HB362: HB362 Bryan County; ad valorem tax; educational purposes; provide homestead exemption

Currently, Bryan County homeowners' property tax bills for school purposes can rise each year as their home's assessed value increases. This bill would create a homestead exemption that limits how much of that increased value can be taxed by the Bryan County school district for educational purposes. The exemption is based on a 'base year' assessed value that grows only by an inflation-adjusted amount each year, plus the value of any major improvements, so the taxable value used for school taxes grows more slowly than the market value. The exemption would apply automatically to homeowners who already had a homestead exemption in 2025 and remain eligible in 2026; others must apply through the Bryan County tax commissioner. It would not affect state, county, municipal, or independent school district taxes, and it would not stack with other base-year exemptions already covering Bryan County school taxes. Because the bill deals with a homestead exemption, it needs a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly and voter approval in a November 2025 referendum before taking effect January 1, 2026; otherwise it repeals itself.

• Creates a homestead exemption from Bryan County school district property taxes equal to the growth in a home's assessed value above an inflation-adjusted 'base year' value.
• Defines how the base year value is calculated, starting with the 2025 assessed value for people first getting the exemption in 2026, and adjusted for inflation and property improvements in later years.
• Lets the Bryan County tax commissioner set the annual inflation rate used to adjust base year values, optionally using the federal Consumer Price Index.
• Automatically grants the exemption to homeowners who had a Bryan County homestead exemption in 2025 and remain eligible in 2026, without requiring a new application.
• Requires the exemption to be approved by two-thirds of the General Assembly and by Bryan County school district voters in a November 2025 referendum, or it repeals itself.
• Applies the exemption only to Bryan County school district taxes for education, not to state, county, municipal, or independent school district taxes.

Homeowners in the Bryan County school district who qualify for a homestead exemption, the Bryan County tax commissioner's office, which must calculate inflation rates and process applications, and the Bryan County election superintendent, who must run the November 2025 referendum.

If approved by voters, eligible Bryan County homeowners would see their school district property tax bills grow more slowly, since taxable value increases would be capped by an inflation-linked formula rather than tracking full market value growth. The change applies only to school taxes, not other local or state taxes.

• Section 1 defines key terms including 'adjusted base year assessed value,' 'homestead' (up to five contiguous acres), and 'inflation rate,' and sets the mechanics of the exemption.
• Section 1(b) grants the exemption equal to the difference between current assessed value and the adjusted base year value, and specifies it does not transfer to new property owners except as otherwise allowed.
• Section 1(c) requires an application to the Bryan County tax commissioner but automatically extends the exemption to those who had a 2025 homestead exemption and remain eligible in 2026.
• Section 1(e) clarifies the exemption applies only to Bryan County school district taxes, not state, county, municipal, or independent school district taxes, and cannot be combined with other base-year exemptions for the same taxes.
• Section 2 requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate for the Act to become law, per the Georgia Constitution.
• Section 3 requires a November 2025 referendum in the Bryan County school district; if approved, Section 1 takes effect January 1, 2026, and if not approved or not held, the Act repeals itself 365 days after the election date.
• Section 4 sets the general effective date as upon the Governor's approval or the Act becoming law without approval, except for the referendum provisions.

1. 2025-02-12House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-11House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-10House Hopper (House)

• Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)Primary sponsor
• Lehman Franklin (R, HD-160)

• property taxes
• homestead exemption
• Bryan County
• school taxes
• local referendum