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There has been a lot written on the bills that made it across the line on Sine Die and are now headed to the Governor’s desk for his signature. But there were also several critical bills that were abandoned or left on the table with the early check-out by both the House and Senate. Because this is the first year of the biennial, those bills are still alive for next year. 

Among the abandoned bills were several that had seemed to be a priority for Republican lawmakers including the Lt. Governor’s Red Tape Rollback — or Georgia’s DOGE bill, and a measure that would ban preferential treatment in public colleges and schools based on race and other factors. 

HB 127 was originally intended to provide teachers with two additional days of sick leave but was later amended into a measure that would financially penalize educational institutions that embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This bill, which came up on the day before Sine Die, sparked nearly two hours of intense debate in the Senate. 

Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, who sponsored the legislation, said, “If you believe that discrimination in any form is wrong, then this legislation aligns with making sure that discrimination does not happen in any form.” 

The bill passed in the Senate but was not called up again in the House. 

The “Red Tape Rollback Act of 2025” passed out of the Senate but stalled in the House.  Senate Bill 28, by Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, was a priority of Lt. Governor Burt Jones. This bill was built on the work done during the 2024 session to cut government regulation, boost small businesses, and expand economic opportunities throughout Georgia.  

“The Red Tape Rollback Act of 2025 is mirroring the great work President Trump is doing in Washington to create efficiency, reduce unnecessary spending and eliminate bureaucratic red tape across state agencies,” Jones said after its passage in the Senate.  

The bill had several features. In order to ensure efficiency, all state agencies would be required to complete a top-to-bottom review of all agency rules and regulations every four years. The bill will require agencies to account for the economic impact of all proposed rules and provide economic reports to the General Assembly when major rules are proposed.  

Other bills that didn’t make it: 

Senate Bill 21 would remove legal protections and let people sue governments and government officials who don’t follow Georgia laws requiring cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. 

House Bill 79 would have offered a four-day sales tax holiday on guns, ammunition and safety devices, while offering income tax credits of up to $300 for paying for gun safety courses. 

Elected Officials Pay: Lawmakers abandoned a proposal to increase pay for statewide elected officials including paying Gov. Brian Kemp $250,000 a year. 

Sports Betting: Georgians would have gotten a chance in 2026 to vote on a state constitutional amendment authorizing sports gambling under House Resolution 450. 

Speed Zone Cameras: Georgia would either ban automated speed enforcement cameras in school zones under House Bill 225 or further regulate them under House Bill 651.