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Georgia House moves $37.7 billion FY2026 budget bill to calendar
Summary
The Georgia House advanced House Bill 68, the proposed $37.7 billion general appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026, to the chamber calendar for a floor vote after brief questions about retirement payments and revenue projections.
Representative Shemy, a member of the Appropriations panel, told the chamber that House Bill 68 — the general appropriations bill for state fiscal year 2026 — totals $37,700,000,000 and covers the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The House moved the bill to the calendar for a vote tomorrow after no members voiced opposition.
The bill drew brief questions from members about retirement funding and revenue expectations. Representative Shemy said the budget includes an additional allocation for the Employees' Retirement System: “At this time, there's an additional, I believe, $23,000,000 we put in ERS to expand on their that 1 time payment that we've been giving them. And we took that amount to $50,000,000,” and added, “So it's not a COLA, but it is a 1 time” payment. Shemy answered follow-up questions by characterizing the amended FY2026 outlook as uncertain and said the budget as proposed is larger than the original FY2025 appropriation.
During questions, a member raised the size of the supplemental budget referenced earlier in session; speakers characterized the earlier supplemental as around the low billions but did not settle on a single figure on the record. Representative Shemy said the FY2026 proposal is higher than last year's adjusted budget and that the legislature will amend as needed before final passage.
Chairman Hatchett presided over the session; Dean Green gave an opening prayer before business began. After the motion to move House Bill 68 to the calendar, a member asked for any opposition and, hearing none, the chair said, “Okay. It's on. It'll be on the calendar for tomorrow.”
The move to the calendar schedules the bill for further consideration by the full House; no final passage or vote on the bill was recorded in the transcript provided.
