Legislative Days 36-38
It’s Now or Never… in the Senate at Least
Three legislative days remain, and the pace is accelerating across both chambers. With sine die set for Thursday, April 2, the window to move legislation is rapidly closing; in the Senate, it’s about to slam shut. Senate rules require all measures to clear committee before the chamber gavels in on March 27, effectively setting a hard deadline for viable legislation. From there, the Rules Committee will meet on March 30 to assemble a single debate calendar that will carry the chamber through adjournment.
The House, however, continues to operate with far more flexibility. Committees will meet up to and even on the final day, pushing legislation from committee to Rules to the floor in rapid succession. That fluidity can be advantageous when advancing priorities, but it also creates a volatile environment where playing defense requires constant attention.
Active Measures: Banking
Department of Banking Housekeeping (HB 945)
Rep. Bruce Williamson, R-Monroe
Adopted by the Senate on March 10 and eligible for enactment by the Governor
This year’s legislative housekeeping package is one of the most consequential in recent memory. The bill establishes a process to allow financial institutions to place temporary holds on transactions when they reasonably suspect financial exploitation of elderly (65+) or disabled adults. The initial hold may last up to fifteen business days, with one additional fifteen-day extension permitted. The financial institution must provide notice of the hold to both the account holder and any trusted contacts. Institutions acting in good faith receive civil, criminal, and administrative immunity.
The legislation also regulates cryptocurrency ATMs, with mandatory consumer disclosures, fee caps, and daily transaction limits. It expands the Department’s authority over litigation financiers to increase transparency and accountability; this was part of last year’s legal reform package.
CBA will continue to work with the Department to develop rules for implementing these changes and will collaborate on training for banks regarding the use of transaction holds.
Voluntary Portable Benefit Plan Act (HB 987)
Rep. Todd Jones, R-Cumming
Adopted by the Senate on March 20 and eligible for enactment by the Governor
HB 987 creates a legal framework for voluntary portable benefit plans for independent contractors. The bill allows independent contractors to accumulate and manage benefits (like insurance and retirement savings) without changing their legal classification as independent contractors. It specifically authorizes banks to serve as portable benefit account providers, creating opportunities for new deposit products.
Local Government Investment Pool (SB 441)
Sen. Marty Harbin, R-Tyrone
Adopted by the House on March 23 and eligible for enactment by the Governor
SB 441 requires certain pooled investments to be approved by the State Depository Board.
Medical Cannabis (SB 220)
Sen. Matt Brass, R—Newnan
Agreed to by the House on March 23 and eligible for enactment by the Governor
SB 220 renames low THC oil as medical cannabis and adds language about parents and caregivers.
Commerce and Trade (HB 1112)
Rep. Carter Barrett, R-Cumming
Adopted by the Senate on March 14
HB 1112 allows retailers to round cash transactions to the nearest five cents as pennies are phased out of circulation. The version adopted by the House required retailers to “always round down,” creating concerns about the long-term impact. The Senate Finance Committee returned the bill to its prior form, allowing transactions to be rounded to the nearest five cents. The bill returns to the House for further consideration.
Financial Literacy (HB 1114)
Rep. Bill Yearta, R-Sylvester
Placed on the Senate Rules Calendar for March 27
HB 1114 allows students in ninth and tenth grade to complete the high school graduation financial literacy course requirement. The committee added language from HB 1269 to establish digital literacy standards for students in grades K-12. Passage in the Senate will send the bill back to the House for further consideration.
Stablecoin (HB 1272)
Rep. Todd Jones, R-Cumming
Favorably reported by the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee on March 24
This bill establishes a state-level regulatory framework for payment stablecoin issuers, aligning state law with the federal GENIUS Act. The bill requires licensure and regulation by the Department of Banking and Finance. Representatives from The Stablecoin Institute and The Fintech Accord joined the author of the bill in his presentation. Committee members asked detailed questions, reflecting a growing understanding of the bill’s scope and implications.
Georgia Hemp Farming Act (SB 33)
Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, R—Marietta
Favorably reported by the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee on March 24
SB 33 amends the Hemp Farming Act by providing limits on the total THC concentration of consumable hemp products. It also revises provisions concerning the certificate of analysis applicable to consumable hemp products. The committee amended the bill to prohibit all synthetic cannabinoids that are not capable of being naturally produced.
House Study Committee on Alternative Investments for Local Governments (HR 1755)
Rep. Victor Anderson, R—Cornelia
Favorably reported by the Special Rules Committee on March 23
HR 1755 creates a study committee on alternative investments for local governments.
