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House Floor
Following an eventful eighth week of session, during which we passed 72 bills on “Crossover Day” alone, the House got back to work on Monday, March 4 for Legislative Days 29 - 32.
In the ninth week, our attention shifted to reviewing and voting on Senate Bills following the “Crossover Day” deadline last week. We also continued making progress by passing the House’s version of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget which was passed in the House on Thursday, March 7th.
This week, the House passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 2025) budget, House Bill 916, fulfilling our one constitutional obligation for the session. The FY 2025 budget will go into effect on July 1 of this year and is set at a revenue estimate of $36.1 billion, representing a historic increase of $3.6 billion, or 11.3 percent, over the previous fiscal year’s budget. The passage of this budget marks a significant milestone in Georgia's commitment to addressing the many needs of its citizens and reflects a robust investment across various sectors for the state’s growth and prosperity.
Summary of House Bill 916, click to download
The House’s FY 2025 budget is now on its way to the Senate where it is expected to undergo additional revisions before receiving final passage.
Streamlining Licensure
In addition to voting on the budget, we also gave passage to a measure this week to bolster our workforce, particularly within veterinary clinics and organizations. Senate Bill 410 would require the State Board of Veterinary Medicine to allow individuals with an active veterinary license or veterinary technician license from another state to acquire a license to practice in certain shelters or clinics in our state. By December 31, 2024, the board would be required to implement a process that would allow technicians in good standing with another state to qualify for a one-time, temporary six-month license to practice in government or nonprofit shelter medicine, nonprofit sterilization clinics or nonprofit mobile sterilization programs registered in Georgia.
Supporting First Responders
Supporting Georgia's first responders is crucial for ensuring public safety and maintaining the safety of communities across the state, and as such, my House colleagues and I gave final passage to Senate Bill 334, the Helping Firefighters Beat Cancer Act. This legislation would facilitate the transfer of benefits granted to eligible firefighters when they transition to another fire department within Georgia. This measure would ensure that firefighters who move between departments could continue to receive access to crucial benefits aimed at supporting and providing them with adequate coverage in the event of accidents, injuries or illnesses, such as cancer from hazardous chemicals, incurred while on duty. Firefighters fearlessly serve every community across our state and are subjected to greater risks of being diagnosed with cancer by simply doing their jobs. I was proud to vote in favor of this legislation to support these brave men and women and ensure that they have the insurance coverage needed.
Additional bills from Week 9 - click to download
Additional bills from Week 9 - click for PDF
Committee Schedules
House Committees meet often; I serve on nine committees in addition to leading House Higher Education. Full committee schedules are available online by clicking here.
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