Legislative Report Week 8
Legislative Report Week 8
March 7, 2025
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Week 8 Concludes with Crossover Day This week, the General Assembly convened for legislative days 26-28 beginning the week on Monday, March 3rd, and concluding the week on Thursday, March 6th. Thursday was the infamous Crossover Day in the General Assembly - the day on which every bill must pass its chamber of origin to remain eligible for consideration. After a long day, the House set a record passing 75 bills in one day, finishing around 11:00pm, and the Senate adjourned a few minutes before. Georgia Farm Bureau was fortunate to see our priorities move through the process and continue to stay eligible.
This week we had friends from across the agriculture industry join us at the Capitol. On Tuesday, the Georgia Peanut Commission celebrated their annual Peanut Butter and Jelly Day at the Capitol, and on Thursday, the Georgia Cattlemen's Association celebrated their annual Steak Biscuit Day at the Capitol. Both celebrations are highly anticipated for the good food brought in for everyone to enjoy. It is always good to have farmers from across the state filling the halls of the Capitol advocating for the industry.
The General Assembly will reconvene next week on Monday, March 10th, for 3 legislative days and 1 committee workday. With only a few more weeks to go in the 2025 session, things will continue to move quick. |
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GFB Member Testifies Before Tort Reform Subcommittee On Wednesday, the House Rules Subcommittee on Lawsuit Reform held the second hearing for SB 68 by Senator John Kennedy (R-Macon). This is one of two bills that are a part of the Governor's Tort Reform Package. We were excited to have Corey Trye, a GFB member and farmer from Bacon County, come testify in support of the Governor's bill. Corey did a great job emphasizing to the committee the real-world impacts of frivolous lawsuits and how it has presented challenges to his farming operation over the years.
We encourage all members to contact your representative and encourage them to pass SB 68 and SB 69. They need to hear from you about the importance of meaningful tort reform for farmers and all Georgians. Click the button below for talking points on the issue. We hope you will take time to call your representative or utilize the action alert that can be found by clicking the button below. |
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Crop Protection Labeling Bill Passes Senate Floor On Tuesday, Senator Sam Watson (R-Moultrie) presented SB 144 on the Senate floor. This bill reenforces that a manufacturer fulfills their duty to warn consumers as long as they are in compliance with all federal law and regulation under the Federal Insecticide, Rodenticide, and Fungicide Act (FIFRA) and the Environmental Protection Agency and are therefore protected from legal action. This bill is important to protect farmer's access to important crop protection tools.
The bill passed with a strong vote, 42-12, and will now move onto the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee. GFB has been supporting this bill and believe it is a crucial step in safeguarding our nation's food supply, protecting the American farmer, and keeping tools in the toolbox of producers. |
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Photo Credits: Governor Brian P. Kemp Official X account |
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Governor Kemp Signs AFY25 Budget On Thursday, Governor Brain Kemp held a press conference to celebrate the signing of the Amended Fiscal Year 2025 budget, HB 67. The "little budget" as it is commonly referred too, was full of investments in agriculture to support recovery from Hurricane Helene, agriculture education, deer nuisance, and much more. Below, is a highlight of the budget as it relates to agriculture. We will continue to keep you updated as the Fiscal Year 2026 budget is considered by the General Assembly.
Georgia Department of Agriculture
Georgia Environmental Finance Authority
OneGeorgia Authority
Department of Education
Governor's Emergency Fund
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Capital Projects
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Photo Credits: House Media Services |
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On Tuesday, Representative Chas Cannon (R-Moultrie) presented HB 129 on the House floor. This is one of many bills addressing the Conservation Use Valuation Assessment program, CUVA, being considered this year. HB 129 would allow certain non-qualified entities to lease land enrolled in a covenant as long as they meet certain requirements outlined in the legislation. As the legal structure of farms change and farmers adapt to meet the challenges of today, it is important we ensure they can keep using important programs like CUVA.
