On Thursday, March 6, the Georgia General Assembly met for the 28th day of the 2025 legislative session, also known as “Crossover Day.” This is the final day for bills to pass out of the House or Senate in order to move forward this session. Bills that do not crossover are unlikely to become law this year but are still eligible for passage next year. Below are some of the bills MAC’s Public Policy team has worked on or tracked this session and their status as of Crossover Day.
BUSINESS CLIMATE
HB 111 (Rep. Soo Hong) – reduces the individual income tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19% and provides for further reductions to 4.99% by 2027 if certain economic conditions are met. CROSSED OVER
HB 112 (Rep. Lauren McDonald) – provides a one-time tax refund ($250 per person) for individual taxpayers who filed returns for both 2023 and 2024. CROSSED OVER
HB 266 (Rep. Steven Sainz) – increases the retired military income tax exclusion to $35,000 with annual increases of $5,000 per year until it reaches $65,000 and increases the eligible age. CROSSED OVER
HB 306 (Rep. Tanya Miller) – establishes a right of action for workplace harassment against a third party or employer. DID NOT CROSS
HB 360 (Rep. Chuck Efstration) – allows approved taxpayers to claim rehabilitation tax credits for certain historic structures within ten miles of the Cabbagetown Historic District earlier than the typical timeline. CROSSED OVER
HB 376 (Rep. Scott Hilton) – raises the cap on the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit from $30 million to $50 million per year for commercial properties. DID NOT CROSS
HB 472 (Sen. Rick Jasperse) – prohibits weapons from certain outdoor locations operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. DID NOT CROSS
HB 531 (Rep. Matt Reeves) – establishes limits on municipal tort claims, capping individual recoveries at $3 million per municipality and total liability at $5 million per occurrence. CROSSED OVER
HB 555 (Rep. Derrick McCollum) – makes it unlawful to own more than 2,000 single-family residences. DID NOT CROSS
HB 559 (Rep. John Carson) – moves the sunset date for the tax exemption on data center equipment from 2031 to 2026. DID NOT CROSS
SB 12 (Sen. Frank Ginn) – clarifies that only public entities, not private businesses, must respond to open records requests. CROSSED OVER
SB 28 (Sen. Greg Dolezal) – grants the General Assembly additional authority over agency rulemaking. CROSSED OVER
SB 31 (Sen. Greg Dolezal) / HB 361 (Rep. Bethany Ballard) – exempts all U.S. military retirement benefits from Georgia income tax. CROSSED OVER / DID NOT CROSS
SB 36 (Sen. Ed Setzler) – adopts the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act into Georgia law. CROSSED OVER
SB 57 (Sen. Blake Tillery) – prohibits financial institutions or utilities from discriminating against certain individuals. Provides that individuals harmed by violations of this statute may sue the service provider. FAILED IN SENATE
SB 68 (Sen. John F. Kennedy) – revises civil practice rules related to anchoring, motions to dismiss, voluntary dismissals, double recovery of attorney’s fees, admissibility of seat belt evidence, premises liability, phantom damages, and bifurcation. CROSSED OVER
SB 69 (Sen. John F. Kennedy) – regulates third-party litigation financing practices. CROSSED OVER
INFRASTRUCTURE
HB 67 (Speaker Jon Burns) – amends the budget for the 2025 fiscal year. Includes $500,000 for the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District and $863 million for Hurricane Helene relief. SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
HB 147 (Rep. Brad Thomas) – requires the Georgia Technology Authority to conduct an annual inventory of AI systems used by state agencies, develop policies for AI procurement and implementation, and submit annual reports. CROSSED OVER
HB 164 (Rep. Steven Meeks) – removes the sunset on weight limit exceptions for certain trucks and allows local law enforcement to enforce those limits. CROSSED OVER
HB 566 (Rep. Soo Hong) – safeguards intellectual property rights, including an individual’s voice and visual likeness, in the context of AI applications, and establishes a private right of action for violations. DID NOT CROSS
SB 9 (Sen. John Albers) – criminalizes AI-generated obscene content involving minors, enhances penalties for crimes committed using AI, and establishes stricter sentencing guidelines. CROSSED OVER
SB 13 (Sen. Carden Summers) / HB 51 (Rep. James Burchett) – allows the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to finance and oversee projects related to natural gas facilities. CROSSED OVER / CROSSED OVER
SB 94 (Sen. Chuck Hufstetler) – reestablishes the Consumer Utility Counsel to represent consumers before the Public Service Commission. DID NOT CROSS
SB 111 (Sen. John Albers) – enhances consumer data protection, establishes consumer rights including opt-out, and civil penalties of up to $7,500 per violation. CROSSED OVER
TALENT DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION
HB 38 (Rep. Chuck Martin) – provides College Completion Grants eligibility to students who have completed 70 percent of a four-year or 45 percent of a two-year program. CROSSED OVER
HB 162 (Rep. Leesa Hagan) – automatically restricts and seals the record of an individual who qualifies under first offender status. CROSSED OVER
HB 192 (Rep. Matthew Gambill) – aligns the State Board of Education’s curriculum with the High-demand Career List. CROSSED OVER
SB 89 (Sen. Brian Strickland) – increases the Georgia tax credit to 40 percent of the federal credit for employers who provide childcare, and increases the dependent tax credit. CROSSED OVER
SB 120 (Sen. Marty Harbin) – withholds state funding or state-administered federal funding from any public school or public postsecondary institution if it promotes or maintains DEI activities. DID NOT CROSS
SB 180 (Sen. Clint Dixon) – expands incentives for the High Demand Apprenticeship Program to include contracts with the Technical College System. CROSSED OVER
SB 249 (Sen. Clint Dixon) / HB 487 (Rep. Bethany Ballard) – requires passage of a computer science course for high school graduation starting in the 2031-2032 school year and allows certain computer science courses to satisfy other subject credit requirements. DID NOT CROSS / DID NOT CROSS
THRIVING COMMUNITIES
HB 267 (Rep. Josh Bonner) – prohibits biological males from competing in female sports and mandates sex-specific facilities and accommodations in schools. Replaces all references of gender to sex in Georgia code. CROSSED OVER
HB 475 (Rep. Matthew Gambill) – cleans up outdated language, improves processes, and clarifies legislative intent in the Film Tax Credit program. CROSSED OVER
HB 579 (Rep. Matt Reeves) – allows division directors to issue licenses and update regulations for licensed professions to enhance efficiency. CROSSED OVER
HB 686 (Rep. Marcus Wiedower) – legalizes and regulates sports betting as a lottery game underneath the Georgia Lottery Corporation. DID NOT CROSS
SB 182 (Sen. Sonya Halpern) / HB 353 (Rep. Devan Seabaugh) – establishes the statewide Music Business Office within the Georgia Department of Economic Development. DID NOT CROSS / DID NOT CROSS
SB 207 (Sen. Brian Strickland) – requires transparency in occupational licensing for applicants with a criminal background. CROSSED OVER
HR 450 (Rep. Marcus Wiedower) – proposes a constitutional amendment to legalize sports betting and for its proceeds to fund pre-k, HOPE scholarships, and gambling addiction services. DID NOT CROSS
SR 131 (Sen. Carden Summers) – proposes a constitutional amendment to legalize sports betting and casino gaming. DID NOT CROSS
