The Georgia House of Representatives reconvened on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, to begin the sixth week of the legislative session following the President’s Day holiday. This week marked an important milestone in our work under the Gold Dome. By the end of the week, we completed Legislative Day 22, meaning we are officially more than halfway through the 2026 legislative session. With a full schedule of committee hearings and floor votes this week, we continued working diligently to advance meaningful bills through the legislative process. The weeks ahead will bring long days in the House Chamber as we remain steadfast in our work to pass legislation that benefits our communities and strengthens our state.
Notable legislation from week six includes:
- House Bill 1063
- Would prohibit electric utilities from passing along construction and operational costs of large data centers (100 megawatts or more annual electricity demand) to residential or retail customers.
- Addresses unprecedented growth in energy demand from data centers across Georgia.
- Follows work by the House Special Committee on Resource Management Water Subcommittee and Energy Subcommittee, which studied the industry, toured facilities and met with community leaders.
- Would codify Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) cost allocation rules into state law to prevent them from being weakened, reinterpreted or bypassed.
- Establishes four contract requirements for electric service to qualifying data centers:
- Minimum billing requirements to ensure facilities cover their own service costs.
- Flexible contract terms reflecting project scale.
- Performance and credit protections to safeguard ratepayers in the event of default.
- Termination provisions to protect ratepayers if a contract ends early.
- Leaves determination of incremental costs to the PSC to maintain regulatory flexibility.
- Applies only to new data center contracts; existing agreements remain unchanged.
- Establishes groundwork for responsible economic growth as the data center industry expands.
- House Bill 419
- Requires institutions within the University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia to make opioid antagonists, such as naloxone, readily available.
- Permits students, visitors and university employees to possess opioid antagonists on campus or at university-sponsored activities.
- Requires institutions to maintain a supply for overdose emergencies.
- Mandates campuses with one or more Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to store opioid antagonists within three feet of the AED.
- Authorizes university personnel to administer an opioid antagonist in good faith during a suspected overdose.
- Grants immunity from civil liability or professional discipline to personnel who administer the medication.
- Seeks to expand access to life-saving medications and prevent opioid overdose deaths on college campuses.
- House Bill 256
- Renames the “Foster Parents Bill of Rights” to the “Foster Placements Bill of Rights.”
- Extends statutory rights to relative caregivers and fictive kin.
- Adds protections, including the right to apply a reasonable and prudent parent standard for extracurricular activities.
- Allows caregivers to request a trained, certified volunteer advocate during meetings with the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) when the foster child is present.
- Protects caregivers from retaliation for filing complaints with the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS).
- Affirms the right to seek and obtain independent legal counsel regarding foster placement status.
- Supports caregivers navigating the fostering process while caring for vulnerable children.
- House Bill 943
- Directs DFCS to create a five-year pilot program for autism spectrum disorder screenings and clinical evaluations for children in foster care.
- Based on five years of research conducted by pediatric healthcare professionals specializing in autism in partnership with Georgia Southern University.
- Research indicates proper diagnosis can reduce average placements for foster children with autism from 5.5 to 2.4.
- Requires DFCS to provide training and resources for providers, directors, supervisors, case managers, staff, healthcare providers and caregivers.
- Launches in three regional service areas, expanding annually statewide.
- Prioritizes children diagnosed with ADHD or reactive attachment disorder or prescribed psychotropic medications.
- Requires plans for incremental expansion, caregiver communication strategies, adequate medical consultants and staffing support.
- Mandates annual reporting through July 1, 2031.
- Aims to provide earlier intervention and greater stability for foster children with autism.
- House Bill 970
- Expands qualified professionals who can conduct sports physicals to include licensed medical physicians, doctors of osteopathic medicine, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
- Increases timely access to care, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
- Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, requires cardiovascular prescreening based on guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.
- Requires use of the State Board of Education’s approved form.
- Maintains one-year validity for examinations.
- Provides parents with educational materials on warning signs and causes of sudden cardiac arrest.
