The Georgia House of Representatives began the third week of the 2026 legislative session on Monday, January 26, with a pro forma session due to Governor Brian Kemp’s State of Emergency declaration after Winter Storm Fern swept across much of North Georgia over the weekend. As soon as road conditions improved, my colleagues and I returned to the State Capitol on Tuesday to resume our legislative business. Throughout the remainder of the week, several House Appropriations subcommittees continued to meet to review specific portions of the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 (AFY 2026) and Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 2027) budget proposals. Other House committees were hard at work this week, holding meetings to take up legislation that was not passed or signed into law during the 2025 legislative session and is still eligible for consideration, as well as newly introduced legislation. The House Rules Committee also convened this week for the first time this session to consider legislation and set our first Rules Calendar and subsequent floor vote. By the week’s end, we passed and adopted our first pieces of legislation of the session in the House Chamber.With the joint meetings of the House and Senate Appropriations committees now behind us, House Appropriations subcommittees began meeting to examine individual sections of the budget proposals in greater detail and assess state agency funding needs more closely. I will continue to keep you informed about both budget bills and provide updates on other important measures as they move through the legislative process.On Wednesday, the House voted on and passed its first bill of the 2026 legislative session—House Bill 443—legislation introduced last session that would establish an annual fee for reef or migratory fish endorsements for Georgia recreational fishing licenses. Requested by coastal fishermen, HB 443 seeks to regulate both recreational and commercial offshore fishing. HB 443 would set an annual fee of $10 for Georgia residents and $20 for non-residents who participate in offshore fishing, and all funds would be retained by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
With our first Rules Calendar of the session, the House unanimously adopted House Resolution 1008 this week. The resolution would ratify amendments to Georgia’s comprehensive statewide water management plan.
In response, the State Water Council adopted amendments in December 2025 and submitted them to the General Assembly on January 12, 2026, with HR 1008 serving as the ratifying legislation. Specifically, HR 1008 would reduce the number of council member appointments, eliminate alternate members, and extend appointment terms from three years to six years. The resolution would also require each council to include at least one representative from each major water and wastewater demand sector, including municipal, industrial, agricultural, and energy interests. HR 1008 was adopted with unanimous bipartisan support and has been sent to the Senate for consideration. These efforts also aligned with the General Assembly’s own focus on water policy as the House Special Committee on Resource Management Water Subcommittee held numerous meetings across the state during the fall of 2025 to study Georgia’s water challenges and their impact on the state’s economic development.
While the House conducted its legislative business on the floor, our counterparts in the Senate gave final passage to legislation carried over from last session—the first bill of the 2026 legislative session to receive final passage from the General Assembly. If signed into law, SB 148 would bring several updates to Georgia’s public schools. The bill would:
· Allow local school boards to offer hunting safety lessons for students in grades six through 12, and DNR would help the school boards develop this curriculum using its existing hunting education courses. This provision of the bill seeks to promote safety and responsibility among students who participate in this popular outdoor activity.
· Establish an outdoor learning center pilot program for elementary and secondary schools to enhance educational environments by encouraging students and teachers to utilize learning opportunities beyond the traditional classroom
· Increase the number of personal days public school personnel may use from accumulated sick leave from three to five days
· Remove the requirement for a physician to oversee automated external defibrillator (AED) programs in schools, which would make it easier for schools to obtain and use these life-saving devices in emergency situations.
Also, this week, House Speaker Jon Burns held a press conference where he announced one of his legislative priorities for the 2026 legislative session—the Georgia Homeownership Opportunity and Market Equalization (HOME) Act of 2026, or House Bill 1116. The bill would enable the full elimination of homestead property taxes, or taxes on primary residences, by 2032 and would provide tools for local governments to make up for lost revenue. To help offset potential revenue losses, the legislation would authorize an optional, flexible five-penny local sales tax, as well as optional local assessments and fees. It would also cap revenue growth at three percent for non-improved, non-exempt properties, establish a homeowner tax relief grant, and double the statewide homestead exemption every other year until 2032, providing phased-in tax relief for Georgia homeowners. HB 1116 was filed this week, and I’ll be sure to update you on its progress.
The House reconvened on Monday, February 2, and will be in session through the end of the week on Friday. The pace of the session is expected to accelerate as committees continue to advance legislation and more measures come before the full House for floor votes. This is the time of year when much of the foundational work of the session takes shape, and long days of meetings and floor votes become the norm. I encourage you to stay updated on future session proceedings and committee meetings—all live streamed on the House website located here.
I remain dedicated to serving your interests as your state representative, and I hope that you will contact me with any questions or concerns you may have regarding the legislative session or with any proposals or recommendations for future legislation.
You can also stay in touch by visiting our website at www.house.ga.gov to watch a live stream of the House in action, as well as archived committee meetings, and review legislation that we are considering.
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Thank you for allowing me to be your representative.
Sincerely,
Representative Butch Parrish
