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Progressing Legislation
Governor’s Tort Reform Package
SB 68, by Sen. John F. Kennedy, passed the Senate today. Among other measures, this bill allows a jury to know whether the plaintiff wore their seatbelt in an auto accident; provides truthful calculation of medical damages paid in personal injury cases; eliminates attorneys’ ability to arbitrarily anchor pain and suffering damages to a jury; and eliminates double recovery of attorney’s fees. ACCG supports this bill.
Staff Contact: Todd Edwards, Director of Governmental Affairs; tedwards@accg.org
House Bill 581 (2024) Cleanup
HB 92, by Rep. Shaw Blackmon, extends the opt-out deadline for HB 581 (2024) until March 31, 2025; limits the floating homestead to apply to no more than five acres; makes adjustments to the estimated rollback rate statute; allows local governments that have opted out to opt back in by March 31, 2025; and clarifies that the tax relief is automatically provided to a surviving spouse. This bill passed the House and has been assigned to the Senate Finance Committee. ACCG supports this bill.
Staff Contact: Dante Handel, Associate Director of Governmental Affairs; dhandel@accg.org
Next Generation 9-1-1
HB 423, by Rep. Will Wade passed the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. This bill amends Georgia’s emergency communications laws to modernize the state’s 9-1-1 system by implementing Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) services. It revises definitions and updates the responsibilities of the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority (GECA) to oversee and enforce standards for a statewide NG9-1-1 network. It also requires all new 9-1-1 systems conform to wireless enhanced 9-1-1 or NG9-1-1 standards, ensuring interoperability, security, and efficiency. ACCG supports this bill.
Staff Contact: Doug Reineke, Governmental Affairs Contractor; dreineke@accg.org
Truck Weights Sunset Removal
HB 164, by Rep. Steven Meeks, removes the sunset on the increased truck weight limits passed under HB 189 (2023). This bill passed the House Transportation Committee. ACCG is neutral on this bill as introduced, contingent upon no substantive changes to weights, commodities, or the non-attainment area, as well as no changes to currently proposed budget measures such as Local Road Assistance (LRA) and Local Maintenance and Improvement Grants (LMIG).
Staff Contact: Dante Handel, Associate Director of Governmental Affairs; dhandel@accg.org
Annexation Arbitration Dispute Panel Process Revision
HB 155, by Rep. Victor Anderson, progresses to the Senate after passing through the House Chamber this week. This bill aims to assist the Department of Community Affairs in appointing annexation arbitration panels by expanding the panelist pool to include county and city managers/administrators, increasing panelist compensation, and timeline revisions, among other provisions. ACCG is supportive of this bill, which is one of ACCG’s 2025 Policy Objectives.
Staff Contact: Kaylon Day, Governmental Affairs Associate; kday@accg.org
Bill Relating to a New City Sets Dangerous Precedent
SB 138, by Sen. Clint Dixon, passed out of the Senate. While the bill currently only applies to Gwinnett County and the new city of Mulberry, it sets a dangerous precedent for existing and new cities to pursue statewide. Among its service delivery provisions, city taxpayers will only have to pay the actual cost (narrowly defined) for the county police services received. The city will control the road right of way (ROW) and collect franchise fees, while the county (thus all county taxpayers) will pay for ROW maintenance. Additionally, the city will collect stormwater fees, but the county will fund stormwater services. Any violation by the county waives its sovereign immunity and the official immunity of all county officers for all claims for one year. ACCG opposes this bill.
Staff Contact: Kaylon Day, Governmental Affairs Associate; kday@accg.org
School Zone Speed Detection Devices
HB 225, by Rep. Dale Washburn, passed out of the House Motor Vehicles Committee this week and repeals laws that allow the enforcement of speeding violations in school zones using automated traffic enforcement safety devices. It prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from entering or renewing contracts for such enforcement. This bill received considerable attention in the House Rules Committee, with many legislators sharing concerns regarding the legislation. The bill remains in House Rules. ACCG is negotiating this bill and others similarly related.
Staff Contact: Doug Reineke, Governmental Affairs Contractor; dreineke@accg.org
Superior Court Judge Compensation
HB 85 by Rep. Rob Leverett, passed the House and progresses to the Senate. This bill revises the salary structure and compensation rules for superior court judges, introducing locality pay as an alternative to county salary supplements. Beginning July 1, 2025, superior court judges' salaries will be determined by the General Assembly, with the option for locality pay of up to 10% of the state salary. Judges in office by this date can opt for locality pay instead of county supplements, while those who decline will maintain their current compensation. ACCG supports this bill as it is currently written.
Staff Contact: Doug Reineke, Governmental Affairs Contractor; dreineke@accg.org
Sales Tax Exemption for Concrete Mixers
HB 153, by Rep. Beth Camp, extends the sales tax exemption for concrete mixers until June 30, 2031. This bill passed the House Ways and Means Committee this week. ACCG opposes this bill.
Staff Contact: Dante Handel, Associate Director of Governmental Affairs; dhandel@accg.org
Personal Information Protection for Judges
HB 199, by Rep. Trey Kelley, passed the House and progresses to the Senate. This bill enhances protections for the personally identifiable information of judges and their spouses. It eliminates the requirement for the Administrative Office of the Courts to maintain a database of protected individuals and their information. Instead, it creates a statewide form allowing protected persons to request the removal or redaction of their personal information from public records. State and local governments will be required to comply with such requests following specified procedures. ACCG supports this bill as it is currently written.
Staff Contact: Doug Reineke, Governmental Affairs Contractor; dreineke@accg.org
EMS Essential Service
HB 209, by Rep. Gary Richardson, passed out of the House Health Committee. It designates emergency medical services, including ambulance services, as essential services in the state. It clarifies that this designation applies regardless of whether services are provided by public, private nonprofit, or for-profit entities. This bill does not alter the existing structure of service provision through local coordinating entities within territorial zones and health districts. Additionally, it does not grant any new authority, oversight, or regulatory power to state or local governments. ACCG is neutral on this bill.
Staff Contact: Doug Reineke, Governmental Affairs Contractor; dreineke@accg.org
Local Government Compensation to Property Owners
HB 295, by Rep. Houston Gaines, passed the House Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee. This bill mandates that local governments compensate property owners for actions affecting their property value under certain conditions. Some of these conditions include noncompliance with immigration policies and failure to enforce prohibitions on illegal camping, shoplifting, and panhandling. The sovereign immunity of local government is waived to the extent necessary for enforcing this legislation. ACCG is negotiating this bill.
Staff Contact: Kaylon Day, Governmental Affairs Associate; kday@accg.org
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