Legislative Report Week 5
Legislative Report Week 5
February 13, 2026
In this Issue:
- Week 5 Under the Gold Dome
- GFB Day at the Capitol
- Leadership GFB
- Timber Market Relief Legislation in Committee
- House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee Meets
- Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Meets
- Senate Pass Income Tax Cut Legislation
- Action this Week
- Bill Tracker
- Save the Date
Week 5 Under the Gold Dome
On Monday, January 9th, the General Assembly convened for day 15 of the legislative session and concluded on Thursday, January 12th, with day 19. Many days this week we saw the halls of the Capitol full of friends from rural Georgia with Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Forestry Association, and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce all bringing members to Atlanta to advocate.
Forestry Day at the Capitol, a two-day event hosted by the Georgia Forestry Association, brought together landowners, loggers, forest product manufacturers, and others from the forestry industry. Rural Day at the Capitol, hosted by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, brings together local chamber of commerces and businesses from rural Georgia to focus on the most pressing issues the business community faces across our state. It is always great to see friends from our partner organizations at the Capitol to grow the voice of rural communities.
The General Assembly will be off for Presidents' Day on Monday but will reconvene for legislative days 20-23 next week on Tuesday, February 17th. You can view HR 998 to see the entire adjournment resolution.
Photo Credits: House Media Services
GFB Day at the Capitol
Tuesday, February 10th, was Georgia Farm Bureau Day at the Capitol, our annual member advocacy event in Atlanta. This year we welcomed 560 farmers from all across the state to the Capitol to be the voice of Georgia agriculture. Farmers came to convey to policymakers the challenges our industry is facing with record low commodity prices and historically high input prices.
GFB Day at the Capitol was full of insights and engagement opportunities. Attendees heard from House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Chairman Robert Dickey (R-Musella) and Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Chairman Russ Goodman (R-Cogdell) during a morning session as they were briefed on current issues. During the lunch program, Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper, Speaker of the House Jon Burns, and Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones spent time discussing their legislative agendas. Between the morning briefing and lunch, attendees went to the Capitol to engage with their state representatives and senators. We appreciate all those who took part in the event and hope to see you all back next year.
Leadership GFB
This week Georgia Farm Bureau was excited to welcome the inaugural class of Leadership GFB. This program will equip rising and current leaders of Georgia Farm Bureau with the tools they need to successfully advocate for agriculture, develop their leadership skills, and embody the grassroots mission. Participates include Colt Calhoun, Liz Danforth, Gregg Hendrix, Mattie Boyles, Luke Andrews, Sara Beth Studstill, David Morgan, Angie Roberts, Toni Gaines, Owen Paulk, Garrett Hart, and Stephanie Branch.
Timber Market Relief Legislation in Committee
The House Ways & Means Committee, chaired by Representative Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire) considered two bills this week that would help keep more money in the pockets of timber farmers and encourage investment from timber product manufacturers. HR 1000 by Representative Chuck Efstration (R-Mulberry) would remove the severance tax for timber cut on land receiving preferential treatment from Conservation Use Value Assessment, the Forest Land Protection Act, or agricultural preferential treatment. This bill passed both subcommittee and the full committee. It now waits in the Rules Committee to be considered by the full House chamber.
HB 1085 by Representative Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) makes the Georgia Jobs Tax Credit and the Georgia Investment Tax Credit transferable for forest product manufacturers. By making these tax credits transferable, it provides access to capital for expansions and new investments, helping encourage businesses to come to Georgia. This bill had a hearing in subcommittee on Monday.
House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee Meets
On Wednesday, the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, chaired by Representative Robert Dickey (R-Musella) met to consider two bills. HB 1182 by Representative Trey Rhodes (R-Greensboro) would prohibit the loading or unloading of soil amendments from any public road and create a 100 feet setback from any property line to store soil amendments. This bill passed out of committee.
HB 947 by Representative Martin Momtahan (R-Dallas) is titled the "Georgia SNAP Healthier Choices Act of 2026." The original bill would place restrictions on the purchasing of certain food products with benefits from the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, and add reporting requirements for state agencies on how these restrictions were affecting Georgians health. However, after many conversations, the bill that was ultimately presented in committee was a substitute version that now focuses on going after fraud and abuse of the SNAP program. Georgia has one of the highest error rates in the country, so the new focus with the legislation is preventing fraud. The new bill will not be visible online until adopted by the committee. Wednesday was only a hearing with no committee action.
