February 26, 2026
Lt. Governor Burt Supports Law Enforcement Day and Senate Mental Health Investment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, February 26, 2026
ATLANTA | Today, Lt. Governor Burt Jones issued a statement in support of Law Enforcement Day at the Capitol and the Georgia Senate’s investment and prioritization of a $409 million, 300-bed mental health facility.
“I am always proud to have our brave men and women in blue in the Senate for Law Enforcement Day at the Capitol,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “This year, the day is extra special because together we are able to celebrate a Senate priority in the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 Budget – an appropriation of $409 million to build a new mental health facility in Georgia. People who need mental health services should receive care in the right setting, with the right professionals. This historic step ensures inmates with mental health needs get proper treatment outside the jail or prison setting and that other Georgians with mental health needs have a place to go to get treatment and medication. It will also help law enforcement focus on keeping our communities safe. I want to thank the House for agreeing with the Senate on this critical need and Georgia’s law enforcement community for standing with us for this historic announcement.”
On Friday, February 20, 2026, Lt. Governor Burt Jones joined Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery (R – Vidalia), Senate Majority Caucus members, and over 40 Sheriffs from around the state to announce the Senate’s pledge to include a $409 million investment in mental health in this year’s amended budget. This announcement was made just six days after the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities announced a landmark achievement in the State’s long-standing Olmstead Settlement Agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Georgia Senate appropriated $409 million in their version of the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. Lt. Governor Jones worked with the Senate Appropriations Committee to ensure that the House agreed to the Senate position, and the full appropriation remained in the final version of the AFY26 Budget – which passed the Senate on February 25, 2026 with a bi-partisan vote of 49-0.