Georgian’s energy bills have increased approximately $45 a month in the past year. $45! This has driven many individuals into energy poverty. At the same time, data centers are pushing our energy infrastructure to its limit. The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) approved 10GW of expansion for Georgia Power on Dec 19, 2025. Most of this expansion is to power data centers and will be created by building and expanding coal and gas power plants.

Data centers, power plants, and other large infrastructure require water, land, and other resources – but so does our agriculture and so do Georgians.

There are ways to support sustainable growth that uplifts all Georgians. We must think critically about this. To begin to address this situation we support:

1. Community protections for Georgia families and farmers. Large developers must pay for infrastructure upgrades that they need and implement community benefit plans.
2. Accountable and transparent planning and reporting of resource use and management.
3. Responsible Incentives based on efficiency measures.
4. Education & Workforce Development supported in community benefit plans.

Learn more about Data Centers here.

Data Center Bills – All Failed to pass

HB 1063 – ‘Status Quo’ – codify into law the current PSC regulations that require data centers to pay their incremental costs. Only covers all costs of the energy buildout if all new power generation has an existing large-load customer. This requires Georgia Power to be 100% correct about predicting energy needs of data centers. 

SB 410 – limits the application of Georgia’s data center sales tax exemption such that no new certificates can be issued after the effective date of SB 410. Any certificates issued prior to the effective date will be honored. This addresses the reason Kemp vetoed similar legislation in 2024. 

***of note – the original language for SB 410 (tax breaks only) has been put into HB 186. The original HB 186 is gone. The tax breaks part of SB 410 is great. It will save the state billions of dollars.

SB 34 – The original version, from Sen Hufstetler, prohibited the cost of data center power infrastructure from being passed onto consumers. After being stripped of its good language and replaced by the inadequate PSC rules (HB 1063), it passed out of committee. Sen Hufstetler had the votes to amend it back to it’s good language, but Georgia Power shut down the Senate for the day instead of calling it for a vote. The bill ultimatly died in Senate Rules Bill Rubic. 

SB 94 – Reestablishment of a Consumer Utility Council (CUC – ‘the ombudsmen’). Read more about the bill here. Read the bill rubric here. Died in Senate Rules

HB 528 – High use facilities transparency act. Requires high resource use facilities to submit annual disclosure reports providing detailed information about their energy and water usage, and the taxes they pay to the state. Read the bill rubric here. Introduced, no hearing.

HB 559 shorten the sunset on data center tax breaks from 2031 to 2026. Read the bill rubric here. Introduced.

SB 37 – AI Accountability Act. Bill rubric. Introduced.

HB 1012 – institute a state-wide halt on the construction of data centers. No local government will be allowed to issue a permit, license or certificate for the purpose of data center construction between July 1, 2026 and March 1, 2027. Introduced.

SB 408 – shorten the sunset on data center tax breaks from January 1, 2032 to January 1, 2027.

SB 421 – Transparency of resource use – no government body can enter into a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) around data center power and water use. Introduced, no hearing.

SB 436 – A combination of transparency of resource use (SB 421) and a moratorium on tax breaks for one year. Introduced, no hearing.

(How NDAs keep AI data center details hidden from Americans | NBC News | 28 Oct, 2025)

Energy Burden

DEAD – SB 94 – Reestablishment of a Consumer Utility Council (CUC – ‘the ombudsmen’). Read more about the bill here. Read the bill rubric here. Died in Senate Rules

DEAD – HB 641 – makes it so that electric utilities cannot disconnect a person who is behind on their bills and needs electricity due to a medical hardship. Apparently, Georgia Power, already has this as a rule, but many other municipal and co-op utilities do not. Read Rubric Here. 

Bitcoin

DIED – SB 178 will allow the state treasurer to invest up to 5 percent of any fund in Bitcoin. The treasurer will also be allowed to loan digital assets, if it does not increase financial risk of the state. Read the bill rubric here. Introduced.

DIED – SB 228 will allow the Georgia treasury to invest public money in Bitcoin. Read the bill rubric here. Introduced.

Sustainable Energy

DIED – HB 248 Homeowners who install geothermal systems could qualify for tax credits. The bill offers a tax credit equal to 25% of eligible geothermal installation expenses, capped at $5,000 per year and spread over five taxable years. Passed out of the House, stalled in the Senate.

