ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Gov. Brian Kemp signed his last budget as Georgia’s 83rd chief executive on Tuesday.

Last week, Kemp’s amended fiscal year 2026 budget, HB 973, cleared the Georgia General Assembly. It includes $2 billion in income and property tax relief, Kemp said, and also paves the way for the “first state needs-based scholarship of its kind, make historic investments in transportation, and much more,” he said.

The budget includes funding for several key measures championed by the governor and legislative partners, including income tax and property tax relief, an endowment for the Georgia DREAMS Scholarship program, historic transportation investments, and more.

Kemp’s final budget includes:

• $1.17 billion in prior year undesignated state surplus funds for a fourth, one-time additional tax refund.
• $850 million for the Homeowner Tax Relief Grant program.
• $173.12 million for additional correctional officer positions, drone detection systems, and bed space within the Department of Corrections.
• $15 million for a new K-9 unit training facility at the Department of Public Safety Headquarters.
• $409 million to design and construct the new Georgia Regional Hospital in Atlanta and significantly expand state mental health bed capacity.
• $20.74 million for a new 40-bed forensic restoration facility at East Central Regional Hospital.
• $35 million to establish a natural gas infrastructure loan program for rural communities.
• $15 million for rural site development to assist local governments in attracting businesses with shovel-ready sites.
• $8.9 million to establish the Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative in partnership with Georgia Tech to support expansion into emerging markets for Georgia’s timber industry.
• $250 million in additional funding for LMIG for city and county transportation projects.
• $1.68 billion for the extension and bi-directional expansion of I-75 express lanes in Henry County.
• $185 million for interchange conversions on SR 316.
• Provide a one-time $2,000 pay supplement for teachers, state law enforcement, and other state employees.
• $325 million to establish an endowment and provide seed funding for the DREAMS Scholarship program, the first-of-its-kind needs-based scholarship in Georgia history.
• $6 million to create a Career Navigator tool for Georgia students and workers.

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The fiscal year for the state started on July 1, 2025, and ends on June 30, 2026.

The budget is the only legislation lawmakers are constitutionally required to pass before the session ends on April 2. Lawmakers must also pass a 2027 fiscal year budget before adjourning April 2.

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