HB 1266: Watercraft; use of certain motors on vessels being operated on the Ogeechee River; repeal a provision

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Discussed in meetings (15)

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 Game, Fish & Parks Committee, February 11, 2026

   From 0:12:56 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would remove a prohibition on motors exceeding 9.9 horsepower on a small section of the Ogeechee River. The sponsor described the restriction as unique in Georgia and said it dated back 30 to 40 years, arguing that the shift from two-cycle to four-cycle motors supported removing it. The chair said residents had submitted numerous petitions requesting the change and that the Department of Natural Resources had no objections. No substantive questions or opposition were offered. The committee approved a motion to pass by voice vote; no count was stated.

2. House Rules Committee, February 17, 2026

   From 0:46:17 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would repeal a roughly 40-year-old restriction limiting motors to 9.9 horsepower on a section of the Ogeechee River. The sponsor described the restriction as unique in Georgia and said advances in engines justified repeal. No questions followed. Later, the committee returned the bill to the Game, Fish, and Parks Committee without stated opposition.

3. House Game, Fish & Parks Committee, February 24, 2026

   From 0:00:39 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair said HB 1266 had returned to the committee after previously passing. The sponsor explained that it would remove a 9.9-horsepower motor limit on part of the Ogeechee River, arguing that motor technology had changed since the restriction was adopted about 40 years ago. The sponsor offered an amendment prohibiting personal watercraft, including jet skis, between State Highway 119 and the river’s origin, with an exception for law enforcement craft. The amendment would reference the existing legal definition of personal watercraft. A committee member asked whether the Department of Natural Resources supported the approach. The chair said the department had been consulted, but no department representative spoke. The chair also said this was the only public-river stretch in Georgia with a motor-size restriction and that removing it would make the rules uniform statewide. The committee adopted the amendment and then approved the amended bill by voice votes, with no opposition heard.

4. House Rules Committee, March 4, 2026

   From 0:49:46 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1881

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described a substitute for HB 1266 concerning motor horsepower on a section of the Ogeechee River. The sponsor said the revision would continue to prohibit personal watercraft, including jet skis, in that area. No decision was recorded.

5. House floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27, PM, part 1)

   From 2:07:16 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1882

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would remove a 9.9-horsepower motor limit on one section of the Ogeechee River, citing changes from two-stroke to four-stroke engines. The sponsor said personal watercraft would remain prohibited in that section for safety reasons at the Department of Natural Resources' request. No questions were asked. The House adopted the committee substitute and passed the bill 164-0.

6. House Rules Committee, March 4, 2026

   From 0:35:27 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1881

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee added HB 1266 to the day's supplemental calendar under modified structured rules without stated opposition. No provisions were discussed.

7. Senate Natural Resources and the Environment Committee, March 17, 2026

   From 0:46:42 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1266 would remove a 9.9-horsepower motor limit on part of the Ogeechee River while explicitly prohibiting personal watercraft there. Asked why the change was needed, the sponsor said the restriction dated back roughly 35 years, modern four-stroke motors operate differently, and the limit prevents some anglers with larger motors from reaching part of the river. The sponsor said shallow areas and debris make personal watercraft unsafe there. One member questioned why the prohibition should be in state law rather than agency rules. A Department of Natural Resources witness said the legislature had established the original restriction, the department had worked with the sponsor, and the department had no concerns with the bill. The witness said the existing horsepower limit had effectively prohibited personal watercraft already. Another member reported receiving requests to support the bill and asked whether modern outboard motors are quieter; the sponsor agreed. The committee approved the bill unanimously.

8. Senate Rules Committee, March 23, 2026

   From 0:33:58 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair described HB 1266 as concerning vessels operated on the Ogeechee River. No specific changes were explained. The chair later added it to the floor calendar package, which the committee approved unanimously.

9. Senate floor session, March 25, 2026 (legislative day 37)

   From 6:23:27 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1266 would remove a restriction on motors exceeding 9.9 horsepower along roughly ten miles of the Ogeechee River. The sponsor said the restriction was about 35 years old, unique among Georgia river stretches and outdated because newer four-stroke motors were quieter. The sponsor also said the current rule could prohibit entering the stretch with a larger motor even when using a trolling motor to fish. No substantive opposition followed. The Senate passed the bill 47 to 1.

• Read aloud: House floor session, February 11, 2026 (legislative day 17), 0:32:10
• Read aloud: House floor session, February 12, 2026 (legislative day 18), 0:53:40
• Read aloud: House floor session, February 25, 2026 (legislative day 24), 0:45:06
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, part 1), 0:40:11
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 18, 2026 (legislative day 33), 0:32:46
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 19, 2026 (legislative day 34), 0:47:54

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