Georgia CommonsHB 1073: Special license plates; Jackson State University; establish
Last action March 3, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
A Georgia House bill would create a new special license plate honoring Jackson State University, with sale proceeds going to a local alumni association chapter.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Comm Sub version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia law allows the state to issue special license plates that support various agencies, funds, and nonprofit organizations, with the Department of Revenue's motor vehicle division handling the plates and directing proceeds to the named group. This bill adds a new entry to that list of plates by amending O.C.G.A. § 40-2-86. The new plate would honor Jackson State University, a historically Black university located in Jackson, Mississippi. Money raised from selling the plate would go to the Jackson State University National Alumni Association Inc., Metro Atlanta Chapter, rather than to the university itself. Because Georgia's constitution requires a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate for bills creating this kind of dedicated funding, the bill would only become law if it clears that higher threshold. If passed, it would take effect January 1, 2027.
What the bill does
- Adds a new paragraph to Georgia's special license plate law (O.C.G.A. § 40-2-86) creating a plate honoring Jackson State University.
- Directs that proceeds from selling the plate go to the Jackson State University National Alumni Association Inc., Metro Atlanta Chapter.
- Requires the bill to pass by a two-thirds majority in both the Georgia House and Senate to satisfy a state constitutional rule on dedicated funding.
- Sets the effective date as January 1, 2027 if the bill is enacted.
Who it affects
Georgia vehicle owners who want to purchase the new Jackson State University plate, the Georgia Department of Revenue which administers special license plates, and the Jackson State University National Alumni Association's Metro Atlanta Chapter, which would receive the sale proceeds.
Why it matters
Georgia drivers with ties to Jackson State University would gain another option for showing school affiliation on their vehicles, and each plate purchase would generate a small, ongoing revenue stream for the university's Atlanta-area alumni chapter rather than for the university itself.
Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-2-86(l) by adding paragraph (76), creating the Jackson State University special license plate and naming the Metro Atlanta Chapter of its national alumni association as the recipient of proceeds.
- Section 2 requires a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers under the Georgia Constitution's rule on laws creating dedicated funding streams.
- Section 3 sets the effective date at January 1, 2027.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“A special license plate honoring Jackson State University. The funds raised by the sale of this special license plate shall be disbursed to Jackson State University National Alumni Association Inc., Metro Atlanta Chapter.”
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Doreen Carter (D, HD-093)
- Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
- Dewey McClain (D, HD-109)
- Demetrius Douglas (D, HD-078)
- Alan Powell (R, HD-033)
- Brian Prince (D, HD-132)
Topics
- license plates
- Jackson State University
- vehicle registration
- alumni fundraising