---
title: HB 1459. Local government; allow governing authority of any county or municipal corporation to hold meetings by teleconference
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1459
cite_as: HB 1459, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1459
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1459.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1459/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73656
date: 2026-03-03
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1459.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1459
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-25
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Karen Lupton
- Karla Drenner
- Viola Davis
- Long Tran
- Mary Oliver
- Marvin Lim
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1459/2025
upstream_id: 2124754
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- open meetings law
- local government
- zoning hearings
- teleconference meetings
- government transparency
---
# HB 1459. Local government; allow governing authority of any county or municipal corporation to hold meetings by teleconference
## Text
House Bill 1459
By: Representatives Lupton of the 83rd, Drenner of the 85th, Davis of the 87th, Tran of the
80th, and Oliver of the 84th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 14 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to open
and public meetings, so as to allow the governing authority of any county or municipal
corporation to hold meetings by teleconference; to require such meetings to be viewable by
the public and to allow for commentary at such meetings without being physically present;
to allow the governing body of any agency whose membership is composed wholly of
nonelected members to hold meetings by teleconference; to provide for related matters; to
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 14 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to open and public
meetings, is amended in Code Section 50-14-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to meetings to be open to public, limitation on action to contest agency action,
recording, notice of time and place, access to minutes, and teleconference, by revising
subsection (h) as follows:
"(h)(1) The following bodies and committees thereof shall be authorized to conduct
meetings by teleconference, provided that any such meeting shall be considered to be
conducted in compliance with this chapter so long as the notice required by this chapter
is provided and, if fewer than a quorum of the members of a body or committee thereof
are physically present, means have been afforded for the public to have simultaneous
access to the teleconference meeting:
(A) Development authorities created pursuant to or authorized by the provisions of
Chapter 42 or Chapter 62 of Title 36, by or pursuant to Article IX, Section VI,
Paragraph III of the Georgia Constitution, or by or pursuant to any amendment to the
Constitution continued pursuant to the authority of Article XI, Section I, Paragraph IV
of the Constitution;
(B) Community improvement districts created pursuant to the provisions of Article IX,
Section VII of the Georgia Constitution;
(C) Hospital authorities created pursuant to Article 4 of Chapter 7 of Title 31;
(D) The board of trustees or other governing body of any large retirement system as
such term is defined in subsection (a) of Code Section 47-20-84;
(E) The board of trustees of any county or regional public library created pursuant to
Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 20; provided, however, that such meetings:
(i) Shall be held at a physical location with at least 50 percent of the board members
physically present; and
(ii) Shall provide one or more methods for public viewing of such meetings and
providing commentary at such meetings without being physically present at such
meetings; and
(F) Community service boards created pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 37;
provided, however, that such meetings:
(i) Shall be held at a physical location with at least 50 percent of the board members
physically present; and
(ii) Shall provide one or more methods for public viewing of such meetings and
providing commentary at such meetings without being physically present at such
meetings;
(G) The governing authority of any county or municipal corporation; provided,
however, that such meetings provide one or more methods for public viewing of such
meetings and providing commentary without being physically present at such meetings.
This subparagraph shall apply to meetings which:
(i) Are for the primary purpose of considering zoning related matters for which
public hearings are required; or
(ii) Are meetings of a committee of the whole or other committee at which no official
action will be taken; and
(H) The governing body of any agency whose membership is composed wholly of
nonelected members.
(2) The participation by teleconference of members of such bodies or committees thereof
means full participation in the same manner as if such members were physically present.
In the event such teleconference meeting is a public hearing, and if fewer than a quorum
of the members of a body or committee thereof are physically present, then members of
the public shall be afforded the means to participate fully in the same manner as if such
members of the public were physically present."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would let county and municipal governing bodies hold certain meetings by teleconference, mainly zoning hearings and committee-of-the-whole sessions, as long as the public can watch and comment remotely.
### Plain-language summary
Current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1) already lets specific bodies, like development authorities, hospital authorities, and library boards, hold meetings by teleconference under certain rules. This bill adds county and municipal governing authorities to that list, but only for two kinds of meetings: those primarily about zoning matters that require public hearings, and committee-of-the-whole or other committee meetings where no official vote will be taken.
Any teleconference meeting held under this new provision must let the public watch and comment without being physically present. The bill also adds a new category letting any agency governing body made up entirely of nonelected members hold meetings by teleconference. It repeals conflicting laws and does not name a separate effective date, so it would take effect under the state's standard rules once signed.
### What it does
- Adds county and municipal governing authorities to the list of bodies allowed to hold teleconference meetings under Georgia's open meetings law (O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1).
- Limits this new teleconference option to zoning-related public hearings and to committee-of-the-whole or committee meetings where no official action is taken.
- Requires any such teleconference meeting to offer the public a way to view the meeting and comment without attending in person.
- Extends teleconference meeting authority to any agency governing body whose members are all nonelected.
- Repeals any existing laws that conflict with these changes.
### Who it affects
County commissions, city councils, and other municipal governing bodies across Georgia; residents who attend or watch local government meetings, especially zoning hearings; and nonelected boards or agencies that oversee public functions but whose members are not elected officials.
### Why it matters
Local elected officials could participate in certain zoning hearings and committee sessions remotely instead of attending in person, as long as the public still has a way to watch and comment. This could change how accessible those specific meetings are for both officials and residents who want to weigh in.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(h) by adding a new subparagraph (G) allowing county and municipal governing authorities to meet by teleconference.
- This authority applies only to meetings for zoning-related matters requiring public hearings, or to committee-of-the-whole or committee meetings where no official action is taken.
- Any teleconference meeting under this provision must provide a way for the public to view it and comment without being physically present.
- A new subparagraph (H) allows any agency governing body composed entirely of nonelected members to hold meetings by teleconference.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-25)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-03-03)
- Sponsors: Karen Lupton, Karla Drenner, Viola Davis, Long Tran, Mary Oliver, Marvin Lim
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73656
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1459.md?full=1