Georgia CommonsGeorgia General Assembly
Meetings on March 10, 2026
Machine-readable: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-10.md
Senate Rules Committee, March 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee heard brief presentations and requests to schedule bills for Senate floor consideration. By a unanimous voice vote, it approved a calendar containing HB 162, HB 185, HB 219, HB 483, HB 956, HB 1020 and HB 1199. Members also discussed recycling, deannexation, manufactured homes, squatting, credit for time spent in jail and reimbursement of police training costs. Other bills and resolutions presented were not included in the approved calendar.
House Small Business Development Committee, March 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee heard presentations on small-business support and the restaurant industry. The Georgia Micro Enterprise Network supported HB 863 and SB 207, describing access to government contracts and occupational licensing as opportunities for entrepreneurs. Members also questioned the organization about its loans, repayment results and credit-check policies. The chair requested repayment figures, which the witnesses did not have available. Representatives of the Georgia Restaurant Association and a restaurant operator described rising food, labor, insurance and credit-card processing costs. Members discussed cash payments, processing alternatives and tax treatment of tips. No bill votes or amendments were recorded.
Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee, March 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee unanimously approved HB 998, which the sponsor said would extend support for rural telephone service through 2040. The committee also approved HB 376 after reconsidering an earlier approval and adopting changes to tax-credit approval language and the applicable tax year. That bill would expand historic rehabilitation tax credits and change credit rates for rural and more populated areas. The committee held a hearing only on SB 416, which would require certain third-party hotel booking websites to disclose that they are not the hotel. No vote was taken on that bill, and the chair said the committee would seek another bill to carry the proposal.
House Rules Committee, March 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved a Rules substitute for HR 145, a resolution urging vision and hearing screenings in schools for young students. The sponsor explained that the substitute corrected the resolution to refer to the House of Representatives rather than the General Assembly. No opposition was voiced. The chair said the committee would not set a calendar that day because the budget was scheduled to be taken up, and announced a meeting for 11 a.m. the next day to set Thursday’s calendar.
House floor session, March 10, 2026 (legislative day 30)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The House passed HB 974, the fiscal year 2027 budget, by 159 to 4 and voted 160 to 0 to send it immediately to the Senate. The budget presenter described a $38.5 billion spending plan with investments in literacy, healthcare, public safety and transportation. Members also passed 12 local bills together by 159 to 0, returned HB 1504 and HR 1049 to committee, and postponed SB 239 and SB 420 until the next legislative day. The clerk read numerous bills and committee reports. The House recognized community groups and visitors and heard from the federal Small Business Administration administrator and agriculture secretary. The agriculture secretary announced a $531 million agreement for Hurricane Helene agricultural relief. The House adjourned until March 12 at 10 a.m.
Senate floor session, March 10, 2026 (legislative day 30)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The Senate passed HB 945 unchanged, 50-0, after rejecting an amendment concerning denial of banking and other essential services based on constitutionally protected activities. Senators also passed HB 244 by substitute, 48-2, and HB 115, 51-0. The Senate adopted HR 1008 to change regional water council membership and SR 771 to study adoption affordability. It received HB 974 and assigned it to Appropriations, adopted a memorial resolution and a consent calendar of resolutions, and heard committee reports. Visiting federal officials discussed small businesses, agriculture and hurricane assistance. A senator gave notice of plans to consider House action on SB 59 on the next legislative day. The Senate adjourned until March 12 at 10 a.m.
House Public and Community Health Committee, March 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee heard three bills and approved one. Members approved SB 535, which the sponsor described as a change to community service board governance intended to make mental health and disability services more consistent statewide. The committee also held hearings on HB 1430, concerning supportive senior housing and Medicaid-funded services, and HB 102, concerning combined clinical and insurance claims data for measuring healthcare quality. The chair said those two proposals would receive further work over the summer. Neither received a vote.
Senate Retirement Committee, March 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee heard HB 372, which the sponsor said would extend the retired-teacher return-to-work program through 2030 and give school districts more flexibility. Education organizations supported continuing the program and urged a compromise with SB 150 before districts issue contracts. No vote on either teacher bill was shown. The committee also heard HB 1234, which would allow state retiree life insurance benefits to be assigned to funeral homes for funeral expenses. After that presentation, the chair declared a do-pass motion carried by voice vote. However, the motion named HB 124, not the bill presented, leaving the intended bill unclear in the transcript.
Senate Children and Families Committee, March 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered HB 1123, which the sponsor said would require public schools offering pre-K and after-school care for kindergarten through fifth grade to make that care available to pre-K students on the same basis. The discussion focused on helping working families and whether staffing differences explained why some districts excluded pre-K students. The sponsor said the bill would allow annual waivers for extenuating circumstances. The committee voted unanimously to recommend passage and then adjourned.
Senate Education and Youth Committee, March 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered and unanimously approved two bills. HB 1107 would establish statewide measures for evaluating teacher preparation programs and make overall performance data public. Discussion focused on teacher readiness, program transparency and reporting requirements for colleges. HB 1164 would strengthen oversight of school system finances through an audit committee, financial risk ratings, reporting requirements and corrective action. The sponsor answered questions about overdue payments, public notice and outside audits. The chair also shared updates on teacher workforce recommendations, school climate ratings and the state literacy plan before the bill presentations.
Senate Higher Education Committee, March 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The Senate Higher Education Committee recommended passage of two bills. HB 1379, which the sponsor described as expanding foreign-funding disclosure requirements to more countries and public education institutions, passed 4-3 after debate over its scope, reporting burdens and possible loss of state funding for failing to report. HB 1302, which the sponsor said would better coordinate education and workforce programs, passed 6-0. Education and business organizations supported that bill's coordination, funding protections and apprenticeship provisions.
Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee, March 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee advanced two bills and postponed a third. Members approved HB 892, which would restrict overnight massage services, after changing the prohibited hours to 1 a.m. through 6 a.m. The amended substitute passed 5 to 3. The committee also approved HB 1295, a physician assistant licensing compact, in a vote the chair described as appearing unanimous. Members unanimously tabled HB 232 after conflicting testimony about training requirements, access for experienced massage therapists and military spouses, and safeguards against human trafficking. The chair said the massage compact would likely return the following Thursday and urged the groups involved to resolve their differences.