LEGISLATIVE REPORT
February 7, 2025

• House Passes FY2025 Amended Budget
• Speaker Jon Burns Unveils School Safety Plan
• Speaker Jon Burns Announces Legislation to Protect Girls’ Sports
• Governor Kemp: PBS Aerospace Establishes North American HQ in Metro Atlanta
• Legislation Tracker
• GLIP Intern Spotlight: Q&A with Bethany Jones
• Upcoming Events: Legislative Calendar

House Passes FY2025 Amended  Budget

House Representative Matt Hatchett at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Georgia General Assembly

The House this week passed HB 67, the FY 2025 Amended Budget by a vote of 166-3. The amended budget totals $40.5 billion. In addition to revenue growth, the governor’s revenue estimate for the Amended FY 2025 budget includes $2.7 billion in surplus funds for a total infusion of $4.4 billion, or an increase of 12.2% over the original FY 2025 budget. The Amended FY 2025 budget includes significant one-time investments in the state’s infrastructure as well as Hurricane Helene relief.

The FY2025 amended recommendation of interest to Georgia State University and the University System of Georgia (USG) includes $30 million in one-time funds for the University System of Georgia (USG) for major repairs and rehabilitation at properties throughout the state.

The amended budget also provides the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) with an additional $21.3 million to fund the growing participation in the Dual Enrollment program, and $2 million for the HOPE Grant program in order to fund the increased usage and expanded eligibility of those grants.

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Speaker Jon Burns Unveils School Safety Plan

House Speaker Jon Burns at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Georgia General Assembly

House Speaker Jon Burns, alongside state officials and community leaders, has introduced a comprehensive school safety plan aimed at enhancing security in Georgia schools. The plan mandates statewide participation in a new student information-sharing database to track potential threats, requires local school systems to establish threat assessment teams, and enforces the use of an anonymous reporting app. Additionally, it provides $50 million for school safety improvements, including infrastructure enhancements and personnel support. The initiative also increases penalties for students making terroristic threats and introduces tax incentives for firearm safes and gun safety training to promote responsible gun ownership.

Speaker Burns emphasized the urgency of strengthening school security in the wake of last year’s mass shooting at Apalachee High School. The proposal prioritizes mental health by introducing qualified mental health coordinator positions and mandating violence prevention education for students. Lawmakers stress that the reforms are necessary to create a safer learning environment for students, teachers, and staff across the state. The bill will be reviewed and debated in the legislature in the coming weeks.

House Bill 268, sponsored by Rep. Holt Persinger (R-Winder), would seek to enhance school safety and mental health support by funding mental health coordinators, improving threat assessments, and streamlining student record-sharing among schools and agencies. It also establishes a statewide database to track behavioral threats and mandates agreements on student information sharing between schools and law enforcement. Assigned to the House Education Committee.  

Speaker Jon Burns Announces Legislation to Protect Girls’ Sports

House Speaker Jon Burns at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Georgia General Assembly

House Speaker Jon Burns announces the “Riley Gaines Act,” a bill aimed at preventing biological males from competing in girls’ and women’s sports at both the K-12 and collegiate levels. “This issue is simple—men don’t belong in women’s sports,” said Speaker of the House Jon Burns. “The Riley Gaines Act ensures that from now on in our state—young women who have dedicated countless hours, days, and years of their lives to become the best they can be in their sport will never be forced to face a biological male on the field, on the court, or in the locker room.” Named after former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, the bill builds upon HB 1084, a 2022 law that allows athletic associations to prohibit male students from competing in female sports. Speaker Burns emphasized that the act is designed to protect the integrity of women’s athletics and ensure fairness in competition. 

House Bill 267, sponsored by Rep. Josh Bonner (R-Fayetteville), the “Riley Gaines Act,” would define sex-based distinctions in Georgia schools by requiring restrooms, locker rooms, and overnight accommodations to be designated by biological sex. It mandates that school sports teams be classified as male, female, or co-ed, barring male participation in female-designated athletics. Assigned to the House Education Committee. 

Governor Kemp: PBS Aerospace Establishes North American HQ in Metro Atlanta

Governor Brian P. Kemp this week, announced that PBS Aerospace, a designer and manufacturer of world-class small turbojet engines, will invest up to $20 million to establish its North American headquarters, manufacturing, and R&D operations in Roswell. The new operations will create at least 95 new jobs in metro Atlanta, growing the company’s presence in the state.

