Georgia CommonsHB 1377: Transit SPLOST; time limits upon recalling of an election; provisions
Last action March 3, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
A House Transportation Committee substitute for HB 1377 would bar counties from using Transit SPLOST sales tax money to offer free or reduced transit fares, and would make counties in air-quality nonattainment areas wait eight years before re-asking voters to approve the tax after a failed vote.
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 Comm Sub version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia allows certain counties, especially those in metro-Atlanta nonattainment areas with air quality problems, to ask voters to approve a special sales tax (called a Transit SPLOST) dedicated to transportation projects like roads, transit, and bridges. This bill changes two things about that law. First, it amends the definition of 'transportation purposes' in O.C.G.A. § 48-8-260 so that Transit SPLOST money can no longer be used to pay for free or reduced fares on public transit. Second, it amends O.C.G.A. § 48-8-269.46 so that if voters in a nonattainment area reject a Transit SPLOST referendum, the county cannot simply resubmit the question again right away. Instead, it must wait eight years from the date of the failed election before holding another vote on the same tax.
What the bill does
- Prohibits counties from spending special district mass transportation sales and use tax (Transit SPLOST) revenue on free or reduced fares for public transit riders.
- Removes the previous 'from time to time' language allowing quick resubmission of a failed Transit SPLOST referendum in nonattainment areas.
- Requires counties in nonattainment areas to wait eight years after a failed Transit SPLOST vote before putting the tax question back on the ballot.
- Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with these changes.
Who it affects
Counties and transit agencies in nonattainment areas (mainly metro Atlanta) that levy or want to levy the Transit SPLOST, public transit riders who might have benefited from reduced or free fares funded by the tax, and local election officials who schedule SPLOST referenda.
Why it matters
Transit agencies would lose the option to use this sales tax to subsidize free or discounted rides, potentially affecting fare policy and ridership. Counties whose Transit SPLOST fails at the ballot box would have to wait eight years before trying again, slowing efforts to secure transit funding through repeated votes.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises the definition of 'transportation purposes' in O.C.G.A. § 48-8-260 to exclude free or reduced fares for public transit services from allowable uses of Transit SPLOST funds.
- Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 48-8-269.46(c) to remove language letting counties resubmit a failed Transit SPLOST question 'from time to time' and instead require an eight-year wait from the date of the prior failed election.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“but excluding purposes of providing free or reduced fares for public transit services;”
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- John Carson (R, HD-046)
- Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
- Ginny Ehrhart (R, HD-036)
- Don Parsons (R, HD-044)
- Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
- Soo Hong (R, HD-103)
Topics
- Transit SPLOST
- sales tax
- public transit funding
- transit fares
- nonattainment areas