The Georgia House of Representatives returned to the Gold Dome on Monday, February 2, 2026, for Legislative Day 10 as the General Assembly entered a busy fourth week of legislative activity. Now more than a quarter of the way through the session, momentum continues to build as lawmakers focus on major policy priorities. During the week, the House Appropriations Committee advanced House Bill 973, the House’s version of the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 (AFY 2026) budget, which funds state operations through June 30, 2026. The House Rules Committee later placed HB 973 on a Rules Calendar, and the full House passed the bill Thursday with bipartisan support. Alongside the amended budget, my colleagues and I voted on numerous measures on the House floor, sending several bills to the Senate for further consideration. We also convened in joint session to hear Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Nels S.D. Peterson deliver his annual State of the Judiciary Address.
Notable legislation from week four includes:
- House Bill 973 – Amended Fiscal Year 2026 (AFY 2026) Budget (Passed by the House; pending Senate consideration)
- Developed using a revised revenue estimate of $42.3 billion, including $3.3 billion in surplus funds, resulting in a $4.5 billion total increase—11.9 percent above the original FY 2026 budget.
- Reflects House priorities including taxpayer relief, education, healthcare, public safety, transportation and infrastructure.
- Provides $300 million in state-matching funds for the need-based DREAMS Scholarship program.
- Allocates $11 million for HOPE scholarships, bringing total AFY 2026 funding for HOPE to $907 million.
- Includes $9 million for the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement to create a statewide Career Navigator System.
- Directs $366 million for $2,000 pay supplements for K–12 teachers and school staff, and $17.2 million through DECAL for early learning educators.
- Funds the QBE midterm enrollment adjustment with $43.9 million and includes additional resources for school social workers, mental health services and school security initiatives.
- Provides $300,250 to GOSA to support America250 literacy and civic engagement initiatives.
- Allocates $850 million from the state’s undesignated surplus to fully fund the Homeowner Tax Relief Grant program for the 2026 tax year.
- Includes $50 million for the State Housing Trust Fund to address homelessness across Georgia.
- Supports economic recovery and growth with $10.9 million for the Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative.
- Invests $92.9 million in the Georgia Department of Corrections, including funding for technology, security upgrades and inmate healthcare services.
- Recommends $220 million to design and construct a new 480-bed private prison facility to address future capacity needs.
- Directs $4.8 million to establish the Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Trust Fund.
- Makes significant transportation investments, including $1.7 billion for I-75 express lane expansion, $250 million for road resurfacing and $85 million for rural bridge repairs.
- Strengthens healthcare access by funding graduate medical education, rural residency promotion, rural clinic development and spinal injury services.
- Allocates $20.7 million for a forensic restoration facility in Augusta and $27 million to begin construction of a new Georgia Regional Hospital in Atlanta.
- Fully addresses the DFCS funding shortfall with $82.7 million and restores foster care support contracts with $1.6 million.
- Includes $1 million for veteran mental health and traumatic brain injury treatment and $17.5 million for emergency preparedness, nonprofit security grants and NextGen 911 improvements.
- House Bill 659 – Optometry Workforce and Education Support (Passed by the House; pending Senate consideration)
- Expands state loan repayment and financial assistance programs to include optometrists.
- Seeks to improve access to vision and eye care services, particularly in rural areas.
- Supported by $29.8 million in AFY 2026 funding to establish a College of Optometry at Georgia Southern University.
- House Bill 350 – Safe Place for Newborns Act Update (Passed by the House; pending Senate consideration)
- Authorizes eligible facilities to install newborn safety devices for anonymous infant surrender.
- Applies to fire stations, medical facilities, police stations and ambulance services.
- Requires devices to be monitored at all times by EMS personnel.
- Provides legal protections for mothers surrendering newborns under 30 days old.
- Relies on private donations and grassroots funding rather than state appropriations.
- House Bill 946 – Feral Hog Population Control (Passed by the House; pending Senate consideration)
- Allows trapping and killing of feral hogs on private property without a hunting or trapping license.
- Permits the use of drones to locate feral hogs.
- Addresses an invasive species responsible for approximately $150 million in agricultural losses annually.
- Supported by the Department of Natural Resources.
- House Bill 985 – Veterans Burial Eligibility Expansion (Passed unanimously by the House; pending Senate consideration)
- Extends burial eligibility to Georgia residents who served honorably in the Hmong Laotian Special Guerrilla Unit between 1961 and 1975.
- Builds upon House Bill 53 from the 2025 legislative session.
- Aligns state policy with federal standards for defining a full term of service.
- House Bill 1193 – Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026 (Introduced; awaiting committee and floor consideration)
- Provides QBE funding for literacy coaches in all public schools serving kindergarten through third grade.
- Offers professional development aligned with the science of reading.
- Ensures access to high-quality instructional materials.
- Establishes the Georgia Literacy Task Force to guide statewide literacy efforts.
- House Resolution 251 – Nonpartisan Election of Probate Judges (Pending consideration)
- Proposes a constitutional amendment to end partisan elections for probate judges.
- Builds upon House Bill 426, passed during the 2025 session, which addressed magistrate judges.
- House Bill 557 (Passed by the House; pending Senate consideration)
- Increases the number of superior court judges in the Northeastern Judicial Circuit from five to six.
- House Bill 629 (Passed by the House; pending Senate consideration)
- Codifies the use of bleeding control kits in K–12 schools through the Georgia Trauma Commission program.
- House Bill 945 (Passed by the House; pending Senate consideration)
- Updates Georgia’s banking and financial laws.
- Allows temporary transaction holds to prevent suspected financial exploitation of elderly or disabled adults.
- Establishes trusted contact procedures and disclosure requirements for virtual currency kiosks.
- House Bill 960 (Passed by the House; pending Senate consideration)
- Expands the number of superior court judges in the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit from 11 to 12.
- House Bill 980 (Passed by the House; pending Senate consideration)
- Establishes the Georgia-Ireland Trade Commission to promote economic and cultural partnerships.
- House Bill 999 (Passed by the House; pending Senate consideration)
- Clarifies costs associated with court-connected alternative dispute resolution programs.
- Confirms the effective date for nonpartisan magistrate elections.
The House will reconvene on Monday, February 9, 2026. The coming weeks will continue at a fast pace as we work through critical legislation impacting communities across Georgia. If you are ever visiting the Capitol, please contact my office to arrange a meeting. As always, I encourage you to remain engaged and share any concerns you or your family may have regarding our community and our state. You may reach me by email at dale.washburn@house.ga.gov or by phone at 404-656-0152.
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