House and Senate meetings

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1. March 26, 2026 · Senate Government Oversight Committee · 18 min

   Senate Government Oversight Committee, March 26, 2026

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee unanimously approved a substitute for HB 792. The chair said the substitute replaced the original bill with legislation previously approved by the Senate and added a section addressing harmful content on social media platforms. Discussion focused on games recreating school shootings and risks to children online. A visiting legislator described examples and urged action before the next legislative session. One committee member questioned whether the proposed language would adequately cover those games and whether prosecution would require an actual violent felony. No further amendment was offered before the vote. The committee then adjourned.

2. March 26, 2026 · House Higher Education Committee · 20 min

   House Higher Education Committee, March 26, 2026

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The House Higher Education Committee considered SB 556, which would add advanced fine arts courses to the classes used to calculate HOPE Scholarship grade point averages. The chair explained a substitute that uses a general definition rather than naming specific course programs, allowing other qualifying programs to be included without another change in law. The committee approved the substitute by voice vote and sent the bill to the Rules Committee. No opposition was heard.

3. March 26, 2026 · House Judiciary Committee · 27 min

   House Judiciary Committee, March 26, 2026

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee resumed consideration of SB 463 and approved a substitute dealing with hotel guests and long-term stays. Members rejected five amendments addressing eviction records, notice and opportunities to resolve contract violations, law enforcement involvement, restoration of the Senate-passed text, and tenant status for long-term hotel residents. The chair confirmed that written testimony had been received. A member noted that people who returned to the meeting had no opportunity to testify. The substitute passed by a show of hands, with no vote count announced, and the committee adjourned.

4. March 26, 2026 · House Banks & Banking Committee · 50 min

   House Banks & Banking Committee, March 26, 2026

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered a substitute for SB 424, which the sponsor described as a voluntary system for using privately stored gold and silver to make payments. Members questioned the tax impact, effects on community banks, fraud protections, fees, privacy, price changes and access for people without traditional banking services. Several members urged further study. A securities official said the division could develop rules, investigate fraud and provide financial education. The committee approved an amendment allowing access to account information for lawful securities investigations, but the motion to approve the amended bill failed. No vote count was announced.

5. March 26, 2026 · Senate Education and Youth Committee · 1 h 19 min

   Senate Education and Youth Committee, March 26, 2026

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered three study committees and three education bills. It passed HB 1259 after lowering the proposed school-performance threshold from 70 to 65 and delaying implementation until 2027. Members also proposed limiting new enrollment, but that amendment did not receive a vote. The committee heard proposals to study paid student teaching, charter-school building funding and Rosenwald schools, updating the dates in the first two resolutions to 2026. It also considered a school emergency-preparedness and teacher-planning-time substitute to HB 629, and an education-program reporting substitute to HB 419. Members held show-of-hands votes on those five measures, but the transcript does not clearly announce their final outcomes.

6. March 26, 2026 · House Intragovernmental Coordination Committee · 1 h 56 min

   House Intragovernmental Coordination Committee, March 26, 2026

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered a substitute for SB 260 that would restructure the Central State Hospital redevelopment authority. The sponsor and the authority's current chair supported a smaller board to speed property transactions. Several committee members, a local legislator and local officials raised concerns about reduced local control and limited time to review the substitute. Other witnesses disputed claims that the existing board was ineffective. The chair declined to accept a motion to delay consideration so affected parties could read the proposal. The committee approved the bill, 6 to 4.

7. March 26, 2026 · Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee · 1 h 08 min

   Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee, March 26, 2026

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered SR 890, which would create a study committee on market competition, and HB 980, which would create a Georgia-Ireland trade commission. Discussion of the study committee covered housing, health care, agriculture, small businesses, tax preferences and rural economic needs. The chair called voice votes on an amendment addressing meeting allowances and on the amended resolution, but did not explicitly announce the results. The trade commission discussion included testimony from Ireland’s Senate chair and a former Irish prime minister, along with questions about funding and overlap with existing economic development work. The chair held that bill for further clarification without a vote and said it could be revisited.

