Georgia's legislative session ended on Friday, April 4, 2025, and families, educators, and advocates across the state had reasons to celebrate and stay alert for what’s to come.
Because of the hard work of communities, volunteers, and advocacy organizations, significant wins were secured, including stopping harmful legislation and moving forward key investments in early childhood support. 
The road ahead demands our continued energy and focus — and MomsRising will be there every step of the way, fighting for a Georgia where care leads the way.

A Bill Meant to Help Teachers Was Hijacked to Attack Inclusion
At the start of the session, there was real momentum for public school teachers and personnel. A bill was introduced to increase the number of sick leave days for teachers and other school personnel from three to five—a much-needed and long-overdue change that was on track to reach the Governor’s desk.

But in a disappointing turn, lawmakers gutted the original bill. They replaced it with harmful anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language from a failed bill, weaponizing a positive, widely supported policy to advance a divisive political agenda.

MomsRising mobilized quickly, engaging volunteers to call their representatives and sign a petition demanding that lawmakers stop the harmful changes. Thanks to the power of Georgia families and educators, the rewritten bill did not pass.

Budget Wins and Room for Improvement
The state budget included some important wins, but it also included many missed opportunities.
 

The Good News:

• Georgia finally added an extra $15 million in funding, called an “opportunity weight,”  to help support students living in poverty.
• $3 million was approved to expand perinatal home visiting programs, which help new parents and babies get off to a healthy start.

The Not-So-Good News:

• Despite an estimated budget surplus of over $13 billion, Georgia did not make transformational investments in early childhood education or child care.
• Medicaid expansion was once again left off the table, even though expanding access to affordable health care would make a life-changing difference for hundreds of thousands of Georgia families.

In short, there was some progress, but it didn’t match the scale of the moment. Georgia families deserve bold action.

Political Distractions and an Abrupt End to the Session
While Georgia families were looking for real solutions, too many lawmakers focused instead on divisive political fights.
Instead of prioritizing child care, education, and health care, we saw bills aimed at restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in schools, censoring public education curricula and library materials, and introducing harmful rhetoric and policies targeting LGBTQ+ youth. These efforts didn't address families' real challenges — they distracted from them, using fear and division instead of real solutions.
In a surprising move, the Senate and House adjourned before midnight on the final night of the session, leaving many controversial bills on the table, including the anti-DEI rewrite of a House-sponsored teacher sick leave bill. 
While we can celebrate that these measures were left hanging, lawmakers have already signaled their intent to revisit many of these controversial proposals in 2026.

MomsRising’s Commitment: Building Power for Real Change
At MomsRising, we believe policies should strengthen — not undermine — families and communities.
This session showed us why our voices matter more than ever. We need to:
Elect leaders who prioritize public education, affordable child care, and economic security.

Hold lawmakers accountable when they put politics over people.

Keep organizing, keep speaking out, and keep fighting for the future our kids deserve.

Conclusion
The 2025 legislative session brought meaningful wins and serious reminders of what’s at stake. Families across Georgia showed up, spoke out, and stopped harmful bills from becoming law. But too many urgent needs were unmet, and lawmakers have already signaled they’ll bring many of these controversial proposals back in 2026.
MomsRising will continue fighting for quality child care, early learning, and inclusive policies that put families first. The work continues, and together, we’re ready.