Sine Die Update
Friends,
‘Sine Die’ is the term used at the Georgia State Capitol to refer to the end of our 40 day legislative session.
The end of our session is always a busy day, with both the House and the Senate working late in order to complete the last day of the 40 day session.
Today I’ve provided background on several of the pieces of legislation that passed the House on Sine Die.
HB 414, originally offered in the House by Representative Shaw Blackmon of Bonaire, creates the Veterans Mental Health Services Program, which will provide mental health services to service members, veterans, and their family members. The Senate passed an amended version of this legislation which the House accepted by a vote of 169 - 0.
HB 142 was introduced by Representative Mesha Mainor of Atlanta, and ensures that the independent colleges that make up the Atlanta University Center can work together to police their campuses and the nearby community to keep their students safe. This legislation passed the House by a vote of 145 - 12, and now will head to Governor Kemp for his consideration.
HB 189 addresses the needs of Georgia’s agricultural community, helping to address workforce needs while reducing the number of trucks on the road by allowing for a 10% variance to weight limitations. In order to ensure that we’ve best balanced the needs of the industry with concerns about the demands imposed on our infrastructure, this legislation will “sunset’ on July 1, 2025 without further legislative action.
And of course, one of the last pieces of legislation we enacted on Sine Die was HB 19, the annual state budget - the budget is the only bill we are required by the Constitution to enact every session.
Some of the highlights of the budget include an additional prioritization of education, with over $13 billion in state K - 12 funding and a $2,000 pay raise for teachers, bringing average teacher salaries to $61,000 - the highest in the southeast, as well as a $1,000 salary supplement for all custodians.
We included an increase of $117 million for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to increase services for Georgians.
We’ve also recognized the importance of our men and women in law enforcement. We included an additional pay raise for law enforcement, of $4,000 for over 3,900 state law enforcement officers, and up to $6,000 for front line officers with the Georgia State Patrol, Capitol Police, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Natural Resources.
In coming days, as legislation is signed into law and begins to take effect, remember that should you have questions about my work as your Representative or as Speaker of the House, you can always reach out to me at 404.656.5020, Jon.Burns@house.ga.gov, or on Facebook at www.FB.com/JonBurnsGA. If you wish to sign up for my weekly emailed newsletter, visit https://www.friendsofjonburns.com/home to sign up.