GA Legislative Watch 2025 | Week seven

March 1, 2025
Friendly Amendment, GLW, In the News

GA Legislative Watch

By Molly Mcloughlin ● March 1, 2025
Smart Brevity™ count: 6 mins…1,588 words

Here’s to the end of a long week! Legislative days 22-25 are down with bills and lawmakers flying in and out of committee hearings in preparation for next week’s marathon voting session on Crossover Day.

1 big thing: Keeping up with AI

🤖 Lawmakers across the country are grappling with the complexities of artificial intelligence (AI), seeking to leverage its power while mitigating its risks.

From public sector applications to commercial and academic uses, states are working to strike a balance between accountability, innovation, and global competitiveness.

A key challenge lies in establishing consensus on AI’s legal definition.
Plus, there’s debate around enforcement and liability concerns if AI is used improperly.

At the federal level, Congress also continues to examine this emerging technology, but without a national plan, we may face a growing patchwork of state regulations.

🗳 Last legislative session, Rep. Brad Thomas (R-Woodstock) introduced legislation that would’ve barred political groups from using AI to sway elections.

It didn’t make it to the Senate floor despite making it across the hall and out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The conversations, however, sparked the creation of House and Senate study committees that each developed policy recommendations in the off season.

📊 Fast forward to this week. SB 37 by Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) was heard by the Economic Development Committee several times with another hearing likely scheduled for next week. The AI Accountability Act:

creates a definition for AI in state code;
requires local governments to publish data on how they’re using AI and complying with safety precautions; and
creates an appointed 12-member state board to advise them.

☎ Yes, and: U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick called Committee Chair Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) before the hearing requesting the General Assembly wait for Congress to pass legislation on AI before creating state policy.

But Sen. Albers assured that SB 37 wouldn’t have any affect on potential federal legislation, noting his bill only provides a framework to help guide local governments.

Meanwhile, SB 167 by Sen. Nikki Merritt (D-Grayson) was heard in the same committee and seeks to protect consumers against algorithmic discrimination by AI systems.

This is similar to Colorado’s landmark, and much broader anti-discrimination law requiring developers and deployers of “high-risk artificial intelligence systems use reasonable care to protect consumers.”
Colorado was the first state to act, but industry groups worry it’s too rigid and vague, while consumer advocates argue it doesn’t go far enough.

Consumer transparency is the focus of Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick’s (D-Lithonia) HB 478, heard by the Technology & Innovation Committee. It would require clear disclaimers on AI-generated content used for commercial and trade purposes.

Yes, but: Concerns were raised about the impact on small businesses, which may struggle with compliance more than large corporations.

❌ There’s also SB 9 which criminalizes the distribution of AI-generated obscene material depicting children and provides a framework to prosecute and sentence these crimes. It passed the Judiciary Committee and is waiting for a floor vote.

Big picture: The headlines on AI are constant, including those about new groups forming to tackle and research the issue. But how and when the disparate groups come together is the question, all the while AI accelerates across society.

2. Notable legislation

⚖ Nontraditional path to reform. Gov. Kemp’s litigation overhaul package was assigned to a specially created House Subcommittee of Rules, made up of hand picked lawmakers from both parties representing both sides of the issue.

The first hearing on SB 68 was dominated by two Atlanta Democrat attorneys, Reps. Stacey Evans and Tanya Miller, probing Sen. Pro Tem John Kennedy (R-Macon) on each section of the omnibus bill
More hearings and attempted changes are expected.
The Senate also unanimously passed SB 69, limiting third-party funding of lawsuits.

💰The Senate passed their version of the amended FY25 budget.

They mostly increased funding for hurricane relief and water infrastructure, and decreased funding to help prepare for Atlanta’s upcoming major sporting events.
What’s next: House and Senate leaders will negotiate their differences with Gov. Kemp, then propose the FY26 budget.

🎰 Sports betting and casino gambling is back again, with Sen. Carden Summers’ (R-Cordele) SR 131 putting it to the voters. It had a hearing and an unexpected vote – but failed to receive enough support.

The first $2B in tax revenue generated would be split evenly amongst the 159 counties.