DIED – HB 169 Currently, farmers receive money from the state to ease their tax burden and if they replace their farmland with solar panels, they lose the tax incentives on that parcel of land only. With this bill, they would lose all of their tax incentives on all of their land. Bill Rubric. Passed out of the House, stalled in the Senate.

DIED – HB212 & HB213 – These bills give tax credits to companies that produce or invest in clean energy. Introduced.

DIED – HB507 & SB203 – The “Georgia Homegrown Solar Act” aims to promote solar energy development by establishing a comprehensive community solar program for Georgia. Community solar projects are small scale solar installations that can serve a neighborhood – enabling those who cannot install solar panels on their own home to still have access to solar power. Bill Rubric. Introduced.

DIED – HR 67 – A resolution committing Georgia to 100% clean and renewable energy by 2050. Bill Rubric. Introduced.

DIED – HB 402 – Georgia’s utility commission will set clean energy goals and support renewable project financing. Introduced.

PASSED – SB 256 – Electric co-ops must disclose their investments to their members and explain their rationale for the investment. This aims to build trust and accountability in energy investments. –Bill Passed & signed by Governor

DIED – HB 1304 – This bill allows for the use of certified portable solar devices. Electric generation devices below 1,200 watts are exempt from interconnection requirements – meaning that individuals can set up the solar generator, plug it in, and enjoy solar power. Service providers cannot enact criteria on their use. Liability is limited, and sale of electricity coming from these devices is prohibited. Rubic. Introduced.

DIED – HB 1133 – Solar on Landfills. This bill redefines terms related to government works projects, water, and sewer projects to allow the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) to build solar installations on closed landfills. It also streamlines the bidding process and provides limited liability for GEFA in managing these projects. Rubric.

The environment impacts what we eat, drink, and breathe, shaping our health. Living in neighborhoods with dirtier water, less greenspace, reduced access to nutritious food, and higher air pollution has a negative impact on a person’s economic and physical wellbeing.

Georgia should encourage growth in a method that ensures everyone has a seat at the table, and all members of a community feel positive, not negative, impacts. That which can be measured can be obtained. Understanding the Cumulative Impact of Pollution on Economic Development and Growth is the first step on this journey.

Bills the passed – Sent to Governor

HB 1277 – The cost threshold for required environmental evaluations on public road and airport projects will be increased to $200 million from $100 million. The threshold can also increase along with inflation. The bill also attempts to simplify Department of Transportation (DOT) property sales and reporting. Rubric. 

SB 447 – Reduces time for counties to understand and evaluate construction permits – essentially weakening legal protections to keep dirt, silt, and runoff out of our water. Read the rubric here. 

Bills that Crossed – but did not pass

DIED – HB 812 – Reduces time for counties to understand and evaluate construction permits – essentially weakening legal protections to keep dirt, silt, and runoff out of our water. Read the rubric here. 

Bills that did not Cross – all died

HR 100 – House Study Committee on the Cumulative Impact of Pollution on Economic Development and Growth. Read the bill rubric here. Introduced.

HB 211 excludes ‘PFAS Receivers’ (which are people who don’t manufacture PFAS but use manufacturing processes with PFAS, receive or maintain goods with PFAS, or purchases goods with PFAS) from legal liability when spreading PFAS. Anyone who is not a chemical manufacturer would be excluded from liability. This differs from many PFAS receiver shield acts – where only unintentional users are shielded. Read the bill rubric here. Introduced

SB 538 and HB 611 – Forever Chemicals (PFAS) Transparency Act. Under current law, industries that use these chemicals do not have to disclose their use to the municipal treatment plants where wastewater is sent to be treated. Thus, PFAS is getting into our water and soil without our knowledge. HB 611 closes this information gap by requiring industries to disclose when they are sending PFAS to municipal wastewater treatment plants – allowing those utilities to effectively do their jobs. Introduced.

What are PFAS (forever chemicals)?

HB 1072 – Bad Actor Legislation – authorize director to investigate and consider out-of-state regulatory history when processing applications for certain permits. A resubmission of HB 644, but with updated language.

 HB 644 – Bad Actor Legislation. Currently, the Environmental Protection Division does not have the ability to considerprior history when processing permit applications. This means companies with a past history of environmental violations can set up shop here in Georgia. This legislation would make sure that known “bad actors” receive proper vetting. Introduced.

