Week 1 Special Legislative Session 2026

On Wednesday, June 17, 2026, the Georgia General Assembly convened a special legislative session at the Georgia State Capitol following Governor Brian Kemp’s May 13 proclamation. Under the authority granted by Article V, Section II, Paragraph VII of the Georgia Constitution, the session was called to consider legislation related to election law implementation, local homestead tax exemptions, and ratification of an executive order temporarily suspending motor fuel and diesel fuel taxes. The proclamation also directed lawmakers to consider redrawing Georgia’s state and congressional district maps. The full text of the governor’s proclamation may be found here.

Although Gov. Kemp’s proclamation directed the General Assembly to consider redrawing Georgia’s state and congressional district maps ahead of the 2028 election cycle, members of the General Assembly announced on Wednesday that redistricting would not be taken up during the 2026 special session. As a result, the Georgia House will focus on the remaining items outlined in the governor’s proclamation: implementation of election law changes, local homestead tax exemptions, and ratification of the temporary suspension of motor fuel and diesel fuel taxes.

On Thursday, the second day of the special session, the House Ways and Means Committee met to consider House Resolution 3EX which would ratify Gov. Kemp’s executive order temporarily suspending the collection of motor fuel and diesel fuel taxes.

• In March 2026, Gov. Kemp signed House Bill 1199 into law, authorizing a 60-day suspension of Georgia’s gas tax to provide financial relief to Georgians facing higher fuel prices.
• The governor later issued an executive order extending the suspension through June 2, 2026, allowing consumers to benefit from additional relief during the Memorial Day travel period.
• Because the extension occurred after the 2026 regular legislative session adjourned, the special session provided the first opportunity for lawmakers to introduce HR 3EX to ratify the extension.
• HR 3EX passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday and was placed on a Rules Calendar by the House Rules Committee on Saturday. It was unanimously adopted by the House later that same day.

The General Assembly observed the Juneteenth holiday on Friday before returning to the Capitol on Saturday for Legislative Day 3.

On Saturday, the Georgia Senate passed Senate Bill 3EX, which would make various updates to Georgia’s election laws.

• During the 2023–2024 legislative term, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 189, revising several provisions of Georgia election law. Among its changes, SB 189 established a July 1, 2026, deadline after which official ballot scanner tabulations could no longer use QR codes, bar codes, or other machine-generated coding when determining official vote counts. Instead, official election results must be based solely on human-readable text on ballots or machine-marked portions of ballots.
• To address implementation concerns, Senate Bill 214 was introduced during the 2026 regular legislative session to extend the deadline and allow additional time for system updates and certification. However, SB 214 did not receive final passage before adjournment of the regular session.
• The House will review SB 3EX during the special session to determine whether it adequately addresses the implementation timeline established under SB 189.

The General Assembly was also directed to consider legislation related to local homestead tax exemptions. This follows the passage of Senate Bill 33 during the 2026 legislative session.

• Signed into law in May 2026, SB 33 authorizes counties and municipalities to create and levy a Local Homestead Option Sales Tax (LHOST), subject to voter approval. The purpose of the LHOST is to reduce property taxes by offsetting revenue losses resulting from reductions in the assessed value of homestead property.
• Under SB 33, local governments may ask voters to approve an additional one-cent sales tax. Revenue generated from the tax would be used to offset property tax obligations for homeowners.
• Several local bills have been introduced that would allow communities to approve local homestead exemptions through ballot referendums during the November 2026 General Election. Lawmakers will spend time next week reviewing these local bills.

Legislation from the special session, including local bills addressing homestead exemptions, may be found here.

We’ll return to the State Capitol on Monday, June 22, for Legislative Day 4 of the special session. As we work through these important issues, I will continue to provide updates on our work under the Gold Dome. Please contact my office by email at karen.mathiak@house.ga.gov or by phone at (404) 656-0213 with any questions and concerns. Thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative.