ATLANTA — July 1 doesn’t just mark the start of the fiscal year in Georgia. It’s also the date that new Georgia laws go into effect.
The Georgia General Assembly passed more than 100 laws during the 2024 legislative session. Most of those laws went into effect on Monday morning, while a few won’t go into effect until Jan. 1 or became law when Gov. Brian Kemp signed them earlier this year.
Here’s a breakdown of the key laws that you should know about as of July 1, 2024. You can click here to go through the full list of bills signed by Kemp.
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RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS
Safe at Home Act: The Safe at Home Act will now hold landlords accountable, requiring property owners to provide housing that does not impose health and safety issues. The law applies to all new leases and any lease renewals. It also limits the number of rent payments required up front. A landlord cannot require more than two months’ rent at the beginning of a lease contract.
Georgia Squatters Reform Act: This law went into effect when the governor signed it in April. Suspected squatters are now immediately issued a criminal citation and have three days to present a lease. If that lease is fraudulent, the case goes from a misdemeanor to a felony. The new law comes after a series of Channel 2 Action News investigations that exposed the loophole squatters were taking advantage of.
EDUCATION
Drug Overdose Prevention: Senate Bill 395 passed this year to combat fentanyl overdoses and protect students. The law allows teachers, visitors or students to carry naloxone, a drug used to prevent overdoses. The drug will be available in vending machines.
Addy’s Law: House Bill 409 increases the fine to $1,000 for drivers who pass a stopped school bus. It’s named Addy’s Law after 8-year-old Addy Pierce, who was hit and killed by a driver while trying to cross the road to get onto her school bus in Henry County. The bill also encourages school districts to consider bus routes where children don’t have to cross the street to get on a bus on roads 40 miles per hour or more.
AEDs in Schools: House Bill 874 requires every public school to now have at least one automated external deliberator (AED) in its building.
Social media: A new law restricting social media use for minors takes effect today. The law requires a parent’s permission for children under 16 to get a social media account, and restricts usage in schools. The law also requires students take a course on cyber bullying and responsible internet and social media use.
School Vouchers: The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act creates a $6,500 scholarship for children in low-performing public schools who want to get a private school education. The law went into effect when Gov. Kemp signed it in April.
STATE BUDGET
July 1st is the first day of the fiscal year, meaning the new budget is in place. The new state budget is expected to cost $66.5 billion.
House Bill 916, includes, among other items, pay raises for teachers and other state employees, more bonuses for retention and hiring, a variety of grants and infrastructure funding, and more. State government workers can get up to a $3,000 raise and teachers can get up to $2,500 raise.
Gov. Kemp also signed a set of tax relief bills that accelerated what the state calls the largest income tax cut in Georgia’s history. Going forward, the income tax rate for 2024 will be 5.39%.
DRIVING
Street racing: Senate Bill 10 goes after not only the drivers but people promoting the races on social media and even those using their own cars to block roads for the street races. The law will allow police to arrest spectators if they actively participate, such as using their own cars to block the road.
Under the law, anyone “knowingly present and actively facilitating” a street race can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined $250. The law also increases fines and penalties for the drivers themselves.
Amber lights: Starting July 1, the state of Georgia will no longer require drivers to request permits to have amber, flashing or rotating lights on their vehicles. The change of policy comes as the result of House Bill 1193.
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