HB 1166: Local government; zoning decisions shall not affect or be required for certain residential dwellings of 400 square feet or fewer; provide

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Discussed in meetings (11)

The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.

1. House Governmental Affairs Committee, February 23, 2026

   From 0:58:00 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1166 would remove zoning barriers to dwellings of 400 square feet or less, helping homeowners house relatives or renters. Citing Moody’s Analytics, the sponsor reported shortages of 41,000 ownership homes and 35,000 rental units. The sponsor said building codes, septic rules, historic-district protections and local short-term rental regulation would remain. Several members supported more housing options but questioned whether the language allowed unlimited units, standalone developments, separate lot sales or institutional investor purchases. The sponsor said separate sales were not intended and agreed to review the language. Another member argued the proposal was already narrowly aimed at homeowners. Witnesses for the Georgia Municipal Association and ACCG raised concerns about water, sewer, traffic and loss of local land-use decisions, while acknowledging some safeguards. A Georgia Realtors witness supported the proposal for aging in place and housing adult children, saying permits, fees and property taxes would help local governments. A Home Builders Association of Georgia witness said minimum-size rules increase costs and that building permits and inspections would still apply. The chair made the discussion hearing-only and requested revised language. No amendment or bill vote occurred.

2. House Governmental Affairs Committee, February 25, 2026

   From 1:05:57 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the substitute for HB 1166 would allow one secondary dwelling of 400 square feet or less on residential property without a zoning decision, helping families house relatives or caregivers nearby. The sponsor said building codes, septic requirements, historic-district protections, floodplain rules and manufactured-housing standards would remain. A supporting member said local-government organizations had suggested clarifications. Asked about homeowners associations, the sponsor said association approval would still be necessary. Another member noted that the bill did not restrict occupants to relatives or caregivers, which the sponsor acknowledged. Members discussed limiting eligibility to a primary residence to discourage institutional investors. One member questioned whether that would exclude some family-owned properties. Georgia Realtors supported the proposal. The committee adopted an amendment requiring the main residence to be homesteaded, with no opposition voiced, then approved the amended substitute and sent it to Rules.

3. House Rules Committee, March 2, 2026

   From 0:30:56 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described HB 1166 as limiting local zoning requirements for construction or use of a secondary dwelling of 400 square feet or less on land already zoned residential. No questions or decision followed.

4. House floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, PM, part 2)

   From 1:41:29 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2168

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenting member said HB 1166 would allow a homeowner to build one secondary dwelling of 400 square feet or less on residential property without a zoning decision. The member said these units could house relatives or caregivers, provide rentals for workers and supplement homeowners' income. The member said local governments would retain authority over building codes, septic systems and other health and safety rules. In response to questions, the member confirmed that the units could offer an alternative to assisted living and said the approach had been proposed for several years to address housing shortages. A second supporting member described committee discussions involving the Georgia Municipal Association, home builders and real estate representatives, and said communities need more affordable housing choices. The House adopted the committee substitute and passed the bill 111-50.

5. House Rules Committee, March 6, 2026

   From 0:45:06 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2140

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed HB 1166 on the day’s supplemental floor calendar under modified structure following a motion and second, with no opposition stated. No substantive discussion occurred.

6. Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee, March 26, 2026

   From 2:26:26 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented HB 1166 as a substitute establishing a recovery process for financially distressed cities, rather than the small-dwelling proposal originally associated with it. The sponsor described a locally requested state review, followed by a court-appointed receiver and recovery plan, generally for two years with possible extensions. The sponsor cited cities with missing audits, unpaid obligations and spending exceeding revenue, arguing that intervention could preserve services and avoid dissolving cities. A Georgia Municipal Association witness supported this middle option and explained that the substitute also removed outdated provisions from the 1990s. Members questioned late access to the extensive substitute, safeguards for cities already pursuing recovery, financial pressures outside local control, and whether a short-term deficit could trigger intervention. The sponsor said a majority of the local legislative delegation would have to request review. The committee adopted amendments requiring the 5% deficit condition to persist for two consecutive fiscal years without adequate cash reserves, recognizing a court resolution of certain contractor disputes, and allowing interested parties to challenge allegedly unlawful receiver actions. Legislative counsel said courts would determine whether those parties had standing. The amended substitute passed without a stated vote count.

• Read aloud: House floor session, February 4, 2026 (legislative day 12), 0:18:34
• Read aloud: House floor session, February 5, 2026 (legislative day 13), 0:44:05
• Read aloud: House floor session, February 26, 2026 (legislative day 25, AM), 1:06:16
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 9, 2026 (legislative day 29), 0:27:02
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 27, 2026 (legislative day 38), 0:29:36

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