HB 129 passed with strong support, 165-7, and will now be considered by the Senate Finance Committee. |
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Reps. Carpenter, Tarvin, Crawford, and Fleming This bill designates cornbread as the official state bread of Georgia. Passed by the House on (02/26/2025)
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. Passed by the House on (02/20/2025)
Reps. Cooper, Carpenter, Jasperse, Dickey, and Camp This bill seeks to update veterinary licensing standards and includes provisions to license graduates of foreign veterinary schools. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, graduate from an accredited veterinary program or have equivalent certificate and pass a board-approved examination. Foreign graduates must complete a residency program of two or more years, obtain board certification in a specialty, and may only practice within that specialty. Passed by the House on (03/03/2025)
Reps. Blackmon, Kelley, Williams, Erwin, and Washburn This bill changes the base year homestead exemption and property tax bill contents, assessment notices, and roll-back rate calculations. It also extends the deadline for local governments to opt out from such exemption. Passed by the House on (02/18/2025)
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%, if certain economic metrics are met as to safeguard the state economy. Passed by the House on (03/06/2025)
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 separate, $375 for a head of household, and $500 for married filing joint. Passed by the House on (03/06/2025)
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. Passed by the House on (02/20/2025)
Reps. Petrea, Williams, Townsend, DeLoach, and Franklin This bill requires all food service establishments to disclose the country of origin of any beef, chicken, or shrimp sold at the restaurant. Country of origin must be clearly displayed on the menu or a placard. Passed by the House on (02/19/2025)
Reps. Cannon, Burchett, Dickey, Corbett, Huddleston, and others This bill seeks to remove restrictions on certain leased properties that were previously disqualified from entering into 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. Passed by the House on (03/04/2025)
Reps. Dickey, Smith, Yearta, Greene, Cannon, and others This bill will return the responsibility of metering to the State where an amendment, transfer, modification, or assignment is effective on or after April 20, 2018. It 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. Passed by the House on (02/27/2025)
Reps. Ridley, Ridley, Hagan, Carpenter, Cox, and others This bill intends to require food service establishments to disclose if any food product offered contains cell-cultured meat, plant-based meat alternatives, or both. Passed by the House on (02/27/2025)
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. Passed by the House on (02/24/2025)
Reps. Cannon, Dickey, Corbett, O'Steen, Huddleston, Ford This bill would remove the modified breach penalty for solar development and treat it as any other breach of covenant. Passed by the House on (02/27/2025)
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 by the House on (02/26/2025)
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. Passed by the House on (02/21/2025)
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 or greenhouses from sales tax. Passed by the House on (02/18/2025)
Reps. Townsend, DeLoach, Sainz, Burchett, Hagan and others This bill intends to designate Brunswick stew as the official state stew. Passed by the House on (02/26/2025)
Reps. Anderson, Rhodes, Meeks, Williams, Huddleston, and others This bill makes some changes to the definition of an "multi-purpose off highway vehicle" and removes the ad valorem tax on said vehicles starting on January 1st, 2025. Passed by the House on (03/04/2025)
Reps. Camp, Hagan, Gullett, Cameron, New and Others This bill intends to make it unlawful for any person to engage in the transfer of any dog, cat, or domestic rabbit at any roadside, public right of way, parkway, median, public or commercial parking lot or sidewalk, park, recreation area, fair, transient or seasonal flea market, or a similar transient market or outdoor location, regardless of whether such activity is otherwise authorized by any person or entity. Passed by the House on (03/06/2025)
Reps. Sharper, Hitchens, LaHood, Baker, Cummings, and others This bill adds lighting requirements for vehicles participating in the sale of food or beverages primarily at stops along the road. Four hooded flasher lights, an extendable arm that reads "caution", and a sign on the back that warns of frequent stops. Passed by the House on (03/04/2025)
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 by the House on (03/03/2025)
Reps. Jenkins, Huddleston, Campbell, Ridley, and Byrd This bill intends to prohibit local ordinances that prohibit mobile sawmills on agricultural land and define all the waste from the mobile sawmills as agricultural products. Passed by the House on (03/03/2025)
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. Passed by the House on (02/28/2025)
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. Passed by the House on (03/06/2025)
Reps. Jones, Thomas, and Martin This bill would give local governments the ability to adopt ordinances prohibiting the use of fireworks within 100 yards of an equine facility. Passed by the House on (03/06/2025)
Reps. Efstration, Dickey, Hagan, and Buckner This resolution is the enabling legislation for HB 90 and includes the ballot question for the constitutional amendment. Passed by the House on (03/03/2025)
Reps. Camp, Mathiak, Smith, Jenkins, and Dickey This resolution recognizes John W. Mixon and dedicates the Georgia Forestry Commission building in Dry Branch in his honor. Passed by the House on (2/26/2025)
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 by the Senate on (03/03/2025)
Sens. Dolezal, Kennedy, Gooch, Anavitarte, Robertson, and others This bill intends to streamline bureaucratic practices by creating small business impact analyses that determine economic output and can be requested by legislative leaders and committee chairs. The bill also requires new rules for regulations and oversight, introducing stricter procedures for adopting and repealing rules. It also gives stronger legislative control over regulations by requiring agencies to consider cost-effective alternatives. Finally, it gives emergency rule making limitations giving legislative committees the authority to suspend rules if deemed unnecessary. Passed by the Senate on (02/24/2025)
Sens. Hatchett, Gooch, Anavitarte, and Robertson This bill is intended to help stop metal theft by revising the regulations and punishments of theft. This bill will also permanently restrict cash payments under certain restrictions and products. Passed by the Senate on (02/26/2025)
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 by the 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 by the Senate on (02/18/2025)
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 by the Senate on (02/19/2025)
Sens. Kennedy, Gooch, Robertson, Anivatarte, Walker III, and others 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. Passed by the Senate on (02/21/2025)
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. Passed by the Senate on (02/27/2025)
Sens. Robertson, Payne, Hufstetler, Williams, Albers, and others This bill intends to ban cock and dog fighting as well as provide punishment for exposing those activities to a minor. Passed by the Senate on (02/20/2025)
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. Passed by the Senate on (03/06/2025)
Sens. Watson, Gooch, Kennedy, Beach, Goodman, and others This bill reenforces that if a manufacturer of pesticides or fertilizers have complied with all federal law and regulation they have fulfilled their duty to warn. This bill will protect farmers access to crop protection tools. Passed by the Senate on (03/04/2025)
Sens. Watson, Hickman, Goodman, Anderson, and Kennedy This is the constitutional amendment and statewide ballot question for SB 45. Passed by the Senate on (02/19/2025) |
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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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Save the Date FFA Blue & Gold Gala - March 15th 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 Specilaist Ben Parker, National Affairs Coordinator Jeremy Taylor, Agricultural Programs Specialist |