Sen. Ben Watson

Guest Columnist

The 2026 General Assembly session has adjourned, and we can now look to the accomplishments made during this final session of this two-year General Assembly term. With the end of the legislative term, the entire General Assembly will either retire or seek re-election.

In Chatham County, Representative Carl Gilliard and Representative Edna Jackson have said goodbye. In the Chatham delegation, we will have at least two new members beginning in 2027. In this week’s column, I’ll focus on some lesser known, yet quite important, pieces of legislation that will affect Georgia. In next week’s report, I will focus on the budget.

I sponsored a piece of legislation, Senate Bill 247 addressing physician shortages, which passed. The bill addresses physician shortages by creating a pathway for internationally-trained physicians to obtain licensure in Georgia. S.B. 247 establishes limited provisional licenses for these physicians, allowing them to practice under supervision in rural counties, licensed hospitals, federally qualified health centers, or accredited medical schools. After four years of practice, they can apply for full licensure, contingent on meeting certain requirements and practicing in underserved areas for two more years.

One of the biggest complaints we receive from many constituents is the unfairness of the dreaded school zone speed cameras. On the final day of the session, the senate passed legislation that would better regulate the use of school zone cameras.

Under House Bill 651, automated traffic enforcement safety devices would be exempt from regulation by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and would instead be overseen by the Department of Transportation, including through the approval and issuance of permits for use of such devices by local governments. The devices would be required to include lights that flash yellow when authorized to issue citations. Beginning July 1, 2027, citations could only be issued when the speed of a motor vehicle exceeds the posted speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour, within an hour before and an hour after the school’s start and dismissal times.

If fines or civil monetary penalties exceed 35 percent of the relevant law enforcement agency’s budget, there would be a rebuttable presumption that the devices are being employed for purposes other than public health, welfare and safety, ensuring that these devices are only operational during appropriate times.

Additionally, H.B. 651 would make several changes aimed at ensuring fairness and transparency in the use of automated traffic enforcement devices, including reducing the electronic processing fee for civil monetary penalties from $25 to $10. Local governments would be prohibited from adding additional taxes or fees to these penalties or using the funds to pay law enforcement salaries.

And finally, devices would require approval by local referendum every six years, giving communities a direct voice in whether these contracts continue.

Another bill of note that passed is H.B. 295, a measure allowing property owners to sue local governments for failing to enforce laws related to homelessness and immigration. The measure only applies if a local government has a “policy, pattern, or practice” of failing to follow the state’s ban on immigration sanctuary policies or enforce laws against illegal camping, loitering, panhandling, shoplifting or public drug use. If the local government rejects the claim or fails to act within 30 days, the owner is authorized to sue in superior court for documented expenses or the reduction in their property’s fair market value.

Thank you for your continued interest in the work of our General Assembly. In the following weeks, I will also point out some of the other important bills passed this year by the General Assembly. As your public servant, feel free to visit me at the Capitol or to reach out to me by phone or email. I am in 325A Coverdell Legislative Office Building. My office phone number is (404) 656-7880, and my email is ben.watson@senate. ga.gov.

I look forward to continuing to serve you.