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Meeting transcript · Georgia State Senate · March 23, 2026
Senate floor session, March 23, 2026 (legislative day 36)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Senate passed HB 1009, extending school-day phone restrictions to high school students, after rejecting an amendment allowing access between classes. Senators also passed measures on advanced math, forestry tax credits, local property-tax relief, bankruptcy protections, school financial oversight, public health employees and medical treatment rules. A substitute to HB 154 replaced its ambulance provisions with a proposal to seek year-round Atlantic Standard Time. A lengthy debate over district attorney pay ended with passage of HB 1020, followed by notice of a request to reconsider it. Senators left SB 350, concerning DeKalb County officials’ pay, available for later action after questions about conflicting pay provisions. They returned HB 79 to the Rules Committee, adopted a family-farm study resolution and agreed to the House changes to SB 427. The Senate adjourned until March 25.
Soon as you get to the building, your phone is put away." And they can still do that. Thank you, senator. Yes, sir. Got one more question. So recognize senator from the 4th. Senator, yield? To my esteemed chairman, I absolutely do. Thank you, sir. Um, senator, are you aware that, um, Georgia Southern University College of Education did a study back latter...
I've had a sc- one of my largest school districts took last year's legislation, and they banned the phones throughout the district, and the results, while talking to teachers, was astounding. She said that the students seemed happier. They communicated more with each other. They participated more in class. I think giving them the opportunity to not have...
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Children and Families Committee · March 17, 2026
Senate Children and Families Committee, March 17, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee advanced three bills: HB 181, allowing certain internationally adoptive families to obtain a Georgia Certificate of Foreign Birth without another court process; HB 1118, adding three weeks of maternal birth leave for eligible state employees and teachers; and HB 1009, extending school-day restrictions on personal electronic devices to high school students. The committee unanimously approved a substitute for HB 181 and approved HB 1118 with no opposition heard. After testimony from a student, education groups, a policy organization and the state school superintendent, the committee unanimously approved HB 1009.
For this bill, we start in high school at the beginning of the '27, '28 school year. So again, giving high schools plenty of time to adapt, get the culture used to it. Uh, we do make carve-outs. We do recognize that high school demands and needs are different, so we make a carve-out o- on lines 54 through 56 for dual enrollment, work-based learning...
Thank you. Questions from the committee? Oh, there were five. Senator Setzler. Appreciate the author bringing this. I read, uh, two weeks ago in the Wall Street Journal, they said the average kid, high school kid, um, who has a s- smartphone device checks their phone 64 times in a school day. Yeah. So we have, we have a problem. Thank you. It's amazing,...
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Education and Youth Committee · February 10, 2026
Senate Education and Youth Committee, February 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee heard a teacher recruitment and retention report prepared in response to SR 237, including recommendations on training, financial support, working conditions and school leadership. Members asked about transferring course credits, classroom phone restrictions, reducing teachers’ duties and recognizing prior teaching experience. No action was taken on the report. The committee also held a vote on SB 471, which would make permanent the parental opt-out requirement for school mask mandates, but the chair did not expressly announce the result. The committee unanimously approved a substitute for SB 369 establishing a dropout recovery charter school category and separate performance reporting.
... technical schools? ... plus two with nurses. That's already done. But the one that we're pressing for now is education. If, if a person, if they start with a TAP, the Teacher As a Professional, if they start in high school, they're gonna take several courses there. If it transfers up, maybe they go to a technical school, or maybe they go to a USG...
Mm-hmm. And so it's an issue. I can tell you, I have, I have twins. They've just graduated. They're in their first year of college. Their high school had already done it. Uh, now they didn't take it from them, but they had a process in place where they could not touch their phone, uh, during class time, and that helped a lot for them, I can tell you. Okay....
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Rules Committee · March 19, 2026
Senate Rules Committee, March 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee heard brief requests to schedule bills on education, taxes, health care, veterans, licensing and other subjects. Members unanimously approved a 16-measure floor calendar. In separate committee business, members unanimously approved a prison education study committee resolution, a resolution honoring Bangladeshi peacekeepers, and a substitute for HB 445 that added public water and sewer systems to a public utility definition. Members questioned trout-stream buffer changes in HB 485. The chair postponed action on that bill until the next day so legislative counsel and the original sponsor could help explain the changes.