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Meets
On Monday, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, chaired by Senator Sam Watson (R-Moultrie), met to hear testimony and considered the House's version of the amended fiscal year 2026 budget. Testimony was heard from the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Exposition Authority, Poultry Laboratory Network, Soil and Water Conservation Commission, State Forestry Commission, Department of Natural Resources, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Department of Education - Agricultural Education.
Next week, Chairman Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia) will present the Senate budget recommendations to the full Senate Appropriations Committee and, upon approval by the committee, present to the full Senate chamber. The House began this week considering the fiscal year 2027 budget in subcommittees.
Senate Passes Income Tax Cut Legislation
For some time now, Senate Republicans have touted cutting the personal state income tax and moving towards zero. Governor Brian Kemp has led on this issue providing yearly cuts to the both the personal and corporate state income tax, but this week Senator Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia) introduced SB 476 and SB 477, two different bills that both would help fully eliminate personal state income tax.
Both bills moved quickly, passing out of committee on Tuesday and passing the full Senate chamber on Thursday. While in committee on Tuesday, the language from HB 134 was stripped and the language from SB 476 was included. The same thing happened with HB 463 and now has the language from SB 477. Both of these House bills were left in committee from last session. This maneuver circumvents the committee process on the House floor and puts both income tax bills towards the end of the finish line. Below is a summary of what each bill does. It is now up to the House to see which proposal will move forward.
SB 476 (HB 134) takes multiple steps to reduce the personal state income tax. It unties the corporate tax rate from the personal, leaving the corporate state income tax at 4.99% and sets the personal state income tax rate at 4.99% for taxable year 2026. It then increases the standard deduction for an individual to $50,000 and for a family to $100,000. This would remove the state personal income tax for nearly 2/3 of Georgians. To pay for this, SB 476 removes dozens of state income tax credits and sales tax exceptions. Some of the most notable changes are reductions in the affordable housing credit, removing all tax breaks for data centers, removing any tax credits for banks, financial institutions or insurance companies, and placing a 5-year sunset provision on all remaining tax credits. Importantly, this proposal does nothing to the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption program.
SB 477 (HB 463) also has multiple steps, but does not eliminate the tax credits and exemptions like SB 476. This proposal leaves the corporate state income tax rate at 4.99%, and then drops the personal rate 4.99% in 2026, 4.49% in 2027 and 3.99% in 2028 as long as the state meets certain triggers. It would also increase the standard deduction to $16,000 for individuals and $32,000 for families.
Action this Week
Reps. Camp, Jasperse, Burchett, Corbett, Williams, and others
This bill would remove the previous triggers required to lower the state income tax, introduce new triggers, and set the statewide income tax rate at 4.99% starting in 2026. It would also significantly increase the standard deduction from $24,000 to $100,000 for married filing jointly and from $12,000 to $50,000 for single, head of household, or married filing separately. The bill also eliminates several state tax credits, including those for insurance companies, banks, port traffic, EV manufacturers, cigarettes exported, and others.
Passed the Senate (02/12/26)
Reps. Blackmon, Burns, Hatchett, Gilliard, Stephens and others
This bill lowers the personal state income tax to 4.99% starting in 2026, 4.49% in 2027, and 3.99% for 2028, but leaves the corporate state income tax at 4.99%. This bill also increases the standard deduction from $24,000 to $32,000 for single filers and from $12,000 to $16,000 for single, head of household, or married filing separately.
Passed the Senate (02/12/26)
Reps. Wade, Gambill, Seabaugh, Hong, Blackmon, and others
This bill clarifies the language regarding the annual state income tax rate reduction by removing language relating to the triggers that must be met to trigger the reduction and stating that the state income tax rate will be reduced from 5.19% to 4.99% for taxable years beginning in 2026.
Passed House Ways & Means Committee on (02/11/26)
Reps. Rhodes, Leverett, Ridley, Williams, and Corbett
This bill prohibits the storage of any inorganic soil amendment within 100 feet of a property line or unloading and loading from roadways.
Passed House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee (02/11/26)
Reps. Bell, Tran, Davis, Carter, Bazemore and others
This bill seeks to shift the burden for end-of-life products from local governments and taxpayers to producers. Producers of packaged goods, paper products, and beverage containers must register with a state advisory board and must have the Georgia DNR evaluate recycling infrastructure, funding needs, and environmental justice disparities.