‘This is not OK.’ Former BioLab workers describe safety failure ahead of Conyers chemical fire | Georgia Public Broadcasting – 14 Aug, 2025

This legislative session proposed changes that acknowledge various statewide health disparities including high out-of-pocket costs, limited access, and rural closures. Georgia is facing a rural health crisis: nine rural hospitals closed since 2010 and nearly 20 of the state’s remaining 67 rural hospitals are at risk of shutting down. Meanwhile, 11.7 % of Georgians are uninsured—well above the national average of 8 %—which aggravates healthcare access challenges.

Lawmakers suggested a multitude of bills to support the health of Georgia residents. The following bills specifically focus on vaccine education, rebate savings, pollution tracking and regulation, and rural hospital assistance.

Passed – Sent to Governor 

HB 1118 – This bill provides 80 hours of maternal birth leave. Eligible employees are defined as individuals giving birth to a child. Leave will precede any paid paternal leave. Hourly employees are included if they have worked>700 hours in the six months prior.

HB 1138 – This bill allows pharmacists to dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives or administer prescribed injectable hormonal contraceptives to patients above 18. Insurers are also provided a minimum number of certain contraceptives that must be provided. Finally, the bill removes liability for pharmacists providing these contraceptives. Read the rubric here.

SB 540 – AI operators, or owner/controllers, are restricted in their ability to cater to and serve minors. Conversational AI technologies who serve minors will be required to disclose itself as AI, not a real person, and operators are not allowed to provide rewards to increase engagement. Operators are required to institute “reasonable” methods to prevent sexually explicit conduct, suggestions of sexual conduct, objectification, or posing as a natural person, including in relationships or role playing. Reasonable age verification methods such as ID are required, and tools for parents and referring suicidal children to crisis service providers must also be adopted. Rubric.

HB 1275 – ensure stem cell therapies that are used to advance medical treatments and improve patient outcomes in an ethical manner that does not involve stem cells derived from aborted fetuses. Read the rubric here. Passed out of committee. House passed it into the Senate.

Crossed Over – But did not pass

HB 1045 – This bill would require public schools that issue ID badges to students in grades 6 through 12 to print information about the 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a mental health hotline, directly on such badges. Rubric.

HB 54 has had an amendment tacked onto it. The original bill is about home health services by licensed registered nurses and physician assistants. The tacked on amendment prevents minors from having access to puberty blockers. Read the rubric here.  The amended version from the Senate has been returned to the House. The House must now agree to their changes.

HB 947 – “Georgia SNAP Healthier Choices Act” – places even more restrictions on SNAP eligibility. House passed it into the Senate. Rubric. 

SB 471 – Schools cannot enforce mask mandates. Rubric. 

Did not Cross

HB 1346 – Require insurers to cover maternal mental health screenings. Read rubric here. Passed out of committee. Died in House Rules.

HB 218 – Hospitals must offer flu shots to patients 18 and older before they’re discharged. This will likely decrease future flu cases due to a less vulnerable population. Read the bill rubric here. Passed out of committee.

SB 80 – More hospitals can now qualify as “rural” for tax relief. This could aid struggling providers in underserved areas to stay afloat. Read the scorecard here. Introduced.

HB 100 – Prescription Drug Consumer Financial Protection Act – pass prescription drug rebates back to the consumers who earned them. Read Bill Rubric Here. Introduced

HB 173 – Requires that schools send parents info about recommended vaccines when their kids begin 7th grade. Read scorecard here. Passed out of committee.

HB 1242 and now HB 1350– These two bills are the same language. They forbid the Department of Public Health and county boards of health from requiring vaccines or any other measure to prevent contagious or infectious disease spread. State and local government entities are no longer allowed to require vaccinations, issue immunization passports, require masks, or allow certain businesses in the state to require vaccination or face masks. (i.e. schools can’t require vaccines for enrollment, sports can’t require them for participation). Read the scorecard here. Introduced.

HB 1142 – All formerly convicted domestic violence offenders who reoffend will be listed in a published registry of domestic violence offenders with the GBI. – Introduced

HB 1248 – Decriminalizes cannabis possession for personal use, defines further information around medical THC oil uses, and creates a Georgia Cannabis Commission, an independent agency to oversee licensing, safety testing, supply chain tracking, and public education. Introduced. Read rubric here. 