That's right. Uh, House Bill 1009, which is the bottom of your second page, House Bill 1009 extends the cellphone-free bill that we passed last year through K through eight to include high school. Um, passed both committees unanimously, and, uh, it's just been a big win for our schools, and we'd like to keep it going. A lot of happy parents and teachers....
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Rules Committee · March 20, 2026
Senate Rules Committee, March 20, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved a substitute for HB 328 by a 7 to 5 vote after discussing removal of the scholarship tax credit program’s expiration date. Members then heard requests to schedule bills on education, taxes, courts, veterans, public safety and other subjects. The committee unanimously approved a 14-measure floor calendar, including HB 154, which a presenter said now seeks year-round Atlantic Standard Time, and HB 1009, concerning cellphone-free high school classrooms. After initially selecting HB 1077, members removed it from the calendar and unanimously returned it to the Rules Standing Committee for an unspecified correction. Members also unanimously returned HB 1129 to that committee.
Who's the- I was referring to the other Rules Chairman, but yeah. Oh. Yeah. Okay. Gotcha. All right. Okay. Never mind. I'll stick to the North Georgia. There. There we go. Um, thank you. House Bill 1009, midpage, page three, going cellphone-free in our classrooms. That's it. That's it. That's simple. That's straight. Simple. This is- 1009 ... 9 through 12....
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Public Safety Committee · March 23, 2026
Senate Public Safety Committee, March 23, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved amended versions of HB 1022, addressing vehicle tinting, digital licenses and fleeing police; HB 1023, requiring school weapons detection systems; and HB 957, allowing miniature trucks on certain local roads. Most discussion focused on school safety, with students and parents urging statewide weapons detection requirements and a school district witness raising funding concerns. Members added explicit implementation language and a January 1, 2028 date to the school bill. The committee also heard HB 990, creating a privately funded program to help retired law enforcement dogs. Members voted by voice on that bill, but the chair did not clearly announce the result after questioning an apparent opposing vote.
Fortunately, our school system was able to implement this for our middle and high schools. Before this, the phrase, "What are the odds of h- it happening again?" came up many times. But here we were, met with another weapon on campus just a few months after tragedy s- struck. This is why HB 1023 is so important. No child should step into school anxious...
Um, and if it goes off, then one of the administrators or one of the people certified to, like, look through our stuff, um, will either check our bookbags or just make us go through one more time because sometimes we'll stand too close to the, um, little towers- Right ... 'cause we have the AI weapons detection system. And then, um- Yeah, that's just our...
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee · February 25, 2026
Senate Judiciary Committee, February 25, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee considered and unanimously approved three bills. SB 552 would protect public school students’ political expression and access to student meeting spaces. SB 542 would add clergy to laws against improper sexual contact involving positions of authority. The committee approved that bill with a substitute after hearing supporting testimony from a survivor and the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. SB 406 would establish state oversight of homeowners and similar associations and change foreclosure rules. Members approved an amendment requiring immediate decisions after administrative hearings, but withdrew a proposed board-training requirement. The chair said SB 406 would move to Rules.
Public school students are guaranteed the right to wear clothing, accessories, and jewelry that display political messages and symbols. Let me take you through the bill itself. Uh, section one names it, the True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act. Uh, section two d- uh, defines, uh, the terms, uh, in this, uh, bill. Uh, and then the... And then...
Amendment · Georgia State Senate · September 25, 2026
Sen Floor Amend 1 AM 49 0318 to HB 1009
LOST Senator Kemp of the 38th offered the following amendment #1: Amend HB 1009 (LC 49 2527) by replacing lines 18 through 21 with the following: (2) 'Bell-to-bell' means the period beginning with the first bell signaling the start of instructional time and ending with the final bell signaling the conclusion of the school day and shall include all scheduled...
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Children and Families Committee · February 17, 2026
Senate Children and Families Committee, February 17, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee held a hearing on SB 467, which the sponsor described as requiring age checks and parental consent for minors downloading smartphone apps or making in-app purchases. Supporters said it would give parents more control and clearer information. Opponents raised concerns about privacy, access to lawful information, costs for small developers and whether the proposal would address harmful content inside apps. Members questioned how parental consent would affect platform responsibility and why technology companies opposed the requirements. The sponsor invited suggestions for addressing concerns. The committee adjourned without voting.
