The Holland Report - 2025, Week 8
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| We Made It Through Cross Over Day! |
| It was an unusually agreeable Cross Over Day. Most "bad bills" never made it out of Rules Committee, leaving mostly bi-partisan, uncontroversial bills to vote on the floor. That isn't to say these bills will not make a comeback as we progress through session, so we are prepared to see them hidden in the Senate bills coming our way. Additionally, I've heard the Senate had a much more eventful Cross Over Day, leaving us in the House bracing ourselves for some bad pieces of legislation. |
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| Cross Over Day |
| It was a record breaking Cross Over Day in more ways than one! We passed 77 bills and still finished well before midnight around 11PM. While the Senate had its fair share of controversy and excitement, on our side we really only saw neutral and good bills, with most bills passing nearly unanimously. We really don't have any bad bills to discuss, as most of the bills that were flagged as very concerning did not make it to the floor in time. Here are some of the highlights. HR128 When someone is wrongfully convicted, there is a process to compensate them monetarily for their lost time. Rather than just giving them their compensation once they are found to be wrongfully convicted, we vote on providing them this compensation. HR128 compensates five wrongly convicted Georgians. This bill has passed out of the House and awaits Senate Committee Assignment. HB127 As of right now, teachers are only allotted three days of sick time. HB127 increases this to five days. This bill has passed out of the House and awaits Senate Committee Assignment. HB506 A huge concern for Georgians today is the rampant addiction of nicotine products such as vapes and cigarettes. HB506 would make smoking cessation programs covered under Medicaid. This bill has passed out of the House and awaits Senate Committee Assignment. HB577 In the same vein, HB577, The Georgia Nicotine Vapor Products Directory Act, would enact better regulations on what products are actually on the shelves. There is much that is unknown about what is actually in these products, so this bill aims to get some clarity on that so we can regulate the industry better. This bill has passed out of the House and awaits Senate Committee Assignment. HB56 Here's one we've discussed in previous newsletters. HB56 would provide a grant to the children and spouses of people who have passed away in the line of duty in the following careers: law enforcement, prison guards, firefighters, and teachers. This bill has passed out of the House and awaits Senate Committee Assignment. HB430 HB430 would mandate when a registered sex offender moves to Georgia, their record of offense will transfer over. In this way we will make sure people remain registered when they move to new communities. This bill has passed out of the House and awaits Senate Committee Assignment. |
| The Rest Of The Week |
| Even with all the excitement of Cross Over Day, we can't forget about the rest of the week! Week 8 had some really good bills pass before Thursday, and overall we had a productive week. HB79 The Firearms Safe Storage Act would provide an optional tax credit to purchase products to safely store firearms. For homes that have children, this is a step in keeping firearms out of the hands of minors, and by extension keeping them safe. HB79 has passed the House and has been assigned to the Finance Senate Committee. HB225 This is one of the more controversial bill that passed this week. HB225 aims to ban traffic cameras from school zones. The thought behind this is that the school cameras are ticketing drivers wrongfully. It is important to note that the author of the bill was not able to provide evidence that this is happening. The premise of this bill is based off of complaints, rather than any statistics. This bill has been passed by the House and assigned to the Public Safety Senate Committee. HB325 HB325 provides a protective order for members of the military that have been stalked by another member of the military. Many members of the military are harassed or assaulted by their fellow members, and many of them go without seeing justice. This bill is a step in the right direction of protecting victims in the military. This bill has been passed by the House and assigned to the Judiciary Senate Committee. HB123 This bill is one many of you reached out to me to show your support for, and I am happy to tell you that your voices were heard. HB123 prohibits the death penalty in cases when the defendant has an intellectual disability. As it stands currently, Georgia is the only state that forces defendants to prove their disability beyond a reasonable doubt to avoid the death penalty. HB123 is a long overdue reform that will have us up to date with the rest of the country. This bill has been passed by the House and assigned to the Judiciary Senate Committee. HB340 HB340 is the Distraction-Free Education Act, and addresses the smart phone related concerns parents are having across Georgia. Teachers are struggling to maintain the attention and control of their classrooms with the presence of smart phones. HB340 would create a bell to bell phone ban, meaning students K - 8 could not use their phones from morning bell to the afternoon bell. This bill has been passed by the House and assigned to the Children and Families Senate Committee. |
| Upcoming Town Hall |
| This session season has been flying by! We have one last Town Hall coming up here, and then session will be over. Make sure to join us on March, 30 at 4PM. Click Here to register for my final Town Hall. |
| If you haven’t already, please browse my website, betsyforgeorgia.com. As your Representative, your concerns are important to me. Please contact me at betsy.holland@house.ga.gov or 404-656-0116 with questions, concerns, or solutions you may have regarding legislation or other happenings in District 54. To stay updated, follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and follow the Georgia House of Representatives @GAHouseHub on Twitter. Additionally, in-depth information regarding current bills, Georgia's annual and supplemental budgets, committee meetings, and livestreams from the General Assembly can be accessed via www.legis.ga.gov. I encourage you and your family to visit our State Capitol and my office, where all constituents are welcome. I look forward to connecting with you! My office is located at: 18 Capitol Square, SW 409-B, Coverdell Legislative Office Building Atlanta, Georgia 30334 Thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative.  Representative Betsy Holland GA House District 54 |
