Georgia First’s 2026 Sine Die Report

Last Thursday, April 2, marked Georgia First’s fifth Sine Die since our founding and the end of an eventful two-year biennium. Sine Die represents the final day of legislative session, and thus the final day the General Assembly can pass legislation and send bills to the governor’s desk. Now, Governor Kemp has 40 days to either sign or veto legislation — a May 12 deadline. Notably, this is Governor Kemp’s final legislative session as governor, and therefore his last opportunity to meaningfully alter Georgia law through his veto powers.

As is typical, lawmakers worked late into the night on Sine Die, finally wrapping the session after 1:00 AM Friday morning. Georgia First was on the ground at the capitol until that final gavel, and we were pleased to see many of the bills we supported in our mid-session Crossover Report pass  — including several education bills that will help to strengthen Georgia’s future by preparing our next generation of leaders. In contrast, we watched with deep concern as lawmakers thrust Georgia’s democracy onto shaky ground by failing to resolve crucial elections policy questions despite the looming July 1 deadline for removing QR codes from voters’ ballots.

In this Sine Die Report, we outline the final status of the priority bills we identified in our Crossover Report and our view of Georgia First’s key policy priorities. At the conclusion of this legislative session, we see many wins for our state, but also many opportunities for us to redouble our efforts to secure a healthy, prosperous, and fair future for all Georgians.

Budget and Tax Update

State law mandates a balanced budget by the close of the legislative session each year. This year’s budget, HB 974, was passed on Sine Die as a compromise between the House and Senate proposals, cementing a $38.5 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2027.

Included in this budget were several education provisions, including funding for HB 1193 through the Quality Basic Education funding formula. This bill places a qualified literacy coach in every Georgia public school with students enrolled in kindergarten through 3rd grade; encourages Georgia families to start kindergarten at age five; and establishes the Georgia Literacy Task Force, providing universal reading screener products and helping select the coaches in each school. The budget also updates funding to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia for online classes, decreasing this budget by about $34 million to reflect lower costs for the provision of online classes.

On healthcare, the budget includes some increases in billing codes for Medicaid services and provides funding for 124 new medical residency slots in the state, representing a commitment to keeping healthcare providers in Georgia. The budget also funded 500 New Option Waiver Program/Comprehensive Support Waiver Program (NOW/COMP) Medicaid waivers designed to help people with disabilities access services in their own communities rather than be forced to seek care far from home.

Turning to taxes, the budget approved a cut to Georgia’s income tax that will lower the rate to 3.99% if fiscal conditions are met. The budget also exempts tax on tips and overtime up to $1,750. These provisions were passed in conjunction with HB 134, which raised the standard deduction for single filers to $50,000 and the standard deduction for married Georgians filing jointly to $100,000.

Healthcare

This legislative session included some wins for healthcare in our state, but there is still much work to be done to ensure access to care for all Georgians. Georgia First was pleased to see SB 427 passed and sent to Gov. Kemp for signature. This bill will create a limited provisional license for internationally trained physicians to practice medicine under supervision in rural counties, licensed hospitals, and medical schools. While this is an important step in attracting more medical professionals to Georgia, more must be done to provide access to care for patients.

This year’s session included attempts to expand Medicaid in both the House and Senate — specifically via proposed amendments to HB 1276 and SB 440. These attempts were not ultimately successful, but they do serve as important reminders of the urgency of Medicaid expansion in the wake of federal policy changes that will worsen the uninsurance rate and pummel our healthcare economy. We were also disappointed to see the original language of HB 506 — which would have allowed for Medicaid coverage of tobacco cessation treatments — not passed this session. Georgia First looks forward to continuing our efforts to support access and affordability in healthcare for all Georgians.

Democracy and Elections

As anticipated in our Crossover Report, SB 214 ultimately served as a legislative vehicle for a range of elections-related provisions but, as referenced above, we were shocked that it did not pass prior to adjournment on Sine Die. The bill would have extended the July 1, 2026 deadline for removing QR codes from ballots to 2028 and required the implementation of a new voting system allowing for hand-marked paper ballots in conjunction with optical scanners.

Although the House passed SB 214 on Sine Die, the Senate did not take up the bill for final agreement, leaving the legislation incomplete. As a result, Georgia’s elections system currently lacks a clear statutory path forward ahead of the July deadline. With critical state and federal decisions to make in November, Georgian voters deserve to have answers and a path forward as soon as possible that will allow for an orderly and fair election process. Further delay will only serve to shorten the time officials have to prepare for the election, creating a dangerous potential for mass confusion, irregularities, and disenfranchisement.

While the legislature’s failure to resolve this issue puts us into uncharted territory, there are several possibilities for what could come next — each presenting distinct challenges. The governor could call a special session to address elections-related legislation, though such actions are rare. Alternatively, the courts could become involved in determining a path forward, though this would be relatively unprecedented and the scope of any remedy would be uncertain. A third possibility is unilateral executive action; however, an executive order addressing elections administration would also be unprecedented and likely subject to legal challenge.

Georgia First will be watching closely for updates on this election policy situation, and will continue to offer solutions and vocally support our democratic system. Regardless of the mechanism ultimately used to resolve this dilemma, we encourage decisionmakers to find a transparent, financially sustainable solution that gives voters peace of mind and clear instructions. It is crucial that this issue is resolved swiftly but thoughtfully —  hasty decisions could cause chaos and erode voter confidence on the precipice of an election.