Assigned to House Natural Resources & the Environment Committee (02/10/26)
Reps. Ridley, Rhodes, and Meeks
This bill would allow engines exceeding 9.9 horsepower on the Ogeechee from where the river crosses State Highway 119 to its origin.
Assigned to House Game, Fish, & Parks Committee (02/11/26)
Reps. Cheokas, Stephans, Barrett, Williams, Hong, and others
This bill authorizes counties to collect an enhanced homestead option sales tax and a local option sales tax.
Assigned to House Ways & Means Committee (02/12/26)
Reps. Efstration, Williams, Dickey, Williams, Buckner and others
This resolution would amend the constitution and place a question on the 2026 statewide ballot to suspend the collection of harvest tax for timber cut on land enrolled in CUVA, FLPA, or Ag Preferential and left in a qualifying use. It includes a reimbursement provision for counties' lost revenue due to the tax suspension.
Passed House Ways & Means Committee (02/11/26)
Reps. Cannon and Ford
This resolution honors Mr. William Brown Lovett and names an interchange in his memory.
Assigned to House Transportation Committee (02/10/26)
Reps. Ford, Canon, Hatchett, Jones, Greene, and others
This resolution honors former longtime legislator Ms. Penny Houston by naming a roundabout in her honor.
Assigned to House Transportation Committee (02/11/26)
Sens. Goodman, Watson, Anderson, Sims, Summers, and others
This bill would rename the Georgia Development Authority the Georgia Agricultural Development Authority.
Assigned to House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee (02/11/26)
Sens. Robertson, Hatchett, Tillery, Strickland, Williams, and others
This bill excludes overtime work, any work over 40 hours a week, from state income tax.
Assigned to Senate Finance Committee (02/09/26)
Sens. Tillery, Walker III, Anavitarte, Hufstetler, Robertson, and others
This bill would remove the previous triggers required to lower the state income tax and set the personal state income tax rate at 4.99%. It would also significantly increase the standard deduction from $24,000 to $100,000 for married filing jointly and from $12,000 to $50,000 for single, head of household, or married filing separately. The bill also eliminates several state tax credits, including those for insurance companies, banks, port traffic, EV manufacturers, cigarettes exported, and others.
Passed the Senate (02/12/26)
Sens. Tillery, Walker III, Anavitarte, Gooch, Robertson, and others
This bill lowers personal state income tax to 4.99% starting in 2026, 4.49% in 2027, and 3.99% for 2028, and leaves the corporate state income tax at 4.99%. This bill also increases the standard deduction from $24,000 to $32,000 for single filers and from $12,000 to $16,000 for single, head of household, or married filing separately.
Passed the Senate (02/12/26)
Sens. Watson, Anavitarte, Walker III, Anderson, Goodman and others
This bill adds a sunset provision to the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund and allows the state to allocate up to 80% of the funds received by the special sales tax, rather than 40%.
Assigned to Senate Natural Resources & the Environment Committee (02/09/26)
Sens. Brass, Hatchett, Bearden, Anavitarte, and Anderson
This bill requires the governing authority of the county in which a property is located to adopt a resolution before the county may annex the property.
Assigned to Senate State & Local Governmental Operations Committee (2/12/26)
Sens. Echols, Goodman, Burns, Gooch, Hatchett, and others
This bill recognizes February 24th as FFA Day at the State Capitol.
Assigned to Senate Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee (02/09/26)
Sens. Goodman, Sims, Anderson, Howard, Watson, and others
This resolution recognizes March as Georgia Peanut Month.
Adopted by the Senate (02/11/26)
Sens. Cowsert, Summers, Brass, Harbison, Williams, and others
This resolution recognizes April 13th as Georgia Lineworker Appreciation Day.
Adopted by the Senate (02/12/26)
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Bill Tracker
To stay updated on all the bills GFB is tracking, check out our 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. |
Save the Date
- Dawgs Day at the Dome: February 24th
- FFA Day at the Capitol: February 24th
- Georgia Citrus Association Conference: February 24th
- 4-H Day at the Capitol: February 26th
- Steak Biscuit Day at the Capitol: March 12th
- FFA Blue & Gold Gala: March 27th
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
ElizaJane Glover, Agricultural Programs Specialist
Renee Jones, Operations Coordinator
Amelia Junod, Advocacy and Policy Development Specialist
Chase McClure, Governmental Affairs Specialist
Ben Parker, National Affairs Coordinator