Legislative Report Week 6
Legislative Report Week 6
February 21, 2025
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Photo Credits: Atlanta Journal Constitution |
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This week, the General Assembly convened for legislative days 18-21 starting on Tuesday, February 18th, and concluding the week on Friday, February 21st. We have officially made it halfway through this year's legislative session. This week, we welcomed friends from the Georgia Green Industry Association, GGIA, and Georgia FFA to celebrate their day at the Capitol. It is great to see our industry partners join us in advocating for agriculture. GGIA also invited Georgia Farm Bureau to speak to a group of horticulture students from different colleges in Georgia.
Georgia FFA students filled the halls reminding elected officials the importance of investing in our youth organizations for workforce development and leadership training. A few groups of students even came to sit in on a Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee.
The General Assembly will reconvene next week on Monday, February 24th , for legislative days 22-25. |
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Protecting Access to Pest Management Tools On Tuesday, the Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee considered SB 144 by Senator Sam Watson (R-Moultrie). This bill protects farmers' access to pesticides by reenforcing that a manufacturer provides sufficient warnings if they comply with federal and state law associated with the labeling of products. The Environmental Protection Agency, through the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), provides a science-based process for a manufacturer to produce pesticides and bring them to market. SB 144 protects farmers access to these necessary tools used on the farm. This bill received unanimous support from the committee.
On Wednesday, the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee considered HB 424 by Representative Steven Meeks (R-Screven). This is the same bill as SB 144 by Senator Watson, and it too received the full support of the committee.
We are proud to see both committees show strong support of our farmers by supporting these bills. As producers face many challenges in the industry right now, it is vital that they are equipped to continue to be successful. |
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Tort Reform Sails Through Senate The Senate took up one of the most anticipated debates today, when they voted on SB 68 by Senator John Kennedy (R-Macon). This bill contained most of Governor Kemp's comprehensive tort reform proposals, including premises liability, seat belt laws, and attorney's fees, among other topics. A last-minute compromise was reached to tweak the original bill, making it more palatable to the few remaining Republican holdouts while also increasing transparency of evidence presented to juries. After two hours of debate, the amended bill ultimately passed by a vote of 33-21. Although one republican voted no, Senator Colton Moore (R-Trenton), they picked up one Democratic vote from Senator Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur).
GFB strongly supports Governor Kemp's proposals as they continue to move through the legislative process. While a major hurdle was overcome today, there is a long path ahead as the bill moves to the House. We encourage you to help support this effort by reaching out to your representatives by calling, texting, or sending a pre-written email through our Action Center by clicking the button below.
We also encourage all members to reach out and thank your senator if they voted for the bill, SB 68. |
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Hurricane Helene Relief Passes House On Tuesday, February 18th, HB 223 by Representative James Burchett (R-Waycross) was brought to the House floor and passed unanimously. This bill is the tax relief package for Hurricane Helene and helps the farmers and foresters recovering from the storm. It includes an exemption from the state income tax on federal disaster assistance and crop insurance payments claimed due to Hurricane Helene; a reforestation tax credit for trees used in the commercial production of food and wood; and sales tax exemption for the replacement and repair of livestock buildings, poultry houses, and greenhouses.
This bill provides significant relief for the families recovering from the storm. We will continue to work with the General Assembly to ensure we can do all we can to help our producers rebuild after suffering generational losses. It is GFB's top priority this year to help those affected by Hurricane Helene recover and be prepared for the next growing season. |
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Truck Weights Bill Receives Strong Support in Committee On Thursday, February 20th, the House Transportation Committee met to consider HB 164 by Representative Steven Meeks (R-Screven), which would remove the sunset provision in 2023's HB 189, permanently setting the allowable gross vehicle weight for trucks hauling agriculture and forest products at 88,000 pounds. Currently, all the states neighboring Georgia allow trucks hauling agriculture and forest products to haul at least 88,000 pounds. This bill would help level the playing field for Georgia's producers - decreasing transportation cost and making producers more efficient in hauling product.
