Georgia CommonsHB 1092: Chehaw Park Authority; extend existence of authority
Last action May 12, 2026 · Effective Date 2026-05-12
A House bill extends the legal existence of the Chehaw Park Authority in Albany, Georgia through December 31, 2036, keeping the local authority that runs Chehaw Park operating for another decade.
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 Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
The Chehaw Park Authority was created by state law in 1979 to manage Chehaw Park, and its charter has been extended several times since, most recently in 2020. Like many special local authorities in Georgia, it exists only for a set period and needs the General Assembly's approval to keep operating past that date. This bill amends Section 14 of the authority's founding law to push its expiration date further out, setting the new end date at December 31, 2036. It does not change how the authority is governed, funded, or what it does with the park; it simply keeps the authority legally in existence for another set period of years. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws, a standard closing provision.
What the bill does
- Amends Section 14 of the 1979 Act creating the Chehaw Park Authority to change its expiration date.
- Extends the authority's legal existence through December 31, 2036, replacing the prior expiration date set in 2020.
- Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this extension.
Who it affects
The Chehaw Park Authority itself, along with the local governments and officials who created and oversee it, are the parties directly affected. Visitors and users of Chehaw Park in the Albany area benefit indirectly since the authority can continue managing the park without interruption.
Why it matters
Without this extension, the Chehaw Park Authority's legal authority to operate would eventually lapse, potentially disrupting management of Chehaw Park. Extending its existence through 2036 lets the authority continue its operations, contracts, and governance without needing renewed legislative action for another decade.
Key provisions
- Section 1 rewrites Section 14 of the original 1979 Act to state the authority's existence is extended through December 31, 2036.
- Section 2 repeals any laws or parts of laws that conflict with this extension, a standard closing clause.
From the bill
“The existence of the authority is extended through December 31, 2036.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2026-05-12
- Act 659
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
Show full history (13 actions)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Bill Yearta (R, HD-152)
- Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
- Mike Cheokas (R, HD-151)
- David Sampson (D, HD-153)
Votes
- House voteFebruary 17, 2026
163 yea, 1 nay (7 not voting, 4 absent)
- Senate voteFebruary 24, 2026
53 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 1 absent)
Topics
- Chehaw Park
- local authorities
- Albany Georgia
- parks and recreation