Cell Phone Ban In High Schools, Autism Police Training: 30 New Laws To Know In GA

Gov. Brian Kemp was busy this week signing three sweeping packages he says backs law enforcement, education and farmers.

Between Tuesday and Wednesday, the governor signed 30 new bills into law in Atlanta and Forsyth.

His latest signings make pimping and pandering a felony on the first offense, raises the number of sick days educators can transform into personal days and designates cotton as Georgia's official state fabric.

Additionally, Kemp and legislators doubled down on a cell phone ban enacted last year in K-8 schools by expanding the prohibition to now include public high schools.

Rio's Law mandates autism awareness training for police officers and makes way for people diagnosed with autism or developmental disabilities to have a specialty license plate.

On Monday, Kemp is expected to sign additional bills - this time, reducing taxes "and supporting Georgia's pro-growth, business-friendly environment," his office stated.

Here's every bill Kemp signed into law this week in Georgia:

Supporting Literacy and K-12 Schools

"Here in the No. 1 state for business and opportunity, our classrooms must be safe learning environments that serve as launching pads for success in the workforce," Kemp said in a news release.

"The bills I signed today implement proven strategies to improve literacy and math scores, reduce distractions in the classroom, expand pathways to graduation and further support hardworking educators and families. These are just the latest steps we've taken to create opportunity for all Georgians, no matter their zip code."

HB 1193, sponsored by Rep. Chris Erwin, was a legislative priority for Speaker Jon Burns and is known as the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026. It enacts a grant program to hire a literacy coach in every elementary school, expands kindergarten offerings, creates a statewide literacy task force and empowers the Governor's Office of Student Achievement to produce a state literacy plan.

HB 907, sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones, updates some requirements and policies for completion schools to improve transparency and ensure they are meeting their purpose and target demographics. This follows the creation of completion schools by HB 87.

HB 1123, also sponsored by Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, expands childcare options for Georgia families by requiring schools with existing after-school programs to offer the program to pre-K students on the same basis as other students.

HB 1030, sponsored by Rep. Sandy Donatucci, is known as the Math Matters Act and requires local boards of education to dedicate at least 60 minutes of core math instruction each day in grades four and five. It also requires the Georgia Department of Education to adopt content standards for advanced math courses for grades eight through 10, and support advanced math courses in grades six and seven. Additionally, it provides for the automatic enrollment of high-achieving math students into advance math courses in grades six through 10.

HB 1009, sponsored by Rep. Scott Hilton, expands the prohibition of personal electronic devices in public schools to include high school grades nine through 12. This was also a top priority of Speaker Jon Burns and builds on the success of HB 340, signed by the governor in 2025, which banned these devices in K-8 classrooms.

HB 1107, sponsored by Rep. Carmen Rice, requires the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to develop education preparation provider performance measures to evaluate the performance of each program. It also requires GOSA to include a summary of the performance measures in the annual report on Georgia's education workforce.

HB 1284, sponsored by Rep. Deborah Silcox, requires local school boards to issue a high school diploma to enrolled high school students who have received a terminal medical diagnosis and are receiving end-of-life care.

SB 148, sponsored by Sen. Bo Hatchett, authorizes local school boards to offer instruction in hunting safety, establishes a pilot program on outdoor learning spaces and removes the requirement that a licensed physician must be involved with a school's AED program. It also increases the number of sick days that a teacher may convert to personal leave from three days to five.

SB 150, sponsored by Sen. Billy Hickman, builds on Kemp's previous efforts to establish a Return-to-Work program for educators by extending the program to 2030 and further easing pathways for Georgia teachers to return to the profession - especially in high-need areas.

Supporting Law Enforcement

“Time and time again, the brave men and women of Georgia’s state law enforcement have proven that they are the best in the nation,” Speaker of the House Jon Burns said in a news release. “The House is proud to stand alongside them as we work to strengthen public safety, support their families and ensure they have the resources and benefits they have rightfully earned.”

SB 452, sponsored by Sen. Bo Hatchett, was a legislative priority for the Kemp Administration. It significantly increases the state contribution to the 401(k)s of POST-certified state law enforcement officers, rewarding officers who have dedicated their lives to public safety and supporting better recruitment and retention for state law enforcement agencies. This further supports one of Governor Kemp's top priorities throughout his administration to support careers in public safety.

