The Governor’s Bill Review Process
Friends,
As you may know, for legislation we consider in the General Assembly to become law, it must pass both the House and the Senate in the same form, and then be agreed to by the Governor. While some legislation is sent to the Governor for his consideration during session, the majority of legislation heads to his desk at the end of the session, at which time he has 40 days to determine whether to veto the legislation. Legislation not vetoed by the Governor is either signed into law or sits on the Governor’s desk for 40 days and then automatically becomes law if not acted on.
Governor Kemp certainly has his work cut out for him over the next 40 days. Nearly 400 bills have been sent to the Governor for his consideration; he signed 5 pieces of legislation into law in the final few weeks of the legislative session, while vetoing one bill so far during the bill review period. HB 319 would have required legislative approval for year-after-year tuition increases larger than 3% at a public Georgia college or university.
HB 18, signed into law by Governor Kemp on March 10th, is the supplemental budget bill for fiscal year 2023, which ends on June 30, 2023. This legislation, which I was proud to sponsor, was carefully negotiated by Chairman Matt Hatchett of Dublin. The final legislation includes statewide priorities addressing needs in public safety, education, state employee pay, and tax cuts for Georgians.
HB 162, which the Governor signed on March 14th, was introduced by Representative Lauren McDonald of Forsyth County and provides one time income tax credits of up to $500 for those filing taxes in 2021 and 2022.
HB 311 was signed into law by the Governor on March 16th and was introduced by Representative Lynn Smith of Newnan. This legislation implements a constitutional amendment approved by Georgia’s voters that allows for tax relief for those whose homes have been damaged by natural disasters.
SB 59, sponsored in the House by Soo Hong of Lawrenceville, ensures that the state has the means to investigate waste, fraud, and abuse in the executive branch through the enshrinement in law of the Office of the Inspector General. The OIG will have jurisdiction over executive branch persons and agencies, as well as those doing business with an agency or receiving state funds. The Governor signed SB 59 into law on March 29th.
SB 140 was sponsored by Josh Bonner of Fayetteville, and prohibits permanent body modification surgeries and procedures like sex reassignment and hormone replacement on minors for the treatment of gender dysphoria - recognizing that these permanent decisions should be delayed until adulthood unless otherwise medically necessary. Governor Kemp signed SB 140 into law on March 23rd.
In the next few weeks during the Constitutionally defined bill review period that ends in May, I will continue to update you on legislation that the Governor has signed into law. Always 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.