved. [0:38:41](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2321s) Second. [0:38:41](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2321s) Have a motion and second. Is there any opposition? [0:38:44](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2324s) Objection. [0:38:45](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2325s) We have an objection. All those in favor of putting it on say aye. [0:38:49](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2329s) Aye. [0:38:49](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2329s) All those opposed, no. [0:38:52](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2332s) No. [0:38:52](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2332s) It's on. House Bill 1116, LC3398 96S. Is there a motion? So moved. [0:39:03](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2343s) Second. [0:39:04](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2344s) Moved and seconded. Is there any opposition? [0:39:07](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2347s) Objection. [0:39:07](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2347s) There is an objection. All those in favor say aye. [0:39:11](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2351s) Aye. [0:39:11](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2351s) Those opposed say no. [0:39:13](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2353s) No. [0:39:13](https://vimeo.com/1170017352#t=2353s) It's on. Thank you very much. As far as I know, our next rules meeting will be tomorrow morning at 9:00. And expect a, a good number of your friends and neighbors to be in here. We had about 40 or s- 50 bills come out yesterday, and I understand there's about 40 or 50 coming out today. So I think we'll have, uh, plenty to talk about. Thank you all for being here. Thank you for being flexible.