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2025 Session

The Capitol Express

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Email Chuck

Week 10 was eventful for District 49, Fulton County, and our state. With Legislative Days 32, 33, and 34 behind us, only six days remain before Sine Die on April 4th.


Continuing Commitment to Property Tax Relief for Homeowners


New Senior Exemptions


On Friday, March 21st, the House passed two new Senior Homestead Exemptions from Fulton County education ad valorem taxes. HB 776, sponsored by Rep. Jan Jones, I was a co-sponsor, provides an additional 50% exemption for eligible seniors 70 and older. HB 777 provides an additional 25% exemption for eligible seniors 65 and older.


These New Exemptions Build on Previous Exemptions


These measures provide significant tax relief for eligible seniors and build on the exemptions passed previously, the 2018 Floating Homestead Exemptions and the 2022 Senior Homestead Exemption that I sponsored, HB 1556. These measures are in the State Senate and, when passed, will be on your ballot in November.


Now, on to the Senate


HB 776 and HB 777 are awaiting passage in the State Senate, and I look forward to reporting to you the final passage before the General Assembly adjourns Sine Die on April 4.



Tax Relief for Georgia Families


In Week 8, the House passed HB 111 and HB 112; this week, these bills received final passage in the State Senate and are headed to Governor Kemp for signature.


Tax Rebate - HB 112


The House fulfilled one of Governor Kemp’s key priorities by passing House Bill 112, which provides one-time income tax refunds for Georgians who paid tax by filing a return in 2023 and 2024:


✔ $250 for single filers

✔ $375 for heads of household

✔ $500 for married couples filing jointly


Income Tax Rate Reduction - HB 111


The House also passed House Bill 111, which would amend state law relating to individual income tax rates to lower the individual income tax rate from 5.39 percent to 5.19 percent effective January 1, 2025.


This bill, as passed, represents a tax reduction for every Georgian who pays income taxes, so I was surprised to see 60 House members oppose the measure; view the vote here...


These two measures underscore the Republican-led General Assembly's commitment to returning taxpayers’ hard-earned money and cutting the income tax.


We will reconvene on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 10:00 am.


Please be sure to look out for future updates regarding your government at work—my sincere thanks for your interaction. I hope you enjoy this volume of the Capitol Express and that you will continue to engage. I value your time and will do my best to respond.


We receive hundreds of emails daily while attending Floor Sessions and serving on multiple committees, so if you live in House District 49, please place HD49 in the subject line to help us respond.


You may also contact me at ChuckMartin@house.ga.gov or my office phone number at (404) 656-5164.


Thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative for House District 49.


Yours in Service,

Chairman, House Higher Education

House District 49


I am sending this update because you have requested to be on our list, have contacted our office requesting information, or have been recommended as someone interested in their state government. Hopefully, you will find these weekly updates informative; thank you for allowing me to serve, and please share the newsletter with our neighbors.

Capitol Office Information

2025 Legislative Session Week 10

House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration and I discussed the vote on the Local Calendar after the passage of additional homestead exemptions for eligible Fulton Senior Homeowners.


On the House Floor Before Session

On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, my legislative colleagues and I returned to the Gold Dome for Legislative Day 32, ready to resume our work for the people we serve. With only a few legislative days remaining in this year’s session, we are fully focused on advancing meaningful legislation that will deliver real results for our communities and our state, and every moment counts as we work diligently until the last second. With just two weeks remaining until Sine Die on Friday, April 4, I want to highlight some important measures we addressed during the 10th week of the 2025 legislative session.


This week, the House passed Senate Bill 68, a measure that would revise several areas of civil law. The measure then went to the Senate, where it received final passage on Friday and will now head to Governor Kemp's desk for final signature.


First, a note to clarify Section 6, negligent security

There was a great deal of misinformation surrounding this bill and its impact. In particular, the assertion that Section 6 of the bill would interfere with a family seeking justice in civil court when a child is mistreated or abused by a teacher or employee in a childcare or daycare setting. Section 6 addresses when businesses are liable for random criminal acts by third parties occurring on their property. Teachers and other employees are not third parties, so Section 6 does not change how those claims are brought.


Anchoring: We required that the monetary value of noneconomic damages be argued at the first opportunity for closing arguments. We also clarified that counsel can argue the monetary value of noneconomic damages again in a second closing argument, as long as the argument was made during the first closing. This prevents either party from "sandbagging" the other by delaying this argument.


Motions to Dismiss: This highlights that if courts fail to rule on motions promptly, writs of mandamus can be used to hold courts accountable. Neither party should face the consequences of undue delays in a court's ruling on a motion. This places accountability where it rightfully belongs: with the court.


Voluntary Dismissal: The clock for voluntary dismissal starts upon filing an answer, regardless of whether a motion for summary judgment was filed. This closes a potential loophole that defendants could have used to game the system and prevent plaintiffs from engaging in discovery before exercising their right to voluntarily dismiss a case.


Seatbelt Evidence: Preserves the trial court's inherent discretion to decide whether and for what purposes evidence regarding seatbelt use can be admitted. Seatbelt evidence must still be relevant and non-prejudicial. This prevents abuse while ensuring the jury sees this evidence when it matters.


Premise Liability: The House changes increase the carve-out for sex trafficking victims, excluding any claims related to a violation of O.C.G.A. 16-5-46. This means that Section 6 offers valuable protection for businesses attempting to do the right thing, but provides no protection for those that fail to act against human trafficking occurring under their watch. This bill ensures that Section 6 of the Georgia code is interpreted as intended to protect businesses from liability due to factors outside their control while ensuring that businesses still face liability for what is within their control.