And then finally, on the recent Texas ruling highlights, um, its constitutional issues as well as Utah, SB 467 follows a policy path that courts already reject. In December 2025, a federal judge blocked Texas's app store age verification law as likely unconstitutional under the First Amendment, finding that the state failed to use the least restrictive...
Uh, it- somebody pointed out all of these companies, I'm just gonna call them high-tech companies, are gathering this data already anyway. They've got our data. Uh, they're, they're getting that when you use their apps and, and, and their products, and the question is, are they disseminating or not? This bill prohibits them from disclosing it to other...
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Education and Youth Committee · March 19, 2026
Senate Education and Youth Committee, March 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved four bills: HB 1220 on scholarship eligibility, HB 1114 on digital and financial literacy instruction, HB 451 on religious instruction during school release time, and HB 634 on administration of the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program. The vote on HB 1220 was 5 to 4. Members raised concerns about private-school access, younger students’ instructional time, teacher workloads, and rules for religious classes on school property. The Senate sponsor of HB 451 committed to reviewing the school-property language with legislative counsel before floor consideration. No exact vote totals were stated for the other three bills.
Thank you, sir. Thank you. I see your point. Uh- My wife was a first grade teacher. Yeah. So I understand. I will not mess this one up. Senator James. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I like what you're trying to do, and just because it's you, I wanna vote for it. Yeah. But I do have a question. Yes, ma'am. Um, it's, you said that it would protect,...
I'm gonna let- It's not a, it's not a, a charter school or a private school, so. I'm gonna defer to my- My, my husband is a pastor here in Atlanta, and we, we met at Sutton Middle School. And release time classes does not in- interfere with the church being able to rent from a school, if that's what you're asking. Yeah. Yeah. I was just asking if we pass...
Amendment · Georgia State Senate · September 25, 2026
Sen Floor Amend 1 AM 49 0259 to HB 340
LOST Senators Islam Parkes of the 7th and Jones II of the 22nd offered the following amendment #1: Amend HB 340 (LC 49 2284S) by replacing lines 93 through 95 with the following: (g) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed or applied to: (1) Prohibit or limit a local school system or public school from providing school equipment, including, but not...
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Children and Families Committee · February 10, 2026
Senate Children and Families Committee, February 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee held a hearing on a proposed substitute to SB 343 that would restrict addictive social media design features for minors rather than ban younger children from having accounts. Witnesses discussed privacy protections, age checks, enforcement, mental health and young people’s free-speech rights. The chair said a related age-verification proposal would receive a hearing the following week. The committee took no vote.
And I'm hoping to get, um, some of the, the research that we found is that 80% of the mental health and trauma that these students experience goes unreported because of the stigmatization of being made fun of if they get seen going to the counselor's office. So the AllSafe App platform, what makes us different is we offer a HIPAA compliant virtual call...
I think that they have to work in concert together because you can have, you can have requirements for the App Store to verify age, and then if that age is verified, these protections go into place. So you, you basically, when you hear the social media companies say, "No, no, no, no. App Store," and you hear App Store say, "No, no, no. Social media...
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Education and Youth Committee · February 23, 2026
Senate Education and Youth Committee, February 23, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved SB 425, requiring cursive handwriting instruction, and SB 497, requiring parental notification and school records for certain noninstructional student services. Members questioned the timing and learning needs involved in cursive instruction. On parental notification, witnesses raised concerns about student privacy and whether reporting requirements could discourage children from seeking help. Seven members voted in favor of SB 497, and opposing votes were acknowledged without a count. The committee postponed SB 475, concerning charter school funding and a proposed change to school district consolidation petitions, until the next day's meeting so members could clarify amendments.
In 2024, 20,000 Georgia sixth graders reported seriously considering harming themselves, and 11,000 considered suicide. If one of them had confided in someone at school, a record of that conversation would follow that child until she graduates or leaves the state, and there would be nothing a parent could do to protect their child's privacy. Indeed, this...
The challenge is that schools do not know every student's home situation in advance. Often, the conversation itself is the first warning sign that something may be wrong. For most families, parental involvement is appropriate and beneficial. The issue is what happens in cases where notification increases risks, where there is a fear of retaliation,...
