Here’s what Macon legislators are pushing under the Gold Dome this session

Macon’s delegation has introduced a slew of legislation under the Gold Dome so far this session. 

Here’s what our senators and representatives are pushing:

EDUCATION

Rep. Floyd Griffin, D-Milledgeville, introduced House Bill 436, which would repeal the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act passed last legislative session and championed by Senate President Pro Tem John Kennedy, R-Macon. The scholarship act provides up to $6,500 in state money to help cover the cost of private school tuition for students who have been enrolled for at least one year in one of the hundreds of schools identified by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.

Kennedy introduced legislation to address chronic absenteeism in schools. The bill calls for public school districts to file written student attendance protocols with the education department outlining detailed procedures used to identify, report, investigate and prosecute cases of alleged violations of the compulsory attendance requirement. The bill also revises language in the attendance law to ensure no student is expelled by a public school solely due to absenteeism. 

Rep. Tangie Herring, D-Macon, introduced House Bill 333, which calls for the state to annually update its salary schedule for professionals in elementary and secondary education and include adjustments for inflation. 

PUBLIC SAFETY

Sen. David Lucas, D-Macon, introduced a bill calling for a 10-day waiting period for the purchase or transfer of certain firearms. 

Rep. Dale Washburn, R-Macon, introduced House Bill 225, which calls for the abolishment of automatic speed detection cameras. 

Sen. Rick Williams, R-Milledgeville, introduced Senate Bill 32, which would set a minimum sentence of 10 years for people convicted of knowingly and willfully obstructing, opposing or doing violence to a law enforcement officer. 

HEALTH

Lucas introduced the Peach Care Plus Act of 2025, which calls for expanding Medicaid coverage to individuals earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level. The bill also would create an 11-member advisory committee for the Peach Care Plus Program. Savings from the program would be deposited into the state’s indigent care trust fund. 

Herring introduced House Bill 332, which would create a temporary state advisory group to develop and update protocols for screening children for trauma. The advisory group would meet before October and report its findings, recommendations and funding estimates to the General Assembly by October 2026. The advisory board would be dissolved by 2027.

MONEY

Kennedy introduced Senate Bill 68 aimed at lowering insurance costs for doctors, businesses and residents, a priority of Gov. Brian Kemp. The Georgia Recorder reports the bill would cap evidence of pain and suffering and limit an owners’ liability for injuries that occur on their property. It also would limit special damages awarded for medical bills to the actual amount paid by the plaintiff. 

Another piece of legislation introduced by Kennedy, Senate Bill 69, would require third-party sources of funding for lawsuits to register with the Department of Banking and Finance. It also prohibits foreign governments from funding lawsuits.
Rep. Anissa Jones, D-Macon, introduced House Bill 292 which would allow certain employers to claim an income tax credit of $3,500 for each employee it has who qualifies as a “living wage employee,” meaning they make at least $15 and work 30 or more hours each week for at least one year. Employers must have at least five “living wage employees” to qualify.