HB443: HB443 Game and fish; fees for reef and migratory fish endorsements; provide

This bill does two unrelated things. First, it repeals Article 18 of Chapter 2 of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, which currently regulates raw (unpasteurized) milk, and it removes other references to raw milk from Georgia law. Second, it amends Georgia's fishing license fee law (O.C.G.A. § 27-2-23) to add a reef and migratory fish endorsement, a kind of add-on permit to a regular fishing license. Georgia residents would pay $10 a year and nonresidents $20 a year for this endorsement. The state Board of Natural Resources would get to decide which fish species or groups of species, taken by recreational or commercial fishing gear, require this endorsement in addition to a regular fishing license. Money collected from these new fees would stay with the Department of Natural Resources rather than going into the state's general fund, under an existing code section governing agency-retained fees.

• Repeals Article 18 of Chapter 2 of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the law that currently regulates raw (unpasteurized) milk, and strips related references to raw milk from Georgia law.
• Creates a new annual reef and migratory fish endorsement fee of $10 for Georgia residents and $20 for nonresidents, added to O.C.G.A. § 27-2-23.
• Lets the Board of Natural Resources designate which fish species or groups require this endorsement for recreational or commercial fishing, on top of the standard fishing license.
• Directs that fees collected from the new endorsement be retained by the Department of Natural Resources rather than deposited elsewhere, under O.C.G.A. § 45-12-92.1.

Recreational and commercial anglers who fish for reef or migratory species in Georgia waters, the Department of Natural Resources and its Board of Natural Resources, and producers or sellers of raw (unpasteurized) milk who currently operate under Georgia's raw dairy law.

Anglers targeting certain reef and migratory fish would need to pay an extra $10 or $20 a year on top of their existing fishing license, with the state deciding which species require it. Separately, ending Georgia's raw milk law would eliminate the specific legal framework that currently governs its sale and regulation.

• Section 1 repeals Article 18 of Chapter 2 of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, which regulates raw dairy, and removes related raw milk references from state law.
• Section 2 adds subparagraphs (K) and (L) to paragraph (4) of O.C.G.A. § 27-2-23, setting the resident reef/migratory fish endorsement at $10 annually and the nonresident version at $20 annually.
• Section 2 also revises paragraph (11) of the same code section, authorizing the Board of Natural Resources to require this endorsement for specific fish species or species groups taken by recreational or commercial fishing gear.
• Section 2 adds paragraph (12.1) specifying that fees collected under the new endorsement subparagraphs are retained by the Department of Natural Resources under O.C.G.A. § 45-12-92.1.
• Section 3 repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this Act.

1. 2026-01-28House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub As Amended (House)
2. 2025-04-04Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
3. 2025-04-04Senate Third Read (Senate)
4. 2025-04-04Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
5. 2025-04-02Senate Tabled (Senate)
6. 2025-03-21Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
7. 2025-03-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
8. 2025-03-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)

• Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)Primary sponsor
• Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)
• Buddy DeLoach (R, HD-167)
• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
• Lehman Franklin (R, HD-160)
• Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2025

   165 yea, 1 nay (7 not voting, 7 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #179

2. PassedSenate voteApril 4, 2025

   48 yea, 5 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #486

3. PassedHouse voteJanuary 28, 2026

   163 yea, 2 nay (8 not voting, 2 absent)

   Agree To Senate Sub As Am: House Vote #462

• fishing licenses
• reef and migratory fish
• Department of Natural Resources
• raw milk regulation
• hunting and fishing fees