2026 Capitol Update - Week 7
2026 Capitol Update - Week 7
February 23, 2026
The Georgia Legislature convened for Legislative Days 19 through 22 last week, leaving just six legislative days before Crossover Day on Friday, March 6th.
Qualifications-Based Selection
On Wednesday, the House Governmental Affairs Committee passed SB 51, sponsored by Senator Ed Setzler (R–Acworth). This legislation would extend the state’s Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) requirements for design services to local governments. Under current law, the state must use QBS for projects when the professional services fee is estimated at $75,000 or more, or when total construction costs exceed $1 million. SB 51 applies these same thresholds to local governments.
The committee amended the bill to change the effective date to July 1, 2027 from July 1, 2026 to allow local governments additional time to change their procurement processes. The bill now awaits consideration in the House Rules Committee, which sets the debate calendar for the floor. Because the bill was amended, it will need to return to the Senate for an “agree” vote before it can be sent to the Governor.
Permitting Reform
The Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee passed SB 447 sponsored by Chairman Clint Dixon. SB 447 proposes to amend various provisions related to permitting applications and would clarify the 45-day initial review period and create a 14-day deadline for any re-review by a local government of an application.
As originally drafted, the bill provided for an automatic approval for any application if the local government fails to meet the deadlines. That provision was changed to instead waive a local government’s sovereign immunity in that instance if it fails to meet the deadline. The bill passed the committee 5 to 2 and is now eligible for Senate Rules Committee.
GDOT Legislative Proposals
On Thursday, HB 1277 by Representative Matt Barton (R-Calhoun), GDOT’s housekeeping bill, passed the House Transportation Committee unanimously. The measure would
Increase the environmental evaluation threshold exemption from $100 million to $200 million for road and airport projects
Creates a mechanism for inflation adjustments for the threshold, which would be capped at the CPI annual inflation rate
Removes the threshold that limits design-build projects to only 50% of the total number of construction projects in a fiscal year
Ceates new guidelines for GDOT to sell remnant right-of-way property upon completion of a project
The Committee also considered HB 1342 by Representative Lauren McDonald (R-Cumming), which would create a new method for GDOT to remove utilities that cause delays during construction projects. The various utilities providers spoke against the bill, while the Georgia Highway Contractors Association spoke in favor of the proposal. The committee tabled the bill due to time constraints. The debate on this measure is expected to remain contentious.
The Amended Budget
On Friday, HB 973 the amended budget, passed the Senate 49 to 1. The amended budget includes:
$100 million for rural bridges; the House recommended to reduce the allocation to $85 million, but the Senate restored the funding to the Governor’s original recommendation
$185 million for upgrades to SR 316; which is a reduction of $15 million from the $200 million that the House and Governor recommended for the project
$15.94 million for Airport Aid; the House added $15 million for airport aid to the amended budget while the Senate added an additional $938,000
$11.6 million for Shortline Railroads; which was not in the original amended budget
The House and Senate disagreed to the changes and appointed a conference committee to iron out the differences, as is usually the case. The conference committee report will likely be completed sometime this week.
Today is a committee work day and the legislature will convene for Legislative Days 23, 24, and 25 this week.
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 over the interim. No movement yet this session.
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.  This language is also on HB 377.
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; passed the House Governmental Affairs committee again on 2/18
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 15 days, would streamline the private plan review and inspection process. This bill was amended to apply only to single family residences under 3 stories.
Status: Assigned to the Senate State and Local Governmental Affairs Committee; passed SLGO on 2/9; now in Senate Rules
Position: Reviewing
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; received a hearing on 2/9, but no action was taken
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; recommitted to House Defense & Veterans Affairs
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: Passed the House Ways & Means Committee; pending in House Rules
Position: Monitor
HB 1277 by Representative Matt Barton (R-Calhoun): would raise the environmental evaluation threshold exemption from $100 million to $200 million for road and airport projects. The bill also creates a mechanism for inflation adjustments for the threshold, which would be capped at the CPI annual inflation rate. Additionally, the bill repeals the threshold that limits design-build projects to only 50% of the total number of construction projects in a fiscal year and creates a new guidelines for GDOT to sell remnant right-of-way property upon completion of a project.
Status: Passed the House Transportation Committee
Position: Reviewing
HB 1286 by Representative Lauren McDonald (R-Cumming): would abolish the position of Director of Planning of GDOT, that is appointed by the Governor and would return those duties to the Planning Division within GDOT.
Status: Assigned to the House Transportation Committee; was slated for a hearing in the House Transportation Committee on Thursday 2/19, but it was pulled from the calendar prior to the meeting.
Position: Reviewing
HB 1287 by Representative Lauren McDonald (R-Cumming): would revise the manner in which the GDOT Commissioner is selected.
Status: Assigned to the House Transportation Committee; was slated for a hearing in the House Transportation Committee on Thursday 2/19, but it was pulled from the calendar prior to the meeting.
Position: Reviewing
HB 1342 by Representative Lauren McDonald (R-Cumming): would revise procedures for the removal of utilities and authorize GDOT to remove utilities if there is a significant delay caused by the utility company.
Status: Assigned to the House Transportation Committee; the bill was heard on 2/19 and there was significant debate. This particular bill will be contentious as the utilities are against the bill, while many transportation advocates are in favor of a legislative solution to the delays caused by utilities.
Position: Reviewing
HB 1377 by Representative John Carson (R-Marietta): would create a time limit on when an election to recall a TSPLOST referendum can be held.
Status: Assigned to the Ways & Means Committee
Position: Reviewing
 
Water & the Environment 
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
 
HB 1063 by Representative Brad Thomas (R-Holly Springs): would codify many of the provisions adopted by the PSC to prevent the recuperation of costs for data center construction onto retail consumers.
Status: Assigned and passed out of the Special Committee on Resource Management; passed the House 159-5; Assigned to the Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee
Position: Monitor
HB 1381 by Representative Sam Park (D-Lawrenceville): the proposal is aimed at modernizing Georgia’s electric grid planning processes. The bill would require utilities to provide grid modernization assessments, justify new transmission constructions, and allow cost recovery for investments.
Status: Assigned to the Energy, Utilities, & Telecommunications Committee
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 ratepayers.  
Status: Assigned to Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee; many hearings on the bill have taken place, but the bill continues to be debate in the 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-Newnan): 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
SB 538 by Senator Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome): proposes to require publicly owned water treatment plants to collect and report information from industrial users about the use or presence of PFAS that may be present in water.
Status: Assigned to the Senate Natural Resources & the Environment Committee
Position: Reviewing