Meanwhile, Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-Watkinsville) dropped HB 686 and HR 450 asking voters if they want to legalize online sports betting only.

The revenue generated would go to the Georgia Lottery HOPE scholarship and Pre-K funding, with up to $22.5M a year set aside for problem gambling.

On public support, the sponsor said, “In the Republican primary, they put a question on the ballot. Do you want us to decide, or do you want to decide? And over 80% of people said they want to decide. You know, certainly, that helps my Republican colleagues. As far as the Democrat side of things … we’ll see how that goes.”

Sen. Derek Mallow (D-Savannah) says the D’s are ready to negotiate.

🎓 Foster care vouchers. The Senate passed SB 152 to expand the $6.5K school voucher program to biological and adoptive children of foster care parents .

D’s wanted to expand it to all foster kids, which the sponsor contemplated but ran out of time to figure out.

Leveling the paying field. SB 34 cleared the Regulated Industries Committee 8-5, requiring data centers pay the extra cost of their energy needs so that consumers don’t have to.

“I know the PSC would like to keep the Legislature out of this, but I think this is just too huge of an issue for us not to make sure we’re taking care of the citizens” said the sponsor Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome).

The Senate Rules Chairman voted against it, signaling it may have a hard time making it to the floor.

Over-developed? Sen. Brandon Beach’s (R-Alpharetta) proposal to create the North Fulton Development Authority passed out of committee. It would be in addition to the existing Fulton County Development Authority whose board it represented by the North and South sides.

Opponents says it could cause a race to the bottom between authorities, especially if there’s no legislation to change Develop Fulton’s jurisdiction to only cover the South side.

🏘 Lots of housing talk this week.

In-state staff to manage tenant communications may be required of some residential landlords, since Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver’s (D-Decatur) HB 399 passed out of committee.
Allowing local governments to keep residential rental property databases passed out of committee via Rep. Martin Momtahan’s (R-Dallas) HB 374.
A bill limiting the number of properties that can be owned by one landlord, Rep. Derrick McCullum’s (R-Chestnut Mountain) HB 555, was heard by the Judiciary Committee.

– Our thought bubble: It’s set for another hearing on Monday but likely won’t go much further without significant changes.

Reigning in HOA’s. After gathering feedback from across the state, a bipartisan group led by Sen. Donzella James (D-Atlanta) decided enough was enough with “out of control” HOA practices and passed two bills.

SB 107 prohibits HOA’s, along with current and former members, from acquiring a property in foreclosure and strengthens the right of redemption.
SB 108 provides protections and options for owners in disputes with their associations over assessments.

3. Other political news

Boggs steps down, Gov steps up. Chief Justice Michael Boggs has announced his retirement, giving Gov. Kemp the opportunity to appoint his 5th judge to the high court and potentially even more with the ripple effect of replacements in the lower courts.

Yes, and: The remaining members chose the longest-serving Justice, Nels Peterson, to step in as Chief.

PSC members haven’t run since 2020, due to a years-long legal battle over voting rights, but SOS Brad Raffensberger just announced special elections for Districts 2 and 3 for November.

The call follows a law passed last year that also sets elections for District 5 in 2026 and Districts 1 and 4 in 2028.

🔎 Though the New Georgia Project has admitted to violating campaign finance laws in Stacy Abrams’ 2018 run for governor and agreed to pay a $300K fine, a resolution was introduced to turn the state Senate Special Committee on Investigations’ attention to her and the nonprofit.

It’s the same special committee created last year to investigate Fulton DA Fani Willis.

🥜 USAID cuts hit peanut country. Georgia-based Mana Nutrition, a nonprofit that makes peanut butter-based food for severely malnourished children abroad, said Trump’s agency cuts cost them $12M in supply contracts – citing USAID as more than 90% of its business.

4. What’s next?

😅 Crossover day! By March 6, bills must pass out of the chamber they originated in to have a chance at final passage. (But nothing’s every truly dead until 12pm-ish Sine Die on April 4.)

Legislative days 26-28 will be Mon. – Thur., with a committee work day on Wednesday.