Some students going back to school in August can kiss their cellphones goodbye during the day, thanks to one of the hundreds of new laws going into effect in Georgia on July 1.
Students in kindergarten through eighth grade will be subject to a “bell-to-bell” ban on cellphones, smart watches and other personal electronic devices. Next year, high school students will be subject to the same restrictions.
Though the K-8 ban has a July 1 start date, many Georgia school districts got a head start by implementing creative storage solutions or policies designed to keep devices out of sight.
And teachers are glad for it: Recent research shows that teachers strongly support the bans, saying students are more focused without the distraction of their cellphones.
The ban is “life-changing,” said State Rep. Scott Hilton, R-Peachtree Corners, who sponsored both bills.
State lawmakers passed more than 350 bills under the Gold Dome this past legislative session ranging from a vape allowance for medical cannabis to how retailers should handle the death of the penny.
Here are some of the new laws that take effect July 1:
Budget & Taxes
Lawmakers approved a $38.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2027, which begins today. But the final product was shaped by Gov. Brian Kemp’s veto pen.
The budget includes a host of new spending, including $70.4 million for literacy coaches in every elementary school, $11.7 million for school enrollment growth, $213.3 million for school construction and $44.7 million in additional lottery funds for HOPE scholarships.
But Kemp vetoed more than $300 million in spending, citing the effects of a big income tax cut that takes effect this year.
Lawmakers voted to continue to pare back the state’s income tax rate and exempt some cash tips and overtime from taxes, making those changes retroactive to Jan. 1.
The governor cut $100 million intended to give state retirees future cost-of-living raises. Among other things, Kemp also vetoed $30.7 million in new funding for student transportation, $5.9 million for outdoor recreation, $5.3 million for Medicaid dental care and $2.5 million to aid homeless veterans.
Kemp said the income tax cut blew a $1.3 billion hole in the 2027 budget. He’s counting on growth in state revenue to cover some of the remaining deficit caused by the tax cut. The state will use money from its $8 billion reserves to cover the rest.
Medical cannabis
While a federal restriction on hemp products looms, Georgia’s Legislature expanded the use of medicinal cannabis. A state law will allow medical patients 22 or older to vape their products, something advocates say provides patients with quicker relief than oil tinctures.
The law also lifts the cap of Georgia’s current 5% THC concentration limit for medical cannabis products and expands the conditions that qualify a person for a medical cannabis card.
Lawmakers who opposed the measure warned that such changes could be abused, casting the measure as a backdoor to recreational use rather than to treat a medical condition.
Cash rounding
In the wake of the penny’s death, state lawmakers gave their two cents on how to handle the dwindling supply of 1-cent coins. A new law will allow retailers to round prices to the nearest nickel when making change and calculating sales taxes on cash sales.
But those who carry cash will still be able to spend their change, as the law requires retailers to accept exact change if people have it. The cessation of the penny has spurred similar efforts in other states across the country.
Literacy overhaul
The Georgia Early Literacy Act was one of the session’s biggest bipartisan initiatives and aimed at boosting literacy performance in Georgia’s public schools.
The measure focuses on ensuring students can read proficiently by the third grade, a benchmark experts say is critical for academic success.
The sweeping bill provides training and support for educators, requires screening for dyslexia and other learning disabilities and mandates kindergarten attendance. Current state law requires children to start school by first grade.
It also places a literacy coach in every elementary school in the state.
Paid maternal leave
State employees, including public pre-K-12 educators, currently receive six weeks of paid maternal leave. Under a new Georgia law, state employees will receive an additional 120 hours (equivalent to 3 weeks) of paid maternity leave.
The law also protects employees from retaliation for claiming leave.
Disrupting religious services
A new Georgia law safeguarding religious freedom prohibits protests and disruptive behavior within 500 feet of a place of worship, with violations punishable as misdemeanors which can carry up to a $1,000 fine or up to one year in jail.
Under the new law, protections for places of worship start one hour before a service begins and ends one hour after it concludes. Disruption during military funerals is elevated to an aggravated misdemeanor which is punishable by up to a $5,000 fine, up to one year in jail, or both.
Service dog protections
Georgia has increased penalties for harming service dogs and now provides restitution for owners, covering costs for veterinary treatment or replacement of harmed dogs.
The new law also makes it illegal to falsely claim an animal is a service dog.
Caregiver background checks
Georgia now requires criminal background, license and registry checks for individuals who provide care to children, older adults and people with disabilities.
The change allows the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to submit fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Georgia Crime Information Center as part of the background checks.
Georgia’s official horse
Many of the most contentious issues spark fierce debate during the Legislature’s 40-day session. Some issues, however, are far less divisive.
A measure that will designate the marsh tacky horse as the official Georgia heritage horse breed drew bipartisan support in both legislative chambers.
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