Savannah Standard

The Georgia General Assembly's 2025 session is set to conclude on April 4, leaving legislators one month to finalize their legislative priorities. This timeframe also applies to the Chamber’s legislative agenda.

Civil litigation reform has been a top priority for the Chamber over the past few years. Two major bills associated with this effort have already passed the Senate and are currently under consideration in House Committees.

Senate Bill 68, a significant reform package, was assigned to a special subcommittee of the House Rules Committee. Following over two hours of testimony from bill sponsors and various stakeholders last week, another subcommittee meeting is anticipated soon.

Senate Bill 69 forms the second part of this reform package. It aims to increase regulation on third-party funding of legislation by preventing foreign governments from funding civil litigation in Georgia. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate last Friday with support from Sen. Derek Mallow, Sen. Ben Watson, and Sen. Billy Hickman. It will be assigned to a committee as it begins its journey through the House after Crossover Day.

Another bill under close observation is Senate Bill 31, which proposes exempting military retirement income from state income tax. SB 31 passed in the Senate with just one dissenting vote and received full support from delegation members who appreciate its potential impact on workforce development efforts in Savannah.

Two additional bills show promise for supporting workforce development efforts: Senate Bill 207 and Senate Bill 89. SB 207 streamlines occupational licensing and sets parameters around second chance hiring for previously incarcerated individuals; it has cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee and awaits a call in Senate Rules. Meanwhile, SB 89 seeks improvements to child care tax credits; it has passed out of the Senate vote and awaits committee assignment in the House.

The Amended Fiscal Year 2025 budget achieved final passage this week after legislative leaders reconciled differences between versions passed by each body. A $501 million appropriation aimed at investing in regional water/sewer infrastructure remains intact through this process and now only requires Governor Kemp’s signature.

House Bill 224 allows collaboration between Georgia's Department of Transportation and the Federal Department of Defense for infrastructure maintenance on military installations—a long-standing issue championed by our Chamber that hopes for resolution through this bill.