HR755: HR755 House Study Committee on Electric Franchise Fees for Unincorporated Areas; create

Georgia cities already lease their rights-of-way to electric utilities through franchise agreements, and utilities pass the cost of those fees on to all customers, including people who live in unincorporated county areas outside any city. This resolution says that arrangement means unincorporated residents help pay municipal franchise fees for cities they don't live in, and that the rapid growth of large-load electricity customers (such as big industrial or data center operations) makes it worth reconsidering how those fees are assessed. The resolution creates the House Study Committee on Electric Franchise Fees for Unincorporated Areas, made up of seven House members, two county commissioners, and two mayors or city council members appointed by the Speaker. The committee would study the issue, hold meetings, and can recommend legislation. It must file any report before it is abolished on December 1, 2025, and its funding comes from the House's existing budget.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Electric Franchise Fees for Unincorporated Areas to study how electric franchise fees affect unincorporated county residents.
• Sets committee membership at seven House members, two county commissioners or board chairs, and two mayors or city council members, all appointed by the Speaker.
• Authorizes the committee to study the issue and recommend legislation or other action it finds necessary.
• Provides legislative members the standard travel and expense allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at five days unless more are authorized.
• Requires any approved report to be filed with the Clerk of the House before the committee is abolished on December 1, 2025.

The resolution mainly affects members of the General Assembly serving on the committee, county commissioners, city mayors and council members, electric utilities, and residents of unincorporated areas whose power bills may include municipal franchise fees.

If the committee's eventual recommendations become law, unincorporated area residents and large electricity users like data centers could see changes in how franchise fees are assessed and who pays them, potentially affecting county revenue and electric bills statewide.

• Paragraph (1) establishes the House Study Committee on Electric Franchise Fees for Unincorporated Areas.
• Paragraph (2) sets membership at seven House members, two county officials, and two municipal officials, all Speaker-appointed, with a House member as chairperson.
• Paragraph (3) directs the committee to study franchise fee issues and recommend legislation as needed.
• Paragraph (5) ties member allowances to O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 and limits paid days to five unless extended, funded from the House's existing appropriation.
• Paragraph (6) lays out reporting requirements, requiring majority committee approval before any report is filed with the Clerk of the House.
• Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025.

1. 2025-03-31House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-03-28House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-03-27House Hopper (House)

• Mitchell Scoggins (R, HD-014)Primary sponsor
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)
• Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)
• Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)
• Brian Prince (D, HD-132)
• Tim Fleming (R, HD-114)

• electric utilities
• franchise fees
• unincorporated counties
• county government
• study committee