Countdown to Sine Die

GA Legislative Watch

By Howard Franklin ● March 30, 2026
Smart Brevity™ count:3.5 mins…950 words

🖼 Big Picture: Sine Die Countdown Week

The Georgia General Assembly entered the final stretch last week as the 2026 session moved toward its scheduled adjournment. With two weeks left on the legislative clock, committees worked overtime to clear calendars and consider remaining bills.

The most critical debate centers on competing income and property tax overhauls, creating a major showdown between chambers and political parties as they weigh long-term revenue stability against immediate taxpayer relief.

Property Tax Reform (HB 1116)

Pros: Protects homeowners from rising tax burdens by capping annual revenue growth at 3% or inflation.
Cons: Critics warn it may constrain essential local services and complicate long-term education funding.

Income Tax Reductions (SB 476 & HB 880)

Pros: Aims to improve household affordability and economic competitiveness by lowering rates toward a 3.99% target.
Cons: Phasing out the tax raises concerns regarding the replacement of approximately $19 billion in annual state revenue.

⛽ 2. Legislative Developments

What passed this week: Governor Kemp signed two key affordability measures into law: the suspension of the state Gas Tax (HB 1199), saving Georgians 33.3 cents per gallon, and Tax Rebates (HB 1000)for up to $500. Other final passages include:

Historic Tax Credits (HB 376): Doubled the annual cap for the rehabilitation tax credit program, heading to the Governor’s desk.
Physician Licensing (SB 427): Establishes a pathway for internationally trained doctors to practice, addressing rural provider shortages.
High School Curricula (SB 179): Mandates computer science courses for high school graduation starting in 2031-2032.

Major Amendments/Action:

No Pay, No Stay (HB 61): Passed the Senate with an amendment protecting long-term occupants (90+ days) by requiring a 10-day notice to vacate. The bill now awaits a House agree motion.
Certificate of Need (HB 1393): Language was substituted to effectively remove CON requirements for most healthcare facilities, excluding skilled nursing facilities.
Local Licensing: HB 232 was stripped and replaced with language establishing the State Construction Industry Licensing Board.

Died: Legislation to restrict local zoning for high-density “missing middle” housing previously failed. This week, language to remove Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) of 400 sq. ft. or less from local zoning review was also gutted.

🚐 3. Local: Atlanta and Regional Governance

Transit Overhaul: A late-session push seeks to abolish the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) and the Atlanta-region Transit Link (ATL) Authority, consolidating them into the Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority (GTEA).

The controversial substitute (HB 297) would shift regional transit planning to GDOT and is now eligible for a Senate floor vote.
Separately, a change via HB 583 would ban Transit SPLOST funds from being used for free or reduced public transit fares, and mandates an eight-year waiting period if a TSPLOST referendum fails.
MARTA launched its new Breeze fare payment system on March 28.

🔌 4. Industries: Tech, Tax, and Taming Energy Costs

Technology and AI

Drone Ban Stalled: The Senate Transportation Committee tabled HB 205, which would mandate that state agencies use DoD/FAA-compliant drones rather than foreign-made models, citing security concerns.
AI Regulation: Bills advancing include SB 540 (requiring disclosures for “AI companion chatbots”) and SB 594 (creating AI-related criminal offenses and mandating disclaimers for AI-generated campaign media).

Biotech and Innovation Anchor. Gwinnett County’s 2,000-acre “knowledge community” Rowen, took a major step toward realizing its outsized potential after securing a $2 billion investment from global biopharmaceutical giant UCB.

Why it matters: This investment is the largest in the county’s history and accelerates the development of the research-focused hub that’s equidistant between Atlanta.
Zoom in: UCB’s 460,000-square-foot manufacturing facility will hold over 330 employees working on new autoimmune and neurological medicines. The county committed more than $170 million in incentives for the project.

Tax Policy and Economic Development

The Senate tax proposals (SB 476 & SB 477) advancing would repeal tax credits for existing manufacturing, telecommunications, alternative fuel vehicles, and data centers in metro Atlanta, while targeting a 3.99% income tax rate.
A key resolution passed in committee urges the Department of Community Affairs to reject the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code to protect housing affordability, arguing the updates would increase home costs by over $10,000.

Power Generation and Transmission

Legislation is advancing to shield residential and retail customers from costs associated with large-load customers, such as data centers. HB 1063 passed the House and SB 410 was amended to require protective terms in electric utility contracts with these customers

🔭 5. The Week Ahead

Sine Die time!

The Bottom Line: Expect a manic final week as the budget and major tax proposals are hammered out in negotiations, culminating in Sine Die on Thursday, April 2.

Go Deeper

Ohio River South CEO Howard Franklin argues Georgia must formalize the “City-State” partnership between Atlanta and the General Assembly to sustain the state’s economic momentum and compete with other regions like Nashville. Read the full op-ed.