HB485: HB485 Official Code of Georgia Annotated; various provisions enacted prior to 2013 which are contingent upon funding and which remain unfunded; repeal

Over the years the Georgia General Assembly has passed laws that never took effect because they depended on funding that was never provided, referenced federal laws that have since changed names, or were later found unconstitutional by courts. This bill is a cleanup measure that goes through the Official Code of Georgia Annotated section by section to address these leftover provisions. Part I repeals several unfunded contingency provisions, including ones on prescription drug tracking and Agent Orange reporting. Part II updates outdated terms, such as replacing references to the old federal No Child Left Behind Act with the current Every Student Succeeds Act in several education statutes, and fixes a bicycle passing law and other technical language. Part III repeals provisions courts have held unconstitutional and rewrites three Code sections (on traffic violations, income tax penalties, and local occupation taxes) to remove the unconstitutional language while keeping the rest of the rule. Part IV changes how the Georgia World Congress Center oversight committee's chairperson and vice chairperson are chosen going forward.

• Repeals several Georgia Code sections that were enacted before 2013 but never took effect because they were tied to funding that was never appropriated.
• Updates outdated federal law references in several education statutes, replacing mentions of the No Child Left Behind Act with the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015.
• Repeals ten Code sections or provisions that courts or legal review have found unconstitutional, including a private club alcohol licensing law and a law on disrupting lawful gatherings.
• Rewrites Georgia's traffic violations bureau law (O.C.G.A. § 40-13-60), income tax penalty law (O.C.G.A. § 48-7-2), and local occupation tax law (O.C.G.A. § 48-13-6) to remove unconstitutional language while preserving the underlying rules.
• Changes the process for appointing the chairperson and vice chairperson of the Geo. L. Smith II Georgia World Congress Center Authority Overview Committee starting in 2027.
• Repeals part of a 2003 Act on the Georgia Veterinary Practice Act that depended on funding that was never provided.

The bill affects motorists and bicyclists (through the bicycle passing law), taxpayers and the Department of Revenue (through income tax penalty rules), county and municipal governments that levy occupation taxes on businesses, public school students and teachers (through education law updates), and the legislative committee overseeing the Georgia World Congress Center.

Because several repealed or rewritten sections touch daily enforcement, such as income tax penalties, local business taxes, and bicycle passing distances, clarifying that the underlying rules stay in force while unconstitutional or outdated wording is removed keeps those laws enforceable and legally sound going forward.

• Section 1-1 repeals four provisions, including prescription medication integrity tracking and TASER use requirements, that were never funded.
• Section 2-7 rewrites the bicycle passing law (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-56), keeping the requirement to change lanes or leave three feet of space and a misdemeanor fine of up to $250.
• Section 3-3 repeals and re-enacts the traffic violations bureau law (O.C.G.A. § 40-13-60) to remove unconstitutional language while keeping bureaus' jurisdiction over traffic violations.
• Section 3-4 repeals and re-enacts the income tax penalty law (O.C.G.A. § 48-7-2), keeping the misdemeanor penalty but capping fines for failure to pay tax owed at $1,000.
• Section 3-5 repeals and re-enacts the local occupation tax law (O.C.G.A. § 48-13-6), preserving counties' and cities' authority to levy occupation taxes on businesses and professionals.
• Section 4-1 revises how the Geo. L. Smith II Georgia World Congress Center Authority Overview Committee selects its chairperson and vice chairperson, alternating appointment authority between the House Speaker and the Senate Committee on Assignments starting in 2027.
• Section 5-1 repeals all other laws that conflict with this Act.

1. 2026-03-31Senate Tabled (Senate)
2. 2026-03-27Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
3. 2026-03-19Senate Recommitted (Senate)
4. 2026-02-12Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
5. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-21Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
7. 2025-03-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
8. 2025-03-10Senate Read and Referred (Senate)

• Bill Yearta (R, HD-152)Primary sponsor
• Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
• Mitchell Scoggins (R, HD-014)
• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)
• Carter Barrett (R, HD-024)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 6, 2025

   175 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #200

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Motion To Table Remaining Legislation On The Rules Calendar: Senate Vote #912

• state law cleanup
• traffic and bicycle safety
• income tax penalties
• local occupation taxes
• education law updates