HR98: HR98 Property; granting of nonexclusive easements; authorize

Georgia owns land used for state parks, technical colleges, wildlife management areas, and other public facilities. Sometimes utility companies, cities, or other public entities need to run power lines, water pipes, fiber optic cable, or roads across that land to serve nearby projects. Because the state owns the property, the General Assembly must approve granting an easement, a legal right to use a strip of that land for a specific purpose, before it can happen. This resolution grants 18 separate non-exclusive easements across land in Barrow, Bryan, Chatham, Cherokee, Coweta, Fulton, Glynn, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Jeff Davis, Lamar, McDuffie, Paulding, Walker, and Walton counties. Recipients include Georgia Power Company, Atlanta Gas Light, the City of Atlanta, the City of Barnesville, Spectrum, and several electric and water utilities. Each easement is tied to a specific project, such as serving a new Hyundai EV training center or a Rivian plant site, and each includes standard terms on cost, reversion if abandoned, and a three-year deadline to complete the grant. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.

• Authorizes the State Properties Commission to grant 18 non-exclusive easements on state-owned land across 16 Georgia counties to specific utilities, cities, and companies.
• Ties each easement to a defined project, such as underground power lines for a technical college building, fiber optic cable in a state park, or a bridge replacement in Atlanta.
• Sets consideration (payment) for each easement, ranging from a nominal $10.00 for public-purpose projects to fair market value of at least $650.00 or a lump sum of $96,400.00 for the Atlanta bridge project.
• Requires each grantee to record its easement in the applicable county's Superior Court and forward a copy to the State Properties Commission.
• States that if a grantee abandons use of an easement, rights revert to the State of Georgia, and any equipment left behind becomes state property.
• Gives each authorization a three-year expiration from the resolution's effective date if the easement is not finalized.

The bill directly affects the Department of Natural Resources, Technical College System of Georgia, Department of Driver Services, Department of Economic Development, Department of Community Supervision, and the State Properties Commission, which manage the affected properties. It also affects the named utilities and local governments receiving easements: Georgia Power, Atlanta Gas Light, Spectrum, the City of Atlanta, the City of Barnesville, and several electric, water, and sewer utilities.

Without this legislative approval, these utilities and local governments could not legally install or maintain infrastructure like power lines, water pipes, or fiber cable on state land. Approval clears the way for specific projects, including service to new industrial sites, training centers, and a bridge replacement, to move forward on land the state controls.

• Article I-II (Sections 1-26): Grants Georgia Power two easements at Fort Yargo State Park in Barrow County for underground power facilities and fiber optic lines, with consideration of $10.00 and at least $650.00 respectively.
• Article III-IV (Sections 27-52): Grants Georgia Power easements at technical college training centers in Bryan and Chatham counties to serve Hyundai and other EV training facilities.
• Article VII (Sections 79-91): Grants the City of Atlanta an easement in Fulton County for the Central Avenue bridge replacement project, with consideration set at $96,400.00.
• Article XVIII (Sections 219-231): Grants Newton County Water and Sewerage Authority a 7-acre easement in Walton County for a water tower and sewer lines serving the Rivian plant site.
• Each article includes standard reversion language: if a grantee abandons the easement's use, rights revert to the State, and any remaining equipment becomes state property.
• Section 232 sets the effective date as upon the Governor's approval or the resolution becoming law without signature.
• Section 233 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date 2025-05-14
2. 2025-05-14Act 365
3. 2025-05-14House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-25House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
6. 2025-03-11Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2025-03-11Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2025-02-27Senate Read Second Time (Senate)

• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)Primary sponsor
• Emory Dunahoo (R, HD-031)
• Michael Smith (D, HD-041)
• William Werkheiser (R, HD-157)
• Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 11, 2025

   166 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 8 absent)

   Adopt: House Vote #24

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 11, 2025

   49 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 6 absent)

   Adoption By Substitute: Senate Vote #226

3. PassedHouse voteMarch 25, 2025

   166 yea, 0 nay (9 not voting, 5 absent)

   Agree To Senate Substitute: House Vote #313

• state property easements
• utility infrastructure
• state parks
• technical colleges
• economic development sites