HB 1286: Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority; position of director of planning; abolish

Georgia law currently creates a director of planning within the Department of Transportation who leads the Planning Division, prepares the state-wide strategic transportation plan, the freight and logistics plan, and reports to legislative committees. HB1286 abolishes that position and moves those responsibilities to the commissioner of transportation, who would act in consultation with the Planning Division. The bill amends numerous sections of Title 32 dealing with the department's structure, planning duties, funding allocation formulas, and reporting requirements, replacing every reference to 'the director' with 'the commissioner.' It also repeals the Code section that created the director of planning position outright. Related definitions in the state's TSPLOST sales tax law (O.C.G.A. § 48-8-242) and the law creating the Atlanta-region Transit Link 'ATL' Authority (O.C.G.A. § 50-39-5) are updated to reflect that the director of planning position existed only until July 1, 2026, and to substitute the commissioner in coordination duties with the Atlanta Regional Commission.

• Abolishes the director of planning position within the Georgia Department of Transportation by repealing O.C.G.A. § 32-2-43.
• Transfers responsibility for developing the state-wide strategic transportation plan, freight and logistics plan, and related reports from the director of planning to the commissioner of transportation.
• Removes the director of planning from the Department of Transportation's official composition list (O.C.G.A. § 32-2-1) and from oversight of the Planning Division.
• Updates the TSPLOST sales tax law's definition of 'Director' to reference the position 'as in existence until July 1, 2026' rather than an ongoing office.
• Requires the commissioner, rather than the former director, to coordinate with the Atlanta Regional Commission on the Atlanta region's Concept 3 transit proposal.
• Renames references to 'State Transportation Board' as simply 'board' and standardizes references to the House and Senate Transportation Committees throughout Title 32.

The change directly affects the Georgia Department of Transportation, particularly its commissioner and Planning Division staff, since it eliminates a formal leadership position and reassigns its duties. It also affects the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority, the Atlanta Regional Commission, and legislative Transportation Committees that receive planning reports.

By folding the planning director's authority into the commissioner's office, decision-making over statewide transportation plans, freight planning, and project funding formulas would be consolidated under one official rather than split between a commissioner and a separate planning director, changing who legislators and the public look to for these decisions.

• Section 1 removes the director of planning from the list of officials making up the Department of Transportation under O.C.G.A. § 32-2-1.
• Section 2 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 32-2-22 to delete the statutory definition of 'Director' and assign the division's review, planning, and rulemaking duties to the commissioner.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 32-2-41 so the commissioner, rather than the director, is responsible for implementing transportation plans and supervising the Planning Division.
• Sections 4 through 6 replace the director's role in preparing the state-wide strategic transportation plan, project benchmark reports, and the freight and logistics implementation plan with the commissioner's role.
• Section 7 repeals O.C.G.A. § 32-2-43, the Code section that created and defined the director of planning position.
• Section 8 updates the funding allocation formula process in O.C.G.A. § 32-5-27 to have the commissioner, instead of the director, work with the Planning Division on formula updates.
• Section 10 revises the TSPLOST definition of 'Director' in O.C.G.A. § 48-8-242 to reflect the position existed only until July 1, 2026.
• Section 11 updates O.C.G.A. § 50-39-5 so the commissioner of transportation, not the director of planning, works with the Atlanta Regional Commission and the ATL Authority on the Concept 3 transit proposal.

1. 2026-02-17House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-12House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-11House Hopper (House)

• Lauren McDonald (R, HD-026)Primary sponsor
• Buddy DeLoach (R, HD-167)
• John LaHood (R, HD-175)
• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-011)
• Al Williams (D, HD-168)

• transportation planning
• Georgia Department of Transportation
• state government reorganization
• Atlanta transit
• TSPLOST