HB 43 – Creates a program to help low-income communities get clean drinking water. –Introduced

HB 201 prohibits selling, offering for sale, trading, or distributing lab-grown meat. Read the bill rubric here. Introduced

HB 351 – Updates solid waste laws and adds new requirements for local zoning and public input. It modernizes how Georgia handles trash and landfills. – Bill Passed & signed by Governor

HB 968 – states that mitragynine and hydroxymitragynine, commonly known as kratom, are to be considered as Schedule I controlled substances. Read the bill rubric here. Introduced.

HB 958 – Require vape product manufacturers to, annually provide the commissioner with a list of all ingredients, including chemicals of concern, contained in each vape product distributed, sold, or offered in Georgia, as well as statements regarding current research on and health effects of such products, or alternatives to chemicals of concern. A list of ingredients for each product must also be made publicly available on the manufacturer’s website and updated as changes in product ingredients occur. Introduced. Read the rubric here. 

HB 959 – prohibits the sale of any flavored consumable products of tobacco and vaping products. Read the rubric here. Introduced.

HB 1089 – This bill allows ivermectin to be purchased over-the-counter (OTC), without consulting a healthcare professional. The bill also removes ivermectin from definitions of dangerous drugs. Read the rubric here. Died in House Rules.

HB 1313 – This bill protects healthcare professionals treating pregnant women. It clarifies that law enforcement cannot automatically investigate or arrest those assisting with an abortion if done according to Georgia law, or if actions relate to pregnancy outcomes including miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, or perinatal death due to in utero causes.  Read the rubric here. 

SB 610 – This bill allows physicians to prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill patients with less than 6 months left to live who request medical aid in dying. Criminal charges are provided for forging or coercing these requests. Rubric. 

In alignment with Title 28 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, all bills that significantly impact state expenditures and revenues must be accompanied by a Fiscal Note. We strongly recommend that the Georgia General Assembly adopt a similar policy for any bills that involve scientific principles and evidence-based interventions. These Science Notes would highlight the strengths and limitations of the up-to-date, nonpartisan research into the science of the proposed policy. Using these memos would help to guide policies and demonstrate to constituents the commitment of the legislature to science.

Science and technology (S&T) support over half of Georgia’s jobs. With the Federal government abruptly pulling billions of dollars out of this ecosystem, it is destabilizing a cornerstone of the Georgia economy. To offset this shock, we propose establishing a Georgia Office of Science & Technology Innovation Policy (GO-S&T) to bolster Georgia’s technological competitiveness, accelerate S&T economic growth, and enhance workforce training.

There is a large number of bills and issues that involve science and evidence-based best-practices. We cannot tackle them all. We provide rubrics on bills that fall into our issues of interest and/or that are moving through the General Assembly.

The below image shows how we pick “issues of interest” to focus on.

1. Impact. ​Who is going to be impacted? Is it equitable? 
   1. Negative impact – a majority of stakeholders believe the bill will have negative impacts on the target audience.
   2. Positive impact – a majority of stakeholders believe the bill will have positive impacts on the target audience.
2. Reach. Does it reach its target audience?​
   1. No impact on target audience.​
   2. Impacts a narrow segment.
   3. Impacts a majority of the audience; a few exceptions.
   4. Impacts the entire target audience.
3. Scientific Merit​. Does it utilize scientific research accurately?​ Is this based on evidence, best practices, and peer reviewed research?
   1. Yes – this does follow the research
   2. No – this does not present or reflect scientific consesus
4. Financial Feasibility​. Is it financially feasible? ​Or does this have​ burdensome finances​ (higher taxes, future costs, etc)?​
   1. Extremely high costs.
   2. Expensive, but can be done.
   3. Slight.
   4. No financial burden.
5. Political Feasibility​. Level of opposition and partisan disagreement. ​
   1. Majority disagreed, regardless of party.
   2. Split along party lines.
   3. Minimal opposition.
   4. Complete consensus (zero to five ‘nays’)
6. Measurable Metrics? Is the data available or being measured? Here are some metrics that could measure impacts. 
   1. No Data
   2. Some data and/or the data is mainly not accessible.
   3. There is some data and/or the data is somewhat accessible.
   4. Complete transparency.

Passed 

HB 1193 – Georgia Early Literacy Act – reading coaches at schools, intervention plans for struggling readers – several evidenced-based steps toward increasing literacy. 

Died

SB 74 – Criminal charges for librarians to jail if they check-out “inappropriate / harmful” books to minors. If found guilty, librarians could face jail time. Crossed over, now in house. Read the rubric here.