Sen. Ben Watson
Guest columnist
The General Assembly is in full swing as we near the all-important crossover day. That is the day when all legislation must pass either the House or Senate to be considered by the other. With 22 of the 40 days until the legislative session is complete, we have six legislative days left until “Crossover Day,” which is on Day 28.
I have introduced Senate Bill 427 which provides for limited provisional licenses and a pathway to licensure for internationally trained physicians. With the extreme shortage for licensed physicians in our rural counties, this legislation will allow legal foreign medical school graduates who qualify to be eligible to serve in a supervised fashion for four years in Georgia’s rural counties. They will receive a two-year provisional license to work in underserved areas. Of course, they have to be here legally and have to meet the same qualifications and pass the same exams as U.S.-trained physicians.
The legislation passed overwhelmingly in the Senate and now heads for the House of Representatives for consideration.
The amended Fiscal Year 2026 budget passed the Senate floor by a vote of 49-1. The Senate version of the budget supports middle class families by providing for both the governor’s income tax rebate and the House homeowner’s property tax relief grant. The Senate agreed with the Governor on taxpayer relief, with joint filers getting a $500 rebate and homeowner tax relief for the year 2026, as well as more funding for roads and bridges.
The Senate eliminated income taxes up to $50,000 for single filers and $100,000 for joint filers. The Senate also fully funded K-12 education via the QBE formula. The Senate included “seed” funding for initiating 105 graduate medical education/ residency programs at St. Joseph/Candler Hospital in Savannah. The Senate included funding for a new school of optometry at Georgia Southern University. If approved, this would be the first school of optometry in Georgia.
As of two weeks ago, Georgia was released from oversight by the U.S.
Department of Justice mental health review.
Mental health services and law enforcement were enhanced with the appropriation of $409 million for the construction of a new mental health services hospital. Incredibly, this will be first new mental health hospital built since 1958.
On the education front, we included support for Needs Based Scholarships with an appropriation of $100 million to the University System of Georgia.
To further our commitment to childcare, the Senate added $2.5 million to the BOOST program, providing after-school care for Georgia’s children.
In support of veterans across the state, the Senate provided $10 million for homelessness grants and $15 million to eliminate homelessness in Georgia’s Veteran communities.
The Senate appropriated $500,000 to the Steven A.
Cohen Military Family Clinic in Hinesville.
I will keep you updated on legislation affecting our community as we progress through the session. Thank you for your continued interest in the work of our 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.