Kemp Signs FY 2026 Budget, Sending Millions To GA Schools

ATLANTA, GA — Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday signed the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, allocating millions for education and health care.

Other facets of Kemp's latest budget are public safety and infrastructure. This came a day after he signed legislation that supported law enforcement and banned the use of state funds for sex reassignment surgeries and related efforts for inmates.

"With ($290 million) in additional funding going toward transportation projects, and ($715 million) going to capital projects, including some for K-12 school systems, we are using the funds we have from years of growth to build stronger communities and encourage further investment and success," Kemp said in a news release.

"I'm especially proud we’re doing so – for the second straight year – with cash, meaning for two straight years we have not added any new debt. That brings our state’s debt service-to-revenue ratio to the lowest level in Georgia history. And it ultimately means we’ll save taxpayers ($150 million) per year for the next 20 years in future debt service costs we won’t have to pay on top of the billions saved in tax refunds and tax cuts we’ve implemented over the past several years."

See the budget breakdown below:

• $49.7 million to promote students’ mental health and wellbeing
• $13 million in new funding to improve literacy for our elementary students
• $267 million to fund higher education growth at the University and Technical College Systems
• $20 million to replace 227 school buses
• More than $141 million to fund the Promise Scholarship Program
• $257 million in support for Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids expense and enrollment growth
• $10 million for significant capital repairs at state hospitals
• More than $5 million for salary enhancements for social services eligibility caseworkers
• More than $4.5 million to improve maternal health
• $200 million for the Department of Corrections to increase the salaries of corrections officers and other positions, as well as for operational needs to create safer prisons
• At least $1.7 million for additional positions and technology at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s crime labs
• At least $1 million for two crime scene technical leaders and three digital forensic investigators
• $1 million for a gang case management system and gang enforcement efforts statewide
• More than $268,000 for Attorney General Chris Carr to expand the Gang Prosecution Unit in the Savannah region, as well as at least $748,000 to expand the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit to the Macon and Augusta regions
• More than $421,000 to improve operations of the 24/7 hotline to report human trafficking and serve victims through the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
• Considerable investments in infrastructure statewide

“This year’s budget reflects the unwavering commitment of the General Assembly to championing strategic investments that will keep our state the best place to live, work and raise a family for generations to come—all while putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking Georgia taxpayers,” Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns said in the release. “Thank you to Gov. Kemp, Chairman (Rep. Matt) Hatchett and each member of the House who worked tirelessly to get this budget across the finish line, securing the current and future success of our great state.”

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