Sen. Sonya Halpern

Maddy summaryThis bill is a Senate resolution that formally recognizes and commends Mrs. Angela W. Touhy for her long and distinguished service to the Georgia State Senate. It directly affects Mrs. Touhy by officially honoring her career, which includes over 35 years of public service in state administration and legislative support roles. The resolution highlights her contributions to the Senate Appropriations Committee and her continued work assisting the committee after retirement in 2022. The Senate authorized the Secretary to provide a copy of this resolution to Mrs. Touhy as a formal acknowledgment of her service.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a Senate resolution that officially recognizes March 2026 as Music in Our Schools Month. It directly affects Georgia's schools, music educators, and students by formally acknowledging the importance of music education in academic and personal development. The resolution highlights research showing benefits of music programs, including improved academic performance and graduation rates, while honoring the work of music educators and related organizations. The bill is ceremonial in nature and does not create new funding or policy requirements, serving instead to celebrate and promote music education awareness.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a Senate resolution honoring the life and memory of David Apple Jr., MD, an 89-year-old Atlanta physician who passed away. It recognizes his contributions to medicine, including co-founding the Shepherd Center in 1975 and serving as its medical director for 31 years, where he helped patients with spinal cord and neurological injuries recover. The resolution also acknowledges his founding of the center's Recreation Therapy Program and his work mentoring clinicians and advancing research in rehabilitative medicine. The Senate formally expresses appreciation for his legacy and directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide a copy of the resolution to Apple's family.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 20E of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the "Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act," so as to provide for insurance coverage for certain out-of-network ambulance transportation service; to provide for the minimum allowable reimbursement rate for such service; to provide for maximum amounts on copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles for such service; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 41 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to residential and commercial general contractors, so as to provide for licensure of home inspectors; to provide for reciprocity of licensure; to provide for licensure of companies performing home inspections; to provide for minimum requirements to apply for licensure; to provide for continuing education requirements; to require home inspectors to maintain insurance; to provide for standards of practice and unfair trade practices; to provide for exceptions; to provide for definitions; to provide for a short title; to provide for a legislative purpose; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 11 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 and Article 10 of Chapter 3 of Title 38 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to public school property and facilities and state-wide first responder building mapping information system, respectively, so as to enact "Ricky and Alyssa's Law"; to require local school systems to implement a mobile panic alert system capable of connecting disparate emergency services technologies to ensure real-time coordination between multiple state and local first responder agencies in the event of a school security; to authorize the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to adopt rules and regulations for the requirements for school mapping data; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Maddy summaryThis resolution creates a temporary Senate committee to study whether Georgia should compensate student teachers during their training. The committee will examine financial challenges for unpaid student teachers, impacts on educator recruitment (especially in high-need schools), cost estimates, and successful models from other states. It does not enact paid student teaching but will recommend potential legislation by December 2025. The committee expires on that date and has no authority to implement changes.

Maddy summaryThis is a procedural resolution (not a funding bill) creating a Senate Study Committee to examine disparities in capital funding for Georgia's charter schools. The committee will study how charter schools access facility improvement funds compared to traditional public schools, reviewing current mechanisms like E-SPLOST and bond financing. It will gather input from school leaders and experts to assess challenges, with a report due by December 2025. The resolution itself does not allocate funds or change policy - it only establishes a committee to analyze the issue.

A RESOLUTION honoring Cyndi West for her 25 years of distinguished service to the Georgia State Senate and the citizens of this state; and for other purposes.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution honors Terri Brown for her exceptional service and dedication to the citizens of Georgia. The bill formally recognizes her 20-year military career as a U.S. Army Medic/EMT and her civilian work as a Medical, Financial, and Legal Liaison who helps individuals navigate healthcare, financial, and legal systems. It also acknowledges her personal contributions to the community through fostering, adoption, and serving as a legal guardian for a senior citizen. The resolution authorizes the Secretary of the Senate to provide a copy of the document to Terri Brown as a formal commendation.