Rep. John Carson Introduces Legislation to Increase Tax Credit Cap for Student Scholarship Program

State Representative John Carson (R-Marietta) recently introduced House Bill 54, legislation which would increase the cap for the state’s student scholarship tax credit program from $120 million to $200 million starting in 2024.

“Last year, I was proud that the Georgia General Assembly increased this vital program to $120 million and improved the program’s transparency and disclosure requirements,” said Rep. Carson. “Earlier this month, Georgia taxpayers responded overwhelmingly by submitting requests for more than $150 million worth of tax credits on just the first day of the program, and the wait-lists for these student scholarships continues to grow across the state. I am now asking the legislature to meet this increased demand for families to find educational opportunities for their children.”

“We are committed to taking sensible steps to improve educational outcomes for Georgia’s children,” said Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington). “Georgians have demonstrated overwhelming demand for this innovative program year after year, and I thank Chairman John Carson for his leadership on this issue.”

Georgia offers tax credits to corporations and individuals who donate to student scholarship organizations (SSOs), which provide student scholarships to parents of eligible children who plan to attend private schools. HB 54 would address the growing demand for the program and allow SSOs to support more students by increasing the total tax credit cap.

During the 2022 legislative session, the Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill 517, which increased this tax credit cap from $100 million to $120 million. HB 517 also clarified that if SSOs make investments using scholarship donations, any interest earned from the investment must be returned to the scholarship fund. It also creates auditing requirements for such organizations.

For more information on HB 54, please click here.

Representative John Carson represents the citizens of District 46, which includes portions of Cherokee and Cobb counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2011 and currently serves as Chairman of the Retirement Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Insurance, Intragovernmental Coordination, Rules, State Planning & Community Affairs, Transportation and Ways & Means committees.