HB513: HB513 Local government; criteria for service delivery strategy; revise provisions

Georgia currently bars counties and cities from requiring gas stations to install video surveillance cameras, but an earlier exception let governments keep ordinances adopted before May 6, 2024. This bill confirms that exception continues to apply to any pre-2024 ordinance regulating where such cameras are placed. The bill also revises Georgia's service delivery strategy law (O.C.G.A. § 36-70-24), which takes effect January 1, 2026, and governs how counties and cities coordinate and pay for shared local services. It clarifies that when a county and one or more cities jointly fund a county-wide service, the county's share of that funding must come from unincorporated area residents and property owners, not city residents who already pay for the service through their municipality. It also requires counties to file an annual report showing how much funding they received and spent on these services, and it clarifies when local governments must review and revise their service agreements. Section 1 takes effect July 1, 2025; Sections 2 and 3 take effect January 1, 2026.

• Confirms that counties, cities, and consolidated governments may keep enforcing gas station video surveillance ordinances adopted before May 6, 2024, even though such requirements are otherwise banned.
• Requires that when a county and cities jointly fund a county-wide service, the county's funding share be paid for by unincorporated area residents, individuals, and property owners.
• Expands the list of allowable funding sources for county services, including cable franchise fees and other taxes, while excluding amounts derived from incorporated (city) areas.
• Requires counties to give each party to a service delivery strategy an annual report showing funds received and total costs for county services and joint county-wide services.
• Clarifies that amendments the General Assembly makes to the service delivery criteria law itself do not trigger a required review and revision of an already approved strategy.
• Sets different effective dates: July 1, 2025 for the gas station camera provision and January 1, 2026 for the service delivery changes.

County and municipal governments across Georgia, unincorporated area residents and property owners who fund county services, city residents who share jointly funded county-wide services, and gas stations subject to older local video surveillance ordinances.

The bill changes who effectively pays for shared county services, shifting more of the cost burden for jointly funded county-wide services onto unincorporated area taxpayers, and adds a reporting requirement so cities can see how counties are spending shared funds. It also preserves a narrow set of local camera rules at gas stations.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 36-60-32 so local governments can keep enforcing gas station video surveillance ordinances adopted before May 6, 2024.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 36-70-24 to require that the county's share of jointly funded county-wide services be borne by unincorporated area residents and property owners.
• Section 2 expands funding sources counties can use, including cable franchise fees, alcohol taxes, hotel-motel taxes, and title ad valorem taxes, excluding amounts from incorporated areas.
• Section 2 requires counties to submit an annual report to each party to the service delivery strategy detailing funds received and total service costs.
• Section 3 revises O.C.G.A. § 36-70-28 to clarify that General Assembly amendments to the service delivery criteria law do not by themselves require a strategy review.
• Section 4 sets the gas station ordinance provision effective July 1, 2025, and the service delivery provisions effective January 1, 2026.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-05-14Act 270
3. 2025-05-14House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-04-04House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
6. 2025-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2025-04-02Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2025-03-21Senate Read Second Time (Senate)

• John LaHood (R, HD-175)Primary sponsor
• Victor Anderson (R, HD-010)
• James Burchett (R, HD-176)
• John Corbett (R, HD-174)
• Brian Prince (D, HD-132)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 6, 2025

   169 yea, 1 nay (3 not voting, 7 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #214

2. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   50 yea, 2 nay (2 not voting, 2 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #389

3. PassedHouse voteApril 4, 2025

   163 yea, 2 nay (6 not voting, 9 absent)

   Agree To Senate Substitute: House Vote #440

• local government funding
• service delivery agreements
• county and city cost sharing
• gas station surveillance rules
• property taxes and fees