[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6097754,"mediaKeyId","2826523-a0a549eae43cda4de07548118cda6f17","parentId",2826523,"title","Votes at a glance: Key House bills the Georgia Senate acted on March 31","audioSeconds",15437,"startMs",6339000,"endMs",21776000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826523-a0a549eae43cda4de07548118cda6f17&start=6339&end=21776","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826523-a0a549eae43cda4de07548118cda6f17/thumbnail_6339000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6097754/Georgia/Votes-at-a-glance-Key-House-bills-the-Georgia-Senate-acted-on-March-31","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097754-91ba78565c4404563e86551c49ad694c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771001144&Signature=FE-TxmhVfafPeF4TTO8xnupfyo5zzu3HevMsU82YTNG40ZXViVAv6rbRCOn9CVd-Ji~~8pZoRmlU2-VxXj-AUhXJoD4m9T-TsxIrrK-AEQd9A3bubFtUge7XsqPkDGPjkhj6hqqj8-el6GnYXeYwhAhjuDpXgzX2C~r4r6uR5hsfUrQBTT9QHYD4Z1vplv77f40CLqep1Qy3xHTqivjVifRoejyaSjAU7YDPgrKS4rc4BBM99Ku0oWm65d~btzLooz-A6aOv25qfy~wCN6KRGSCS5963d42546DQHd7Fbj8c2YzIM-LpBYutZNHG9qEZhbOU90FdtBLDrW3p2NNWzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Georgia State Legislature","date","2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","article","The Georgia Senate recorded floor action on numerous House bills on March 31. Below are brief summaries and the Senate’s recorded outcomes for items considered on the rules calendar and later floor calendar. Only outcomes recorded on the transcript are listed; items returned to committee or for conference are noted.

Votes and actions

- House Bill 116 (renaming motor carrier compliance division): Passed, 52-0. The bill renames the Motor Carrier Compliance Division to Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and ensures officers are sworn and certified.

- House Bill 137 (raises public-works competitive-bid threshold from $100,000 to $250,000): Passed, 45-5.

- House Bill 150 (university foreign funding transparency): Passed by substitute, 32-19 (full article above).

- House Bill 268 (comprehensive school-safety bill): Passed by substitute, 45-9 (full article above).

- House Bill 199 (protecting personally identifiable information of judges/former judges): Passed by substitute, 54-0.

- House Bill 288 (revisions related to sheriffs and Giglio-type reviews of officers): Passed by substitute, 55-0.

- House Bill 495 (moves Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation to Department of Agriculture): Passed, 50-1.

- House Bill 303 (monument honoring the 'Original 33' on Capitol grounds): Passed, 52-0.

- House Bill 74 (Georgia Lottery/administrative procedure correction for COAAM): Passed, 51-0.

- House Bill 94 (insurance coverage for fertility‑preservation services in specified cases): Passed by substitute, 52-1.

- House Bill 123 (pretrial process for capital cases involving intellectual disability): Passed by substitute, 53-1.

- House Bill 144 (extension/revisions to medical preceptor tax credits): Passed, 48-5.

- House Bill 153 (extension for sales/use tax exemption for concrete mixer replacement parts): Passed, 44-7.

- House Bill 155 (annexation procedure changes and arbitration deadlines; includes a floor amendment on spoke annexation requiring a county referendum): Passed by substitute, recorded as 54-0.

Other procedural actions included committee reports, engrossing motions and the appointment of a conference committee on the state appropriations bill (House Bill 68). The House subsequently informed the Senate it disagreed to the Senate substitute on HB68 and appointed a conference committee.