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Rules Committee · February 25, 2026
Senate Rules Committee, February 25, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee unanimously approved a substitute for SB 447, concerning deadlines for land-disturbance permits, and approved a substitute for SR 668, concerning separate property-tax treatment for data centers, with 16 in favor and two opposed. Members then heard brief presentations on bills awaiting floor consideration. The committee unanimously placed SR 480 and SR 567 on a consent calendar. It also unanimously approved a floor calendar containing SB 34, SB 399, SB 441, SB 470, SB 472, SB 500, SB 513, SB 535 and HB 377. The other measures presented were not selected for that floor calendar.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, this is the Parents' Bill of Rights. Uh, it requires school systems to notify parents, uh, if a student meets with a school counselor. Um, it also has a carve out in there that notification wouldn't be required- Mm-hmm ... if it was suspected of child abuse or if the notification could cause the child harm.
All right. Any questions on that? None. All right. Go ahead and do Senate Bill 425. 425 is requiring what's happening, cursive writing to be taught in all of our schools. What's happened in the past, we, when we changed to Common Core, many of our young people do not know even how to sign their own name. This would, um, make it re- um, required- Oh, man ......
Meeting transcript · Georgia State Senate · March 18, 2026
Senate floor session, March 18, 2026 (legislative day 33)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Senate passed HB 998 on rural telephone service, HB 1159 on tax relief for farm assistance payments, HB 1302 on education and workforce coordination, HB 1379 on foreign funding disclosures, HB 999 on magistrate courts, and HB 376 on historic rehabilitation tax credits. Senators also agreed to House changes to SB 220, with further amendments to the medical cannabis proposal. Debate included rural communications, utility consumer protections, minimum wage, foreign influence in schools, access to small claims court, and cannabis benefits and risks. The Senate returned HB 439 to the Finance Committee to fix an error and received numerous committee reports and bill readings. A senator gave notice of plans to consider House changes to HB 1199 on the next legislative day. The Senate adjourned until 10 a.m. March 19.
People in the hallway texting you, your voters asking you to, to turn up the volume and be more partisan, primary season, qualifying season, notwithstanding all of those pressures, genuinely amazing stuff to see that we can keep our heads. And what's that, that phrase about if you can keep your head when everyone else around you is losing theirs, you...
is that we are siloed when it comes to information, that we are only receiving the information that we want to hear, not the information that might be the best news of the day for us to consume, for us to stay informed about the topics of the day, but the information that already m- that makes us feel what we already feel, that justifies our prior...
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Education and Youth Committee · February 19, 2026
Senate Education and Youth Committee, February 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee unanimously approved an amended substitute for SB 472, after discussing school financial oversight and superintendent contracts. It also heard SB 513, which the sponsor said would require attendance support plans and could affect extracurricular participation and access to new driver's licenses or permits. Committee members supported addressing absenteeism, while DeKalb County students and an IDRA witness raised concerns about inconsistent attendance records, transportation barriers and unclear requirements. Members also questioned the driver's license provisions. The committee voted on SB 513, but the transcript does not clearly announce the result or a vote count.
Um, Mr. John Cousins, um, if you'd come up and intro- introduce yourself. You... We, we, we on a tight schedule, so, um, about two minutes at the most. Okay. Yeah. Right here? Yes. Yes, brother. Uh, good aftern- Good afternoon, y'all. Uh, I'm John Cousins. I'm a student from DeKalb County. I'm here with some other students from other schools in DeKalb...
Thank you. I think that would go back to the local school system. I mean, the bill, the bill do- does not address the local system. It, it just makes this mandatory for local systems to put these in, in existence, correct? That is correct. Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman. Yeah. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. Um, next person is, I have a hard time. D-U,...
Meeting transcript · Georgia State Senate · March 6, 2026
Senate floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, part 1)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): On Crossover Day, the Senate read incoming legislation and committee reports, then voted on bills covering utilities, elections, public safety, education, licensing and insurance. The Senate passed SB 410, which the sponsor said would end new data-center tax exemptions and require utility contract protections. Members disputed whether those protections would keep costs off household bills. The Senate also passed measures addressing clergy sexual abuse, AI safety, animal cruelty records, human trafficking and prosecutor oversight. SR 838, a proposed constitutional amendment on citizenship and photo identification for voting, failed to receive the required two-thirds vote. SB 573, concerning nonpartisan elections in certain counties, failed, and the sponsor requested reconsideration. No reconsideration vote appears in this transcript. The session paused for dinner after passing SB 593.
