This week, the General Assembly crossed off three more legislative days. As of today, just thirteen calendar days separate us from Sine Die, which will fall on Thursday, March 28. Procedurally, we are quickly approaching the deadline when bills need to be out of their respective committees if they have a chance of passing, and the deadline shows as committee agendas are packed full of legislation with substitutes, riders, and vehicles. Kudos go out to the admins, committee staff, legislative counsel, and many others who keep things running during these frenzied days.
House Ways & Means Chairman Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire), left, and Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome) presiding over their respective committees.

In Legislative Chess Game, Committees Substitute Bills to Advance Priority Issues 

As the legislative session nears its end, bills are approaching the deadline to pass out of committees. As a result, Senate and House committee chairs are using bills within their committees as vehicles for legislation that has failed to progress in the other chamber. For instance, this week:
  • The Senate Finance Committee substituted the language of House Bill 1185 with Senate Bill 349, focusing on procedural changes in property tax and proposing a statewide 3 percent floating homestead exemption. 
  • Similarly, the House Ways and Means Committee substituted the language in the above-mentioned Senate Bill 349 with House Bill 1031, addressing property tax procedures, and House Bill 1115, introducing a new local option sales tax.
House Governmental Affairs Chairman John LaHood presents HB 1407 to the Senate State and Local Government Operations Committee, joined by GMA and ACCG Legislative Directors Jim Thornton and Clint Mueller.

Cities and Counties Strike Compromise on HB 1407, SDS

The Senate State and Local Government Operations Committee heard House Bill 1407 by Rep. John LaHood (R-Valdosta) on Monday, March 11.  GMA worked with ACCG as well as Rep. LaHood and the committee chair, Sen. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville), to amend the bill to address several issues identified since House passage.  

The substitute version of HB 1407 as heard by the committee incorporated compromise language negotiated by GMA and ACCG in consultation with the author and the committee chair. The new language allows DCA to develop optional mapping standards, clarifies the list of unincorporated revenues that can fund unincorporated service districts, provides a judicial backstop in the event dispute resolution fails, and exempts from sanctions those cities that are not party to litigation. The amended bill was passed unanimously by the committee and is now eligible to be placed on the Senate calendar.

$250 million in road funding now available

The Georgia Department of Transportation is now accepting applications from municipal governments for Local Road Administration (LRA) funds. This year, the Governor and the Legislature approved an unprecedented $250 million bolster in funding for local road projects. These LRA funds will require NO match; to see your formula amount, please visit the Department’s website. Applications for the funding are open TODAY through June 15, 2024. The Department wants to ensure these funds are deployed to address your infrastructure needs quickly. The Department will start the Fiscal Year 2025 LMIG Program in July, so please submit your LRA applications as soon as possible. If you need more information, please contact your District State Aid Coordinator for assistance with the online application process. 
GMA Governmental Relations Associate Leona Rittenhouse testifying in support of House Bill 1197 by Rep. Penny Houston (R-Nashville) before the Senate Finance Committee.

Community Development 

House Bill 514 by Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon) would create a six-month limitation on local zoning moratoriums. 
Status: Conference committee report has been issued, pending chamber action 
GMA Position: Neutral 

House Bill 1073 by Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon) would remove specific language relating to zoning procedures relating to halfway houses, drug rehabilitation centers, or other facilities for the treatment of drug dependency.  
Status: Passed Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee on Monday, March 11; Pending in Senate Rules Committee 
GMA Position: Neutral 

Environment and Natural Resources 

House Bill 1146 by Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) allows the Georgia EPD to issue consumptive water permits to private companies without the consent of the relevant local government if said local government is unable to provide the water service within 18 months of the permit request. 
Status: Passed Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee on Tuesday, March 12; Pending in Senate Rules Committee
GMA Position: Oppose 

Municipal Government 

Senate Bill 358 by Sen. Max Burns (R-Sylvania) would require candidate for municipal elections to file required campaign disclosures with the State Ethics Commission beginning in 2026, rather than with the local municipal clerk, and the bill would require disclosures by any candidate who raises more than $100, instead of the current exemption threshold of $2,500.
Status: Passed House Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday, March 13, and pending in House Rules Committee.
GMA Position: Working with Author

House Bill 290 by Rep. Mitchell Scoggins (R-Cartersville) would limit the amount of compensation a county tax commissioner may receive for the collection of municipal taxes.
Status: Pending in Senate Rules Committee  
GMA Position: Support   
 
House Bill 456 by Rep. Stan Gunter (R-Blairsville) establishes a two-year term for all municipal court judges and provides a removal mechanism in the event of a breach of contract. 
Status: Pending in Senate Rules Committee 
GMA Position: Support  
 
House Bill 461 by Rep. Brad Thomas (R-Holly Springs) would revise the calculation of regulatory fees, including building inspection fees.
Status: Pending in Senate Rules Committee 
GMA Position: Neutral  
 
House Bill 905 by Rep. Matt Reeves (R-Duluth) would clarify provisions of the Zoning Procedures Law relative to the role of quasi-judicial boards and agencies and the appeal process from their decisions. In an amended form, the bill also adds a new method of deannexation and simultaneous annexation to transfer property from one city to another.  This new method is limited to commercial properties of less than ten acres and would only apply to cities that were created after January 1, 2016.
Status: Amended and Passed by Senate State and Local Government Operations Committee on Monday, March 11; Pending in Senate Rules Committee
GMA Position: Working with Author
 
