Bill Commons

GA SB 44

enacted

Equalization Grants, Annual Calculations, and Allocation; the definition of the term "qualified local school system" by reducing the minimum required millage rate; revise

Georgia · 2025_26 · upper

Quick answers

Did GA SB 44 pass?

Yes. GA SB 44 has been enacted into law as of 2025-07-01. Latest recorded action (2025-07-01): Effective Date

What is GA SB 44 about?

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 20-2-165 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to equalization grants, annual calculations, and allocation, so as to revise the definition of the term "qualified local school system" by reducing the minimum required millage rate or effective millage rate from 14 mills to 10 mills; to provide for a 25 percent reduction of equalization grant awards for local school systems whose millage rate or effective millage rate does not meet the minimum requirement; to require annual reporting by the Department of Education; to repeal a definition; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Who sponsors GA SB 44?

Sam Watson, Russ Goodman, Carden Summers and 3 others are the primary sponsors of GA SB 44.

Description

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 20-2-165 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to equalization grants, annual calculations, and allocation, so as to revise the definition of the term "qualified local school system" by reducing the minimum required millage rate or effective millage rate from 14 mills to 10 mills; to provide for a 25 percent reduction of equalization grant awards for local school systems whose millage rate or effective millage rate does not meet the minimum requirement; to require annual reporting by the Department of Education; to repeal a definition; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Introduced
2025-01-28
Latest action
2025-07-01 — Effective Date
Bill type
bill
Last updated

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Sam Watsonprimary
  • Russ Goodmanprimary
  • Carden Summersprimary
  • Chuck Hufstetlerprimary
  • John F. Kennedyprimary
  • Jason Anavitarteprimary

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-01-28

    Senate Hopper

    introduction

  2. 2025-01-29

    Senate Read and Referred

    referral-committee

  3. 2025-02-05

    Senate Committee Favorably Reported

    committee-passage-favorable

  4. 2025-02-06

    Senate Read Second Time

    reading-2

  5. 2025-02-10

    Senate Recommitted

    referral-committee

  6. 2025-02-11

    Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

    committee-passage-favorable

  7. 2025-02-13

    Senate Third Read

    reading-3

  8. 2025-02-13

    Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute

    passage

  9. 2025-02-18

    House First Readers

    reading-1

  10. 2025-02-19

    House Second Readers

    reading-2

  11. 2025-03-18

    House Committee Favorably Reported

    committee-passage-favorable

  12. 2025-03-28

    House Third Readers

    reading-3

  13. 2025-03-28

    House Passed/Adopted

    passage

  14. 2025-04-07

    Senate Sent to Governor

    executive-receipt

  15. 2025-05-14

    Senate Date Signed by Governor

    executive-signature

  16. 2025-05-14

    Act 280

    executive-signature

  17. 2025-07-01

    Effective Date

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Senate Vote #51 - 2025-2026 Regular Session

    2025-02-13 · pass · 51-0

    Member-level votes (54)
    • ALBERS: yes
    • ANAVITARTE: yes
    • ANDERSON: yes
    • BEACH: yes
    • BEARDEN: yes
    • BRASS: yes
    • BURNS: yes
    • COWSERT: yes
    • DAVENPORT: yes
    • DIXON: yes
    • DOLEZAL: other
    • ECHOLS: yes
    • ESTEVES: yes
    • GINN: yes
    • GOOCH: yes
    • GOODMAN: yes
    • HALPERN: yes
    • HARBIN: yes
    • HARBISON: other
    • HARRELL: yes
    • HATCHETT: other
    • HICKMAN: yes
    • HODGES: yes
    • HUFSTETLER: other
    • JACKSON: yes
    • JAMES: yes
    • JONES: yes
    • JONES II: yes
    • KEMP: yes
    • KENNEDY: yes
    • KIRKPATRICK: yes
    • LUCAS: yes
    • MALLOW: yes
    • MANGHAM: yes
    • MCLAURIN: yes
    • MERRITT: yes
    • MOORE: yes
    • ORROCK: yes
    • PARENT: yes
    • PARKES: yes
    • PAYNE: yes
    • RAHMAN: yes
    • RHETT: yes
    • ROBERTSON: yes
    • SETZLER: yes
    • SIMS: yes
    • STILL: yes
    • STRICKLAND: yes
    • SUMMERS: yes
    • TILLERY: yes
    • WALKER, III: yes
    • WATSON: yes
    • WICKS: other
    • WILLIAMS: yes
  • House Vote #336 - 2025-2026 Regular Session