Where the transcript recorded amendment votes those tallies are noted in the bill-specific coverage above; for details on particularly contentious items (notably HB150 and HB268) see the full articles.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Georgia State Senate Legislative Day 38 | 2025 Legislative Session | 03/31/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate took recorded votes on many House bills during the March 31 session. This roundup lists bills the chamber passed by recorded roll or otherwise moved forward, including vote tallies where recorded on the floor.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Georgia , Georgia","taxId",77688,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097759,"Senate passes sweeping school-safety bill creating statewide threat teams, funding for mental‑health specialists and new punishments",4501,13643750,18145700,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826523-a0a549eae43cda4de07548118cda6f17&start=13643&end=18145","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826523-a0a549eae43cda4de07548118cda6f17/thumbnail_13643750.jpg","/articles/6097759/Georgia/Senate-passes-sweeping-school-safety-bill-creating-statewide-threat-teams-funding-for-mentalhealth-specialists-and-new-punishments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097759-8ae310e364b77489cac0eaab612b6546/orig.mp4?Expires=1771001144&Signature=FgTLj7WzBfM5Kd0zK7y7HpP3BX4U95PLVCONfYrnoScBk2ccEHxOTv-Lv55XVk6MUl0ppXQIp5WwxNbRw31xKOss5SwOOfJqlWdPUYeimeLbkaGI7Np5wW181DKeQ28m1~S2Q0rasK1wCt93NwpiStrtn4EoYA-N0pHm1gM4ZGgLYmbnPW22ESwlih2mJ~LlmSZoFPWHbENE1MIp3433j4QLzbjzXAc0tXxGDuYNbV0k2b43T~jVPLr61v7O4CsUuKhgLOEv09Mp5prRwCa6fNBLdnNF6q4IRK0C~0m8V2xeG771dQ-veXMIowEMX6J4zkr-waFd7Z3teX2242p-tw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Georgia Senate passed House Bill 268 by substitute on March 31, adopting a package of school-safety reforms and funding aimed at preventing and responding to violent incidents in schools. The bill passed by substitute on a recorded vote of 45-9.

The measure was presented on the floor as a comprehensive response to the Feb. 2025 shooting at Apalachee High School. “Let's don't let them die in vain,” the bill sponsor, the senator from the 40th/6th district who presented the legislation, said during floor remarks calling for a broad approach to prevention and response.

HB268 creates an Office of State Schools within the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) to provide technical assistance and develop statewide behavioral threat-management processes. It requires each public school safety plan to include provisions addressing behavioral health and an operational behavioral threat assessment and management plan.

The bill establishes a new position type—a qualified student advocacy specialist—for each district and funds them on a sliding scale: one specialist for districts under 18,000 students, two for districts with 18,000–36,000 students and three for districts with more than 36,000 students (state grant-funded minimums; local districts may provide additional positions). The legislation also requires annual student instruction: one hour of suicide-prevention training and one hour of violence-prevention training.

HB268 mandates an anonymous, 24/7 reporting system for tips about threats or dangerous behavior and directs law enforcement to file written reports to a student’s school after an official encounter. The bill also requires panic-alert systems in schools and detailed mapping/schematics of school facilities for first responders. It incorporates provisions to speed the transfer of student records (a five-day timeframe for transfers) so receiving schools have timely information about students’ prior conduct.

On discipline and criminal consequences, the bill makes certain violent offenses committed with firearms—including aggravated assault with a firearm—subject to prosecution in superior court for 13–17 year-olds in specified circumstances, adding to existing offenses that can be treated as adult-level crimes. The Senate adopted language clarifying standards and preserving constitutional protections during debate; an amendment (offered by Senator Jackson, 40th/1st District) proposing additional safeguards for juveniles with cognitive or language impairments was rejected by a floor vote of 25-29.

The Senate also debated an education-focused amendment proposed by the senator from the 40th/4th District to require school websites to host firearm safe-storage education materials modeled on Texas’ program; that amendment was withdrawn after the sponsor agreed to work with the bill’s author off the floor.

Supporters described the bill as a multifaceted effort focused on early identification of behavioral health needs and better information-sharing to prevent violent incidents. Opponents warned some criminal provisions could sweep too broadly and urged caution about permanent records for students who make troubling but noncriminal statements. The floor vote on the bill by substitute was 45 yeas and 9 nays.

