$2B Property Tax Relief Bill Signed In GA: What To Know

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated for clarification.

ATLANTA, GA — It's official - more than $2 billion will be returned to Georgia taxpayers after Gov. Brian Kemp signed the Fiscal Year 2026 amended budget into law Tuesday.

House Bill 973 went through its final passage Wednesday, with the Georgia House giving the budget a 169-2 approval.

The law includes $2,000 in state employee bonuses. The homeowner’s property tax relief grant proposed by the House is also embedded in the budget.

"We’re able to make wise use of these funds today and make generational investments in our state because of our conservative approach to budgeting," Kemp said during the signing, "and because of the belief that guides us in crafting and negotiating these budgets: this isn’t the government’s money, it belongs to the people of Georgia."

Additional facets of the budget include:

• $325 million to fund the inaugural needs-based Georgia DREAMS Scholarship program
• $6 million for the Career Navigator tool to connect workers with quality job opportunities

• An additional $150 million for the Department of Corrections to address bed space needs
• At least $9.7 million for additional corrections officers
• $50 million to assist communities in addressing homelessness
• $409 million for the design and construction of a new Georgia Regional Hospital to expand state mental health bed capacity.
• More than $1.6 billion for the extension and bi-directional expansion of the I-75 express lanes in Henry County
• $185 million for interchange conversions on State Road 316 (University Parkway)
• $100 million for rehabilitation and replacement of rural bridges
• $35 million for a first-of-its-kind natural gas infrastructure program within the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority

“This budget is more than just numbers on a page. It is a direct reflection of this General Assembly’s commitment to each of our neighbors in every corner of our great state,” Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns said in a news release.

“From returning nearly $2 billion directly back to hardworking taxpayers and homeowners and providing $2,000 pay supplements to state employees, to investing in healthcare, education, public safety and infrastructure—every Georgian can be proud of the investments we’re making today to create a better, brighter future for our state.”