End-Of-February Legislative Update

The Georgia state legislature has been in session for 36 days in 2024, and tomorrow is crossover day. Crossover day is the deadline for bills to leave the chamber in which they were introduced and pass to the other chamber. If a bill hasn’t gone to the other chamber by the end of crossover day, it can’t be considered by the other chamber before the end of the session. 

Here’s an update on the bills we’ve talked about previously: 

• SB 446, which would reduce the early voting period by 5 days, is still in committee in its initial house.

• HB 1039, which would require social media influencers to disclose if they have received payment from political campaigns or candidates to make particular posts, has been recommitted to the governmental affairs subcommittee.   

• SB 359, which would expand the scope of Georgia’s hate crime laws, making some protest actions eligible for prosecution under RICO violations, has been recommitted to the judiciary subcommittee. 

• SB 261, which would stop colleges and universities from accepting diversity statements from individuals applying for jobs or admission, has been assigned to committee in the senate. 

• HB 1056,  which would enact a new mandatory minimum sentencing for drug offenses when a person 21 years or older delivers, sells, or distributes to a person under 14, is in committee in the house. 

• SB 390, which would ban libraries from receiving public funding if they are part of the American Libraries Association, has had its second reading in the senate. 

• HB998, which would change some ballot reading methods, and would eliminate ballot drop boxes, has been assigned to committee in the house. 

• SB 101, which would prevent voters from having to apply a second time for an absentee ballot during a runoff, is in committee in the senate. 

• SB 179, which would restore felons' rights to vote, is in committee in the senate. 

• SB 63, which criminalizes charitable bail funds, has passed the State Senate and State House, and now goes to Governor Kemp to sign or veto.

Did you miss our Mid-February Legislative Update? Click here!