The bill now returns to the House for consideration of the Senate substitute and any adjustments.","The Senate passed HB268 on March 31 after extended debate. The law requires behavioral threat assessment plans, funds student advocacy specialists depending on district size, mandates student training and anonymous reporting, and expands penalties for violent acts with firearms.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097762,"Senate approves law requiring University System to report certain foreign funding after cutting disclosure threshold",871,7447500,8319000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826523-a0a549eae43cda4de07548118cda6f17&start=7447&end=8319","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826523-a0a549eae43cda4de07548118cda6f17/thumbnail_7447500.jpg","/articles/6097762/Georgia/Senate-approves-law-requiring-University-System-to-report-certain-foreign-funding-after-cutting-disclosure-threshold","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097762-69805063b86ff7997a0add346396cf9c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771001144&Signature=CJZmt66~KE6Y1CgE9F0kEP1LglGn~cf02Mzt5dSNICrR4RrboAakaPo9H0qTMVE3tjLfDP67xxisXcaewMjRDaCWrLzLvwXL7STLQYcGwHQqjuGk7lpn7AwP2GBKMlIHkfrSubmsMdO1aPXkzLeor2JgJrMDIHFbdumLFd3DwLakCo-zmOgrsLskgYyzwP2Bui250Oc2n~1Mv9VdpK9n2sueN2kzzcHHQuA~DZgYCbIvdPd7wnTbqXDFqJlyXUnEqq7khhq6Zhbm-a6WjYvAktZ14uu6zYxsJZo89O7U3IMpkLAcgUYJ34ug-v9UpHjDmS6fAT02GktYc2OGkBWQkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Georgia Senate on March 31 passed House Bill 150, a measure requiring the University System of Georgia to report donations and other funding received from designated foreign countries of concern. The bill passed by substitute on a 32-19 roll call after senators adopted an amendment that reduced the disclosure threshold from $50,000 to $1,000.

Supporters said the bill is designed to increase transparency about foreign funding that could influence research or university operations. “This bill ensures that the legislature understands what our university system is doing in regards to countries with foreign concerns,” the bill sponsor, identified in debate as the senator from the 40th, said on the floor as members discussed the measure.

The bill requires semiannual reporting to the governor and the General Assembly of gifts, grants or contracts from foreign countries of concern and entities working on their behalf. The measure defines the list of foreign countries of concern by reference to a federal list in 15 C.F.R. §791.4 but, during debate, the sponsor stated the text as drafted ties the list to the list current on Feb. 4, 2025.

Debate focused on the scope of the reporting requirement. Opponents asked whether ordinary tuition payments or individual foreign students would be swept into the definition; the sponsor said the bill was not intended to cover routine tuition. Senator Bearden (30th District) offered and won an amendment lowering the reporting trigger from $50,000 to $1,000 (adopted 32-21 at the time of the amendment vote), a change proponents said would increase transparency but critics said could make the list overinclusive.

Senators also debated whether the list of covered countries would update automatically with changes to the federal regulation or remain static; the sponsor said the measure as written points to the list current on Feb. 4, 2025. Critics warned a static list could become outdated and inadvertently bar beneficial collaborations.

The bill passed by substitute and will return to the House; the Senate recorded a final passage vote of 32 in favor and 19 opposed.

Clarifying details and legislative safeguards were discussed on the floor but the final text limits the measure to reporting and transparency; it does not alter visa status, student admissions, or immigration law. The sponsor said the measure “does not contemplate or include tuition” and is aimed at large donations that might create influence or risks to research integrity.

Votes at a glance: HB150 passed by substitute, 32-19. Amendment lowering the disclosure threshold to $1,000 was adopted.","The Georgia Senate on March 31 passed HB150, directing the University System to report donations from designated foreign countries of concern. Lawmakers lowered the reporting threshold from $50,000 to $1,000 and debated whether the measure could unintentionally affect international students or routine tuition payments.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Key House bills the Georgia Senate acted on March 31

Senate passes sweeping school-safety bill creating statewide threat teams, funding for mental‑health specialists and new punishments

Senate approves law requiring University System to report certain foreign funding after cutting disclosure threshold