8. March 26, 2026 · House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee · 1 h 06 min

   House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, March 26, 2026

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved three bills for consideration by the Rules Committee. SB 572 would change procedures and burdens of proof for self-defense immunity claims. Witnesses disagreed about whether it would better protect defendants or complicate arrests and court proceedings. The committee narrowed SB 398 to language amending the existing peeping statute and added a knowledge requirement. The committee also approved a substitute for SB 61 addressing online impersonation, scams and certain violent-felony-related content, after removing provisions that a member said could conflict with federal protections for online platforms. The transcript does not establish a complete numerical vote tally for any bill.

9. March 26, 2026 · Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee · 5 h 09 min

   Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee, March 26, 2026

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee took up six local measures and broader proposals on Augusta-Richmond County government, coroners and retiree health coverage, police departments and development permits, financially troubled cities, and property-owner compensation. Members approved SB 628, amended and advanced HB 646, HB 309 and HB 1166, and approved HB 295 after extensive testimony. Supporters of HB 295 sought relief for property owners harmed by local nonenforcement of laws. Opponents warned of litigation costs and harm to housing and homelessness services. An amendment barring class-action lawsuits failed, as did a motion to table that measure. The committee also approved several local measures, although the chair did not explicitly announce results for every local voice vote. The chair described this as the committee’s final meeting of the two-year legislative session.

10. March 26, 2026 · House Ways & Means Committee · 53 min

    House Ways & Means Committee, March 26, 2026

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee discussed and approved a substitute for SB 382 by voice vote, with opposition heard but no vote count stated. The chair described a plan to cut homeowners’ property taxes in half over five years, limit revenue growth and allow sales-tax revenue to support homestead relief without increasing the existing sales-tax cap. Members questioned effects on renters, school funding, existing county tax rollbacks and local borrowing. The chair acknowledged uncertainty about some effects and offered to examine a county’s concerns further.

11. March 26, 2026 · House Governmental Affairs Committee · 2 h 04 min

    House Governmental Affairs Committee, March 26, 2026

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved three bills and tabled another. Members tabled SB 21 after its original sponsor asked to restore language allowing lawsuits against local governments over violations of Georgia immigration law. The committee approved a monument-protection substitute to SB 175 by a 9-5 vote. Members approved SB 423 with an amendment narrowing its proposed limit on out-of-state campaign contributions to candidates and campaign committees, following debate over constitutional concerns and reporting burdens. The committee also approved SB 437, covering private residential building inspections, after changing the project-cost threshold for higher insurance coverage.

12. March 26, 2026 · House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee · 1 h 29 min

    House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, March 26, 2026

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved a substitute for SB 586 allowing sheriffs to donate impounded livestock, as its presenters described. The committee also approved SB 482, concerning access to booking photographs, law enforcement video and government recordings of deaths. Discussion focused on family privacy, public access to police footage, press exemptions and which relatives could receive protected recordings. After a recess to work on amendments, members added a press exemption to the death-recording restrictions and expanded the family relationships covered. Both bills passed by voice vote, with no numerical counts announced.

13. March 26, 2026 · House Judiciary Committee · 1 h 20 min

    House Judiciary Committee, March 26, 2026

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee reviewed the Senate changes to HB 61, focusing on removing unauthorized occupants from property, hotel guests’ rights and clearing certain eviction records. Members disagreed over protections for families living in extended-stay hotels. The chair then proposed replacing the contents of SB 463 with the language under discussion, and a motion to approve that bill was seconded. Members requested clearer protections and testimony from housing advocates after hearing from the hotel industry. No amendment vote or final vote appears in the transcript. The chair recessed the meeting until 1 p.m. to prepare a substitute and allowed written testimony before then.

