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After a fast-paced and eventful Crossover Day week, members of the Georgia House of Representatives returned to the State Capitol on Monday, March 10^th for Legislative Day 29, kicking off our ninth week of session. With Crossover Day behind us, the House began to review and vote on legislation that passed over from our Senate counterparts this week. Additionally, my colleagues and I successfully passed the House’s version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget, House Bill 68. This critical piece of legislation would outline and allocate the necessary funding for the state’s operations and services in the upcoming fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. The House passage of HB 68 serves as a significant milestone in the legislative process, fulfilling our constitutional obligation to pass a balanced budget. It also lays the foundation for the priorities that will guide Georgia’s growth and development for the next year, with significant investments in education and public safety.

HB 68 is now awaiting consideration and action by the Senate, where it will undergo a similar committee review process. We expect that the Senate may make changes to the House’s version, which would lead to the appointment of a conference committee to reconcile any differences between the two versions. Once a final version is agreed upon and passed in both chambers, HB 68 will be sent to the governor’s desk for approval and signature into law.

We also passed, Senate Bill 144, which would allow pesticides registered with the Department of Agriculture commissioner that display a label approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or is consistent with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act human health risk assessment to be considered a sufficient warning of health risk. Provisions regarding this new subsection would not be applicable when the EPA has discovered that a manufacturer has knowingly withheld, misrepresented, concealed or destroyed certain health risks in order to obtain EPA approval.

My House colleagues and I will return to the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 18^th to continue our important work advocating for your needs and interests. With less than 10 legislative days remaining, we are in the final stretch of this legislative session with our final day, or Sine Die, scheduled for April 4^th. The next few weeks will be critical as we work to make decisions that will impact the future of our state. I encourage you to reach out with any questions, concerns or input you may have about the bills currently under consideration. Please feel free to schedule a phone call or visit the State Capitol so we can discuss the issues that matter most to you and your family.