2024

Priorities

Please review this page for the latest updates on Lt. Governor Jones’ priorities for the 2024 Legislative Session. This page will be updated as legislation is introduced and moves through the process.

Address Social Media and Cyberbullying

  • Require social media companies to take concrete steps to verify the age of their users.
  • Update existing rules requiring schools to monitor bullying and to educate students and teachers on this issue to reflect the realities of modern technology.
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 351 - "Protecting Georgia's Children on Social Media Act of 2024"

Create a Stable Workforce

  • Cut burdensome regulations so that Georgia’s businesses can grow and hire willing and able employees.
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 157 - Addresses Workforce Licensure Applications
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 235 - "HBCU Innovation and Economic Prosperity Planning Districts Act"
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 384 - Georgia As Model Employer (GAME)
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 399 - Coordination of Credit Transfer Between TCSG and USG
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 440 - Accelerated Career Programs and Dual Enrollment
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 497 - Apprenticeship Programs in High Demand Fields and Public Administration

Election Reform

  • Clarify that the text portion of the paper ballot marked and printed by an electronic ballot marker indicating the voter’s selection constitutes as the official ballot
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 189 - Prohibit Use of QR Codes on Printed Ballots
  • Prohibit Ranked-Choice Voting
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 355 - Ranked-choice Voting Ban
  • Authority for State Election Board
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 358 - Gives the State Election Board the authority to investigate

Expand Access to Healthcare

  • Addressing Outdated Certificate of Need Laws
  • Advancing health care access for new and expectant mothers and infants
  • Legislation: House Bill 1339 - Addresses the repeal of specific CON requirements and creates exemptions for health services across the state, including in rural communities

Increase School Safety

  • Build on the reforms the General Assembly has made in recent years around safety training for teachers, school safety plans, and the ability of local school systems to determine for themselves how best to meet their safety and security needs. Prioritize an appropriation of $5M to support this initiative. 

Public Safety

  • Addresses the sale and distribution of fentanyl
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 465 - "Austin's Law"
  • Defining Anti-Semitism in Georgia Code
  • Legislation: House Bill 30 - Affirm support for the Jewish Community (Signed by Governor Brian P. Kemp)
  • Protect the police and public by making fleeing police a more serious offense.
  • Create more severe penalties for those who call in swatting calls on someone's home. 
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 421 - Anti-Swatting Legislation
  • Create the felony offense of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 490 - Fleeing or attempting to elude a police 
  • Support Governor Kemp's request for the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. 

Put Children and Families First

  • Give a bigger platform to critically important issues and develop policies that benefit children and families across our state
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 233 - School Choice/"The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act"
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 342 - Reporting and Access - National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 376 - Timely Placement - Address Substantial Progress Completion of Case Plan
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 387 - Provide State Identification Cards for Foster Children
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 401 - Juvenile Court and Foster Care Reporting 
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 483 - Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC)
  • Legislation: Senate Resolution 471 - Creating the Senate Study Committee on Access to Affordable Child Care
  • Legislation: Senate Resolution 474 - Urging Resolution to highlight federal funding for Quality Legal Representation 

Protect Against Surprise Property Tax Hikes

  • Limit year-to-year increases in home values for local property taxes to 3 percent, regardless of assessed value. It’s designed to curb what critics call “surprise increases” and also overhauls the appeals process.
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 349 - "Save our Homes Act"  

Red Tape Rollback

  • Improve the process for obtaining professional and occupational licenses while giving licensing boards more flexibility.
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 354 - Cosmetology and Barber Licensing Reform
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 374 - "Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Act of 2021"
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 410 - Licensing Requirements for Out-of-State Veterinarians
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 449 - Addressing Military Medical Personnel from Licensing Requirements
  • Strengthen the power of the General Assembly to oversee and review proposed state agency regulations.
  • Empower members of the General Assembly to request economic analyses of proposed legislation and agency regulations that would impact small business, similar to the current fiscal note process.
  • Amend the Administrative Procedure Act to expand the definition of “small business” from 100 employees to 300 employees.
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 429 - "Small Business Protection Act of 2024"
  • Removal of Covid-19 Assumption of Risk Signage Requirement.
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 430 - Repeals those signage and notification requirements while preserving the presumption in favor of property owners.
  • Reduce the size and scope of state government by eliminating defunct or duplicative boards and commissions.
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 341 - Repeal of Inactive State Boards and Commissions

Support Georgia's Veteran Community 

  • Adding representation for Veteran mental health services to the appropriate Councils.
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 375 - Adding Veterans Services Commissioner to the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council 
  • Prioritize the Joint Defense Commission expansion to better position Georgia to grow its defense industry and to expand its ability to participate in federally funded defense research opportunities through both the private sector and the technical college university systems.
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 398 - Reform of Joint Defense Commission
  • Expand degree options at Georgia Military College to better meet the educational needs of veterans, active-duty military service members, dependents, and spouses. 
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 385 - Expanded Degree Options for Georgia Military College
  • Legislation: Senate Resolution 527 - Senate Study Committee on Veterans Mental Health and Housing

Tax Transparency 

  • Reducing burdensome regulations and eliminating the state income tax.
  • Address legislative recommendations proposed by the Joint Subcommittee reviewing Georgia’s current state tax credits, deductions, and exemptions.
  • Legislation: Senate Bill 366 - "Tax Expenditures Transparency Act"