Transactional Gold and Silver Act (SB 424)
Sen. Marty Harbin, R-Tyrone
Bill failed in the House Banks and Banking Committee on March 26
SB 424 provides for gold and silver specie as legal tender. It creates an electronic payment system and a bullion depository. It prohibits a social credit scoring system.
Active Measures: Property
Debtor's Aggregate Interest (HB 1024)
Rep. Soo Hong, R-Lawrenceville
Adopted by the Senate on March 23 and eligible for enactment by the Governor
HB 1024 increases the exemption for a debtor's aggregate interest in real property or personal property that the debtor or a dependent of the debtor uses as a residence, in a cooperative that owns property that the debtor or a dependent of the debtor uses as a residence, or in a burial plot. The exemption increases from $21,500 to $50,000 or from $43,000 to $100,000 if it is the primary residence of both spouses. The exemption adjusts in future years by an inflation rate of the prior year.
Squatters Bill (HB 61)
Rep. Devan Seabaugh, R—Marietta
Adopted by the Senate on March 20
Originally addressing license plates for hearses, HB 61 now contains provisions from HB 183 regarding hotel/motel squatters and SB 184 regarding forgery cases related to unlawful squatting. The bill returns to the House for further consideration.
Bona Fide Conservation Use Property (SB 306)
Sen. Randy Robertson, R—Cataula
Adopted by the House on March 25
SB 306 requires notices of impending expiration of preferential assessment for bona fide conservation use property and bona fide residential transitional property be sent via certified mail. It now contains language from HB 547, which also relates to bona fide conservation use property. The House Rules Committee amended the bill to clarify the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits as awarded instead of allowable. The bill returns to the Senate for further consideration.
Repossessors of Motor Vehicles (HB 1134)
Rep. Kimberly New, R—Villa Rica
Placed on the Senate Rules Calendar for March 27
HB 1134 revises the notice requirements for repossessors of motor vehicles. The Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee amended the bill to include a rebuttable presumption establishing when a repossession is deemed complete. Passage in the Senate will send the bill back to the House for further consideration.
Bona Fide Conservation Use Property (HB 547)
Rep. Chas Cannon, R—Moultrie
Favorably reported by the Senate Finance Committee on March 23
HB 547 permits the combination of multiple bona fide conservation use covenants of a single owner into a single, new, ten-year covenant.
Claim for Compensation for Loss of Property Value (HB 295)
Rep. Houston Gaines, R—Athens
Placed on the calendar for the State and Local Governmental Operations Committee for March 26
HB 295 provides procedures for real property owners to make claims for compensation from local governments for loss of property value or expenses incurred due to the local government’s failure to comply with or nonenforcement of certain laws, ordinances, and resolutions or due to the local government maintaining a public nuisance (immigration sanctuary policies, public camping, loitering, panhandling, etc.).
Active Measures: Taxation
Annual IRC Update (HB 1199)
Rep. John Carson, R—Marietta
Enacted by the Governor on March 20
HB 1199 conforms Georgia tax law to selected federal provisions. The House amended the bill to include new income tax exemptions, a 60-day gas tax holiday, and a cap on housing tax credits.
Manufactured Homes (HB 165)
Rep. Lehman Franklin, R—Brooklet
Adopted by the Senate on March 19
Last year, the original provisions of HB 165 were enacted under a different bill number. This week, the Senate Finance Committee used it to advance provisions from HB 134. It subjects 50% of the manufacturer's invoice amount to sales tax on the first retail sale or retail purchase of a manufactured home. All other sales are tax-exempt. The bill sunsets on June 30, 2030. The bill returns to the House for further consideration.
Local Homeowner’s Incentive Adjustment Grant Program (HB 439)
Rep. Bill Yearta, R—Sylvester
Adopted by the Senate on March 23, Agreed to by the House on March 25, and eligible for enactment by the Governor
As introduced in 2025, HB 439 revised vendor compensation rates to offset the administrative costs of collecting and reporting sales tax and was CBA’s preferred solution to the interchange debate. On March 18, the bill was stripped and repurposed as a vehicle to advance an unrelated property tax bill authorizing the establishment of local homeowners’ incentive adjustment grant funds (HB 1156).
Affidavits of CPA in Lieu of Tax Returns (HB 141)
Rep. Martin Momtahan, R—Dallas
Placed on the Senate Rules Calendar for March 27
HB 141 allows businesses and practitioners to provide affidavits of certified public accountants in lieu of tax returns. Passage in the Senate will send the bill to the Governor’s desk.