House Bill 1033 by Rep. Rob Leverett (R-Elberton) enhances the level of punishment for the crimes of assault and battery when the victims of those crimes are utility workers.    
Status: Pending in Senate Rules Committee  
GMA Position: Support  

House Bill 1044 by Rep. Victor Anderson (R-Cornelia) raises the dollar amount of the public works bidding exemption from $100,000 to $250,000. 
Status: Pending in Senate Rules Committee  
GMA Position: Support 

Public Safety 

Senate Bill 568 and Senate Resolution 721 by Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R-Dallas) are two companion bills consisting of a constitutional amendment and enabling legislation to prohibit parole for illegal aliens.  
Status: Pending in Senate Judiciary Committee 
GMA Position: Neutral 

Senate Bill 569 by Sen. Brian Strickland (R-McDonough) seeks to prohibit illegal aliens from receiving bail if arrested for any offense. 
Status: Pending in Senate Judiciary Committee 
GMA Position: Neutral 

House Bill 301 by Rep. Jason Ridley (R-Chatsworth) seeks to penalize local governments that violate immigration sanctuary policies. Those local governments found in violation shall lose their eligibility for certain state and federal funds, lose sovereign immunity for officials and employees, and have members of local governing authorities removed. 
Status: Pending in Senate Rules Committee 
GMA Position: Oppose 

House Bill 348 by Rep. J Collins (R-Villa Rica) would revise the regulations for speed cameras in school zones. 
Status: Pending in Senate Rules Committee 
GMA Position: Neutral 

House Bill 451 by Rep. Devan Seabaugh (R-Marietta) establishes an insurance program to cover post-traumatic stress disorder claims for first responders and requires city participation in the program.  
Status: Pending in Senate Insurance and Labor Committee 
GMA Position: Support 

House Bill 1105 by Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) seeks to require local law enforcement to cooperate with federal authorities on the enforcement of immigration laws. Any law enforcement agency found in violation will be subject to the withholding of state funding or state administered federal funding. 
Status: Passed out of Senate Public Safety Committee on Thursday, March 15; Pending in Senate Rules Committee 
GMA Position: Evaluating 

Revenue and Finance
Senate Bill 349 by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome) is now a substitute containing provisions of former HB 1031 and HB 1115. The revised bill would require an estimated rollback rate to be included on the assessment notice, require the reappraisal of parcels at least once every three years, and lower the three-year property value assessment lock to two-years. The bill would also create a new local option sales tax which would be referred to as a flexible penny local option sales tax which could be used for property tax relief, similar to LOST or OLOST, if the jurisdictions have adopted a floating homestead exemption. 
Status: Passed House Ways & Means Committee on Thursday, March 14; Pending in House Rules Committee 
GMA Position: Neutral  
 
Senate Resolution 82 by Sen. Carden Summers (R-Cordele) would allow cities and counties to waive delinquent taxes to the extent the tax exceeds the fair market value of the property.
Status: Pending in House Ways & Means Committee
GMA Position: Support  
 
House Bill 808 by Rep. Mike Cheokas (R-Americus) would increase the statewide ad valorem tax exemption for tangible personal property from $7,500 to $20,000.  
Status: Pending in Senate Rules Committee  
GMA Position: Oppose  
 
House Bill 946 by Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville) would allow a single-county T-SPLOST to be levied at the full 1 percent without unanimous approval of the agreement by all local jurisdictions and provides protection for those jurisdictions that are not party to the agreement.  
Status: Pending in Senate Rules Committee  
GMA Position: Support 
 
House Bill 1031 by Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon) would require an estimated roll-back millage rate to be included on the annual notice of current assessment instead of last year's millage rate and would require mandatory reappraisal of parcels at least once every three years. 
Status: Pending in Senate Finance Committee  
GMA Position: Support  
 
House Bill 1115 by Rep. Noel Williams (R-Cordele) would raise the limit on local sales tax to 3 percent, allow for a HOST and a LOST to be levied simultaneously, and create a new local option sales tax which would be referred to as a flexible penny local option sales tax which could be used for property tax relief, similar to LOST or OLOST. 
Status: Pending in Senate Finance Committee  
GMA Position: Support  
 
House Bill 1116 by Rep. Debbie Buckner (D-Junction City) would extend the sunset date for tax credits for rehabilitation of historic structures to January 1, 2029.  
Status: Pending in Senate Finance Committee 
GMA Position: Support  
 
House Bill 1149 by Rep. Mesha Mainor (R-Atlanta) would require local constitutional officers to disclose to the county auditors the amount of any additional discretionary income that they receive relating to their official duties. 
Status: Pending in Senate Rules Committee 
GMA Position: Support 

House Bill 1185 by Rep. Beth Camp (R-Concord) was fully substituted in Senate Finance Committee and is now the same as the original version of SB 349 as passed the Senate. The substituted bill would improve the notice requirements for tax assessments and millage rate adjustments to be more transparent but would also allow for a statewide floating homestead exemption with a cap of 3 percent. 
Status: Passed Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, March 13; Pending in Senate Rules Committee 
GMA Position: Neutral 

House Bill 1197 by Rep. Penny Houston (R-Nashville) would expand the rural zone tax credit to include historic residential structures, and extends the time limit for the zone.  
Status: Heard in Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, March 13
GMA Position: Support 

House Resolution 1022 by Rep. Beth Camp (R-Concord) is a constitutional amendment that would allow for a statewide floating homestead exemption, tied to the inflationary rate, that local governments could opt in to via an ordinance or resolution.  
Status: Pending in Senate Finance Committee 
GMA Position: Neutral 
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