HB 1488: Hinesville Conference Center and Tourism Authority Act; enact

Hinesville currently has no dedicated authority overseeing a conference center or coordinating tourism promotion. This bill creates one: the Hinesville Conference Center and Tourism Authority, made up of seven directors appointed by the City of Hinesville's governing authority to four-year terms. The authority's job is to oversee construction and operation of a conference center used for civic, cultural, and educational events, fairs, conventions, and trade shows, and to promote tourism and the local economy around Hinesville. The bill spells out how the authority organizes itself (electing a chair and vice chair, meeting monthly, needing four members for a quorum), how vacancies get filled, and what powers it has, including hiring staff, contracting with governments and private firms, and seeking grants or loans. It explicitly denies the authority eminent domain power. It also requires an annual public audit of the authority's finances, funded by the authority itself.

• Creates a new public authority for Hinesville with seven directors appointed by the city's governing authority to four-year terms.
• Gives the authority power to build, operate, and manage a conference center for civic, cultural, tourism, and trade-show purposes.
• Allows the authority to hire an executive director and staff, contract with businesses and governments, and apply for grants or loans, but denies it eminent domain power.
• Requires the authority's finances to be audited annually at its own expense, with the audit made a public record and given to the City of Hinesville.
• Restricts use of the authority's funds to supporting the conference center and promoting tourism and the local recreational industry in the Hinesville area.

Residents and government officials of the City of Hinesville, who will appoint and oversee the new authority; any future executive director and staff hired by the authority; businesses, contractors, and event organizers who might work with or use the conference center; and tourists and convention visitors to the Hinesville area.

Hinesville would gain a dedicated public body with legal authority and funding tools to build and run a conference center and coordinate tourism promotion, which could shape local development, event hosting, and economic activity tied to conventions and tourism in the area.

• Section 2 states the authority's purpose: overseeing a conference center for civic, cultural, and economic activities and promoting tourism in Hinesville.
• Section 4 sets the authority at seven directors appointed by the City of Hinesville's governing authority, serving four-year terms.
• Section 5 requires election of a chairperson and vice chairperson, a quorum of four members, monthly meetings, and adoption of bylaws.
• Section 6 provides that members receive no compensation but may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses.
• Section 7 requires replacement of a director who resigns, dies, moves, or misses three consecutive meetings without excuse.
• Section 8 lists the authority's powers, including contracting, seeking grants, and hiring an executive director, while explicitly denying it eminent domain power.
• Section 9 restricts the authority's funds to conference center and tourism promotion purposes and requires an annual public audit.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 567
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-25Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-25Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-03-19Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-03-18House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Al Williams (D, HD-168)Primary sponsor
• Buddy DeLoach (R, HD-167)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 18, 2026

   161 yea, 2 nay (7 not voting, 6 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #712

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 25, 2026

   50 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 2 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #799

• local government authorities
• tourism promotion
• Hinesville
• conference centers
• economic development