HB 164 passed with unanimous support from the committee and will move on to the House Rules Committee where it waits to be considered by the full chamber. Harry Sanders, a member of the Georgia Forestry Association and logger from Middle Georgia, testified on the positive impact this increased truck weights has had on his operation. We encourage all our members to share the impact this legislation would have for you to your elected officials. |
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CUVA Program Sees Lots of Action This week we saw action on multiple bills that would strengthen the Conservation Use Valuation Assessment program, CUVA. It is important that we ensure programs like CUVA are able to meet the needs of producers across our state as farming operations change.
SB 45 and SR 56 by Senator Sam Watson (R-Moultrie) passed the Senate floor with strong support. This bill, accompanied with the constitutional amendment, would increase the acreage cap under CUVA from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres. This is an important measure as family farms grow to meet the challenges of shrinking profit margins and the need to scale their operation.
SB 59, also by Senator Watson, would allow certain entities to lease land enrolled in CUVA without breaching the covenant. The bill creates parameters for the entities allowed to take advantage of this, such as they must be owned by American citizens, primarily focused on agriculture production, and one individual must have at least a 25% ownership in the leased property. This bill also passed the Senate floor.
HB 90 by Representative Chuck Efstration (R-Mulberry) mirrors SB 45 by Senator Watson and increases the acreage cap from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres. The accompanying constitutional amendment was not called up for a vote at the same time however, so we will continue to work to pass both the enabling legislation and constitutional amendment.
HB 169 by Representative Chas Cannon (R-Moultrie) passed the House Ways and Means committee on Wednesday. This bill would remove the modified breach penalty for solar development under CUVA and the Forest Land Protection Act, FLPA. This bill will encourage the preservation of farmland and maintain the integrity of the programs.
HB 547, also by Representative Chas Cannon (R-Moultrie), was introduced and assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee. This bill would give landowners the option to merge existing covenants with varying enrollment dates into a single new contiguous covenant as long as all property remains eligible for conservation use. This bill could help local government administer the program. GFB is supportive of the bill as long as the merging of convents is voluntary. |
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This week, Georgia farmers serving on the American Farm Bureau Federation's (AFBF) Issues Advisory Committees, leveraged their personal expertise to begin shaping agricultural policy. Seven Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) members, appointed by AFBF President Zippy Duvall, drove this policy meeting in Washington, D.C. Lee Dickey drew on labor experiences to tackle workforce and immigration challenges. Lucy Ray used her animal care insights to address health and processing issues. Andy Bell examined tax and budget effects from a farmer's perspective, while Mark Masters explored environmental and water regulation impacts. Rachel Santos and the market structures committee discussed navigating the MAHA movement and the threat of new tariffs. Lindy Savelle assessed organic and food safety trends, and Brad Edenfield continues his technology committee role. Their conversations transformed these experiences into early policy ideas, advised AFBF, and provided guidance for future federal regulatory changes. We appreciate these members for taking time away from their farms to participate in this important policy engagement. |
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USDA Secretary Begins Release of Frozen Funds On February 20, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the release of the first portion of paused Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding, totaling approximately $20 million, for USDA programs like the Environmental Quality Incentive Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. This follows a White House-directed spending freeze and review. Rollins emphasized honoring existing farmer contracts, criticizing the Biden administration for rushing out IRA funds--some misdirected to non-agricultural programs--over eight years. She pledged support for farmers, calling them the nation's backbone, and blamed past policies for over-regulation and inflation. The review continues to ensure funds prioritize farmers over unrelated initiatives like DEIA or climate programs, with more funding releases expected. Rollins aims to bolster American agriculture's competitiveness while aligning with taxpayer obligations. |
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Reps. Blackmon, Kelley, Williams, Erwin, and Washburn This bill extends the deadline for local governments to opt-out of the base year homestead exemption from March 1, 2025, to May 1, 2025. Authorities must advertise their intent to opt out via press releases and newspaper ads, and hold at least three public hearings. Passed House and Assigned to Senate Finance Committee (02/18/2025)
