Georgia CommonsGeorgia General Assembly
Meetings on April 2, 2026
Machine-readable: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-04-02.md
House Rules Committee, April 2, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee heard requests to advance several study committee resolutions, a road-naming resolution and a resolution urging a pause in adopting updated residential energy standards. No calendar decisions on those requests were shown. Members approved substitutes for six bills and placed eight bills on the day's floor calendar. The substitutes addressed military license plates, community health workers and rural hospitals, public health programs and pharmacy access, charter school reimbursements, and higher education. Members objected to approving and scheduling SB 440 and to scheduling SB 513, but those motions carried by voice vote. The chair said the committee would likely meet again to consider additional requests.
House floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, AM)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The House approved Senate changes to bills on cash rounding, family justice centers, emergency medical billing, foster parents, judgeships, property assessments and rural health care. It also approved HB 297, combining regional transit agencies and extending MARTA's sales tax, after questions about local control, oversight and financial obligations. The House passed SB 76, covering vehicle tags and off-highway vehicles, and SB 556, combining need-based scholarships, fine arts credit for HOPE eligibility and other higher education provisions. Members adopted a group of honorary resolutions without objection and returned SB 475 to the Rules Committee. The session also included bill readings, committee reports, recognitions and a dispute over confirming the previous day's journal. The House recessed until 1:45 p.m.
Senate floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, part 1)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The Senate passed measures on insurance, contraceptive access, child-abuse reporting, property-owner claims against local governments, education, healthcare licensing and court procedures. Debate focused heavily on HB 295, which passed 30 to 22 after opponents raised concerns about lawsuits, local costs and treatment of homeless people. Senators removed a corn-flour fortification requirement from HB 1138 before passing it. The Senate accepted House changes to several bills, including SB 556, which combined a needs-based college scholarship with other education provisions. A proposed change removing medical-education scholarships failed before the House version was approved 36 to 17. Senators set aside HB 1142 after questions about its domestic-violence registry and withdrew a motion on HB 328. The session also included committee reports, honorary resolutions, tributes to departing senators and a local-consent-calendar vote. The excerpt ends with a dinner break.
House floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, PM, part 1)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The House debated school attendance restrictions, public health changes, tax relief, insurance coverage, school safety, care for children stranded in hospitals, and regulatory changes. Members initially rejected SB 513, then voted to reconsider it and returned it to the Rules Committee. The House passed SB 440 after debate focused on access to ivermectin without a prescription. Members approved amended Senate versions of property and income tax measures, prosthetic coverage legislation, an education package, a Medicaid and child placement measure, and regulatory legislation that also addressed disclosure of harassment settlements. Six local measures passed together, while HB 1534 returned to committee. The House recessed until 7:30.
House floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, PM, part 2)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The House adopted the fiscal year 2027 budget agreement in HB 974, passed voting-system changes in SB 214, and approved numerous agreements on Senate changes to House legislation. Topics included insurance claims, property transfers after death, traffic stops and school-zone cameras, contraception access, repeat misdemeanor offenses, newborn surrender, and child-abuse reporting. The House also passed local legislation and road-naming resolutions. Two local homestead-exemption bills did not receive enough votes to pass, but the House voted to reconsider them, with no later passage shown. Members honored the first lady, heard remarks from the governor, and thanked legislative staff. The chair announced that study-committee requests would be considered for panels to be appointed later. The House then adjourned for the session.
Senate floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, part 2)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The Senate heard the governor’s closing address and farewell remarks from departing members, then acted on bills and House changes. Senators unanimously adopted the fiscal year 2027 budget agreement and approved an income-tax package after debate. A property-tax proposal failed, but senators later approved a revised version placed in another bill, without the proposed limits on local tax-revenue growth. A combined education, scholarship and transit measure passed after debate about a virtual-school program and whether the provisions belonged together. Senators also approved measures involving transit agencies, newborn surrender options, website-access lawsuits, school speed cameras and local governments. A proposal allowing remote online notarization failed on a tie vote. The Senate adjourned for the session.
House Rules Committee, April 2, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee heard requests for study committees on teacher pay, local government finances and contracting, disability services, education funding, and physician noncompete clauses. Members also discussed a resolution supporting dissolution of the U.S. Department of Education. The committee approved a substitute for SB 214 after discussing election procedures, recount thresholds, audits, and implementation timing. It then placed SB 214, SB 527, SB 565, HR 1670, HR 1889, HR 1948, and SR 624 on a supplemental calendar for that day. The chair asked for opposition to each calendar placement, and none was recorded. No further action was shown on the other listed resolutions presented.
House Intragovernmental Coordination Committee, April 2, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee discussed HB 1534, which would add a fourth State Court judge in Chatham County. Discussion focused on differences between the original proposal, an elected judge starting in January 2029, and a Senate substitute providing for an appointment and county funding beginning in January 2027. The sponsor reported county officials’ concerns about the earlier funding deadline, while speakers also emphasized the need to hear cases sooner. The committee took no vote. The chair said a decision would be made on the House floor.
House Rules Committee, April 2, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved substitutes for SB 51, SB 513 and SB 268, then placed those bills and SB 89 and SB 499 on a second supplemental calendar for the day. The presenter said SB 51 was rewritten to include fee-retention provisions from HB 1021 and HB 1428. The presenter for SB 513 said three sections concerning driver’s licenses and the Department of Driver Services were removed. The presenter for SB 268 described a new crime involving obstruction of law enforcement officers with a vehicle. Members voiced opposition to approving and scheduling some substitutes, but the chair announced that each motion carried. No vote totals were stated.
House Rules Committee, April 2, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair announced that printing problems prevented the committee from receiving needed copies and setting dates as planned. Instead, the Speaker would appoint blue-ribbon study committees to address the topics covered by the study committee resolutions. The chair said the Speaker had the list of resolutions and would name committee members in the next few days, rather than that evening. No bills were taken up or votes recorded.