Crossover Day: Georgia lawmakers tackle immigration, religious freedom protections, more

Georgia lawmakers worked well into the night on Thursday to meet a key deadline and advance legislation that could reshape the state.

Thursday was Crossover Day, the last day of each legislative session that a bill can pass from one chamber of the Georgia Legislature into the other to be considered this year. In the span of 14 hours, lawmakers in the state House and Senate voted on more than 100 bills.

In the week leading up to Crossover Day, state senators and representatives have been working overtime to pass their bills through committee in time to be heard on the floor. Follow along with our 2024 bill tracker, and check out our Crossover preview to read about some of the most anticipated legislation.

More: 40 days. 309 bills. Here’s everything Savannah-area lawmakers are trying to pass in 2024

Here are some of the highlights from Thursday:

House of Representatives

HB 1053: Ban Georgia agencies from using CBCD as currency (Passed) 

Author:  Rep. Carter Barrett (R-Cumming) 

Vote: 136-32 

Overview: This bill would prevent state agencies from using Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), which is a state-backed alternative to cryptocurrency. Citing privacy and security concerns, the bill would prevent Georgia’s state government from using, accepting or testing CBDC. Read the original text of the bill here. 

HB 1105: The Georgia Criminal Alien Track and Report Act of 2024 (Passed) 

Author: Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) 

Vote: 97-74 

Overview: This bill would impose harsher penalties on sheriffs who refuse to report undocumented immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and require correctional facilities to publicly post the number of undocumented immigrants housed in their prisons. The bill would also require that all eligible law enforcement agencies participate in ICE’s 287(g) program, or risk losing state funding. Read the original text of the bill here. 

HB 1105: House passes bill to restrict funding to Georgia law enforcement that fail to work with ICE

HB 1116:  Rehabilitation of historic structures (Passed) 

Author: Rep. Debbie Buckner (D-Junction City)  

Vote: 162-5 

Overview: The bill would extend a tax credit for the rehabilitation and preservation of properties listed in the National or Georgia Register of Historic Places, provided that the buildings meet a few additional criteria. It also doubles the total credits available, raising the ceiling to $60 million. Read the original text of the bill here.  

HB 1125: Raise minimum wage for Georgians with disabilities (Passed) 

Author:  Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) 

Vote: 160-0 

Overview: This bill overhauls a federal labor law from 1938 that allows companies to pay workers with disabilities less than minimum wage. The measure would update the law to require companies to pay disabled workers federal minimum wage by July 1, 2026. Read the original text of the bill here. 

HB 1146: Water access for workforce housing (Passed) 

Author:  Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) 

Vote: 105-58 

Overview: With the expansion of the Hyundai facility in Bryan County near Savannah, this bill would allow faster construction of workforce housing by privatizing water permits in instances where public facilities are unable to meet the demand. However, opponents voiced concerns that the construction of workforce housing has been too hasty and could lead to substandard water quality for the workers moving to the area. Read the original text of the bill here. 

HB 1180: Film tax credit (Passed) 

Author: Rep. Kasey Carpenter (R-Dalton) 

Vote: 131-34 

Overview: This bill would restrict eligibility for film, TV and video game productions seeking a tax credit in the state of Georgia. Under current law, productions have to spend at least $500,000 to qualify for a 20% tax credit. The new law would raise the minimum to $1 million and include other incentives to encourage production companies to hire Georgia-based crew and vendors. Read the original text of the bill here. 

HR 780: Ban noncitizen voting (Failed) 

Author:  Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) 

Vote: 98-61 

Overview: In response to states like California, Maryland and Vermont opening up participation in local elections to immigrants, this resolution would have placed a roadblock to similar legislation in Georgia. The bill would have created a ballot question for voters to determine whether only U.S. citizens would be eligible to vote within the state, but failed to get the requisite two-thirds majority in the House. Read the original text of the resolution here. 

Senate

SB 180: Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act (Passed) 

Author:  Sen. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) 

Vote: 33-19 

Overview: A bill that closely mirrors federal legislation of the same name would offer greater protections for religious communities by limiting state and local governments’ powers to pass or enforce laws that conflict with an individual’s religious beliefs. Opponents of the bill say it could make it easier to discriminate against a variety of groups, such as women and the LGBTQ community. Read the original text of the bill here. 

SB 390: Disaffiliating from the American Library Association (Passed) 

Author:  Sen. Larry Walker, III (R-Perry) 

Vote: 33-20 

Overview: This bill would defund all libraries within the state with ties to the American Library Association, as well as dissolve the State Board for the Certification of Librarians. Though advocates of the bill say the disaffiliation is necessary to preserve Georgia values within library settings, opponents point out the numerous unintended consequences of withdrawing from the organization, particularly for students pursuing a master’s degree in library science within the state. Read the original text of the bill here. 

SB 543: Regulating Bingo machines (Passed) 

Author: Sen. Matt Brass (R-Newnan) 

Vote: 47-4 

Overview: This bill would allow the Secretary of State’s office to regulate electronic bingo machines, which are currently one of only three legal forms of gambling in the state of Georgia. It also increases the allowed payout from bingo games. Read the original text of the bill here. 

SB 407: Domestic Violence reporting (Passed) 

Author:  Sen. Donzella James (D-Atlanta) 

Vote: 52-1 

Overview: This bill would update domestic violence reporting laws to require law enforcement agencies to take reports of family violence more seriously. It would mandate that police prepare an incident report in response to allegations of domestic violence, and that the report notes whether the incident involves someone who currently or at one point had a protective order against them. Read the original text of the bill here.