- Seeks to proactively identify health risks and prevent tragedies in school sports.
- House Bill 1161
- Requires drivers to move as far as possible to the right-hand side of the roadway during traffic stops initiated by law enforcement using audible and visual signals.
- Clarifies state law following court determinations that the requirement was not explicitly outlined.
- Requires drivers to stop parallel and as close as possible to the right-hand edge or curb, clear of intersections, and remain stopped until directed otherwise.
- Permits drivers to proceed to a reasonably safe location if immediate stopping would be unsafe, using hazard lights or a turn signal.
- Extends Georgia’s existing “move over” requirements to traffic stops.
- Seeks to improve safety for motorists, emergency responders and law enforcement.
- House Bill 1061 – The “Mandi Ballinger Act”
- Creates a 12-member organizational committee chaired by the House Committee on Judiciary Juvenile and Senate Judiciary Committee chairs.
- Tasked with preparing Georgia for potential inclusion of certain 17-year-olds in the juvenile court system.
- Requires examination of best practices, national juvenile justice standards and operational, security, technological and infrastructure needs.
- Mandates consultation with law enforcement, juvenile court attorneys and youth advocates.
- Requires a detailed report by December 1, 2027, to the governor, lieutenant governor and General Assembly.
- Initiates formal planning regarding raising the juvenile court age to 18.
- Seeks a careful, fiscally responsible transition that protects public safety and supports rehabilitation.
Additional legislation passed during week six includes:
- House Bill 541: Expands tuition equalization grants to certain accredited nursing-focused institutions meeting performance standards to help address Georgia’s nursing shortage.
- House Bill 662: Expands the definition of rural hospital organization to include rural freestanding emergency departments meeting specified location and care requirements.
- House Bill 818: Allows certain Georgia Tax Court employees hired after July 1, 2026, to join the Judicial Retirement System and transfer eligible service credit.
- House Bill 956: Adds an additional allowable use for the Solid Waste Trust Fund to support solid waste management oversight and enforcement.
- House Bill 964: Provides tax exemptions for certain nonprofit entities delivering fire protection services to local governments.
- House Bill 987: Authorizes voluntary portable benefit accounts for independent contractors without creating an employer-employee relationship.
- House Bill 1020: Requires district attorneys hired after June 30, 2026, to reach age 65 for full Judicial Retirement System benefits.
- House Bill 1022: Bans electric window tinting and digital license plates, establishing fines for violations.
- House Bill 1027: Permits local governments to enter into long-term contracts for solar, wind, and electric power services.
- House Bill 1086: Requires certain buildings with light-frame truss construction to post firefighter safety notices.
- House Bill 1096: Allows certain county health employees to retain accrued leave when transitioning to state employment.
- House Bill 1121: Updates the court terms for the Cordele Judicial Circuit to begin January 1 and July 1.
- House Bill 1181: Requires submission of the last out-of-state title when applying for a vehicle title inherited from a decedent.
- House Bill 1182: Restricts storage and handling of certain industrial byproduct soil amendments near property lines and roads.
- House Bill 1199: Updates Georgia’s conformity to the Internal Revenue Code for tax year 2026.
- House Bill 1202: Corrects a technical drafting error in state law.
On Monday, February 23, we will return to the Capitol for our seventh week of session beginning with our first committee workday. A full slate of committee meetings is scheduled to focus on reviewing legislation ahead of Crossover Day. These meetings are critical to ensuring priority legislation is thoroughly considered, vetted and passed out of committee, giving these bills the opportunity to be placed on a Rules Calendar and brought before the full House for a vote. I encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns regarding measures under consideration this session. Your feedback is important, and I welcome the opportunity to hear from you. Please don’t hesitate to schedule a call or plan a visit to the Capitol to discuss issues that matter to you and your family. You may contact me at my Capitol office by email at dale.washburn@house.ga.gov or by phone at 404-656-0152.
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