HB575: HB575 Transportation, Department of; authorize notice of certain public hearings by electronic publication

Current Georgia law requires the Department of Transportation to publish notices about certain transportation hearings only in print newspapers. This bill lets those notices run electronically as well, and requires the department to post hearing notices on its own website at least 30 days ahead of a hearing. The bill also adds a new process letting the department negotiate directly with a condominium association's or property owners' association's governing board to buy shared common property, rather than dealing with every individual owner, while still allowing owners directly affected to be named individually in a legal action if talks fail. It creates a towing and recovery program so the department can remove wrecked, abandoned, or disabled trucks over 16,000 pounds and their spilled cargo from interstates and limited access highways. Finally, it lets the department pay utility companies' relocation costs under a written agreement when road construction requires moving pipes, wires, or similar facilities.

• Allows the Department of Transportation to publish certain required public hearing notices electronically as well as in print newspapers.
• Requires the department to post a copy of hearing notices on its public website at least 30 days before the hearing date.
• Creates a new process letting the department negotiate the purchase of shared common property directly with a condominium or property owners' association board instead of every individual owner.
• Lets the department sue an association as a group over disputed common property purchases, while still naming owners individually if they are specifically affected.
• Authorizes the department to create and run a towing and recovery program to remove disabled, wrecked, or abandoned trucks over 16,000 pounds, plus spilled cargo, from interstates and limited access highways.
• Lets the department pay or share the cost of relocating public utility facilities (like water lines or power lines) when a written agreement or contract requires it for a road project.

The bill affects the Department of Transportation, condominium and homeowners' association boards and their individual members, owners of large commercial trucks over 16,000 pounds, towing operators, public utility companies, and Georgians who attend or rely on public notice of transportation hearings.

Georgians following road projects may see hearing notices posted online instead of only in newspapers. Condo and homeowner associations would deal with the state through their boards rather than owner by owner when the state wants to buy shared land, and heavy wrecked trucks could be cleared from highways faster under a new state-run towing program.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 32-2-3 to allow electronic newspaper publication of hearing notices and requires the department to post hearing notices on its website at least 30 days before a hearing.
• Section 1 also clarifies when a new public hearing is required if a project's location or design changes significantly, and when hearings must be held despite legal uncertainty.
• Section 2 adds a new Code Section 32-3-2.1 letting the department negotiate and, if needed, sue a condominium or property owners' association board to acquire common property, with proceeds split among owners by their ownership share.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 32-6-2 to authorize a towing and recovery program removing vehicles over 16,000 pounds and spilled cargo from interstates and limited access highways, including setting operator standards and incentives.
• Section 4 revises O.C.G.A. § 32-6-170 to let the department pay utility relocation costs under a contract with its roadway contractor or a written agreement with the utility, when road work requires moving the facilities.
• Section 5 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-05-14Act 273
3. 2025-05-14House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-04-02House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
6. 2025-03-28Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2025-03-28Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2025-03-21Senate Read Second Time (Senate)

• Derrick McCollum (R, HD-030)Primary sponsor
• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-011)
• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)
• Lauren McDonald (R, HD-026)
• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2025

   165 yea, 1 nay (8 not voting, 6 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #181

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 28, 2025

   50 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 6 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #331

3. PassedHouse voteApril 2, 2025

   167 yea, 1 nay (4 not voting, 8 absent)

   Agree To Senate Substitute: House Vote #382

• highway construction
• public hearings notice
• condominium associations
• towing regulations
• utility relocation