HB532: HB532 Conservation and natural resources; grants and special revenue disbursements; revise provisions

Georgia law allows counties with 20,000 or more acres of unimproved, state-owned land under the Department of Natural Resources to receive annual grants covering the public services they provide for that land, such as roads, water, or emergency response. Two separate Code sections, one tied to the Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund and one in the general grants chapter, set up similar reimbursement programs using nearly identical eligibility rules. HB 532 rewrites both Code Section 12-6A-12 and Code Section 48-14-4 to add a rule saying a county cannot receive a grant under both programs at the same time; it must pick one. The bill also keeps in place the existing calculation method, based on the value of public services the county provides, the requirement for annual eligibility determinations by the Department of Natural Resources, and the cap limiting Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund grant spending to 10 percent of that fund per year. The bill passed the House and Senate but was vetoed by the Governor on May 14, 2025.

• Adds a new rule to O.C.G.A. § 12-6A-12 stating no county may receive a grant under that section and under O.C.G.A. § 48-14-1 at the same time.
• Adds the same restriction to O.C.G.A. § 48-14-4, blocking counties from collecting that grant while also claiming a grant under Code Section 48-14-1.
• Keeps the existing requirement that the Department of Natural Resources calculate each eligible county's public service costs and request matching funds in its annual budget.
• Preserves the cap limiting Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund grants for offsetting local taxes to no more than 10 percent of the fund in any fiscal year.
• Retains the annual eligibility determination deadline of December 31 for both grant programs.

Georgia counties that host 20,000 or more acres of unimproved, state-owned land managed by the Department of Natural Resources, and the department itself, which administers both grant programs and calculates county eligibility and payment amounts each year.

Counties with large amounts of state-owned land currently could potentially draw grant money from two overlapping programs meant to offset the same lost tax base and service costs. This bill would force a choice between the two, changing how much reimbursement some counties receive.

• Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 12-6A-12(f) to state no county may receive a grant under that section and under Code Section 48-14-1 simultaneously.
• Section 1 also keeps subsection (d), limiting the grant calculation to land acquired with Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund money, and subsection (e), capping such grants at 10 percent of the fund per year.
• Section 2 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 48-14-4(e) to add the identical dual-grant restriction for the general grant program covering counties with 20,000+ acres of state land.
• Section 2 retains the requirement that the Department of Natural Resources make annual eligibility determinations by December 31 each year.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-14Veto V4
2. 2025-05-14House Date Vetoed by Governor (House)
3. 2025-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
5. 2025-04-02Senate Third Read (Senate)
6. 2025-04-02Senate Engrossed (Senate)
7. 2025-03-27Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
8. 2025-03-27Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)

• Buddy DeLoach (R, HD-167)Primary sponsor
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 6, 2025

   168 yea, 0 nay (9 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #193

2. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   31 yea, 24 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

   Motion To Engross: Sb 214, Hb 66, Hb 79, Hb 129, Hb 134, Hb 141, Hb 370, Hb 397, Hb 445, Hb 463, Hb 532, Hb 586, Hb 652: Senate Vote #383

3. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   44 yea, 5 nay (2 not voting, 5 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #392

• state land grants
• county funding
• natural resources
• Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund
• local government revenue