Pimping, HOPE Scholarship Among Focus Of New GA Laws

Dozens of new laws will take effect next week after a busy legislative session in Georgia.

At least 120 laws will take effect on July 1, including harsher penalties on pimping and pandering convictions and the issuance of high school diplomas for students diagnosed with terminal illnesses.

Patch has compiled everything you need to know regarding a handful of these new laws. See below:

Senate Bill 111 - Georgia Consumer Privacy Protection Act

• Supported by Rep. Angie O'Steen
• Expands the eligibility criteria for rural hospital organizations to include rural freestanding emergency departments and lowers indigent care thresholds, ultimately broadening access to tax-credit-eligible contributions for rural healthcare providers in Georgia

House Bill 328 - revenue and taxation

• Sponsored by Rep. Kasey Carpenter
• Increases the tax credit for student scholarship organizations, expands student eligibility and increases accountability measures for program providers

House Bill 445 - ad valorem tax

• Sponsored by Rep. Chuck Martin
• Expands the right of business owners in Georgia to appeal tax reassessments of certain high-value tangible personal property to a hearing officer and establishes new qualifications and procedures for officers handling appeals

House Bill 987 - Voluntary Portable Benefit Plan Act

• Sponsored by Rep. Todd Jones
• Codifies a voluntary framework for independent contractors to receive portable benefits through dedicated accounts, allowing contributions without affecting their employment classification.

Senate Bill 556 - HOPE Scholarship

• Sponsored by Sen. Chuck Payne
• Was a legislative priority of Gov. Brian Kemp
• Codifies the Georgia DREAMS Scholarship program under the Georgia Student Finance Commission
• Allows fine arts courses to count towards a student's HOPE GPA
• Establishes a scholarship program for medical students
• Requires Technical College System of Georgia and University System of Georgia institutions to maintain a supply of opioid antagonists subject to community funding sources
• Increases the cap on contributions to 529 Plans and allows for a $2,000 tax credit for contributions to out of state 529 Plans until 2030
• Removes the requirement for part-time, work study students at TCSG institutions to make retirement contributions
• Requires Georgia Lottery reserves to be held at whichever is greater of net proceeds and base lottery spend

House Bill 541 - tuition equalization grants

• Sponsored by Rep. Katie Dempsey
• Expands the Tuition Equalization Grant program to students pursuing a baccalaureate degree in nursing at a proprietary institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and has a National Council Licensure Examination four-year average pass rate if at least 80 percent

Senate Bill 553 - licensing for the construction industry

• Sponsored by Sen. Bo Hatchett
• Reflects Kemp's priority to improve Georgia's regulatory environment by establishing clear pathways to licensure for certain construction industry professions

House Bill 1302 - Education and Workforce Strategy Act

• Sponsored by Rep. Matt Gambill
• Was a priority of Kemp and is the culmination of his Top State for Talent Initiative
• Renames the Governor's Office of Student Achievement to the Office of Education and Workforce Strategy and empowers the office to coordinate with relevant state agencies on workforce development initiatives
• Attaches the State Workforce Development Board to GOEWS
• Requires combined Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and Perkins plans
• Designates TCSG as the State Apprenticeship Agency
• Creates one unified state workforce plan following the development of the statewide high-demand career list by HB 982 in 2024

House Bill 1123 - Quality Basic Education Act

• Sponsored by Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones
• Expands childcare options for Georgia families by requiring schools with existing after-school programs to offer the program to pre-K students on the same basis as other students

House Bill 1030 - Math Matters Act

• Sponsored by Rep. Sandy Donatucci
• Requires local boards of education to dedicate at least 60 minutes of core math instruction each day in grades four and five
• Requires the Georgia Department of Education to adopt content standards for advanced math courses for grades eight through 10 and support advanced math courses in grades six and seven
• Provides for the automatic enrollment of high-achieving math students into advance math courses in grades six through 10

House Bill 1107 - Excellent Teacher Preparation Act

• Sponsored by Rep. Carmen Rice
• Requires the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to develop education preparation provider performance measures to evaluate the performance of each program
• Requires GOSA to include a summary of the performance measures in the annual report on Georgia's education workforce

House Bill 1284 - awarding of high school diplomas for students diagnosed with terminal illnesses

• Sponsored by Rep. Deborah Silcox
• Requires local school boards to issue a high school diploma to enrolled high school students who have received a terminal medical diagnosis and are receiving end-of-life care

Senate Bill 148 - public school property and facilities

• Sponsored by Sen. Bo Hatchett
• Authorizes local school boards to offer instruction in hunting safety
• Establishes a pilot program on outdoor learning spaces
• Removes the requirement that a licensed physician must be involved with a school's AED program
• Increases the number of sick days that a teacher may convert to personal leave from three days to five

Senate Bill 452 - retirement and pensions for POST-certified law-enforcement officers

• Sponsored by Sen. Bo Hatchett
• Was a legislative priority for the Kemp Administration
• Significantly increases the state contribution to the 401(k)s of POST-certified state law enforcement officers, rewarding officers who have dedicated their lives to public safety and supporting better recruitment and retention for state law enforcement agencies

Senate Bill 547 - pimping and pandering penalties

• Sponsored by Sen. Brian Strickland
• Revises penalties for offenses related to pimping and pandering, making them felonies on the first offense

Senate Bill 433 - Rio's Law

• Sponsored by Sen. Brian Strickland
• Creates a specialty license plate for individuals with autism or developmental disabilities
• Requires training for interacting with individuals with autism in law enforcement settings

House Bill 134 - Keep Georgia Forested Act

• Supported by Rep. Jesse Petrea
• Expands tax credits for forestry manufacturers

House Bill 1310 - state symbols

• Sponsored by Rep. Jaclyn Ford
• Designates cotton as the official state fabric of Georgia

Senate Bill 551, egg candling

• Sponsored by Sen. Sam Watson
• Removes the egg candling code section from Georgia law, which requires individuals to candle eggs from backyard flocks before selling them
• Does not remove any food safety regulations, which remain intact under O.C.G.A. Title 26-2-8