--- title: Georgia House and Senate meetings on March 9, 2026 collection: meetings id: meetings:day:2026-03-09 canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09.md date: 2026-10-23 status: active 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.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-06.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-10.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/index.md date: 2026-03-09 count: 8 --- # Georgia House and Senate meetings on March 9, 2026 ## Senate Rules Committee, March 9, 2026 29 min. Video: https://vimeo.com/1170720499. Twin: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/senate-rules.md Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee heard presentations on bills covering environmental management, professional licensing, law enforcement, local government and other topics. Members unanimously approved a five-item calendar for the next day: HB 945, HB 115, HB 244, HR 1008 and SR 771. The committee then considered two bills in its standing committee role. It approved a substitute for HB 254 covering a Revolutionary War commemorative marker and a privately funded statue at the judicial center, by a 13-4 vote. It also unanimously approved a substitute for HB 1199, the annual update aligning parts of Georgia tax law with federal law. ## House Appropriations Committee, March 9, 2026 1 h 56 min. Video: https://vimeo.com/1171215093. Twin: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/house-appropriations.md Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee reviewed and approved HB 974, the state budget for fiscal year 2027. Subcommittees first approved recommendations covering courts, education, transportation, health, human services, public safety and other state operations. The full committee then heard highlights of the proposed $38.5 billion budget, including literacy coaches, Medicaid payment increases, prison staffing, rural healthcare and transportation funding. No substantive questions followed the final presentation. The chair declared the final vote unanimous, although an opposing voice is audible in the transcript. No numerical vote count was given. ## House Rules Committee, March 9, 2026 28 min. Video: https://vimeo.com/1171799172. Twin: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/house-rules.md Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved HB 974, the fiscal year 2027 budget, and placed it on the next day's floor calendar. It placed HR 145 and HR 948 on that day's calendar, and SB 239 on the next day's calendar. The chair also announced and received approval for HB 420, then corrected the bill identification to SB 420. No opposition was voiced to the calendar motions. A presenter explained SB 440, but the committee took no recorded action on it. The chair announced that the next Rules Committee meeting would be at 9 a.m. the following day. ## Senate floor session, March 9, 2026 (legislative day 29) 1 h 52 min. Video: https://vimeo.com/1171235254. Twin: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/senate-floor.md Summary by Georgia Commons: The Senate agreed to the House substitute for SB 179, with a Senate amendment, by a vote of 48 to 3. The measure addressed computer science graduation requirements, virtual schooling and access to schools for civic organizations. A senator gave notice of plans to seek consideration of House action on SB 59 on the next legislative day. The chamber also read and referred House measures to committees, gave HB 1020 a second reading, adopted two guest-recognition resolutions and approved an unnamed consent calendar of resolutions without objection. Senators made remarks on fuel prices, gun violence, career education, health coverage, military service and community losses. The Senate adjourned until 10 a.m. on March 10. ## House floor session, March 9, 2026 (legislative day 29) 1 h 56 min. Video: https://vimeo.com/1171251424. Twin: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/house-floor.md Summary by Georgia Commons: The House adopted HR 948, creating a study committee on pharmacy benefit managers and access to prescription medicines, by a vote of 157 to 0. Members also returned HR 145 to the Rules Committee and moved SB 462 from the Health Committee to the Insurance Committee, both without objection. The clerk read numerous measures for the first or second time and reported an Appropriations Committee recommendation to pass HB 974 by substitute. The House adopted two privileged resolutions, recognized visitors and community service, and adjourned until March 10 at 10 a.m. ## House Health Committee, March 9, 2026 1 h 08 min. Video: https://vimeo.com/1170823606. Twin: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/house-health.md Summary by Georgia Commons: The House Health Committee recommended passage of four bills: SB 399 on connecting AED locations with 911 services, SB 411 on dry needling and acupuncture rules, SB 428 on seeking a Medicaid waiver for intensive case management, and SB 427 on a licensing pathway for internationally trained physicians. Members heard testimony about difficulty finding AEDs during emergencies, training requirements for dry needling, services for people repeatedly using emergency rooms and jails, and physician shortages. The committee amended SB 427 with a wording correction before recommending passage. All four bills advanced by voice vote, with no numerical vote totals stated. ## Senate Finance Committee, March 9, 2026 38 min. Video: https://vimeo.com/1170697490. Twin: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/senate-finance.md Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered three tax measures. It unanimously recommended passage of HB 1000, a one-time income tax refund proposal. A member then called for reconsideration, but no action on that request is shown. The committee also considered replacing HB 165 with language allowing certain mobile-home buyers to recover local sales taxes. A vote was called, but the result was not announced in the transcript. Finally, the committee unanimously approved HB 66, presented as allowing eligible counties to seek voter approval for an additional sales tax to offset county property taxes on homes. ## Senate Judiciary Committee, March 9, 2026 1 h 22 min. Video: https://vimeo.com/1169976661. Twin: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/senate-judiciary.md Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee unanimously approved HB 535 on credit for jail time before probation revocation hearings, with added fentanyl trafficking provisions; HB 1196 on trespass involving wild animal enclosures; HB 162 on sealing first-offender records earlier; HR 251 on a public vote to make probate judge elections nonpartisan; and HB 999 on magistrate court fees and an election-law correction. Members amended HB 162 to update two dates to July 1, 2026. The committee also discussed HB 530, which would establish electronic filing in probate courts, but took no action. The chair requested a revised version addressing paper filings by attorneys for possible consideration Thursday.