    2025-03-28 · pass · 138-23

    Member-level votes (165)
    • ADESANYA: other
    • ADEYINA: yes
    • ALEXANDER: yes
    • ANDERSON: yes
    • AU: yes
    • BAKER: other
    • BALLARD: yes
    • BALLINGER: yes
    • BARNES: no
    • BARRETT: yes
    • BARTON: yes
    • BAZEMORE: no
    • BECKLES: yes
    • BELL: other
    • BENNETT: yes
    • BERRY: no
    • BLACKMON: yes
    • BONNER: yes
    • BUCKNER: yes
    • BURCHETT: yes
    • BURNOUGH: no
    • BURNS: other
    • BYRD: no
    • CAMERON: yes
    • CAMP: yes
    • CAMPBELL: yes
    • CANNON: no
    • CARPENTER: other
    • CARSON: yes
    • CARTER: yes
    • CHASTAIN: yes
    • CHEOKAS: yes
    • CLARK: yes
    • CLIFTON: yes
    • COOPER: yes
    • CORBETT: yes
    • COX: yes
    • CRAWFORD: yes
    • CROWE: yes
    • CUMMINGS: other
    • DAVIS: no
    • DAWSON: yes
    • DELOACH: yes
    • DEMPSEY: yes
    • DICKEY: yes
    • DONATUCCI: yes
    • DOUGLAS: yes
    • DRAPER: yes
    • DRENNER: no
    • DUBNIK: yes
    • DUNAHOO: yes
    • EFSTRATION: yes
    • EHRHART: yes
    • ERWIN: yes
    • EVANS: yes
    • FLEMING: yes
    • FLOURNOY: yes
    • FORD: yes
    • FRANKLIN: yes
    • FRYE: no
    • GAINES: yes
    • GAMBILL: yes
    • GILLIARD: yes
    • GLAIZE: yes
    • GREENE: yes
    • GRIFFIN: no
    • GULLETT: yes
    • GUNTER: yes
    • HAGAN: yes
    • HATCHETT: yes
    • HAWKINS: yes
    • HEFFNER: yes
    • HENDERSON: yes
    • HERRING: yes
    • HILTON: yes
    • HITCHENS: yes
    • HOLCOMB: yes
    • HOLLAND: yes
    • HOLLY: other
    • HONG: yes
    • HORNER: yes
    • HOWARD: yes
    • HUDDLESTON: yes
    • HUGLEY: yes
    • HUTCHINSON: other
    • JACKSON: no
    • JASPERSE: yes
    • JENKINS: yes
    • JONES: other
    • KAHAIAN: no
    • KELLEY: yes
    • KENDRICK: yes
    • LAHOOD: yes
    • LEVERETT: yes
    • LEWIS-WARD: yes
    • LIM: no
    • LUMSDEN: yes
    • LUPTON: no
    • MARTIN: no
    • MARTINEZ: yes
    • MATHIAK: yes
    • MATHIS: yes
    • MCCLAIN: yes
    • MCCOLLUM: yes
    • MCDONALD III: yes
    • MCQUEEN: no
    • MEEKS: other
    • MILLER: yes
    • MITCHELL: yes
    • MOMTAHAN: yes
    • MOORE: yes
    • MYLES: yes
    • NEAL: yes
    • NEW: yes
    • NEWTON: yes
    • OKOYE: yes
    • OLALEYE: yes
    • OLIVER: yes
    • O'STEEN: other
    • PANITCH: yes
    • PARIS: yes
    • PARK: no
    • PARRISH: yes
    • PARSONS: yes
    • PERSINGER: yes
    • PETREA: yes
    • POWELL: yes
    • PRINCE: yes
    • REESE: yes
    • REEVES: yes
    • RHODES: yes
    • RICE: yes
    • RICHARDSON: yes
    • RIDLEY: yes
    • ROBERTS: yes
    • ROMMAN: no
    • SAINZ: yes
    • SAMPSON: yes
    • SANCHEZ: other
    • SANTOS: yes
    • SCHOFIELD: no
    • SCOGGINS: yes
    • SCOTT: no
    • SEABAUGH: other
    • SHARPER: yes
    • SILCOX: yes
    • SMITH: yes
    • STEPHENS: yes
    • STINSON: other
    • TARVIN: yes
    • TAYLOR: yes
    • THOMAS: yes
    • TOWNSEND: yes
    • TRAN: yes
    • WADE: yes
    • WASHBURN: yes
    • WERKHEISER: yes
    • WESTBROOK: other
    • WIEDOWER: other
    • WILKERSON: yes
    • WILLIAMS: yes
    • WILLIAMS, JR.: yes
    • WILLIAMSON: no
    • WILLIS: yes
    • YEARTA: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:19:40.450420Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

Use this data

Every field on this page is available from the free public API — no key or licence required. Fetch this bill as JSON: GET /api/v1/bills?jurisdiction=GA&identifier=SB 44. See the API docs or the MCP server for AI assistants.

Known limitations

  • Sponsor party and chamber affiliation are not yet captured by this API.
  • Committee referrals are not yet captured.

See the methodology page for data sources and limitations.