Georgia School Phone Ban: K-8 Goes Phone-Free Bell to Bell
The headline change for families is the Georgia school phone ban. Under House Bill 340 — the Distraction-Free Education Act — every public school district in the state must now enforce policies restricting personal electronic devices for students in grades K-8 during the entire school day, from first bell to last. That means no phones at lunch, no phones between classes, no phones in the hallway.
There are carve-outs: students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a documented medical plan that requires a device keep access. But for everybody else in an Atlanta Public Schools, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, or Clayton classroom, the phone stays put away. Lawmakers have already signaled the ban could expand to high schools next, a move state coverage from FOX 5 Atlanta and 11Alive says has momentum heading into the next session.
Medical Cannabis Upgrade: SB 220 Removes the 5% THC Cap
Senate Bill 220 — the "Putting Georgia's Patients First Act" — is the biggest overhaul of Georgia's medical cannabis program since it launched. As of July 1, the old 5% THC potency cap is gone. Registered patients can now possess up to 12,000 milligrams of THC as long as it is kept in labeled pharmaceutical containers.
The law also widens what state-licensed dispensaries can actually put on the shelf: gummies, edibles, and vaporized flower are now permitted product formats. For the tens of thousands of Georgians on the state's Low THC Oil Registry — many of them in metro Atlanta — that is a fundamentally different program than the one that existed in June.
Your Money: Income Tax Cut + $250 Child Tax Credit
Two changes hit Georgia wallets directly. First, House Bill 111 lowers Georgia's flat income tax rate again as part of the state's ongoing multi-year reduction plan — a cut that shows up in take-home pay across every income level. Second, House Bill 136 creates a $250 tax credit for each child under age 6 and expands dependent care tax credits for working families.
For a young family inside the perimeter juggling day care costs, the combination is real money — and it lands the same year metro Atlanta braces for a FIFA World Cup 2026 economy that is projected to pump hundreds of millions of dollars through the city.
The Hartsfield-Jackson Wildcard: Delta and the Spirit Gates
One more storyline Atlanta should watch alongside the new-law wave: with Spirit Airlines out of the picture, Delta Air Lines is the likely winner of the former Spirit gates at Hartsfield-Jackson — the world's busiest airport and the front door of the city. More Delta gates could reshape fares and route options out of ATL just as tourism builds toward the World Cup summer. It is another piece of the same story we covered when "Made in Atlanta" landed prime retail real estate at Hartsfield-Jackson — the airport keeps consolidating around hometown players.
What Atlanta Should Do Now
If you have kids in a Georgia public school, check your district's new device policy before the fall semester — enforcement details vary district by district even though the state mandate is uniform. If you or a family member is on the Low THC Oil Registry, talk to a licensed dispensary about the new product formats now allowed under SB 220. And when you file your 2026 Georgia return, make sure the HB 136 child tax credit and the lower HB 111 rate are both reflected.
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