HB 1490: Education; transfer responsibility for operation of Georgia Capitol Museum from Board of Regents to Georgia Building Authority

Under current Georgia law, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia runs the Georgia Capitol Museum inside the state capitol building. This bill would shift that job to the Georgia Building Authority, the state agency that manages capitol grounds and buildings. The bill repeals the old law giving the Board of Regents this duty (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-40) and adds new sections to the law governing the Georgia Building Authority (O.C.G.A. §§ 50-9-18, 50-9-19). Those new sections transfer the Board of Regents' contracts, property, policies, and museum employees to the Georgia Building Authority as of July 1, 2026, and let the Authority keep operating the museum, run tours, publish materials, and accept donations or grants for the museum. It also updates a related law on the Georgia Capitol Agricultural History Museum areas to reflect the new agency in charge.

• Repeals O.C.G.A. § 20-3-40, ending the Board of Regents' legal responsibility for operating the Georgia Capitol Museum.
• Adds O.C.G.A. § 50-9-18, transferring all Board of Regents powers, contracts, property, and employees tied to the museum to the Georgia Building Authority effective July 1, 2026.
• Adds O.C.G.A. § 50-9-19, authorizing the Georgia Building Authority to maintain exhibits, run tours, publish materials, and accept donations or grants for the museum.
• Revises O.C.G.A. § 45-13-72(b) so the Capitol Art Standards Commission now works with the Georgia Building Authority, instead of the Board of Regents, to designate the Georgia Capitol Agricultural History Museum areas.
• States that existing museum-related contracts, leases, and agreements continue unchanged, with the Georgia Building Authority simply substituted for the Board of Regents as the other party.

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Building Authority, the two state agencies swapping responsibility; museum employees who would become Georgia Building Authority staff; the Capitol Art Standards Commission, which coordinates on museum exhibits; and visitors and school groups who tour the Georgia Capitol Museum.

Visitors likely would not notice a change in the museum itself, but the agency legally responsible for its exhibits, staff, contracts, and property would change. Museum employees would become Georgia Building Authority employees, and existing agreements and donated funds would carry over to the new agency without interruption.

• Section 1 repeals O.C.G.A. § 20-3-40, removing the Board of Regents' statutory authority over the Georgia Capitol Museum.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 45-13-72(b) to name the Georgia Building Authority, rather than the Board of Regents, as the Capitol Art Standards Commission's partner in designating agricultural history museum areas.
• Section 3 adds O.C.G.A. § 50-9-18, transferring powers, policies, contracts, property, and employees from the Board of Regents to the Georgia Building Authority effective July 1, 2026.
• Section 3 also adds O.C.G.A. § 50-9-19, letting the Georgia Building Authority maintain exhibits, conduct tours, publish materials, and accept grants, donations, or gifts for the museum.
• Section 3 specifies that appropriated funds for the museum may be transferred under the state's existing fund-transfer law (O.C.G.A. § 45-12-90).
• Section 4 repeals any other laws that conflict with the bill.

1. 2026-03-06House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-04House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-03House Hopper (House)

• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)Primary sponsor
• Will Wade (R, HD-009)
• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
• Lauren McDonald (R, HD-026)
• Devan Seabaugh (R, HD-034)

• Georgia Capitol Museum
• state government reorganization
• Board of Regents
• Georgia Building Authority
• museum operations