Georgia House passes bill to suspend gas tax for 60 days; measure heads to Senate

The Georgia House of Representatives on Wednesday approved an amendment to House Bill 1199 that would suspend the state’s motor fuel tax for 60 days. The measure now heads back to the Georgia State Senate for further consideration before it can reach Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature.

House Speaker Jon Burns, a Republican from Newington, praised the vote, saying lawmakers are trying to ease the financial strain on families.

“Today’s passage of House Bill 1199 is a direct reflection of the House’s continued leadership in addressing affordability for citizens across the state,” Burns said in a statement. “By suspending the state motor fuel tax for 60 days, we are delivering meaningful, timely relief to millions of Georgia drivers and families when and where it’s needed most.”

Georgia’s motor fuel tax currently adds about 33 cents per gallon to the cost of gasoline.

According to GasBuddy, the average price of a gallon of gas in Georgia is about $3.75, nearly 89 cents higher than this time last year.

If approved by the Senate and signed into law, the temporary suspension would reduce the price drivers pay at the pump by removing the state’s excise tax during the 60-day period.

The move would follow several similar actions by Kemp in recent years. The governor previously suspended Georgia’s gas tax in 2022 during a spike in prices tied to the war in Ukraine, again in 2023 amid high inflation, and briefly in 2024 following Hurricane Helene.