2026 Capitol Update - Week 5
2026 Capitol Update - Week 5
February 10, 2026
This past week, Georgia lawmakers met for Legislative Days 10 through 14 out of 40 days. The Crossover deadline is quickly approaching, and bills are flying in all directions.
One of the major themes throughout this session has been permitting reform. Legislators are looking for ways to reduce delays in building new developments, particularly homes, to increase housing supply and provide a more consistent and timely method of application approvals by local governments.
Of those proposals, House Bill 812 by Representative Mike Cheokas (R-Americus) continues to see stakeholder input from affected industries and local governments. The bill aims to reduce the turnaround time for application approval by local governments for land disturbance permits and to require the citation of the exact local, state, or federal code of any violation or inadequacy the application may have.
On the Senate side, Senator Clint Dixon (R-Mulberry) has introduced two proposals, SB 437 & SB 447, dealing with various aspects of private plan review and inspection and overall permitting reform. Both were slated for a hearing only on Thursday, but the Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee (SLGO) only had time to hear SB 437 and will host a hearing on SB 447 at a later date. Senate Bill 437 proposes to explicitly allow virtual inspections of a development and to tighten the timeframe for a local government to determine if an application is complete to 10 days—down from 30 days. The committee expressed concerns about both of those provisions, and members stated that they would like to see the bill narrowly tailored to single-family residences and to change the 10 day timeframe to 15 business days. Currently, the law does not specify business days or calendar days, and is mute on virtual inspection, which gives local governments implicit authority to allow these types of inspections. The discussed proposal would create a more restrictive environment for virtual inspections to take place in, so this proposal will likely continue to evolve.
SB 447 very closely mirrors HB 812 in that it aims to tighten the timeframe for comments by a local government on a pending application and requires specific citation of the local, state, and federal law that the application violates. However, it also requires local issuing authorities to publish criteria for approval of permits, states that a completed application for any permit must be denied or approved within 45 days and that a comment period may only last 14 days, and further states that if the permit is not accepted or denied within 45 days, the application shall be accepted and any fees remitted shall be refunded to the applicant. This bill will likely be heard this week in SLGO.
The House passed the amended budget this past week, with slight tweaks from the Governor’s recommended plans. The House trimmed $81 million from the $1.8 billion dedication to the 1-75 South express lane project in Henry County. The $1 billion income tax rebate was also completely revised and turned into an $850 million homeowner property tax relief grant. The House dedicated an additional $50 million for rural infrastructure projects, added $4.25 million to shortline railroads, and reduced the $100 million funding for rural bridges to $85 million in order to create a $15 million airport aid infusion. Overall, the $2.35 billion transportation recommendation by the Governor saw a $77 million decrease to $2.27 billion.
This week, lawmakers will convene for Legislative Days 15 through 18. See you soon!
LEGISLATION ACEC GEORGIA IS FOLLOWING: 
 
Local Government  
HB 152 by Representative Matt Reeves (R-Duluth): would extend the existing Mini Brooks Act to local governments. This would require Qualifications-Based Selection for the procurement of A/E services for projects where professional services are estimated to be $75,000 or more or for any project with a total preliminary construction cost of over $1 million. 
Status: Assigned to the House Governmental Affairs Committee 
Position: SUPPORT 
 
HB 168 by Representative Mitchell Horner (R-Ringgold): would require any local proposal to reimpose a previously passed SPLOST to pass the General Assembly as a local bill (i.e., if a jurisdiction wants to reimpose a SPLOST, they will have to go through the General Assembly to do it.)
Status: Assigned to the Ways & Means Committee 
Position: Monitor
 
HB 317 by Representative Ron Stephens (R-Savannah): would create a new option for local governments to help finance essential infrastructure needs called a “Workforce and Residential Infrastructure District” (WRID). If approved by the local government, this would allow landowners within the district to self-impose taxes to fund these public infrastructure projects and improvements. A constitutional amendment would be required for the enactment of the legislation which has been filed as HR 192 by Representative Ron Stephens (R-Savannah). 
Status: Assigned to the House Ways & Means Committee (was originally assigned to Governmental Affairs). The sponsor and advocates agree that this should be a two year bill, as it requires a constitutional amendment. This initiative is back this session.
Position: SUPPORT  
HB 531 by Representative Matt Reeves (R-Duluth): proposes to extend the period for plaintiffs to provide notice (ante litem notice) for an intent to sue a city from six months to twelve months. The legislation also has a provision to limit the liability for cities to $3 million per person and $5 million per occurrence. Read more about cities liability appeal here.
Status: Passed the House Judiciary Committee; Passed the House 161 to 13; Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee; Recommitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee
Position: Monitor 
HB 812 by Representative Mike Cheokas (R-Americus): proposes to reinforce the shot clock on local government plan reviews by limiting the number of rounds an application may undergo. The legislation continues to enforce the 45-day turnaround requirement for local governments but would require a new 14-day turnaround where a local government would then be required to issue or deny the permit. Any comments made by the local government would need a citation for the exact local, state, or federal rule or regulation they violate. The main purpose of this bill is to limit a local government’s ability to perpetually run the clock on a permit issuance or denial and end the practice of unlimited rounds of comments where new items are introduced during subsequent rounds.
Status: Heard in House Governmental Affairs subcommittee on State & Local Government.
Position: Support
  