PBS Aerospace Inc. is a subsidiary of PBS GROUP, an engineering holding company and has been an established brand for over 200 years. PBS Group delivers cutting-edge engineering solutions across a portfolio of companies that focus on the aerospace, energy, and transportation industries. PBS Aerospace Inc. has had a presence in the U.S. market for more than 10 years and focuses on providing highly reliable turbojet engines and auxiliary power units (APUs) for the U.S. Department of Defense and commercial customers.

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Legislation Tracker

Sonny Perdue Legislative Building
SR 95, sponsored by Sen. Greg Dolezal 
(R-Cumming), would designate the forthcoming legislative office complex as the “Sonny Perdue Legislative Building” in honor of George Ervin “Sonny” Perdue III for his decades of service to Georgia and the United States. Perdue served in the U.S. Air Force, was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 1990, and became the first Republican Governor of Georgia since Reconstruction in 2002, serving two terms. He later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald Trump and is currently Chancellor of the University System of Georgia.  Assigned to the Senate Rules Committee.    

HBCU Representation on Board of Regents
HB 203, sponsored by Rep. Floyd Griffin  (D-Milledgeville), would require at least one Board of Regents member to be a graduate of a historically Black college or university in Georgia. Assigned to the House Higher Education Committee.   

High Demand Career List 
HB 192, sponsored by Rep. Matthew Gambill (R-Cartersville), would align education programs with high-demand careers by updating course standards and career pathways. It enhances workforce development through grants, industry credentialing, and better alignment with labor market needs. Assigned to the House Education Committee.   

Tuition Grants
HB 56, sponsored by Rep. Jesse Petrea
(R-Savannah), would expand Georgia’s educational grant program to include tuition grants for the spouses of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and prison guards killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty.  The bill was heard before the House Higher Education Committee, but no votes were taken.

Foster Care Scholarship Act
SB 85, sponsored by Sen. Matt Brass
(R-Newnan), would establish the “Georgia Foster Care Scholarship Act”, to provide grants to former foster youth and adopted children for undergraduate-level postsecondary education. Assigned to the Senate Higher Education Committee. 

HOPE Scholarship & Drug Offenses
HB 206, sponsored by Rep. Eric Bell
(D-Jonesboro), would remove restrictions barring students with drug convictions from receiving scholarships and grants. Ensures eligibility for HOPE scholarships regardless of certain convictions. Assigned to the House Higher Education Committee. 

Dual Achievement Program 
HB 217, sponsored by Rep. Soo Hong
(R-Lawrenceville), would establish the Dual Achievement Program as a permanent statewide initiative. Allows eligible students to earn a high school diploma while completing technical college programs. Assigned to the House Higher Education Committee.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
HB 147, sponsored by Rep. Brad Thomas (R-Holly Springs), would require the Georgia Technology Authority to conduct an annual inventory of AI systems used by state agencies, with the first report due by December 31, 2025.  By December 31, 2026, the authority must establish comprehensive policies for AI procurement, implementation, and assessment, emphasizing the prevention of unlawful discrimination.  The bill passed  House Technology and Infrastructure Innovation Committee and is now eligible for consideration in the House Rules Committee.

SB 9, sponsored by Sen. John Albers
(R-Roswell), would criminalize the distribution of AI-generated obscene material depicting a child. It defines such material as obscene if it appeals to prurient interests, lacks value, and depicts explicit conduct. It introduces enhanced sentencing for crimes involving AI, requiring notice of intent to seek penalties and establishing penalties for using AI in specific crimes, including imprisonment and fines. The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and is now eligible for consideration in the Senate Rules Committee. 

Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act
SB 1, sponsored by Sen. Greg Dolezal 
(R-Cumming), would require middle and high schools, along with colleges and participating private schools, to designate interscholastic sports teams as either male, female, or co-ed, based on the participant’s sex at birth. Males would not be allowed to participate in any interscholastic competition on any team that is designated as female. Any student would be allowed to participate on a male or co-ed team. This legislation would also require schools that host or sponsor sporting events to provide separate changing and dressing facilities for male and female athletes based on their biological sex at birth. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 35-17 and now crosses over to the House.

Gender-Affirming Health Care
SB 39, sponsored by Sen. Blake Tillery 
(R-Vidalia), would prohibit the use of state health plans or state funds for gender-affirming care, including surgeries and hormone therapies. In this bill, no healthcare facility owned or operated by the state and no physician or other healthcare provider employed by an agency or entity of the state can provide gender-affirming care. The bill passed the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee and is now eligible for consideration in the  Senate Rules Committee.

Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) 
SB 71, sponsored by Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta), would exempt student-athletes’ compensation for their name, image, or likeness (NIL) from state income tax. Assigned to the Senate Finance Committee.   

Sports Betting and Casino Gambling
SR 131, sponsored by Sen. Carden Summers (R-Cordele), would authorize the Georgia General Assembly to provide by law for the operation and regulation of sports betting and casino gambling activities. Assigned to the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee.  

Exclude Tips from Taxation
SB 2, sponsored by Sen. Greg Dolezal 
(R-Cumming), would exempt employee tips from state income tax in Georgia. Employers must report tip earnings, and the exemption applies to all taxable years starting in 2025. The bill passed the  Senate Finance Committee  and is now eligible for consideration in the Senate Rules Committee.

Military and Veterans
SB 11, sponsored by Sen. Doc Rhett 
(D-Marietta), would allow members with at least ten years of service to obtain up to 36 months of creditable service for active military service performed on or after January 1, 1990. To be eligible, members must apply through a board-prescribed method, submit proof of qualifying active military service, and pay the full actuarial cost of the service.  The bill passed the Senate Retirement Committee and is now eligible for consideration in the  Senate Rules Committee.

HB 107, sponsored by Rep. Bethany Ballard (R-Warner Robins), would require each professional licensing board to implement procedures that allow spouses of services members, spouses of transitioning services members, and transitioning service members to qualify for digitally verifiable licenses. The bill passed the House Defense & Veterans Committee and is now eligible for consideration in the House Rules Committee.

Mandatory Kindergarten
SB 65, sponsored by Sen. Derek Mallow
(D-Savannah), would require all children to attend kindergarten before entering first grade and lowers the compulsory school attendance age from six to five. It aims to ensure early childhood education for better academic preparedness. Assigned to the Senate Education and Youth Committee. 

School Zone Speeding Violations
HB 225, sponsored by Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon), would eliminate automated traffic enforcement cameras for speeding violations in school zones. Assigned to the House Motor Vehicles Committee. 

GLIP Intern Spotlight: Q&A with Bethany Jones

Q: Where is your hometown? 
A: I am from Newnan, Georgia.

Q: What is your major? 
A: I am majoring in Political Science with a concentration in Pre-Law and getting a minor in Marketing. I’m currently a junior with plans to graduate with my bachelor’s in 2026.

Q: Who inspires you most in the world, and why do they inspire you?
A: My mom inspires me the most; she has faced many challenges in her lifetime and has overcome them all—not only exceptionally well but also with such grace. Her drive and ambition to be the best version of herself every day has always inspired me to reach for the stars when it comes to my dreams and career goals.

Q: Which office/committee are you assigned to? 
A: I am assigned to the Speaker’s Office with Representative Jon Burns.

Q: What are some of your duties as a legislative intern? 
A: I assist in helping Mrs. Dayle, the Speaker’s wife, in various ways, including setting up paperwork for meetings, making phone calls, and sending out emails. I also assist the office’s front desk: answering the phone and questions to members who come in. My office holds more of an administrative position, so we get a lot of questions concerning scheduling and placements.

Q: What do you hope to gain from the Georgia Legislative Intern Program?
A: Overall, I hope to gain experience and create a wide network of people I can keep in touch with as the years go on. Although this is a political environment, and my goal is to attend law school, I believe that this internship will provide me with many resources and experiences that are rare to get as an undergraduate student.

Q: How will this experience help you in your future career plans? 
A: Being able to experience a professional and legal environment, such as interning with GLIP, will set me up for success in my endeavors to attend law school; being able to not only understand the legislative system but also speak from experience about it creates opportunities that open many doors when it comes to networking and growing as a professional.

Q: If you could use one word to describe your experience at the Georgia Legislative Internship Program thus far, what would that word be, and why?
A: Invaluable. This internship is so unique, and as an intern, I gain hands-on experience working with professionals and assisting them in numerous ways. No task is too big or small at the Capitol and the relationships and experiences that can be made throughout this process are ones that you cannot get in other settings. 

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Upcoming Events 

 Monday, February 10, 2025

• Legislative Day 14

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

• Legislative Day 15

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

• Legislative Day 16

Thursday, February 13, 2025

• Legislative Day 17

Helpful Links
Information on legislative activities including bills and resolutions as well as webcasts of daily sessions in both chambers and committee meetings are available via the General Assembly website at www.legis.ga.gov.

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