HB 1128, sponsored by Rep. Devan Seabaugh, was also a legislative priority of Kemp, and allows for a one-time reopening of the application window for officers who have sustained brain injuries to reapply for indemnification benefits. It also amends Georgia code to allow legal guardians to be notified of benefits. This bill is another common-sense measure to support those who have given everything to serve the State of Georgia.

SB 285, sponsored by Sen. Randy Robertson, addresses revenue shortfalls at the Peace Officers Annuity Board by reallocating 1.5 percent of local insurance premium tax to meet the budgetary need and allows for an increase in the monthly benefit multiplier for each year of credible service.

SB 547, sponsored by Sen. Brian Strickland, revises penalties for offenses related to pimping and pandering, making them felonies on the first offense. It is another measure aimed at making Georgia a hostile place for criminals and a safe haven for victims.

SB 160, sponsored by Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, established a regulatory framework for the use of Intelligent Speed Assistance devices for limited driving permits following a reckless driving conviction.

HB 1202, sponsored by Rep. John Corbett, supports the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council's efforts to protect Georgians as it relates to the Georgia Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Advisory Board and corrects a scrivener's error.

HB 944, sponsored by Rep. Lauren McDonald, is part of an annual update in Georgia code for the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

SB 383, sponsored by Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, is legislation supported by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation that clarifies the roles of review commission members and medical examiners, modernizes bill language to account for new advancements and updates deadlines to ensure detailed reports are received in a timely manner.

HB 549, sponsored by Rep. Devan Seabaugh, extends the timeframe for reimbursements of training expenses by a subsequent employer of a peace officer.

SB 433, sponsored by Sen. Brian Strickland, is known as Rio's Law and creates a specialty license plate for individuals with autism or developmental disabilities. It also requires training for interacting with individuals with autism in law enforcement settings. This bill was made possible by the work of numerous disability and autism advocates, and Kemp extends a special thanks to Connor Tomlinson for his efforts to champion this legislation.

Supporting Farmers

“Georgia’s agriculture community has shown resilience, grit and determination," Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said in a news release. "Despite the obstacles from the past and current wildfires impacting production and farmland, our farmers and producers continue to fight the odds and keep Georgia’s number one industry growing and expanding. We are thankful for all they do, and they will continue to have our support - today, tomorrow and forever.”

HB 1159, sponsored by Rep. Matthew Gambill, was a legislative priority of Kemp. It exempts any payments received from the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program and the Specialty Crop Farmers Program from state income tax.

HR 1008, sponsored by Rep. Lynn Smith, was another priority for the Kemp Administration. It updates the State Water Plan to revise the Regional Water Planning Councils, decreasing the number of members and extending the lengths of some appointees' terms. Additionally, it specifies that Memorandum of Agreements between RWPC, the Environmental Protection Division and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs will be renewed as-needed instead of the previously held three-year term.

HB 117, sponsored by Rep. Jesse Petrea, requires all food service establishments serving shrimp imported from foreign countries to notify customers on their menu or through other signage.

HB 134 is known as the Keep Georgia Forested Act and was supported by Rep. Jesse Petrea. This bill expands tax credits for forestry manufacturers.

HB 956, sponsored by Rep. John Corbett, is legislation supported by Georgia Environment Protection Division and expands the use of Solid Waste Trust Fund to include permitting, monitoring, regulation or guidance development, inspections and enforcement.

HB 983, sponsored by Rep. Leesa Hagan, is legislation supported by the Georgia Forestry Commission, which protects prescribed burning by preventing counties and municipalities from imposing additional barriers on landowners who perform this site preparation in accordance with current state law. This will help further Georgia's ongoing efforts to prevent and quickly contain wildfires at an especially critical time, as well as support foresters in managing their lands.

HB 1310, sponsored by Rep. Jaclyn Ford, designates cotton as the official state fabric of Georgia.

SB 306, sponsored by Sen. Randy Roberston, helps streamline the Conservation Use Valuation Assessment process to help protect Georgia's farmers and farmland.

SB 435, sponsored by Sen. Russ Goodman, renames the Georgia Development Authority to the Georgia Agricultural Development Authority.

SB 551, sponsored by Sen. Sam Watson, removes the egg candling code section from Georgia law, which requires individuals to candle eggs from backyard flocks before selling them. This does not remove any food safety regulations, which remain intact under O.C.G.A. Title 26-2-8.