Reps. Petrea, Williams, Townsend, DeLoach, Franklin This bill requires all food service establishments to disclose the country of origin of any shrimp sold at the restaurant. Country of origin must be clearly displayed on the menu or a placard. Passed House (02/19/2025)
Reps. Cannon, Dickey, Corbett, O'Steen, Huddleston, and others This bill would remove the modified breach penalty for solar development and treat it as any other breach of covenant. Passed House Ways & Means Committee by Substitute (02/19/2025)
Reps. Huddleston, Efstration, Dickey, Frye, and Ford This bill enhances the Veterinary Loan Repayment Program for veterinarians practicing food animal medicine in rural communities. Participants would qualify for a reimbursement that paid $30,000 per year for three years if selected. Passed House Higher Education Committee (02/20/2025)
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 from state income tax, providing a tax credit for eligible timber losses at $400 per acre, and exempting building materials used for repairing poultry and livestock barns from sales tax. Passed House and Assigned to Senate Finance Committee (02/19/2025)
Reps. Dickey, Anderson, Huddleston, Drenner, and Campbell This bill intends to alter solar energy agreements to include decommissioning agreements that include language to require the solar energy company to return the land to its previous state and provide financial assurance to do so. It also requires solar developers to obtain permission from the EPD before beginning construction and gives the EPD general oversight of the project. Passed House Natural Resources & Environment Committee by Substitute (02/18/2025)
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. Passed House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee (02/19/2025)
Reps. Meeks, Dickey, Burchett, Wade, McDonald III, 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. Passed House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee (02/19/2025)
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. Assigned to House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee (02/21/2025)
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. Assigned to House Ways & Means Committee (02/21/2025) Reps. Gambill, Hong, McDonald III, Wade, Blackmon, and others This resolution ratifies Governor Kemp's executive order suspending the collection of motor fuel and diesel fuel taxes. Passed House and Assigned to Senate Finance Committee (02/19/2025)
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 qualifications for applicants. The Board would be attached to the Georgia Department of Agriculture for administrative services. Passed Senate Higher Education Committee by Substitute (02/19/2025)
Sens. Watson, Hickman, Goodman, Anderson, and Kennedy This bill intends to expand the maximum number of acres allowed in a CUVA covenant from 2,000 to 4,000 acres. Passed Senate on (02/19/2025)
Sens. Goodman, Kennedy, Tillery, Gooch, Jones II, and others The Timberlands Recovery, Exemption and Earning Stability Act intends to provide timer owners a tax relief from Hurricane Helene. This tax relief applies to counties in the FEMA designated disaster area and aims to waive the severance tax for the final quarter of 2024 and all four quarters of 2025. Landowners automatically qualify, there is no application. Local governments would be eligible for compensatory state grants equal to the historic three-year average of the severance tax collected in that county. Passed Senate and Assigned to House Ways & Means Committee (02/19/2025)
Sens. Watson, Hickman, Goodman, Anderson, and Kennedy This is the constitutional amendment and statewide ballot question for SB 45. Passed the Senate (02/19/2025)
Sens. Watson, Hickman, Goodman, Anderson, Summer, 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% ownership in the property for the leased property to remain eligible. Passed Senate (02/19/2025)
Sens. Kennedy, Gooch, Robertson, Anivatarte, Walker III, and others This bill is part of the Governor's tort reform package. Passed Senate (02/21/2025)
Sens. Anavitarte, Watson, Goodman, Echols, Hatchett, and other This bill allows licensed practicing veterinarians to provide consultations using synchronous or asynchronous telecommunications. It requires telemed providers to be licensed in Georgia and other requirements. Passed Senate Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee (02/19/2025)
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. Passed Senate Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee (02/18/2025)
Sens. Islam-Parkes, Jones II, Parent, Esteves, Jackson, and others This bill intends to encourage the use of Georgia Grown products in school breakfasts and lunches under the USDA's Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Assigned to Senate Public Safety Committee (02/21/2025)
Sens. Watson, Goodman, Echols, Anderson, Anavitarte, and others This resolution honors Kent Todd as the Georgia farmer of the year for 2025. Adopted by the Senate (02/20/2025) |
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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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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 Specilaist Ben Parker, National Affairs Coordinator Jeremy Taylor, Agricultural Programs Specialist |