WEEK 12 | APRIL 4 | SINE DIE

Last Friday, April 4, was Sine Die, the last day of the 2025 Georgia Legislative Session. It has been an honor and privilege to represent House District 170 at the Capitol. Throughout this year’s session, we remained dedicated to passing impactful legislation that will deliver real results for our communities and our state. The House passed several bills and resolutions, several of which will now be sent to Governor Brian Kemp’s desk for him to sign into law or veto. In the coming paragraphs, I will highlight several bills that we voted on in our final days and some significant legislation that received final passage in the Georgia General Assembly.  Ensuring the safety and well-being of Georgia’s students, teachers and school communities is a top priority of the Georgia House, and during the final week of the legislative session, my colleagues and I gave final passage to House Bill 268, a critical piece of legislation aimed at achieving that goal. First, the bill would enact Ricky and Alyssa’s Law, originally outlined in Senate Bill 17, which also received passage in the House during the final week with bipartisan support. SB 17 would require local school systems to implement a mobile panic alert system capable of connecting emergency services technologies. This would allow for real-time coordination between state and local first responder agencies during school security incidents. Additionally, HB 268 would require that schools procure mapping data by July 1, 2026, to be shared with state and local agencies. This would ensure that, in the event of a credible threat to a school system, all relevant agencies are included in the communication, thereby enhancing their coordinated emergency response efforts. The bill would also mandate the timely transfer of student records when a child in state custody is enrolled in a new school, requiring that all relevant educational and behavioral history be shared within five school days. This could include information like whether a student has been adjudicated for a felony or is currently serving a suspension. In addition to improving school safety, HB 268 would address mental health concerns and student discipline. It would require that all schools serving students in grades six through 12 provide one hour of suicide awareness and prevention training and one hour of youth violence prevention training each school year, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. The bill would also mandate that school safety plans include provisions for addressing the behavioral health needs of both students and staff. By January 1, 2027, each safety plan would need to include a behavioral threat assessment management (BTAM) process to identify and mitigate potential threats. Furthermore, local school systems would be required to implement progressive discipline systems, which may include transitioning students to remote learning when there is a credible threat of violence. HB 268 is now headed to the governor’s desk for final approval and, if signed into law, would provide important tools and protections for our schools and communities.

One of the most pivotal actions that the House took during the last week of the 2025 legislative session was the final passage of House Bill 68, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget, with the adoption of a conference committee report. The conference committee report for HB 68, which reflects the culmination of final agreements between the House and Senate, highlights Georgia’s commitment to addressing essential areas that impact all Georgians, such as public safety, education, healthcare, the judicial system and numerous other areas of state funding, ensuring that the state’s resources are allocated to meet the evolving needs of its citizens. With a focus on sustaining these investments, the FY 2026 budget represents a significant step toward promoting the state’s growth and long-term prosperity. The final version of HB 68 allocates funding for the upcoming fiscal year, which spans from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The FY 2026 budget, set to take effect on July 1st, is based on a revenue estimate of $37.8 billion, marking an increase of $1.6 billion—or 4.4 percent—over the original FY 2025 budget. HB 68 now awaits the governor’s signature, enacting it into law. For more information on the highlights of the FY 2026 budget, please visit here.

The House gave final passage to Senate Bill 170, which would create a grant program to acquire and install backup generators for certain rural hospitals. The program would apply to acute care hospitals located in rural counties with fewer than 100 beds and situated in any region where the governor declared a state of emergency after July 1, 2024. In March, the House passed House Bill 262 with the goal of establishing the same grant program. SB 170 would empower the Department of Community Health, in partnership with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, to develop grant criteria and oversee the distribution of funds. These grants would be awarded on a case-by-case basis, ensuring each hospital receives the tailored support needed to address its specific challenges. Priority would be given to rural hospitals that are currently lacking backup generators and the resources to install them. Following the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene and other recent storms, this legislation would be a step toward strengthening rural healthcare infrastructure. By equipping these facilities with reliable backup power, this legislation would ensure that they can continue delivering critical medical services without disruption during emergencies.

As we head into the interim, the time between legislative sessions, my colleagues and I will begin the study committee process later this year. These committees will take a deep dive into specific issues currently impacting Georgia, with the goal of gathering valuable insights that will help shape the legislation we introduce during next year’s session. The following study committees were approved this session: the House Study Committee on Reinsurance for Essential Industries, created by House Resolution 40; the House Study Committee on Cancer Access, created by House Resolution 72; the House Study Committee on the Costs and Effects of Smoking, created by House Resolution 304; the House Study Committee on Funding for Next Generation 9-1-1, created by House Resolution 429; the House Study Committee on Georgia’s Investment Funds, created by House Resolution 557; the House Study Committee on the State Board of Registration of Used Motor Dealers and Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers, created by House Resolution 558; the House Study Committee on Abandoned Child Placement Following Hospital Discharge, created by House Resolution 611; the House Study Committee on Student Attendance in Pre-K-12 Education, created by House Resolution 711; the House Study Committee on Improving Access to Internal Medicine in Rural Areas, created by House Resolution 753; the House Study Committee on Evaluating Funding for Public Health, created by House Resolution 847; the House Study Committee on Election Procedures, created by House Resolution 885 and the House Study Committee on Reducing and Prioritizing Mandates for Public School Administration, created by House Resolution 887.

Following the end of the 2025 legislative session, Governor Kemp now has 40 days to either sign or veto any legislation that received final passage by the General Assembly. Depending on the bill, some will become law upon the governor’s signature, while others may take effect on a specified enactment date. Any bills not signed or vetoed within the 40-day period after Sine Die will automatically take effect in Georgia. Any House and Senate bills that did not receive final passage this session may still be eligible for consideration during next year’s legislative session. To stay informed about the bills the governor signs into law, please click here.

As always, thank you for your support. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or comments about this legislative session or issues impacting you. Thank you to everyone who visited the Capitol this year. I look forward to continuing to work for you throughout the year into the next legislative session. -Jaclyn Ford

HD 170 Constituents at the Capitol