SB 51 by Senator Ed Setzler (R-Acworth): this legislation would require qualifications-based selection for the procurement of A/E services for local government projects where the professional services cost is estimated to be $75,000 or more, or if the project cost is estimated to be $1 million or more. This is not a prohibition on cost being a factor, this simply shifts the consideration of cost to a second stage of negotiation after the firms have been ranked, rather than cost being an initial evaluation.  
Status: Passed the Senate State and Local Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously; passed the Senate 54 to 1; passed the House Governmental Affairs Committee; recommitted to the House Governmental Affairs Committee
Position: SUPPORT 
 
SB 151 by Senator Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta): proposes the creation of a “Joint Development Authority of North Fulton Municipalities”. A committee of seven directors would be created with one representative each from Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell, and Sandy Springs, with a seventh member being appointed by the committee.  
Status: Passed out of the Senate State and Local Governmental Affairs Committee; passed the Senate 32 to 23. Passed the House Intragovernmental Coordination Committee. The House passed this with a substitute, however the substitute did not receive a final agree on the Senate side in 2025. With Senator Beach’s resignation to serve as US Treasurer, it is unclear what is happening to this measure.
Position: Monitor 
SB 437 by Senator Clint Dixon (R-Mulberry): would clarify that virtual inspections of dwellings are allowed by law, would reduce the timeframe for local governments to determine if an application is complete from 30 days to 10 days, would streamline the private plan review and inspection process.
Status: Assigned to the Senate State and Local Governmental Affairs Committee; received a hearing on 2/5 and is expected to be heard again soon
Position: Monitor
SB 447 by Senator Clint Dixon (R-Mulberry): aims to tighten the timeframe for comments by a local government on a pending application and requires specific citation of the local, state, and federal law that the application violates. The proposal would require local issuing authorities to publish criteria for approval of permits, states that a completed application for any permit must be denied or approved within 45 days and that a comment period may only last 14 days, and states that if the permit is not accepted or denied within 45 days, the application shall be accepted and any fees remitted shall be refunded to the applicant.
Status: Assigned to the Senate State and Local Governmental Affairs Committee
Position: Reviewing
 
Industry & Professions 
HB 107 by Representative Bethany Ballard (R-Warner Robins): would require all professional licensing boards in the state to adopt a process by which spouses of military members or transitioning service members may obtain a digitally verifiable license.  
Status: Passed the House Defense & Veterans Affairs Committee 
Position: Monitor 
 
SB 28 by Senator Greg Dolezal (R-Forsyth County): this legislation aims to reduce red tape and reconfigure how the regulatory environment operates in Georgia by allowing the legislature to take a more active role in regulatory activities.  
Status: Passed the Senate Economic Development & Tourism Committee; passed the Senate 31 to 23. Passed the Senate Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee; recommitted to the Senate Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee.
Position: Monitor 
 
SB 207 by Senator Brian Strickland (R-McDonough): would provide a preclearance process for the licensing of individuals with criminal records who apply for a professional license in the state. 
Status: Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee; passed the Senate 55 to 0. Passed the House Judiciary Committee; Passed the House 170 to 0; Senate agreed to the House version with a Senate floor amendment, so it needs an agree on the House side before it can pass. Still pending an agree.
Position: SUPPORT  
 
Transportation  
 HB 76 by Representative Stacey Evans (D-Atlanta): would require the Department of Transportation to host public hearings for local transportation projects of significant impact. 
Status: Assigned to House Transportation Committee 
Position: Monitor
 
HB 387 by Representative Brad Thomas (R-Holly Springs): would require a service delivery agreement to include a growth boundary agreement component. 
Status: Assigned to the House Governmental Affairs Committee 
Position: Monitor 
HB 1070 by Representative Leesa Hagan (R-Lyons): would increase the tax credit for Class III railroad maintenance expenditures from $3500 to $5000 and would move the sunset from December 30, 2026 to December 30, 2031.
Status: Assigned to the House Ways & Means Committee
Position: Monitor
 
Water & Environmental 
HB 559 by Representative John Carson (R-Marietta): this legislation would revise the sunset date on the sales tax exemption for the equipment used in data centers from 2031 to 2026.  
Status: Assigned to the House Ways & Means Committee 
Position: Monitor  
HB 1012 by Rep. Ruwa Romman (D-Duluth): places a moratorium on new data centers construction after July 1, 2026.
Status: Assigned to House Governmental Affairs
Position: Monitor
 
SB 34 by Senator Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome): would prohibit an electrical utility provider from recovering the cost of servicing a data center from regular ratepayers.  
Status: Assigned to Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee 
Position: Monitor 
SB 408 by Senator Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta): would change the sunset for the sales and use tax exemption on data centers from January 1, 2032 to January 1, 2027.
Status: Assigned to Senate Finance Committee
Position: Monitor
SB 410 by Senator Matt Brass (R-Rome): proposes to end the sales & use tax exemptions for new data centers, effective upon signature of the governor.
Status: Referred to the Senate Finance Committee
Position: Reviewing