HB840: HB840 Pickens County Airport Authority; repeal Act

In 2006 the Georgia General Assembly created the Pickens County Airport Authority as a separate local body to manage airport operations. HB 840 repeals that 2006 Act entirely, ending the authority as a legal entity. The bill then spells out what happens to the authority's assets and debts. Everything the authority owns automatically becomes the property of Pickens County, Georgia, with no further action required. The Pickens County Board of Commissioners is given authority to sign deeds or other paperwork needed to formally move titles into the county's name, and it can do so either as the county or in the name of the now dissolved authority. The same process applies to the authority's debts and other obligations: they shift to the county, and commissioners may execute whatever documents are needed to complete that transfer.

• Repeals in its entirety the 2006 Act that created the Pickens County Airport Authority (Ga. L. 2006, p. 3645), eliminating the authority as a legal body.
• Automatically transfers all assets of the former airport authority to Pickens County, Georgia, without any additional legal steps.
• Authorizes the Pickens County Board of Commissioners to sign deeds or conveyance documents to put asset titles into the county's name, including signing in the authority's name if needed.
• Shifts all debts and obligations of the former authority to Pickens County and lets commissioners execute whatever instruments are needed to complete that transfer.
• Repeals any other state laws that conflict with this Act.

Pickens County government and its Board of Commissioners, who take on direct ownership of the airport and its debts, along with anyone who does business with the county airport, such as vendors, tenants, or contractors previously dealing with the authority.

Once enacted, Pickens County itself, rather than a separate authority board, will directly own and be responsible for the county airport's property and debts, changing who manages airport operations and who is legally accountable for its finances.

• Section 1 repeals the 2006 Act (Ga. L. 2006, p. 3645) that established the Pickens County Airport Authority, ending its legal existence.
• Section 2 transfers all of the authority's assets to Pickens County automatically and authorizes the county commissioners to sign deeds and conveyance documents, including in the authority's name, to formalize the transfer.
• Section 2 also transfers the authority's debts and obligations to the county, with commissioners empowered to execute instruments needed to assume them.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2025-05-13
2. 2025-05-13Act 240
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-08House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-04-02Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-31Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-31House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-011)Primary sponsor

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2025

   165 yea, 0 nay (10 not voting, 5 absent)

   Local Calendar Without Hbs 851 & 852: House Vote #342

2. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   55 yea, 1 nay

   Supplemental Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #400

• Pickens County
• airport authority
• local government reorganization
• county assets and debts