Bifurcation: This bill will allow the court to deny a request for bifurcation, or splitting the trial into two parts, if the case is small, meaning it is under $150,000, or the plaintiff may experience undue emotional stress from testifying twice. These changes maintain bifurcation as a resource for both parties while ensuring that this procedure does not burden the court system or hinder a victim of a sex crime from seeking justice through the civil system.


On Tuesday, the House passed the Dignity and Pay Act, bipartisan legislation prohibiting the Georgia Department of Labor from offering exemptions to minimum wage laws for individuals with disabilities. Senate Bill 55 would further prohibit employers from utilizing certificates issued by the U.S. Department of Labor that allow companies to pay individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities below the minimum wage. Under current federal law, eight organizations in the state have a federal waiver that allows them to pay workers below the federal minimum wage. If a Georgia company currently utilizes a federal certificate, SB 55 would require the company to pay individuals with disabilities at least half of the minimum wage between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. Starting on July 1, 2027, employers could not utilize these certificates to pay individuals with disabilities subminimum wages. This would aim to phase out less-than-minimum wage payments to these employees. As we promote workforce development and job creation in Georgia, it is essential that we also ensure equal opportunity and compensation to employees with disabilities – individuals who contribute in meaningful and vital ways to our state’s industries. With the bill’s final passage, it now awaits the governor’s signature to be enacted into law.


Senate Bill 109 also passed the House this week with bipartisan support. This bill, which mirrors House Bill 182 that we passed in the House earlier this session, would provide much-needed protections for Georgia’s active-duty service members and their families. Specifically, SB 109 would prevent group life insurance policies in our state from excluding or limiting liability for the death of an insured active-duty service member, unless the death is directly or indirectly caused by war or a related act or hazard. Currently, many life insurance policies include exclusions that specify that specific causes of death are not covered under the policy, often using the term “act of war” to describe these exclusions. However, the term “active duty” is typically used in group life insurance policies. SB 109 would clarify that being on active duty alone would not be a reason to deny a claim. For example, suppose an active-duty service member is injured in a car accident while at home, on leave, or stationed within the United States. Their life insurance claim should not be denied simply because they are on active duty but not in active combat. SB 109 would guarantee that Georgia’s dedicated service members and their families are protected, no matter where the injury or death occurs, ensuring they receive the support and benefits they deserve for the sacrifices they make in service to our state and nation. The House’s unanimous vote on SB 109 gave the bill final passage, which now goes to the governor’s desk for approval.


Later this week, the House gave final passage to Senate Bill 58, Georgia Transporting Life-Saving Organs and Personnel Act, which would allow for the licensing and operation of emergency organ transport vehicles as ambulance services to transport necessary personnel, organs, tissue, or medical supplies to a time-critical organ transplant procedure. For example, if a donor is deceased, the organ may need to be transported from another region of the state, across state lines, or by air transport, necessitating the need for specialized personnel and specialized emergency transport. By codifying it in Georgia law, SB 58 would eliminate any potential concern about their status as a critical emergency vehicle. Under this legislation, these vehicles would be eligible to apply for licenses designating them as emergency organ transplant vehicles and would also be required to have insurance coverage, as other vehicles do under state law. The Department of Public Safety would be authorized to designate each vehicle by issuing a permit to operate flashing or revolving emergency lights. By allowing emergency organ transport vehicles to operate under ambulance service regulations, SB 58 – now headed to the governor’s desk – would help ensure that organs, medical personnel, and critical supplies reach their destinations faster to save more lives.



Additional Bills from Week 10 of 2025 Session


The Georgia House of Representatives will resume its work on Tuesday, March 18th, for the tenth week of the session. Wednesday will be dedicated to a committee workday, followed by Legislative Day 33 and 34 on Thursday and Friday.


Committee Schedules


House Committees continue to meet; we are working hard across all committees. Full committee schedules are available online by clicking here.

From the Higher Education Committee

Two meetings this week for the House Higher Education Committee to review bills from the Senate.

(Pictured is our Higher Education Office Team for 2025. I am honored to work with Brittany, Molly, and Ellie.)


On Tuesday:

Agenda:

  • SB 85 – Senator Matt Brass of the 6th: Grants for Foster Children; a grant program to provide grants to former foster youth who meet eligibility requirements, subject to specific appropriations; establish PASSED


  • SB 149 – Senator Billy Hickman of the 4th: Tuition Equalization Grants at Private Colleges and Universities; definition of approved school; revise PASSED


  • SB 193 – Senator Matt Brass of the 6th: State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia; establish the adult workforce high school diploma program; authorize PASSED


On Wednesday:

Agenda:

  • SB 20 – Senator Kay Kirkpatrick of the 32nd: Veterinarians; student loan repayment; who practice shelter medicine and in nonprofit pet sterilization clinics; provide; create the State Veterinary Education Board for Shelter Medicine and Pet Sterilization PASSED


  • SB 180 – Senator Clint Dixon of the 45th: High Demand Apprenticeship Program; opportunities for apprenticeship sponsors to enter into apprenticeship program contracts with the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia; provide PASSED


To review bills in the Higher Education Committee, click here and then click Assigned Legislation.

Guests and Updates



Page for the Day

On Thursday, I welcomed Maxwell "Kit" Wilson to the State Capitol as a Page for the day. Kit, thanks for coming down to help out, and best of luck with your interest in law and policy.

Buc-ee in the House


We are pleased to recognize the Buc-ee Team for their investment in Georgia with House Resolution HR 507.

Committee Assignments

ChuckRyan

New committee assignments have been released and I have been re-appointed to lead Higher Education in addition to serving on seven additional standing committees. These are my committees for 2025-2026:



Click on the links above or here to find the schedules of these committees and each committee's online streaming links. 


To follow the General Assembly virtually, click here...

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