Thank you, Mr. President. I rise in support of Senate Bill 540. Uh, it's, it's an important first step in taking action to keep our kids safe online. Um, this has been an important topic for me. Um, I co-chaired a study committee on this during the interim with the senator from the 48th, and I wrote the resolution for the study committee because i- it...
In fact, members of The Anxious Generation team were very helpful in providing testimony to our study committee. Just this week, the team of The Anxious Generation released something called a Childhood Index. It's a first of its kind ranking of all fifty states on how well tech laws and policies in each state support healthy, flourishing childhoods on and...
Meeting transcript · Georgia State Senate · March 31, 2026
Senate floor session, March 31, 2026 (legislative day 39, part 2)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Senate passed bills on transportation agencies, repeat misdemeanor offenses, traffic stops, cancer treatment facilities, estate transfers and other topics. It passed HB 297, which would combine two transportation authorities, 30 to 19 after debate over state and local control. Senators also agreed to House changes on teacher retirement, homeowners associations, unclaimed property and other legislation. They replaced SB 17 with a process for intervening in financially distressed cities, approving the amended version 32 to 17 after substantial debate. The Senate rejected House changes to SB 398 because the sponsor said protections for children had been removed. Several bills were tabled, and nine were briefly removed from the table and tabled again to preserve their availability for Thursday. The Senate adjourned until 10 a.m. on April 2.
And then a third provision was added and if a school has student ID badges on the back, they will put 988, you are not alone, and this is a, a number that these kids can text or call if they're experiencing suicidal crisis, emotional distress, or challenges with substance abuse. I'll yield for questions. You do have a question. Recognize the senator from...
Thanks, Mr. President. I yield the well. Is there any other senator who wish to speak for or against it? Hearing none. All those in favor of senator's motion to agree will vote yay. All opposed nay. Secretary, unlock the machine. Senator from the 1st, what purpose do you rise? Uh, parliamentary tr- State your inquiry. Parliamentary inquiry. Yeah, I think...
Meeting transcript · Georgia State Senate · March 19, 2026
Senate floor session, March 19, 2026 (legislative day 34)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Senate passed measures on education, public safety license plates, manufactured-home taxes, delivery robots, veterinary care and funeral insurance payments. Senators also agreed 51-0 to changes to HB 1199, including a 60-day motor-fuel tax suspension, and ordered immediate transmission to the House. Two proposed constitutional amendments, HR 251 on nonpartisan probate judge elections and HR 1243 on a dedicated 911 fund, failed to reach the required two-thirds majority. Supporters gave notice they would seek reconsideration. Debate on both centered partly on minority-party requests for negotiation and compromise. The Senate moved HB 960 to Ethics and HB 1193 to Appropriations, heard bill readings and committee reports, and approved an unnamed local consent calendar 49-0. The session also included community recognitions before adjournment until the next morning.
House Bill 979 by Representative Bonner of the 73rd and others, State Government, procedures for retrocession of jurisdiction in certain circumstances, provide. House Bill 985 by Representative Bonner of the 73rd and others, Veterans Affairs, revise terms of eligibility for persons to be buried in Georgia veteran cem- cemeteries. House Bill 987 by...
Bill or resolution · Georgia State Senate · January 13, 2025 · Passed
Senate Rules; adopt
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): Senate Resolution 3 adopts the Georgia Senate's operating rules for the 2025-2026 legislative term, carrying over the prior rules with a set of amendments covering staff office names, interim committees, floor conduct, and lobbyist restrictions.
SECTION 9. Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by revising Rule 9-1.13 as follows: "9-1.13 Smoking, Eating, Use of Cellular Phones Prohibited There shall be no smoking, or eating, use of cellular telephones, or reading of newspapers and other materials not pertinent to legislation in the Senate Chamber while the Senate is in session."
SECTION 10. Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by revising Rule 9-1.14 as follows: "9-1.14 Use of Computers, Cellular Phones, Reading Materials on the Senate Floor A Senator shall use his or her computer and cellular phone in the Senate Chamber only for legislative business, provided that this shall not prohibit the Senator from using the computer...
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