---
title: HB 1087. Disabled Veteran Home Modification Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1087
cite_as: HB 1087, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1087
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1087.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1087/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72593
date: 2026-03-31
status: engrossed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 797
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1087.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1087
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-03-04
last_action: Senate Tabled
sponsors:
- Josh Bonner
- Bill Hitchens
- Angie O'Steen
- Brian Prince
- Sandy Donatucci
- David Jenkins
- Chuck Payne
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1087/2025
upstream_id: 2102303
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- disabled veterans
- property and building fees
- home accessibility
- local government fees
- veterans services
---
# HB 1087. Disabled Veteran Home Modification Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 1087
By: Representatives Bonner of the 73rd, Hitchens of the 161st, O’Steen of the 169th, Prince
of the 132nd, Donatucci of the 105th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 80 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions regarding provisions applicable to counties and municipal corporations,
so as to prohibit counties, municipal corporations, and other governmental entities from
charging disabled veterans certain fees related to residential improvements to be made to
accommodate such veteran's disability status; to provide a definition; to provide for a short
title; to provide for legislative findings; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting
laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Disabled Veteran Home Modification
Act."
SECTION 2.
The General Assembly finds that:
(1) Disabled veterans in this state are being charged building fees, including permit fees,
plan review fees, plan examination fees, inspection fees, or other fees when any such
veteran needs to have modifications made to his or her home in order to accommodate the
veteran's disability;
(2) Such fees can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, adding a financial burden
for disabled veterans looking to make their homes more accessible;
(3) Legislation is needed to provide that a veteran with a disability shall not be charged
any fees for improvements to the residence of such veteran if the improvements are needed
to accommodate the veteran's disability; and
(4) Legislation is needed to help ensure that disabled veterans can live comfortably in their
homes and are successfully reintegrated into their communities following their military
service.
SECTION 3.
Chapter 80 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general
provisions regarding provisions applicable to counties and municipal corporations, is
amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"36-80-32.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'disabled veteran' shall have the same meaning
as set forth in Code Section 48-5-48.
(b) Any disabled veteran may apply to the commissioner of veterans service for
certification as a disabled veteran as provided by subsection (a) of this Code section. The
commissioner of veterans service is authorized and directed to certify such applicants as
disabled veterans and to issue to such applicants such proof of certification as the
commissioner of veterans service finds appropriate. The commissioner of veterans service
may require by rule or regulation such documentation as may be necessary to certify
disabled veterans as provided in this subsection.
(c) Any disabled veteran who is certified by the commissioner of veterans service as
provided in subsection (b) of this Code section shall not be charged any building fees,
including permit fees, plan review or plan examination fees, inspection fees, reinspection
fees, or other fees required in order to make improvements to the residence of such
disabled veteran if such improvements are required to accommodate the veteran's
disability.
(d) Nothing in this Code section changes the obligation of any person to submit an
application, form, or other documentation required by a county, municipal corporation, or
other governmental entity. A disabled veteran shall submit certification of such veteran's
disability status as required by subsection (b) of this Code section along with any
documentation as required by the commissioner of veterans service."
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 1087 would stop Georgia counties and cities from charging disabled veterans building fees for home modifications needed because of their disability.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia disabled veterans who need to modify their homes to accommodate their disability, such as adding ramps or widening doorways, currently can be charged local building fees including permit, plan review, inspection, and reinspection fees. These fees can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars.
House Bill 1087, called the Disabled Veteran Home Modification Act, adds a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 36-80-32) that bars counties, municipalities, and other local government entities from charging these fees to a certified disabled veteran when the home improvements are needed because of the veteran's disability. Veterans must apply to the commissioner of veterans service for certification, and that office can require documentation to verify disability status. The bill does not remove any requirement to file applications or paperwork with local governments; it only waives the fees tied to that process.
### What it does
- Adds a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 36-80-32) barring local governments from charging disabled veterans certain building-related fees for disability home modifications.
- Defines 'disabled veteran' by cross-referencing an existing property tax exemption statute (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-48).
- Creates a certification process through the commissioner of veterans service, who can require documentation before issuing proof of disabled veteran status.
- Waives permit fees, plan review or examination fees, inspection fees, reinspection fees, and other similar fees tied to accessibility improvements.
- Keeps in place any existing requirement to submit applications, forms, or documentation to local governments; only the fees are waived, not the paperwork.
### Who it affects
Disabled veterans in Georgia who need home modifications for accessibility, the state commissioner of veterans service, who runs the new certification process, and county and municipal building departments, which would no longer be allowed to collect certain fees from certified disabled veterans.
### Why it matters
Disabled veterans making accessibility upgrades to their homes could avoid fees that sometimes total hundreds or thousands of dollars, lowering the cost of modifications like ramps, widened doors, or bathroom changes. Local governments would lose that fee revenue for these specific projects.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 names the bill the 'Disabled Veteran Home Modification Act.'
- Section 2 lays out legislative findings that disabled veterans face costly building fees for disability-related home modifications.
- Section 3 adds O.C.G.A. § 36-80-32, defining 'disabled veteran' by reference to O.C.G.A. § 48-5-48 and setting up certification through the commissioner of veterans service.
- Section 3(c) prohibits charging certified disabled veterans building permit, plan review, plan examination, inspection, and reinspection fees for disability-related home improvements.
- Section 3(d) clarifies that veterans still must submit any required applications or documentation, along with their certification, even though fees are waived.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Engrossed (2026-03-04)
- Last action: Senate Tabled (2026-03-31)
- Sponsors: Josh Bonner, Bill Hitchens, Angie O'Steen, Brian Prince, Sandy Donatucci, David Jenkins, Chuck Payne
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72593
> The history, votes, and amendments (797 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1087.md?full=1