# Georgia SB 20: Veterinarians; student loan repayment; who practice shelter medicine and in nonprofit pet sterilization clinics; provide; create the State Veterinary Education Board for Shelter Medicine and Pet Sterilization Georgia SB 20, Veterinarians; student loan repayment; who practice shelter medicine and in nonprofit pet sterilization clinics; provide; create the State Veterinary Education Board for Shelter Medicine and Pet Sterilization, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Lee Anderson (Republican), Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Elena Parent (Democrat) and 2 others; status signed, last action 2025-07-01 (Effective Date); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB20-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Georgia SB 20 - State: Georgia - Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session - Title: Veterinarians; student loan repayment; who practice shelter medicine and in nonprofit pet sterilization clinics; provide; create the State Veterinary Education Board for Shelter Medicine and Pet Sterilization - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-16 - Last action: 2025-07-01, Effective Date - Sponsors: Lee Anderson (Republican), Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Elena Parent (Democrat), Chuck Payne (Republican), Carden Summers (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Higher Education, General Bill - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (264 yes, 9 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Bigger college grants for public safety families: benefit, high. Georgia expands Public Safety Memorial Grants to spouses as well as children of qualifying workers killed or permanently disabled on duty. Covered workers include law enforcement officers, firefighters, prison guards, emergency medical technicians, and highway emergency response operators serving c… - College grants for school workers' families: benefit, high. Georgia creates college grants for children and spouses of public school teachers or employees killed or permanently disabled by willful violence. The violence must occur while the employee is on duty, doing paid work for the employing local education agency. Eligible students at approved schools c… - Loan relief for shelter and clinic veterinarians: benefit, high. Beginning January 1, 2026, Georgia offers education loan purchases for qualifying shelter and nonprofit pet sterilization clinic veterinarians. Applicants need a veterinary medicine degree or equivalent, Georgia residency, a Georgia practice license, and no more than 10 years in practice. They must… - Optional donations support public servant families' education: mixed, low. For tax years beginning January 1, 2026, Georgia individual tax returns offer voluntary contributions from refunds or in addition to tax owed. Beginning January 1, 2026, driver's license and ID issuance or renewal forms must offer $1, $5, or $10 donations. Money supports college aid for eligible ch… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Lee Anderson (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Elena Parent (Democrat), Senate - Sponsor: Chuck Payne (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Carden Summers (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Scott Hilton (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-04 | Senate | AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE | pass | 50 | 2 | 2 | | 2025-04-02 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 160 | 5 | 2 | | 2025-03-03 | Senate | PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE | pass | 54 | 2 | | ## Actions (17) - 2025-07-01: Effective Date - 2025-05-14: Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate) - 2025-05-14: Act 304 - 2025-04-10: Senate Sent to Governor (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate) - 2025-04-02: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House) - 2025-04-02: House Third Readers (House) - 2025-04-02: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House) - 2025-03-20: House Committee Favorably Reported (House) - 2025-03-06: House Second Readers (House) - 2025-03-04: House First Readers (House) - 2025-03-03: Senate Third Read (Senate) - 2025-03-03: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Senate Read Second Time (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate) - 2025-01-17: Senate Read and Referred (Senate) - 2025-01-16: Senate Hopper (Senate) ## Bill text - SB 20/AP* (v10): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/239432) ## Related bills - SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckless stunt driving; replace the forfeiture penalty (signed) - SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation for certain motor vehicles; provide (signed) - SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Service Foundation; establish (signed) - SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact (signed) - HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish (signed) - HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact (signed) ## Sources - [SB 20/AP* (v10) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/239432) ## Related - [SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckles…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB160-2025-2026) - [SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB384-2025-2026) - [SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Servic…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB76-2025-2026) - [SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB406-2025-2026) - [HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1391-2025-2026) - [HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1344-2025-2026) - [Georgia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/georgia/bills) - [Georgia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/georgia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB20-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).