Property Tax Reform (HB 1116)
Rep. Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire
Favorably reported by the Senate Finance Committee on March 25
The Georgia HOME Act shifts a portion of local government funding away from property taxes and toward local sales taxes. Beginning in 2028, local governments may not increase property tax revenue beyond 3% or the rate of inflation, whichever is greater. The cap applies to total property tax revenue, including both homesteaded and non-homesteaded property. This revenue cap can be waived by a local referendum or local act approved by the General Assembly. Much of this language also remains active in SB 382.
Active Measures: Judicial
Magistrate Court Fees and Costs (HB 999)
Rep. Rob Leverett, R-Elberton
Agreed to by the House on March 23 and eligible for enactment by the Governor
This legislation clarifies fees and costs associated with Magistrate Court proceedings. It also corrects a drafting error from a previous bill related to the nonpartisan election of magistrates. While on the Senate floor, it was amended to double the jurisdictional limit of magistrate courts from $15,000 to $30,000. This is similar to provisions contained in HB 792. The bill returns to the House for further consideration.
First Offender Offenses (HB 162)
Rep. Leesa Hagan, R—Vidalia
Agreed to by the House on March 23 and eligible for enactment by the Governor
HB 162 provides for the restriction and seal of First Offender Act sentences until such status is revoked. It also provides for the restriction and seal of first offender sentences at the time of sentencing.
Business Litigation Reform (HB 1185)
Rep. Chuck Efstration, R-Mulberry
Bill tabled by the Senate on March 25 and placed on the Senate Rules Calendar for March 27
This business-friendly litigation reform is designed to make Georgia more attractive for incorporation and headquarters operations.
Remote Online Notary (SB 8)
Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, R—Marietta
Favorably reported by the Juvenile Justice Committee on March 23
SB 8 is now serving as a vehicle to advance language related to remote online notary (HB 289) and the unauthorized practice of law (HB 1433). The RON language is identical to 2021’s HB 334 and received strong bipartisan support in the House and Senate, but ultimately failed to cross the finish line. CBA worked closely with Chairman Joseph Gullett on this effort in 2021 and appreciates that the changes the Association advocated for are preserved in the current bill.
Active Measures: General Business
Tax Credit for Individuals (HB 1000)
Rep. Matthew Gambill, R-Cartersville
Enacted by the Governor on March 20
HB 1000 provides a one-time tax credit for individual taxpayers who filed income tax returns for the 2024 and 2025 taxable years. This measure is a key component of Governor Kemp’s final legislative package.
Georgia Bureaucratic Deference Elimination Act (HB 1247)
Rep. Matt Reeves, R—Duluth
Adopted by the Senate on March 25
HB 1247 prohibits courts and administrative officers from deferring to agency interpretations of laws and regulations. The bill returns to the House for further consideration.
Georgia Uniform Securities Act (SB 284)
Sen. Larry Walker, R—Perry
Adopted by the House on March 20
SB 284 authorizes the issuance of orders by the Commissioner of Securities directing persons who have violated certain securities provisions to return to investors, customers, or clients sums paid in connection with securities purchases. The bill returns to the Senate for further consideration.
Transparency in Foreign Funded Political Activities (SB 177)
Sen. Jason Anavitarte, R—Dallas
Adopted by the House on March 16
SB 177 increases transparency in foreign-funded political activities within the state. It requires agents of hostile foreign principals and foreign-supported political organizations to register with the State Ethics Commission. The bill returns to the Senate for further consideration.
Disposition of Unclaimed Property (SB 403)
Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, R—Marietta
Favorably reported by the House Judiciary Committee on March 23
SB 403 updates Georgia’s Unclaimed Property Act. The bill makes other administrative changes, including clarifying when property is presumed abandoned, expanding holder notice requirements, adjusting publication standards, and modernizing claims processing and payment methods. The committee removed the provisions relating to the treatment of virtual currency.
Electronic Filing of Pleadings in Probate Court (HB 530)
Rep. Rob Leverett, R—Elberton
Adopted by the Senate on March 25
HB 530 authorizes for the electronic filing of pleadings in probate court. In addition, it establishes a mandatory, statewide e-filing system. The bill returns to the House for further consideration.
Abusive Website Access Litigation (HB 1470)
Rep. Trey Kelley, R—Cedartown
Favorably reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 23
HB 1470 creates a new cause of action targeting "abusive website access litigation," particularly lawsuits alleging ADA-related website accessibility violations.
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