Legislative Report Week 12
Legislative Report Week 12
April 5, 2025
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General Assembly Adjourns Sine Die On Friday, April 4th, the General Assembly adjourned Sine Die for the 2025 legislative session. This marks the conclusion of the session, and the end of the Georgie General Assembly's legislative work until next January.
This legislative session was very successful as we saw legislation passed to provide relief for victims of Hurricane Helene, permanently raised the weight limits for trucks hauling agriculture and forestry products, protected farmers access to crop protection tools, and much more. A complete list of pertinent bills sent to the Governor for consideration are detailed below. The Governor now has 40 calendar days to review passed legislation and issue any vetoes. The end of the 40 day veto period will be May 14th.
Be on the lookout through the summer and fall as we continue to engage with executive branch agencies, study committees, and work on federal issues in Washington D.C. We appreciate all our Georgia Farm Bureau members who helped us advocate for agriculture during this year's legislative session, securing final passage of numerous priorities for farmers. |
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Final FY26 Budget Heads to Governor's Desk On Friday, the conference committee on HB 68 released their version of the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill. The final budget package was a compromise between the House and Senate on the different chamber's priorities as well as how the projects would be funded.
The budget included several positive investments for the agriculture industry. Below, are highlights from the budget that impact our industry. You will see strategic investments in UGA Cooperative Extension, emergency response, agriculture education, and much more. We would like to say a special thank you to Senator Larry Walker (R-Perry) and Representative Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper) for helping advocate for the North Georgia Hay and Forage Extension Specialist position within UGA Cooperative Extension. This was a priority for GFB this year, and we are happy to see that need filled.
Department of Agriculture
Department of Education (Agricultural Education)
State Forestry Commission
Department of Natural Resources
Board of Regents
Department of Revenue
Capital Projects
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House and Senate Agriculture Committees Discuss Food Transparency This week, both the House and Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee met to discuss bills addressing transparency in producing and labeling meat or produce with certain descriptions. HB 817 by Representative Robert Dickey (R-Musella) place certain disclosure and verification requirements on meat produced using terms like grassfed, pasture-raised, or similar terms. SB 365 by Senator Sam Watson (R-Moultrie) is a similar bill and includes requirements for produce labeled organic.
In committee, the bill authors explained the goal of both bills is to begin the conversation around how food is labeled and what the different labels mean. If products are going to bring a premium price under certain labels, they expressed the need to provide certainty to the consumer and truth in labeling. We look forward to working with both legislators on the two bills over the interim. HB 817 only had a hearing on Tuesday, and SB 365 passed out of committee on Wednesday but was recommitted upon adjournment Friday. |
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Applications Open for New Irrigation Wells in Southwest Georgia On April 1st, the Georgia Environmental Protection Agency opened applications for new and modifications of existing agricultural water withdrawal permits in the lower Flint River Basin for the first time in over a decade. Georgia Farm Bureau applauds the work of EPD in bringing access to water resources back to the region supporting agriculture.
The two new permits can be found on EPD's website by clicking here. Depending on your situation, consider using the "Agricultural Withdrawal Application for Flint River Suspension Area" or "Application to Transfer or Modify Agricultural Withdrawal Permit in Flint River Suspension Area" to best suit your needs.
Call the EPD Tifton Office at 229-391-2400 or email at ag.permits@dnr.ga.gov for any questions regarding eligibility, getting into compliance or applying for a permit. |
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GFB and Farm Credit Partner to Host Post-Session Webinar Join us on April 15th at 9:00am for a post session recap with House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Chairman Robert Dickey, Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Chairman Russ Goodman, and Katherine Russell, Director of Policy at the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Georgia Farm Bureau is partnering with Farm Credit Associations of Georgia to highlight the work over the past few months during the legislative session, and the impact it will have on the agriculture industry. Click the button below to sign up. Registration is free, but you must register to participate. |
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Bills Headed to Governor's Desk Reps. Efstration, Dickey, Hagan, and Buckner This bill is intended to double the maximum allowed acreage in Conservation Use Value Assessment (CUVA) from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres. If passed, owners can qualify for multiple covenants if the total acreage does not exceed 4,000 acres. Sent to Governor
Reps. Blackmon, Kelley, Williams, Erwin, and Washburn This is a comprehensive bill to revise the state-wide base year homestead exemption, to provide clarification on certain provisions, to extend the opt-out deadline, and to revise provisions related to special sales and use taxes. Signed by the Governor
Reps. Hong, Gambill, McDonald III, Wade, Williamson, and others This bill intends to reduce the individual income tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19% for taxable years beginning in January, 2025. Starting in 2026 the tax rate will be reduced 0.10% annually until it reaches 4.99%. Sent to Governor
Reps. McDonald III, Hong, Gambill, Wade, Powell, and others This bill creates a one-time tax credit for any taxpayer who filed for an income tax return in 2023 and 2024. The amount would be $250 for single or married filing separately, $375 for a head of household, and $500 for married filing jointly. Sent to Governor
Reps. McDonald III, Hong, Gambill, Wade, Powell, and others This bill intends to prohibit the state and its agencies from purchasing certain items from China. This bill provides language to determine what items will be prohibited and gives power to the Technology Authority. Sent to Governor
Reps. McDonald III, Crowe, Hitchens, Lumsden, and Barrett This bill renames the Georgia Department of Public Safety's Motor Carrier Compliance Division (MCCD) to the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) and updates language to include law enforcement responsibilities and provides terminology to explain how officers will be trained and what they enforce. Sent to Governor
Reps. Cannon, Burchett, Dickey, Corbett, Huddleston, and others This bill seeks to remove restrictions on certain leased properties that were previously disqualified from entering a CUVA covenant. The leasing entity must be owned by a US citizen, the primary purpose of the land use must be agricultural, 80% of the entity's gross income must come from bona fide conservation use, and one member must own at least 25% stake in the property for the leased property to remain eligible. Sent to Governor
Reps. Dickey, Smith, Yearta, Greene, Cannon, and others This bill will remove the responsibility that farmers install sufficient infrastructure for the installation of state funded meters, following EPD's attempt of a meter installation and its determination of insufficient infrastructure. It will authorize EPD staff to undertake maintenance and new meter installation in specific cases. Sent to Governor
Reps. Meeks, Hagan, Buckner, Dickey, Cannon, and others This bill removes the sunset on the truck weights legislation passed in 2023. It will make the 10% weight variance agriculture and forest products permanent, raising the gross vehicle weight to 88,000 pounds. Sent to Governor
Reps. Gambill, McDonald III, Hong, Dubnik, and Wade This bill intends to enhance Georgia's education laws and enhance the connection between Georgia's secondary and post-secondary institutions. This bill includes updates to the High-Demand Career List, creates new industry-aligned education programs in collaboration with the TCSG and the USG, expands funding for dual-enrollment and CTAE courses, and expands transferability of credits between the university systems in the state. Sent to Governor
Reps. Burchett, Efstration, Hong, Gambill, and others This bill intends to provide relief for hurricane Helene by exempting federal disaster relief payments for agricultural losses and crop insurance payments for Hurricane Helene received in 2025 from state income tax, providing a tax credit for eligible losses of trees used to produce wood or food at $550 per acre, and exempting building materials used for repairing poultry houses, livestock barns or greenhouses from sales tax. This bill also now includes the language from SB 52, the TREES Act. Sent to Governor
Reps. Townsend, DeLoach, Sainz, Burchett, Hagan and others This bill intends to designate Brunswick stew as the official state stew, the fourth Friday in November of each year as "National Sugarcane Syrup Day" in Georgia, and to prohibit foreign countries of concern from submitting proposals to contract with state agencies for goods or services. Sent to Governor
Reps. Smith, Huddleston, Buckner, and Jenkins This bill adds the definition of 'military instillation' to the ban on foreign possessory interests of certain land. Sent to Governor
Reps. Hagan, Gaines, Dempsey, Camp, Prince, and others This bill intends to allow the sell of non-potentially hazardous food or nonalcoholic beverage intended for human consumption that is produced and packaged at the residential property of the producer. This does not include alcoholic beverages, foods containing cannabis, or raw milk. Sent to Governor
Reps. Dickey, Burns, Meeks, Hagan, Greene, and others This bill intends to transfer the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation to the Department of Agriculture from the University System of Georgia. Sent to Governor
Reps. Lumsden, Blackmon, Williams, Burchett, Hatchett, and others This bill provides deductions from taxable income for contributions by a taxpayer to a catastrophe savings account. A catastrophe savings account is any regular savings account or money market account that qualifies to pay for disaster repairs. Sent to Governor
Sens. Kirkpatrick, Summers, Payne, Anderson, and Parent This bill would create a loan forgiveness program for veterinarians who practice shelter medicine and veterinarians who practice in nonprofit pet sterilization clinics. It would create the State Veterinary Education Board for Shelter Medicine and Pet Sterilization and establishes the program and qualifications for applicants. The Board would be attached to the Georgia Department of Agriculture for administrative services. This bill also provides for the spouses of deceased first-responders to qualify for the pension of their late spouse. Sent to Governor
Sens. Hatchett, Anavitarte, Gooch, and Robertson This bill is intended to help stop metal theft by tightening the regulations and punishments of theft. Only registered secondary metal recyclers can buy or advertise for used catalytic converters. Anyone possessing, selling, or transporting detached converters must have proper documentation and if the offender does not have proper documentation then each detached converter is a separate offense. Sent to Governor
Sens. Kennedy, Gooch, Robertson, Anavitarte, Walker, and other This bill contains most of Governor Kemp's comprehensive tort reform proposals, including premises liability, seat belt laws, and attorney's fees, among other topics. Sent to Governor
Sens. Kennedy, Gooch, Robertson, Anavitarte, Hatchett, and others This bill is the second of Governor Kemp's tort reform package that addresses a single issue surrounding third-party litigation funding. Sent to Governor
Sens. Anivitarte, Watson, Goodman, Echols, Hatchett and others This bill allows licensed practicing veterinarians to provide consultations using telecommunications. To provide telemedicine the veterinarian must be licensed in Georgia and meet all requirements provided in this bill. Sent to Governor
Sens. Watson, Gooch, Kennedy, Beach, Goodman, and others This bill will absolve a chemical manufacturer of liability if the product meets FIFRA standards set forth by the United States EPA, meaning a manufacturer cannot be sued so long as the product meets labeling requirements set forth by the governing body. Sent to Governor |
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To stay updated on all the bills GFB is tracking, check out our newly updated bill tracker under the Action Center on the Georgia Farm Bureau website. There you will be able to find all the bills that we are following, a summary of the bill, the bill sponsors, and the most recent action. Click the button below to be redirected to our bill tracker. |
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Save the Date Southeast Green- June 10-12 |
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Thank you for taking an active role in staying up-to-date and informed on the developments at our State Capitol. If you have additional questions, feel free to reach out to any of our Public Policy Department Staff and we will be happy to assist you.
Alex Bradford,Director Adam Belflower,State Affairs Manager Raynor Churchwell, Agricultural Programs Manager Renee Jones, Operations Coordinator Amelia Junod, Advocacy and Policy Development Specialist Chase McClure, Governmental Affairs Specialist Ben Parker, National Affairs Coordinator |