Final Thoughts

The end of this biennium represents an important time to re-center and reflect on the work ahead. We at Georgia First look forward to continuing our efforts to grow the strength and welfare of our state, her people, and our collective future. We will continue to update you on forthcoming election-related policy, and in the meantime will be continuing to work with lawmakers on our key priorities: fighting for a strong economy, more access to affordable health care, and the right to easily and safely vote.

As always, thank you for your continued support of our organization and our mission of strengthening and growing Georgia’s middle class.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me (natalie.crawford@Georgia1st.org) with any questions!

Crossover Bills + Status

Below is a full update on the bills we prioritized in our Crossover Report:

Strong Support

• HB 1193 – Places a qualified literacy coach in every Georgia public school with students enrolled in kindergarten through 3rd grade, encourages Georgia families to start kindergarten at age five, and establishes the Georgia Literacy Task Force, providing universal reading screener products and helping select the coaches in each school.
  • Passed and agreed – heads to Gov. Kemp for signature
• SB 427 – Creates a limited provisional license for certain internationally trained physicians, allowing them to practice medicine under supervision in rural counties, licensed hospitals, or accredited medical schools in Georgia.
  • Passed and agreed – heads to Gov. Kemp for signature
• HB 1030 – Updates Georgia’s approach to math education by requiring the State Board of Education to set standards for advanced math courses and mandating that local school districts offer those courses.
  • Passed and agreed – heads to Gov. Kemp for signature

Support

• HB 506 – Allows for Medicaid coverage of tobacco cessation treatments.
  • Bill passed as substitute – language covering Medicaid coverage of tobacco cessation treatments not included
• HB 1123 – Requires certain schools that offer after-school programs to make such programs available to pre-kindergarten students on the same basis as the school’s other students.
  • Passed and agreed – heads to Gov. Kemp for signature
• HB 963 – Prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to or participating in any campaign to bring about the approval or rejection by the voters of any proposed question which appears on the ballot.
  • Dead – did not pass Senate committee
• SB 369 – Expands state oversight of nontraditional education and charter schools, including establishing a framework for dropout recovery charter schools and related policies.
  • Passed and agreed – heads to Gov. Kemp for signature
• HB 907 – Requires certain local school systems to partner with completion special schools or provide equivalent dropout prevention and credit recovery services, and establishes coordination, student outreach, and enrollment requirements.
  • Passed and agreed – heads to Gov. Kemp for signature

Oppose

• HB 947 – Tightens Georgia’s administration of SNAP eligibility, verification, and oversight requirements.
  • Georgia First is concerned that HB 947 would impose unnecessary verification requirements that could make it harder for eligible Georgians to access SNAP benefits while increasing administrative burden for the state.
  • Did not pass
• HB 397 – Restructures the State Election Board, tightens rules on election administration and absentee voting, restricts participation in certain interstate voter-roll programs, revises timelines for special elections, and expands reporting and poll watcher access.
  • Passed both House and Senate, but was not taken back up in the House for an agree, leaving it without final passage to the governor
  • HB 397 includes several constructive reforms — particularly around transparency and election administration stability. However, Georgia First remains concerned that some provisions may unnecessarily restrict voter participation or complicate voter list maintenance. We are encouraging lawmakers to ensure that any changes strengthen both election integrity and voter access should this legislation come back up in a special session later this year.

Watching

• HB 54 – Allows advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants (PAs) to order home health services, create treatment plans, and determine medical necessity for equipment and supplies, roles previously limited to physicians.
  • Passed and agreed – heads to Gov. Kemp for signature
• SB 214 – As written, requires the use of optical scan voting with paper ballots and “ballot-on-demand” printing statewide.
  • Passed both the Senate and the House, but was not taken back up in the Senate for an agree, leaving it without final passage to the governor
  • Final provisions included:
    • Requires Georgia to transition to a statewide voting system by 2028 that uses optical scanners and and allows for hand-marked paper ballots.
    • Authorizes and regulates ballot-on-demand printing
    • Changes the recount threshold from .5% to 1%
    • Expands priority voting to voters with children under the age of 2 for advance voting and election day
• HB 134 – Drops the personal and corporate income tax rates from 5.19% to 4.99% in 2026. The bill also raises the standard deduction for single filers to $50,000. It raises the standard deduction for married filers filing jointly to $100,000. The standard deduction changes go into effect beginning in 2027. To finance these changes, the bill ends dozens of existing tax breaks beginning in 2027.
  • Passed and agreed – heads to Gov. Kemp for signature
• HB 463 – Drops the personal income tax rate to 4.49% in 2027 and 3.99% in 2028, dependent upon the meeting of certain revenue goals. This bill is companion legislation to HB 134.
  • Passed and agreed – heads to Gov. Kemp for signature
• HB 1276 – Restricts Medicaid eligibility by allowing the Department of Community Health to require further document verification, expanded state and federal data checks, and mandating regular eligibility reviews.
  • While this bill did not cross over, Georgia First was watching to see if the language could reappear through amendment to another bill. This language did not re-emerge, and therefore did not pass.