The Georgia General Assembly returned to the State Capitol for the final two days of the 2023 legislative session on Monday, March 27. On Wednesday the session came to an end as the House and Senate completed Legislative Day 40, which is also known as “Sine Die,” a Latin term meaning “without assigning a day for further meeting.” During these two eventful days, my colleagues and I worked late into the night to vote on legislation that will impact communities across our state. I will share some of the bills that we voted on from the Rules calendars, as well as highlight a few House bills that received final passage this week. All of the bills that received final passage before we adjourned Sine Die will go to Governor Brian Kemp for his final consideration.
Fiscal Year 2024 Budget
Before we adjourned on Sine Die, the state legislature approved a Conference Committee Report for House Bill 19, or the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 2024) budget, fulfilling our one constitutional obligation of the session. Effective July 1, this final version of the FY 2024 budget is set at a revenue estimate of $32.4 billion, which is $2.2 billion, or 7.4 percent, more than the Fiscal Year 2023 budget.
More than 50 percent of this state budget is dedicated toward funding our state’s K-12 and higher education systems and includes $13.1 billion to fund the Quality Basic Education program and an additional $50.2 million in lottery funds to bring the HOPE factor rate for scholarships and grants up to 100 percent of last year’s tuition costs.
I am also excited to announce that certified teachers and school employees would experience a $2,000 increase to the state base salary schedule through this budget.
Nearly a quarter of the FY 2024 budget would go toward health and human services, and within this crucial budget area, we included $42.2 million for Medicaid reimbursement rate increases for providers.
To ensure the House’s public safety priorities are reflected in this budget, this conference committee report includes $23.5 million for a total compensation increase of $4,000 for more than 3,900 law enforcement officers across 12 state agencies.
Finally, almost 10 percent of the FY 2024 budget would go toward economic development and general government services, and seven percent of the budget would support transportation infrastructure improvements.
This robust budget is full of bipartisan initiatives, and you can find more highlights from the FY 2024 budget here. HB 19 has now been sent to the governor for his consideration.
Building Georgia’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
The House also overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 146 to provide a regulatory framework for elective vehicle (EV) charging stations and allow our state to regulate these charging stations to the same extent as gas pumps. As the EV market continues to grow in Georgia, its infrastructure must be able to efficiently and fairly support EV drivers, and SB 146 would lay the necessary groundwork for this developing industry.
Final Passage of House Bills
My colleagues and I also gave final passage to a flurry of House bills on Legislative Day 40, and I would like to make you aware of just a few of these bills that are on their way to the governor’s desk.
House Bill 88, or the Coleman-Baker Act, would require law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough review of an original cold case murder investigation dating back to 1970 upon written request to determine if a new investigation could produce new leads or identify a likely perpetrator.
House Bill 538, or the Georgia Early Literacy Act, would require schools systems to teach high-quality literacy instructional materials approved by the State Board of Education in grades kindergarten through third grade based on the science of reading.
House Bill 189 to provide a 10 percent weight variance for trucks when hauling agricultural or farm products within a 250 mile radius of the farm or point of origin outside of the 13 county metro Atlanta region; this variance would increase the truck limit weight from 80,000 pounds to 88,000 pounds on Georgia roads.
Signing Bills into Law
Although the 2023 legislative session has officially come to an end, I look forward to sharing more updates about different bills that made it across the finish line this session and are on their way to becoming official laws. Over the next 40 days, Gov. Kemp will sign or veto measures that received final passage by the House and Senate this session. Any bill the governor signs will become law, and any legislation not signed or vetoed within this 40-day period will also automatically become law. House bills that did not receive final passage this session have been sent back to their respective committees, and these bills will be eligible for consideration again next year. I hope that you will contact me if you have any questions regarding potential new state laws or if you have any suggestions for future legislation.
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 atwww.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.
Follow me on facebook for updates throughout the year.
Thank you for allowing me to be your representative.
Sincerely,
Representative Butch Parrish
Capitol Address
245 State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334
404.463.2247 - Office
District Address
132 Victory Drive
Swainsboro, GA 30401
478.237.3838 - Office
