Today, March 6, is Crossover Day at the State Capitol as Georgia lawmakers scramble to get bills out of their originating House or Senate chamber before they effectively die for a year.
Crossover Day typically eliminates about half of all bills in a legislative session, but there’s still room for debate and a vote before the session closes on April 2.
Here are several major bills awaiting action under the Gold Dome:
Property tax overhaul
One of the most closely watched proposals is a constitutional amendment that would dramatically reduce Georgia property taxes over time. Lawmakers debated a revised version that would gradually cut homestead property taxes to 10% of assessed value by 2032, replacing an earlier proposal that would have eliminated them. The measure failed a key vote this week, but could still be reconsidered before the deadline.
Regulation of data centers and power costs
The rapid growth of large data centers in Georgia has sparked multiple bills, including one House measure that would prevent electric utilities from passing the cost of powering data centers on to residential customers. Another bill that would regulate data centers more broadly was temporarily shelved in the Senate after internal maneuvering, leaving its future uncertain before Crossover Day.
PFAS contamination lawsuits
A newly introduced Senate bill would centralize lawsuits over so-called “forever chemicals” known as PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) under state control instead of allowing local governments to file independently. Settlement money would go into a state-managed fund, but critics of the legislation say it would strip authority from cities and counties dealing with contamination.
Affordable housing
Several bills aimed at increasing the state’s affordable housing supply are still struggling to gain traction. These proposals include incentives for development and zoning reforms intended to help local governments address housing shortages. Many remain stuck in committees as Crossover Day dawns.
Cell phones in schools
A bill to ban cell phones in middle and high schools passed the House last week, but is still awaiting Senate approval. The cell phone ban is already law for kindergarten through 8th grade, but some parents have expressed safety concerns for students not having access to their phones in the wake of school shooting incidents.