14. March 25, 2026 · Senate Health and Human Services Committee · 1 h 39 min

    Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 25, 2026

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved a substitute for HB 1393 by an 8 to 5 vote, combining rural hospital cooperation provisions with repeal of most certificate-of-need requirements. Members returned HB 350 to consideration, adopted seven amendments concerning safe surrender of infants, and voted on the amended bill, though the chair did not explicitly announce the result. The committee unanimously approved HB 291, HB 334, HB 657 and HB 1211. The approved substitute for HB 657 included provisions from SB 440 updating Department of Public Health law. The chair removed HB 1296 from the agenda at the sponsor's request for further work.

15. March 25, 2026 · Senate Finance Committee · 1 h 54 min

    Senate Finance Committee, March 25, 2026

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee discussed property-tax changes, housing tax breaks, conservation credits and timber-tax relief. Members unanimously approved HB 1132 and approved HB 1209 by a 6-1 vote. During discussion of HB 1116, members unanimously approved an amendment removing language the chair said had passed separately in the House, but the transcript does not show a final vote on the underlying bill. The committee postponed a vote on HB 1148 after questions about appraisals, fraud safeguards and administration costs. Members also heard HR 1000, a proposed constitutional amendment providing timber-tax relief, without taking a vote.

16. March 25, 2026 · Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee · 1 h 27 min

    Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, March 25, 2026

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee unanimously approved a committee substitute for HB 63 that the sponsor described as providing a transferable tax credit of up to $200 million for a facility that turns timber into electricity. Members discussed mill closures, financing and the time needed to build such a facility. The committee also heard HB 529, which the sponsor described as giving consumers a limited opportunity to cancel certain automatically renewed contracts and receive a partial refund after a substantial price increase. Supporters emphasized missed renewal notices and difficult cancellations. An industry witness opposed government involvement in subscription contract terms, and members questioned coverage and refund deadlines. The committee voted 3 to 2 to table HB 529. The sponsor requested another hearing, but no date was set.

17. March 25, 2026 · House Judiciary Committee · 12 min

    House Judiciary Committee, March 25, 2026

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered a motion to take HB 183 off the table. A member asked what procedural options remained for the bill at this point in the session. The chair said the committee first needed to take it off the table before discussing it. After an initial voice vote, the chair called for a show of hands. The transcript does not state the result, and the meeting adjourned without substantive discussion of the bill.

18. March 25, 2026 · House Rules Committee · 50 min

    House Rules Committee, March 25, 2026

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee approved substitutes for SB 411, SB 540 and SB 594, addressing professional licensing and medical practice, AI chatbot safeguards, and AI-related election content and child sexual images. Members also heard presentations on school district financial oversight, charter school funding and school consolidation referendums, and teacher tax credits. The committee placed SB 472, SB 475, SB 540, SB 594 and SB 566 on a supplemental calendar for that day. Members voiced opposition to adding the two school-related measures, but both carried by voice vote. No calendar action was shown for SB 411 or SB 515.

19. March 25, 2026 · House Judiciary Committee · 8 min

    House Judiciary Committee, March 25, 2026

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee brought SB 111 off the table and considered a substitute concerning eligibility for the Rural Hospital Tax Credit. The presenter said the changes would add seven rural hospitals to the program and prevent federal funding from affecting eligibility. After brief supportive comments and no substantive questions, the committee approved the bill by voice vote, with no opposition heard, and adjourned.

20. March 25, 2026 · House floor · 4 h 02 min

    House floor session, March 25, 2026 (legislative day 37, PM)

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The House passed bills on school financial oversight, artificial intelligence, criminal penalties, tourism taxes, insurance and property taxes. It approved SB 472, allowing stronger state intervention over school financial problems, 96-58 after debate over accountability and local control. It also passed SB 540 on AI companion chatbots and SB 594 on digital impersonation, election advertising and AI-generated child sexual material. The House agreed to Senate changes on district attorney pay and retirement, homeowner tax relief, soil amendments and state property transactions. Members approved a foster care cost study and a referendum on consolidating Quitman with Brooks County. They returned SB 475 to the Rules Committee and postponed three bills. The session also included honorary resolutions, a retiring committee chair's farewell and recognition of Georgia's relationship with Canada. The House adjourned until March 27 at 10 a.m.

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