LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: SINE DIE

FY2027 Budget: The Conference Committee’s Final Deal

In the final days of Georgia’s 2026 legislative session, a conference committee made up of three House and three Senate members negotiated the final Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) state budget after the two chambers disagreed on spending priorities across health care, workforce, and rural infrastructure. Both chambers passed the conference committee’s final FY27 budget before Sine Die on the last day of the legislative session. The FY27 budget funds the state from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.

For years, caregiving has been treated like something that happens quietly in the background. But here’s the truth: caregiving isn’t a side story anymore. It’s central to American life and to the strength of our workforce.

In Georgia and across the country, that reality is already shaping how people work, care for their families, and engage with our health systems. Yet too often, our policies and workplaces haven’t caught up.

During National Family Caregivers Month, we described caregiving as “love in motion.” It is an act of commitment, resilience, and sacrifice, but love alone doesn’t provide paid leave, affordable services, or mental health support. As caregiving becomes more common, one question grows more urgent: Who is caring for the caregivers?