Tracking Our Priorities in Georgia Legislature
Steps for a Georgia Bill to Become Georgia Law
Where Are We In the Legislative Session?
As of August 8, 2023 (this page’s last update), we have just completed the 2023 Legislative Session. This session has ended with several bills passed and policy priorities addressed. To learn more about the bills that passed and failed, as well as the key policy areas focused on this year, check out our Sine Die blog and 2023 policy priorities page.
Bills We Are Watching
Promote State Government Transparency
Without data and state adherence to established statutes and rules for sharing information related to government activities, Georgians cannot hold elected officials accountable for their actions and decisions, and the ability of our state’s people to meaningfully participate in the legislative process is compromised.
Fund State Government Equitably and Responsibly
Analyze state budget proposals to ensure the result is fair and sufficiently appropriates funding for critical services and programs like health and education.
Advance fiscally responsible tax reform proposals that strengthen state revenue, protect existing revenue streams and support working families.
House Bill 79/Senate Bill 118
House Bill 413
Authorizes $100 million in new tax credits to finance an expensive tax credit program that operates through state-sponsored quasi-venture capital funds, seeking to replicate a failed multi-level lending scheme that has been discontinued in multiple states after failing to produce promised jobs or revenues and serving as a magnet for waste, fraud and abuse.
House Bill 489
House Bill 581
Senate Bill 56
Formerly HB 454, in an improvement from last session's HB 1437, this bill reverses a regressive policy change that would have eliminated the state’s standard deduction. However, the legislation weakens the triggers required to authorize future reductions to the state’s income tax rate by shortening the look-back period for state revenue collections from five to three years. Lawmakers can improve this legislation by substituting a proposed credit for taxpayers who itemize with an Earned Income Tax Credit, or Georgia Work Credit, to prioritize families with lower incomes, rather than adding to the multitude of tax benefits already available to those with higher incomes. This bill also includes the digital downloads tax that was formerly in HB 170.
Ensure a Foundation for Families’ Economic Security
Enact policies like paid family medical leave and protect Georgia’s safety net programs from budget cuts and legislative proposals that threaten an equitable economic recovery.
House Bill 129
Expand TANF eligibility criteria to pregnant women.
House Bill 565
Build Healthy Communities
Increase access to affordable health care by removing the 5-year waiting period, fully expanding Medicaid, improving transitions to other forms of coverage, addressing behavioral health staffing shortages and establishing accountability and community-led decision-making for opioid settlement funding.
House Bill 37
House Bill 38
House Bill 62
Ensure Equitable Education
Creating and funding an Opportunity Weight to provide additional money to educate students living in poverty, shining a light on efforts to divert state dollars away from public schools and increasing state investment in pupil transportation through formula increases.
House Bill 101
Increases the existing tax-credit voucher cap. School vouchers like these take public money from public schools and gives them to private schools.
House Bill 249
House Bill 335
House Bill 380
Senate Bill 172
Senate Bill 233
Senate Resolution 140
Strengthen Supports for Workers
Lower financial barriers to college success, remove barriers to short-term training opportunities and increase the state minimum wage to meet a livable standard of pay.
House Bill 518
House Bill 556
Senate Bill 160
Senate Bill 190
Reestablishes administrative assessment funding to the Department of Labor. Reduces employers' contributions toward UI Trust Fund solvency permanently.
Empower Immigrant Communities
Support tuition equity legislation, expand driver’s licenses, expand language access, and ensure state policies are inclusive of the immigrant community.
Create a Fairer Criminal Legal System
Increase safeguards against unpayable fines and fees to protect Georgians experiencing poverty from being punished or criminalized due to lack of economic resources.
House Bill 348
Senate Bill 100
Senate Bill 157
