State Sen. Elena Parent is backing legislation intended to boost community oversight of large bond-funded school projects in Decatur, according to the Georgia State Senate.
Filed as SB625 on Tuesday, March 17, during the 2026 regular session of the 158th General Assembly, the bill is formally titled: ‘City of Decatur Public Facilities Authority; a referendum for issuing revenue bonds for certain projects requested by the City Schools of Decatur; require’.
Below is a summary based on the legislative text itself, clarifying the key points of the bill.
Essentially, the proposed law modifies the City of Decatur Public Facilities Authority’s enabling legislation by making voter approval necessary before issuing specific school-related revenue bonds. The authority would retain its ability to issue revenue bonds for projects and for refinancing with a 40-year maturity cap. However, for any City Schools of Decatur project costing $20 million or more, a referendum among qualified voters within the district would be required, and bonds could be issued only if the majority supports the measure.
Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (Democrat-84th) is co-sponsoring the legislation.
Parent has brought forward 11 additional bills since this session began.
She earned a BA from the University of Virginia in 1998 and a JD there in 2002.
A Democrat, Parent was elected to Georgia’s State Senate in 2025 for District 44, following Brian Strickland’s tenure.
For context, Georgia’s legislative process typically starts with a lawmaker working with the Office of Legislative Counsel to draft a bill. Once formally submitted with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate, the measure is introduced, assigned to a committee for review, and, if approved, brought to the floor for debate and voting. Both chambers must pass the final version—sometimes via a conference committee—before the governor’s review. During the session, the governor has six days (or 40 days after adjournment) to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without signature. The General Assembly holds a 40-day annual session, starting the second Monday of January.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| SB618 | 03/04/2026 | Municipal Court of the City of Decatur; the assessment and collection of a technology fee; authorize |
| SB508 | 02/12/2026 | “Community Housing Options Increase Efficiency (CHOICE) Act”; enact |
| SB481 | 02/09/2026 | Medical Assistance; Medicaid coverage for heart and lung transplants when medically necessary; require |
| SB483 | 02/09/2026 | Law Enforcement Officers and Agencies; covered immigration officers to wear body cameras during public immigration enforcement functions; require |
| SB394 | 01/13/2026 | Motor Vehicles; operation of alternative fueled vehicles and make conforming changes; remove a fee |
| SB327 | 03/07/2025 | Clayton Judicial Circuit; sixth judge of the superior courts; provide |
| SB114 | 02/05/2025 | General Assembly; certain procedures for redistricting of the General Assembly and congressional districts in this state; provide |
| SB67 | 01/30/2025 | Income Taxes; income tax credit equal to 20 percent of the federal earned income tax credit; provide |
| SB66 | 01/30/2025 | Crimes; persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes of family violence from receiving, possessing, or transporting a firearm; prohibit |
| SB49 | 01/28/2025 | Carrying and Possession of Firearms; offense of making a firearm accessible to a child; establish |
| SB48 | 01/28/2025 | Disclosure and Dissemination of Criminal Records; a judicial procedure for purging a person’s involuntary hospitalization information; provide |
This report relies on information from the Georgia State Senate. You can view the source material here.
